The Meaning of Jesus Breaking Bread

Jesus breaking bread signifies the broken body of Christ given for the salvation of the world and serves as a symbol to keep His death fresh in the memories of His followers3SG 227.2+1. 🍞 This act, which was used to institute the Lord's Supper, represents the great deliverance wrought out through His crucifixion on CalvaryCCh 298.3+1.

Commemoration of His Death

The primary meaning of breaking bread is to show the Lord’s death until He comes again 1 Corinthians 11:26CCh 302.3. It was not appointed to celebrate His resurrection, but specifically to keep in memory His suffering and sacrifice upon the crossHSFD 179.1+1.

• The Broken Bread: This is a sacred emblem of the body of Jesus, which was bruised and broken for the sins of humanityBIC 98.1+1.

• The Wine: Often referred to as the "fruit of the vine," it symbolizes His spilled blood shed for the remission of sins and the cleansing of the heart Matthew 26:28CCh 302.3+1.

Spiritual Communion and Faith

Breaking bread is a symbol of the continual spiritual "eating" of Christ, which can only be received through faithPTUK December 1, 1892, page 370.9.

• A Living Connection: As we receive the emblems, we join in imagination with the scene in the upper chamber and the agony of the garden, witnessing the struggle that obtained our reconciliation with GodCCh 301.6+1.

• Unity of Believers: The act signifies that those who partake are one bread and one body, cemented together by the love of Jesus 1 Corinthians 10:17RH June 7, 1898, par. 7.

• Personal Invitation: Jesus uses the figure of a shared meal to illustrate His desire for a personal relationship, knocking at the door of the heart to come in and "sup" with any who hear His voice Revelation 3:201MR 300.4+1.

Spiritual Food for the World

Beyond the formal ordinance, the phrase "breaking the bread of life" refers to preaching the gospel and sharing the truths of the Bible with othersRY 100.3+1.

• Missionary Zeal: The early disciples felt a responsibility to go everywhere breaking this bread of life to a famishing worldRH March 24, 1910, par. 5+1.

• Christ as the Source: Christ is the true bread from heaven, and presenting Him as the sinner's Redeemer is the act of breaking that life-giving bread to starving souls John 6:32-35GC 152.4+1.

Historical and Scriptural Context

• Common Meals: In the Jewish custom of the time, "breaking bread" was also a common designation for making a regular meal Acts 2:46ARSH December 11, 1860, page 29.1.

• The New Covenant: By breaking bread at the last Passover, Jesus entered into a new covenant with His followers, proposing the remission of sins through His blood Matthew 26:26-28TTC 26.3.

• Correct Emblems: For the communion service, only unleavened bread and the pure, unfermented juice of the grape are considered correct representations of the Lord’s body and blood6BC 1090.7+1.