The Lord’s Evening Meal: Remembering our Lord as He Wanted Us To!
My sister who lives in Florida hasn't been going to meetings at the Kingdom hall for over five years. In all that time, no one from her former congregation has visited her to check up on her, to find out if she is okay, to enquire as to why she stopped going to meetings. So, it came as quite a shock to her last week to get a call from one of the elders, inviting her to this year's memorial. Is this part of some initiative to try to reinvigorate attendance after almost two years of remote zoom meetings? We’ll have to wait to see.
The organization of Jehovah's Witnesses commemorates the Lord's evening meal only once a year. They refer to this time of the year as “memorial season,” just one more in a long list of non-scriptural terms they use. Even though Jehovah's Witnesses do not partake of the emblems, missing the memorial is seen as a major rejection of the value of the ransom offered by Jesus Christ in behalf of mankind. Essentially, if you miss the Memorial you’re not really a Jehovah’s Witnesses anymore. It is ironic that they take this view since they attend with the very purpose of rejecting the symbols of that ransom, the wine representing his blood and the bread representing his perfect human flesh, both offered in atonement for the sins of all mankind.
For several years now, I have organized an online memorial through YouTube allowing witnesses and others (non-witnesses and ex witnesses) who wish to partake of the emblems without getting involved in the rituals of some organized religion --to do so privately in their own homes. This year, I plan to do something a little different. The Lord’s evening meal is a private affair, so it seems inappropriate to broadcast it publicly on YouTube. One of the Silver Linings of the very dark cloud of the coronavirus pandemic we've all suffered through over the past couple of years is that people have become very familiar with using zoom to attend online meetings. So this year, instead of broadcasting our memorial or communion on YouTube, I am inviting those who wish to attend to join us on zoom. If you type this link in a browser, it will take you to a web page containing a schedule showing the times of our regular meetings as well as the time for this year's commemoration of the Lord’s evening meal. I will also put this link in the description field of this video.
https://beroeans.net/events/
We will be commemorating the memorial on two days this year. We won’t be doing it on Nissan 14 because that date has no special significance, as we’re about to learn. But because we want to be close to that date since it is the date that many ex Jehovah’s witnesses (and Jehovah’s Witnesses) think is special, we’ll be doing it on the 16th, that’s a Saturday at 8:00 PM New York time, which will also help those in Asia to attend. They will be attending then 14 hours to 16 hours ahead depending on where they live in Asia, Australia, or New Zealand. And then we’ll do it again at our normal Sunday meeting, which is 12:00 noon this time on April the 17th. And that will be, for anyone who wishes to attend, at that time. We’ll be doing it twice. Again, always on Zoom at our meetings and you’ll get that information through the link I’ve just provided you.
Some will ask: “Why aren’t we doing it on the same day that Witnesses do it after sundown?” We have been slowly freeing ourselves from the false teachings and indoctrination of Jehovah's Witnesses for years now. This is one more step in that direction. The Lord’s evening meal is not an extension of the Jewish Passover. If we were required to commemorate it as some sort of annual ritual, the Bible would clearly have indicated that. All Jesus told us was to keep doing this in remembrance of him. We are not to remember him only once a year but always.
When the congregation was first formed we are told that “they continued devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to sharing [with one another], to taking of meals and to prayers.” (Acts 2:42)
Their worship consisted of four things: the teaching of the apostles, sharing with one another, praying together, and taking meals together. Bread and wine were common components of those meals, so it would be natural for them to make partaking of those emblems part of their worship each time they got together.
Nowhere in the Bible are we told how often we must commemorate the Lord’s evening meal. If it should only be done annually, then why is there no indication of that anywhere in scripture?
The Jewish Passover lamb was a forward-looking festival. It looked toward the arrival of the true Passover lamb, Jesus Christ. However, once that lamb was offered once for all time, the Passover festival was fulfilled. The Lord’s evening meal is a backward-looking ceremony intended to remind us of what was offered for us until he arrives. Indeed, all the sacrifices and offerings under the law of Moses were in one way or another, symbolic representations of the offering of Christ’s body. All of that was fulfilled when Christ died for us, and so we need not offer them anymore. Some of those offerings were annual, but others were more frequent than that. What counted was the offering and not the timing of the offering.
Really if the precise timing is that important, then shouldn't we be governed by the location as well? Shouldn't we be commemorating the Lord’s evening meal after sundown on Nissan 14th in Jerusalem no matter what time zone we might be in wherever we are in the world? Ritualistic worship can become very silly very quickly.
Could it be that the timing or frequency for observing of the Lord’s supper was left up to the local congregation?
We can learn something by examining Paul’s letter to the Corinthians regarding the way they kept the Lord’s evening meal.
“. . .But while giving these instructions, I do not commend you, because it is, not for the better, but for the worse that you meet together. For first of all, I hear that when you come together in a congregation, divisions exist among you; and to an extent I believe it. For there will certainly also be sects among you, so that those of you who are approved may also become evident. When you come together in one place, it is not really to eat the Lord’s Evening Meal.” (1 Corinthians 11:17-20)
That certainly doesn't sound like he's talking about a once-a-year event, does it?
“He did the same with the cup also, after they had the evening meal, saying: “This cup means the new covenant by virtue of my blood. Keep doing this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this loaf and drink this cup, you keep proclaiming the death of the Lord, until he comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:25, 26)
“Consequently, my brothers, when you come together to eat it, wait for one another.” (1 Corinthians 11:33)
According to Strong’s Concordance, the word translated ‘whenever’ is hosakis which means “as often as, as many times as”. That hardly fits with a once-a-year gathering.
The fact is that Christians should be meeting in small groups in homes, sharing meals, partaking of the bread and wine, discussing the words of Jesus, and praying together. Our zoom meetings are a poor substitute for that, but we hope that soon we will be able to gather locally and start worshipping as they did in the first century. Until then, join us on either the 16 or 17th of April, depending on what’s convenient for you and then every Sunday or Saturday afterwards in our regular Bible study and you will enjoy upbuilding fellowship.
Use this link to get the times and Zoom links: https://beroeans.net/events/
Thank you very much for watching.
Archived Comments
We have moved to the Disqus commenting system. To post a new comment, go to the bottom of this page.
Comment by Zacheus on 2022-04-05 21:29:57
The wine and the bread just once a year (to jw). But as many metings as we can humanly muster to where Jesus is barely mentioned.
Comment by Leonardo Josephus on 2022-04-06 08:56:00
Justin Martyr, in chapters LXVII to LXVII of his First apology, makes it very clear that the early Christians, admittedly in the second century as that was when he was writing, all shared the bread and wine on a weekly (or possibly more regular) basis. They did not ignore Jesus instructions. Sadly JWs are once again fitting their interpretation of scripture neither around the scriptures, nor about the early Christian practice, but they make the scriptures fit around their own ideas, which are themselves all rooted in what I believe are incorrect ideas around the 144000.
Reply by Frankie on 2022-04-06 16:13:26
Hi LJ,
Thank you for your information. In the NT, there are mentions of "breaking bread". This specific term is closely related to Jesus Christ, who, as a master and teacher, gave bread to his disciples on various occasions (e.g. Luke 9:16). This is exactly what he did at the Last Supper (Luke 22:19), and according to this custom he was later recognized by the disciples on the way to Emmaus (Luke 24:30, 35).
The breaking of bread is mentioned in connection with meeting of Christian and prayers. Special mention is made in Acts 2:42 - (a) communion, (b) bread-breaking and (c) prayer. In the case of "breaking of bread", it was probably not just the usual dining (e.g. lunch), as this was certainly associated with Jesus Christ among Christians.
The apostle Paul at his farewell in Troad also took part in the "breaking of the bread". This breaking of bread took place on the first day of the week, a specific periodic date (Acts 20:7).
So I also think that the early Christians commemorated the Lord's Supper once a week, probably on Sunday (the Lord's Day), as the first day of the week.
I agree with you, that the whole problem of the Lord's Supper at JW Organization stems from the catastrophic 144,000 theory, which I consider particularly bad because this:
- prevents millions of JWs from entering into a saving covenant with Jesus Christ;
- compels them to disobey the Lord's command,
- compels them to ostentatiously reject the symbols of eternal life, and what is terrible,
- forcing them to remain in sin in this way,
because the Lord Jesus clearly said, "... this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matt. 26:28).
God bless you Leonardo. Frankie
Comment by PierrotSud on 2022-04-07 03:31:20
Eric,
Thank you for your clear demonstration on the Lord's Supper.
Strangely enough, I had not understood the fact that since the celebration of the Jewish Passover disappeared at the death of Jesus, it was over. There was no need to celebrate the Passover anymore, even though it was the day Jesus chose to institute the Lord's Supper.
I Corinthians 11 is very interesting to know how the Christian community functioned, lived together. We have a picture of the Christian congregation, as it existed at that time.
I noticed that the Watchtower uses verse 27 to denigrate those who would take the emblems in a wrong way (except that it speaks of those who come to drink, to get drunk).
In fact, the organization sidesteps the whole of chapter 11, which really prevents us from seeing what Paul meant.
So I too must change my ways and conform to the words of Jesus, to "keep on doing this in remembrance of me", whenever we can.
Pierre
Comment by Fani on 2022-04-09 04:24:44
Merci Éric
Il est très clair selon 1 cor 11 que les premiers chrétiens partageaient le pain et le vin du Seigneur régulièrement.
D'ailleurs, peut-être que le fait de le faire souvent a peut-être aussi contribué à oublier la valeur du symbole et ils ont dû être repris par Paul.
L'habitude est parfois synonyme d'oubli de la raison d'être de cette "habitude". On perd parfois le sens des choses lorsqu'on les fait souvent et ça devient juste une habitude.
Je pense au Christ et au Père quotidiennement.
Pour ma part, j'ai pris le pain et le vin 2 fois depuis le début de cette année avec beaucoup de joie et de reconnaissance, mais malgré tout, le jour anniversaire de la mort de Christ reste un jour pas comme les autres pour moi.
"Tel juge un jour supérieur à un autre ; tel autre juge qu’un jour est pareil à tous les autres ; que chacun soit pleinement convaincu dans sa propre pensée." Rom 14 : 5
Comme je pense ainsi ne pas pécher, pour l'instant, le 14 Nisan restera pour moi une date marquante, ce qui ne m'empêchera pas de "continuer à faire ceci" durant l'année.
Merci encore de ta disponibilité et de ton travail spirituel.
Comment by Ad_Lang on 2022-04-17 20:12:17
In September last year, I came across a baptist congregation in a different area that I was visiting. There are two kinds of baptist congregations: one kind is part of a hierarchy, whereas the other kind subscribes (largely) to the baptist proclamation of faith without submitting to a hierarchy. All major decisions are made by the congregation itself, and no orders are taken from outside. This congregation I visited was of the second kind.
I had been praying about partaking for some time, because as (ex-)JW it was not really possibly to do so. In hindsight, I believe I was guided to that church. They had just finished meeting in the morning when I had a short conversation with some of them, and they invited me to join in the evening, which I did. It was already clear at that point that we have opposing views about the Trinity doctrine.
Nevertheless, when they started celebrating the Lord's Evening Meal, I asked one of the elders if I could join them. I was concerned also about whether or not I might stumble anyone, as I'm not a member of their congregation. His only questions were whether I had been baptised (yes, as JW that is be sufficient) and if I had done any self-examination (again, I had done so with a strong conclusion). Upon that, he was quite happy to include me to partake.
The experience has taught me something we all need to understand, but sometimes forget: "if you publicly declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and exercise faith in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9 NWT). Sometimes we're so busy focussing on our differences, whether with good reason or not, that we forget the very foundation of our faith that binds us together. As I learned during my short time with that congregation, we have to be careful not to judge because of our knowledge or lack of it. After all, our knowledge is and remains partial, and who are we to reject someone with less (accurate) knowledge? - 1 Cor 13:8-10Reply by Ralf on 2022-04-21 12:33:43
Prior to being admitted to the Lord's supper at this Baptist church, did you inform the Elder of your Dutch Reformed baptism or your JW baptism? If you only told him you have been baptized, he would assume it was in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and that would be sufficient. If you had said your baptism was to become a Jehovah's Witness, I am certain you would not have been allowed to participate in the supper. If you disagreed with that church's doctrine of the Trinity, they also would not have welcomed you to the supper.