Of the Lord's Supper, XXIX:1

Our Lord Jesus, in the night wherein He was betrayed, instituted the sacrament of His body and blood, called the Lord's Supper, to be observed in His Church, unto the end of the world, for the perpetual remembrance of the sacrifice of Himself in His death; the sealing all benefits thereof unto true believers, their spiritual nourishment and growth in Him, their further engagement in and to all duties which they owe unto Him; and, to be a bond and pledge of their communion with Him, and with each other, as members of His mystical body.

Recall that we define a sacrament as a special observance commanded by Christ himself for specific spiritual purposes. Refer to Luke 22:14-20 and 1 Corinthians 11:23-30 for documentation of this idea.

The Supper is to be a "perpetual remembrance" of Christ's sacrificial death. Christ commanded that we observe the Supper "in remembrance of me" and Paul added that we continue to do this until Christ returns, at which time he will eat and drink with us again in the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19).

The Supper also seals all spiritual benefits to true believers. It provides authentication and assurance, which are the functions of a seal, of everything that Christ has accomplished in redemption on behalf of his people. It provides spiritual nourishment and growth to worthy partakers. We are recalled to our responsibilities to love one another as he has loved us and given his life for us and reminded and empowered us to our works of mutual edification. Finally (in terms of the Confession) the Supper provides a "bond and pledge of communion" both with Christ and with fellow believers, as had been discussed in chapter XXVI as we reviewed yesterday.

Tomorrow: The biblical doctrine of the Supper contrasted with the Roman Catholic Eucharistic Mass.