By Ron Halbrook
At the conclusion of the Passover meal, Jesus took some of the unleavened bread and fruit of the vine, and ordained a special use for them “in my Father’s kingdom.”
Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins (Matt. 26:26-29).
The kingdom of God was fully established on the following Pentecost, when Peter preached that men could now receive the remission of their sins through the blood of Christ. “Repent, and be baptized for the remission of your sins, and ye shall receive the gift of Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). Those who entered the kingdom on that day enjoyed the full blessing of the promised kingdom, including the Lord’s Supper (v. 42).
The inspired Apostles taught the same thing “every where in the church,” including the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 4:17; 11: 17-34). Every Christian was privileged to eat “the Lord’s Supper” in memory of Jesus “when ye come together in the church.” “For we are all partakers of that one bread” (11:17, 34; 10:16-21). Through the inspired Apostles, God taught Christians to glorify him by songs, prayers, and lessons taught from the gospel. Christians could gather at any time for such activities, but two additional acts of worship were ordained for the Sunday meeting.
And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them (Acts 20:7).
Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him ip store, as God hath prospered him (1 Cor. 16:2).
Every Christian was obligated to give as he was prospered and to take the Lord’s Supper every Sunday.
God’s true people follow God’s pattern of worship every Sunday in the Kingdom of God, which is the church of Christ. “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 1:13). One way to distinguish Jehovah’s true people from false religions is by whether they follow or depart from God’s true pattern of worship in the Lord’s Supper.
Now the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith (1 Tim. 4:1).
Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son (2 Jn. 9).
Jesus said our worship is vain if we follow the doctrines and commandments of men (Matt. 15:9).
Men have changed God’s pattern for the Lord’s Supper in many ways. Mormons substitute water for the fruit of the vine. Many people in Catholic Churches eat the bread but do not drink of the cup, while their priest does both. The Protestant denominations – Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, Baptist, etc. – generally offer the Lord’s Supper quarterly, annually, or during man-made holy days rather than every Sunday. Some religions use the Sabbath day (Saturday) from the Law of Moses for the memorial, or use various days of the week, rather than following God’s pattern on the first day of the week.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses and other false sects try to have the Supper on the date of the Passover meal under the Law of Moses. Therefore, they prepare this memorial only once a year and it may fall on any day of the week. If we should follow Moses’ Law in this matter, we should travel to Jerusalem and keep the law on animal sacrifices as the Jews did with the Passover. Christ took away the Law of Moses with its Passover and gave us “a new covenant” with the Lord’s Supper every Sunday (Heb. 8:13; 10:9; Acts 20:7). No one can find a passage where the Lord’s Supper was offered on the date of the old Passover in the kingdom or church of our Lord. The Witnesses teach that only 144,000 people out of all history are fit to eat the Lord’s Supper, most of whom are dead. Almost no one eats when the Witnesses prepare our Lord’s memorial. What a vain spectacle, what an empty show of formality!
Visit the church of Christ and see God’s pattern observed every Sunday in the Lord’s Supper. Are you in a religion which follows the doctrines of men?
Guardian of Truth XXXIV: 15, p. 464
August 2, 1990