“26And as they were eating, Jesus took BREAD, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘TAKE, EAT; THIS IS MY BODY.’ 27Then He took the CUP, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘DRINK FROM IT, ALL OF YOU. 28For this is MY BLOOD OF THE NEW COVENANT, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.’”(Matt. 26:26-28).
“16The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the COMMUNION of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the COMMUNION of the body of Christ?” (1 Cor. 10:16).
During the transition period between the Cross and the Parousia of Christ, the first century church celebrated COMMUNION, which is the LORD’S SUPPER, among themselves to remember Christ’s atonement and resurrection. They did this until His second coming Parousia in AD 66-70. At that time all of the first century born-again believers, who were still alive, were raptured to be with the Lord in the heavenly realm of the New Jerusalem forever where they would partake of COMMUNION new with the Lord Himself as He had promised them, “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on UNTIL that day when I drink NEW WITH YOU in my Father’s Kingdom.” (Matt. 26:29).
“23For I (Paul) received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took BREAD; 24and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is MY BODY WHICH IS BROKEN FOR YOU; do this in REMEMBRANCE OF ME.’ 25In the same manner He also took the CUP after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the NEW COVENANT IN MY BLOOD. This do, as often as you drink it, in REMEMBRANCE OF ME.’” (1 Cor. 11:23- 25).
Now after His second coming Parousia, we Christians today will also join them in the heavenly realm of the New Jerusalem when we physically die in this life on earth. After AD 70, we are living in the earthly seen realm of His fully established New Covenant spiritual Kingdom. We continue to celebrate the Lord’s Supper as a remembrance of Him and what He has already accomplished for our salvation.
We live under slightly different rules than those first century saints did regarding the LORD S SUPPER. They had to go through the judgment that was to come at Christ’s Parousia. We do not have to go through that judgment, since it has already been completed.
We look back to our Lord’s sacrifice on the Cross for us; and to His resurrection; and to His second coming to consummate our salvation. We celebrate with thankfulness what He has done. We, like them, must not eat the bread or drink the cup in an unworthy manner out of our love and respect for our Lord (1 Cor. 11:27-28).