Christians take communion — also called the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist — in obedience to a direct command from Jesus (Luke 22:19). But this sacred practice is far more than a ritual obligation. Every time believers share the bread and cup together, they participate in something with profound spiritual, communal, and prophetic significance.
If you’ve ever wondered why communion matters — or how to explain it to someone new to faith — these seven biblical reasons offer a clear and meaningful answer.
What Is Communion?
Communion is one of two sacraments (or ordinances) instituted by Jesus Christ, the other being baptism. During the Last Supper — on the night before His crucifixion — Jesus broke bread and blessed a cup of wine, giving them to His disciples as symbols of His body and blood. He then commanded them, and by extension all believers, to continue this practice as a memorial and proclamation.
The three most common names for this practice reflect its different theological emphases:
- Communion — emphasizes fellowship with Christ and with one another
- The Lord’s Supper — emphasizes its institution by Jesus and its future completion at the heavenly banquet
- Eucharist — from the Greek eucharistia, meaning ‘thanksgiving’; emphasizes gratitude for Christ’s sacrifice
1. To Remember Christ’s Sacrifice
“Do This in Remembrance of Me” — Luke 22:19
The most foundational reason Christians take communion is remembrance. On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus broke bread and said, “Do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19-20). He didn’t want His followers to forget what was about to happen — and neither should we.
The bread and the cup are tangible, physical objects that anchor our memory to a specific historical reality: God became flesh, lived a sinless life, was crucified for our sins, and rose again. Communion is not a sad memorial service. It is a celebration of the most important event in human history, repeated regularly so it never loses its weight.
2. To Proclaim the Gospel
A Public Declaration of Faith — 1 Corinthians 11:26
The Apostle Paul makes clear that communion is not a private meditation — it is a public proclamation. In 1 Corinthians 11:26, he writes that whenever believers eat the bread and drink the cup, they “proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”
This means every communion service is, in effect, a gospel declaration. The act itself — the breaking of bread, the sharing of the cup — tells the story of Christ’s death and resurrection to everyone present. For churches with visitors or seekers, communion is one of the most evangelistically powerful moments in a service.
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3. To Honor the New Covenant
Entering a Divine Promise Sealed in Blood — Luke 22:20
Jesus specifically connected the communion cup to the New Covenant when He said, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:20). This is a direct fulfillment of the prophecy in Jeremiah 31:31–34, where God promised to establish a new covenant written on hearts rather than stone tablets.
The Old Covenant required ongoing animal sacrifices for sin. The New Covenant — sealed once and for all by Christ’s blood — means those sacrifices are no longer needed (Hebrews 9:25–28). When we take communion, we affirm that we are living under grace, not law. We are participants in this eternal covenant.
4. To Celebrate the Unity of the Church
One Bread, One Body — 1 Corinthians 10:17
Communion is both a personal act and a corporate one. Paul writes: “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Corinthians 10:17). The same loaf shared among many members of the congregation is a living picture of what the church is: diverse individuals united in one body through Christ.
This is why Paul rebuked the Corinthian church so sharply for their divisions at the Lord’s Table (1 Corinthians 11:17–22). Communion taken without regard for fellow believers is a contradiction. It is meant to be a unifying, reconciling act.
