What does Communion actually mean? What are we proclaiming when we take the bread and the cup?

In this episode of Milk to Meat, we take a deep dive into the Lord’s Supper and explore one of the most powerful statements Paul makes about Communion: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26).

Communion is more than a religious tradition or something Christians do because it is part of a church service. Communion is a physical sermon, a living testimony, and a proclamation of the Gospel. Every time we take the bread and the cup, we are declaring what Jesus has done, what we believe, and what we are still waiting for.

We explore what Communion proclaims about Jesus’ sacrifice, our need for grace, the forgiveness of sins, the new covenant, and the hope that Jesus Christ will return.

But we also ask an important question: What does Paul mean when he warns believers not to take Communion in an unworthy or unadvised manner? We discuss why the Lord’s Supper should never be treated casually and why believers should approach Communion with sobriety, reverence, self-examination, gratitude, and faith.

Then we go back to the beginning.

To truly understand Communion, we need to understand Passover.

In Luke 22, Jesus gathers with His disciples to celebrate the Passover meal. In the middle of that meal, Jesus takes the bread and the cup and gives them a new covenant meaning: His body given for us and His blood poured out for the forgiveness of sins.

The Passover story is ultimately a story of God’s salvation and redemption. God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt, and the blood of the Passover lamb marked the homes of His people so that judgment would pass over them.

But the Passover was pointing toward something greater.

Jesus is revealed as the true and perfect Passover Lamb, whose sacrifice accomplishes what the Exodus could only foreshadow. The blood that once marked doorposts becomes a picture of the greater redemption accomplished through Christ.

We explore the powerful connection between the Passover meal, the cup of redemption, the bread, the Last Supper, the cross, and the New Covenant.

And ultimately, Communion points both backward and forward.

We look back and remember that redemption had a cost—it cost Jesus everything.

But we also look forward with hope. Paul says we proclaim the Lord’s death “until He comes.” Communion reminds us that the story isn't over. The King who gave His life is coming again.

In This Episode:

What does Communion proclaim?

What does 1 Corinthians 11:26 mean?

Why is Communion a physical sermon of the Gospel?

What do the bread and cup represent?

Why should Communion be taken seriously?

What does it mean to take Communion "in an unworthy manner"?

Why is Communion connected to Passover?

What happened during the Passover meal Jesus shared with His disciples?

How does the Passover lamb point to Jesus?

What is the significance of the cup of redemption?

How does the Last Supper reveal the New Covenant?

Why does Jesus say, "Do this in remembrance of Me"?

What does Communion say about the cost of redemption?

Why does Communion point us toward the return of Jesus?

Communion is not merely something we do. It is something we proclaim.

We proclaim that Jesus died.

We proclaim that His blood was shed for the forgiveness of sins.

We proclaim that redemption has been accomplished.

And we proclaim that Jesus is coming again.

Milk to Meat is a discipleship podcast designed to help believers move beyond simply knowing what the Bible says to understanding it, living it, and growing toward spiritual maturity.