The Lord's Supper

You receive Communion. But what does it mean?

In The Lord's Supper: A Guide to the Heavenly Feast, John W. Kleinig awakens a hunger for meeting Jesus in the bread and wine. The Bible tells us that Jesus came from heaven to earth to give us himself, and his self-giving continues in the meal that he hosts. In the sacrament of Communion, Jesus offers believers nothing less than his holy, life-giving body and cleansing blood. He brings heaven to earth for us and gives us a foretaste of the heavenly supper of the Lamb. And by faith, we commune with him. In the Eucharist, Christians give thanks for God's gift of himself.

"My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods." —Psalm 63:5



John W. Kleinig is a retired lecturer of the Old Testament at Australian Lutheran College and a pastor of the Lutheran Church of Australia. He is the author of numerous books, including God's Word: A Guide to Holy Scripture; Grace Upon Grace: Spirituality for Today; and Wonderfully Made: A Protestant Theology of the Body.