What Is Communion and Why Do We Do It?

As a parent of three young kids, I’m often asked the question, “Why?” Why this? Why that? I wish I could say I'm always thoughtful and patient with my response. But the honest truth is that I'm not. More often than I'd like to admit, my reply goes something like this... “It’s just what we do!” Not helpful, I know. Maybe you know the feeling? The irony, of course, is that I’m a lot like my kids. I love to ask, “Why?” and “it’s just what we do” is rarely an answer I’m satisfied with.

I think for many of us, taking communion at church falls into the same category: “It’s just what we do.” And yet, if we’re honest, we might not really know what it is and why we do it. If that’s you, you aren’t alone!

So, what is communion? 

At a basic level, communion– also called the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:20)– is one of two sacraments instituted by Jesus. (The other is baptism.) Jesus established communion on the night he was betrayed as he ate a meal with some of his friends (Matthew 26:26-28).

Sacraments symbolize and guarantee God’s promises to us. They help strengthen and encourage us as we follow Jesus. "Communion" comes from the Greek word "to give thanks," which makes sense because in communion we give thanks for what Jesus has done. The bread we eat and the wine we drink symbolize Jesus's body and blood given for us.

Why do we take communion? 

The simple answer is that Jesus commands us to do so (Luke 22:19-20). And so, for more than 2000 years, Christians all over the world have been doing exactly that. Gathering together. Eating bread and drinking wine (or juice!). Why? In “remembrance” of him.

Is that all communion is? 

Is it just a ritual we do to remember what Jesus has done for us? No, not exactly. When we take communion together, it’s not merely about what we do. When we eat the bread and drink the wine, something is being done to us as well.

Christians have long debated what exactly is being done. At The Crossing, we believe that when we take communion together, Jesus is really, spiritually present in the bread and the wine. Meaning that when we eat and drink those things, we receive Jesus and the promises he makes to us in faith. 

What are those promises? Jesus promises to forgive our sins (Matt. 26:28). To be present with us (1 Cor. 10:16-17). To nourish and satisfy us (John 6:35). And to strengthen us, grow us, and help us persevere in following him (John 6:53-58).

What should I be doing during communion? 

As a pastor, this is one of the questions I’m asked the most about communion. I get it. I remember having the same question when I was younger. It’s awkward and uncomfortable when it seems like everyone else knows what to do, and you don’t. And to make things even more confusing, different churches celebrate communion in different ways.

At our church, we dip the bread into the wine or juice. And we do so about once a month. Other churches will use wafers instead of bread, juice instead of wine, or drinking instead of dipping. They may take communion every week or once a quarter. That’s okay. What’s more important is what’s happening in our hearts and minds as we take communion.

I find it helpful to “look” – back, in, around, and forward – while taking communion.

Taking communion reminds us to look back. When we eat the bread and drink the wine, we do so in remembrance of Jesus (Luke 22:19). More specifically, we’re reminded of the sacrificial death Jesus was willing to endure on our behalf.

But we’re also to look in. The Apostle Paul says that “everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink of the cup” (1 Cor. 11:28). Communion reminds us that Jesus’s death was necessary because of sin, our sin. And so, when you take communion, it’s an opportunity for you to search your heart, confess your sin, and ask God to forgive you. The good news? He will!

An oft forgotten aspect of taking communion is looking around. Eating and drinking the bread and the wine can feel intimate, a private moment between you and God. And to some extent, it should! But communion is also more than that.

Paul reminds us that “because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf” (1 Cor. 10:17). In other words, communion isn’t meant to be done privately. Rather, it’s to be celebrated together as one body– a community of believers joining together, unified by Jesus.

When we take communion, we commit ourselves to God and each other, as messy and at times painful as that can be. That means taking seriously the ways that our divisions stand in the way of being unified in Christ (1 Cor. 11:18-22).

Lastly, when you take communion, look forward. After Jesus gave his friends the cup of wine, he said to them, “I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it in the new kingdom of God” (Mark 14:25). In that moment, Jesus was looking forward to another meal– a future meal in the coming kingdom where believers from every tribe, tongue, and nation will gather together to celebrate God’s final work of salvation and restoration (Rev. 19:6-9).

When you take communion, you, too, can look forward to the promise of this future meal with hope and expectancy.

How does taking communion impact my life? 

Following Jesus is a long journey, and God knows that every one of us will need encouragement and strength along the way. Sacraments are the means by which God does just that. Taking communion doesn’t make you a Christian, but it does give you the nourishment you need as you follow Jesus.

And so, the next time you eat the bread and drink the wine, use it as an opportunity to renew your trust in Jesus and to reflect on the promises he’s given to you. And remember, when we take communion together, it’s not just “something we do.” It’s a physical reminder that Jesus has done and is doing something to us and for us.