It’s a Communion, The Lord’s Supper and a Eucharist

For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

1 Corinthians 11:26

“The Last Supper” is a 15th century mural painting created by Leonardo da Vinci and its original is found in Milan, Italy. That painting depicts Christ and His twelve closest followers (first disciples) gathered for their last full meal together and after it they joined in a celebration of the first Holy Communion; also known as The Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist.

Communion is a translation; of the Greek κοινωνία (koinōnía); other translations are "participation," "sharing" or "fellowship.” The word is compounded from the Latin word “commun” (united) and the Latin suffix “ion” (action). Thus when we practice this sacrament of the church we are united, we are one in action, encountering God, achieving forgiveness, fighting the good fight to over come the sin that so easily besets us. It was Jesus prayer to His Father that the body of believers would always come together in complete unity. Paul wrote, The 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 Corinthians 10:16)

The Lord's Supper (Κυριακὸν δεῖπνον) derives meaning from the apostle Paul who wrote in 1 Corinthians 11:20-21. When you come together, it is not the Lord's Supper you eat, for as you eat, each of you goes ahead without waiting for anybody else. One remains hungry, another gets drunk. Paul was criticizing the people for their attitude during the partaking of this most holy sacrament. This is a time when God distributes His grace to us as we fellowship with Him. It should be a highly reverent act of faith and worship on our part.

Eucharist, derives from the Greek εὐχαριστία (eucharistia), and means "thanksgiving." Paul also wrote, For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”  ( Corinthians 11:23-24)

As we hold the morsel of bread we should give thanks, have a spirit of eucharistia, for the fact that Jesus lived a perfect life in that physical body for 33 years in order to attain a perfect human righteousness that He imputes to every believer, thus making us appear holy before God. He also took the combined sin of the entire believing world on that body and deposited that sin in hell, to which He descended. Then as we take the cup of wine or juice, as the case may be, we should give thanks for the shedding of Christ's blood that washed away our sin and paid the penalty of death that we deserve. For Paul also wrote in verse 25, In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

It is only a matter of a local church’s preference what that holy sacrament is called but in every case, as we read in verse 26, whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup (in the present), you proclaim the Lord’s death (in the past) until he comes (in the future).