On the night of his betrayal, Jesus shared a final meal with his disciples in which he initiated a ritual that would mark the Church’s worship until his final return. Throughout church history, this ritual act of worship has been greatly debated—from its meaning, its name, the frequency of its observance, to the nature of its elements. These brief essays will seek to shine light on the meaning and significance of the Lord’s Supper.

Both the Passover and the Lord’s Supper mark the salvation of God in a ritual act of worship to be observed by God’s people. Thus, in order to understand the meaning and significance of the Lord’s Supper it is necessary to know its context within the observance of the Passover Feast. This article reflects on the context of the Last Supper, the night Jesus ordained the rite of the Lord's Supper for His Church.

What's in a name? One of the more confusing aspects in understanding the meaning and significance of the Lord’s Supper is that it has been given many different names throughout church history—each one signifying different meaning and bestowing different connotations and characteristics. Understood in their proper terms and contexts, each designation for the Supper is a viable option and churches should reject “throwing the baby out with the bathwater” and instead seek an understanding of the contribution of each term to Baptist heritage.