Information Related to "Questions and Answers - Mar/Apr 2008"
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Question: When and how often should Christians partake of the Lord's Supper as directed by Jesus to remember His death for the sins of the world?
-W.S., Northern Ireland
Answer: The expression "the Lord's Supper" is found only once in the New Testament. It appears in 1 Corinthians 11:20, where Paul was discussing the observance of the New Testament Passover. Jesus Christ Himself specifically referred to this observance as the Passover (Luke 22:8,11,15). He observed it, with the new symbols of bread and wine, on the date specified in Leviticus 23. This annual observance should be kept on the 14th day of the first month on the Hebrew calendar.
The Passover is observed as a memorial to Christ's death (1 Corinthians 5:7; 11:20-27). It takes place just once a year. This is certainly the custom of memorial observances described in the Bible, and it is the typical pattern of secular memorial observances.
As a youth, Jesus observed the Passover annually with His family at the specified time (Luke 2:41). He continued this yearly practice with His disciples (Luke 22:7-15). After His death and resurrection, the early Church continued to observe the annual festivals listed in Leviticus 23. For example, Luke records that Jesus' followers met to observe the Feast of Pentecost: "When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place" (Acts 2:1).
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