Baptism and the Lord's Supper
A beginner's guide to the two acts Jesus gave his church: baptism and the Lord's Supper.
From its earliest days, the Christian church has done two simple, physical things together that Jesus himself commanded: it has washed new believers in water, and it has shared bread and a cup in memory of him. The first is called baptism. The second goes by several names — the Lord's Supper, Holy Communion, the Eucharist (from a Greek word meaning thanksgiving), or simply the breaking of bread. Different churches call them different things and explain them in different ways, but almost every Christian community in the world practices both, and has done so without interruption for two thousand years.
By the end of this lesson
- **Identify** baptism and the Lord's Supper as the two acts commanded by Jesus, along with the common alternative names each one is known by across the church.
- **Explain** in plain terms what baptism pictures (cleansing, union with Christ's death and resurrection) using Romans 6:3-4 and Matthew 28:18-20.
- **Describe** the dual meaning of the Lord's Supper — looking back to the cross and forward to Christ's return — from 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.
- **Distinguish** fairly between the main views Christian traditions hold on infant versus believer's baptism and on the presence of Christ in the Supper, without dismissing any.
- **Apply** simple practical steps for taking part in baptism and communion thoughtfully within a local church community.
Scripture
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