When the Lord Jesus sat down with His disciples and instituted the “Lord’s Supper” (also called “the breaking of bread”) He never said anything about how often we (believers) should observe it. In Luke 22:19-20 it says, “And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you, do this in remembrance of Me.’ Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you” (NKJV). It was and is the Lord’s desire for all believers to remember Him in the breaking of bread but He purposely said nothing about “how many times we should do this.”

Having said that, we have two scripture references which teach us when the early disciples broke bread. In Acts 2:42 & 46 we read, “And they persevered in the teaching and fellowship of the apostles, IN BREAKING OF BREAD and prayers…And EVERY DAY…BREAKING BREAD in the house…” (DARBY Version). The Lord’s death was so fresh in their minds and hearts that they BROKE BREAD DAILY! As time went on this changed to a weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper. “Now on the FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK, when the disciples came together to BREAK BREAD….” (Acts 20:7). Perhaps work schedules or other obligations prevented them from breaking bread daily as they had done at the beginning. Whatever the reason, they still “continued steadfastly in the breaking of bread on a weekly basis.” And how fitting it was (and is!) to commemorate the Lord’s death on the day that He rose victoriously over the grave (see Matthew 28:1-6).

Now we need to ask, should we also be meeting together on the first day of the week to break bread? Again, the Lord never told us WHEN to break bread, but it seems fitting for us as well to “continue steadfastly in the breaking of bread” on that day. Not only was this the day that our Savior was raised from the dead to show that His finished work on the cross was approved by God, but God has sovereignly made it possible for most of us (who don’t have to work on that day) to gather together to break bread.

Let’s consider one more passage before we close our meditation. The apostle Paul wrote the following in 1st Corinthians 11:23-26, “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, AS OFTEN as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For AS OFTEN as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” Why did Paul receive this special revelation concerning the breaking of bread? I believe it was to reconfirm the importance of observing the Lord’s Supper; to show us the Lord’s desire for His redeemed saints is to continue to participate in this holy Memorial Feast until He comes to take us home to glory. And notice, we read the words “AS OFTEN” twice in this passage, teaching us that we are not limited to the “first day of the week.” If our hearts are so inclined, we could break bread every day as the early disciples did. This also gives us the liberty to break bread on another day of the week when circumstances don’t allow us to meet with the saints on Sunday. My wife and I have, on several occasions, been visiting isolated saints in the middle of the week and they asked us, “Could we break bread together while you are here?” This passage would always come to mind and then we were happy to sit down with them and to partake of those blessed emblems that speak to our hearts of the Lord willingness to lay down His body in death and to shed His precious blood for us on the cross to redeem our souls from sin.

One more word is in order. No matter how often we have the blessed privilege to have communion together by observing the Lord’s Supper, may we come together in the spirit of holiness, having judged any sin in our life during the week. The apostle went on in verses 27-29 to speak on this: “Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But LET A MAN EXAMINE HIMSELF, AND SO LET HIM EAT OF THE BREAD AND DRINK OF THE CUP. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.” We should come to that blessed Supper with hearts full of praise and thanksgiving, and thus with nothing to hinder us as we meditate on the price the Lord Jesus was willing to pay as He endured God’s wrath and then death for our sins (Isaiah 53:5-6, 10; 2nd Corinthians 5:21; Matthew 27:45-46 and John 19:30, 33-34).  (475.1)  (DO)