In recent years, a quiet debate has stirred among sincere believers concerning the relevance and necessity of the Lord’s Table. Is it still essential for the New Covenant Church, or was it fulfilled and made obsolete along with the Old Covenant and its shadows? Some have even questioned whether the Table was only meant for the early Church era. But what does Scripture truly reveal about this sacred act? How should believers today understand and approach the Table of the Lord in the light of Christ’s finished work, His ongoing presence, and His future glory? Let us gently understand this mystery with clarity and reverence.

Understanding the Covenants #

Throughout Scripture, God revealed His eternal purpose through distinct covenants, each progressing toward the fullness found in Christ. These covenants were not contradictions but stages of divine intention, leading us to the New Covenant of grace and Spirit.

1. Adamic Covenant (Genesis 1:26–30; 2:15–17) — Dominion over the earth and the requirement of obedience.
2. Noahic Covenant (Genesis 9:1–17) — Preservation of life on earth with the promise never to flood the world again.
3. Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12; 15; 17) — The promise of land, seed (Messiah), and blessing to all nations.
4. Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 19–24) — Law given to Israel, blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience.
5. Davidic Covenant (2 Samuel 7:12–16) — Promise of an eternal kingdom through David’s lineage.
6. Christ under the Old Covenant (Matthew 5:17; Galatians 4:4) — Born under Law, fulfilled the Law and the Prophets.
7. New Covenant in Christ (Luke 22:20; Hebrews 8:6–13) — Established in Christ’s blood, a covenant of grace, Spirit, and life.

Thus, when Jesus lifted the cup at the Last Supper, He wasn’t extending the Old Covenant; He was establishing something entirely new, something eternal.

“This cup is the new covenant [ratified and established] in My blood, which is being poured out for you.” — Luke 22:20 (AMP)

The Greek word used is kainos (καινός), meaning “new in kind, unprecedented.” This Table is not a repeat of the Mosaic Passover; it is its fulfilment and replacement in Christ Himself.

What the Lord’s Table Truly Declares #

The Lord’s Table was designed by Christ Himself to embody three unshakable spiritual truths:

Christ’s Completed Sacrifice #

Every time we partake, we declare the finality of His sacrifice.

“You proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” — 1 Corinthians 11:26 (AMP)

His death was the last offering for sin (Hebrews 10:14 AMP), and the Table becomes a visible declaration of this victory.

Christ’s Living Presence in His People #

Communion is not mere remembrance; it is spiritual participation in Christ.

“The bread which we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ?” — 1 Corinthians 10:16 (AMP)

Greek: koinōnia (κοινωνία) — fellowship, participation. Christ is present in the act by His Spirit.

Christ’s Future Glory Yet to Be Revealed #

The Table points ahead to the glorious appearing of Christ and the final glorification of His saints.

“Until He comes.” — 1 Corinthians 11:26 (AMP)

Greek: erchetai (ἔρχεται) — present continuous tense, “He is coming.” This reminds the Church of His present indwelling and His final coming in glory.

The Lord’s Table as Ongoing New Covenant Reality #

Some have mistakenly taught that because Christ has come spiritually and fulfilled the Old Covenant shadows, the Lord’s Table has ended. But this is not what Scripture shows:

• After Pentecost, the Spirit-filled Church broke bread continually (Acts 2:42 AMP). This was no leftover Jewish tradition—it was central to the New Covenant life.
• Paul gave the Corinthian Church detailed instructions on rightly partaking of the Lord’s Table (1 Corinthians 11:23–30 AMP)—long after the cross and the resurrection.
• The Table proclaims both past redemption and future glorification:

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory.” — Philippians 3:20–21 (AMP)

The resurrection of the saints remains future; the Lord’s Table stands as a sign of this hope.

The Fellowship of the Table: Unity and Life #

In the New Covenant, the Table is more than individual reflection; it is corporate union:

“Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread.” — 1 Corinthians 10:17 (AMP)

Here, the mystery deepens: the Table reveals not only our relationship with Christ but our oneness with His Body—the global, universal Church. This unity transcends nationality, denomination, and generation.

The Fulfilment of the Table of Showbread #

The Table of Showbread in the Old Covenant Tabernacle was a prophetic shadow pointing to Christ and His Church.

• The Table of Showbread held twelve loaves, representing the twelve tribes of Israel (Leviticus 24:5–9 AMP). It was a continual reminder of God’s covenant provision.
• Christ, the true Bread of Life, declared:

“I am the Bread of Life. The one who comes to Me will never be hungry…” — John 6:35 (AMP)

• In the New Covenant:
  • Christ is the fulfilled Showbread—the bread of God for all His people (John 6:51, AMP).
  • The Table itself is fulfilled in the Lord’s Table—the Church partakes of Christ continually, spiritually feeding on Him by faith (1 Corinthians 10:16 AMP).
  • The twelve loaves prefigured the unity of the Church—Jews and Gentiles now one in Christ (Ephesians 2:14–16 AMP).

Thus, the old Table of Showbread has become the living, spiritual Lord’s Table where the Body of Christ feeds on the true Bread from heaven, not symbolically, but as a reality by the Spirit.

The Lord’s Table as Spiritual Nourishment: Christ Our Manna #

Christ likened Himself to the manna from heaven, not the Law nor Moses:

“I am the Bread of Life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died… This is the bread that comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.” — John 6:48–50 (AMP)

• The wilderness manna (Old Covenant) was temporary.
• Christ—the true Manna—is our ongoing spiritual food.
• The Table is a present means of feeding on Christ by faith.

“I am the living Bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this Bread, he will live forever.” — John 6:51 (AMP)

• Manna (Hebrew: מָן, man) was the provision of life in the wilderness, but only temporary. Christ’s body is the eternal Bread.
• When believers share the Table, they spiritually eat of Christ by faith, not as a dead symbol (John 6:56 AMP).
• The Lord’s Table proclaims the New Covenant itself, not the Old Covenant Passover:

“This cup is the new covenant [ratified and established] in My blood…” — Luke 22:20 (AMP)

Greek: kainos (καινός) — new in quality, not a repetition or renewal of the old.

• Paul warned New Covenant believers at Corinth—not Jews under Law—to rightly discern the Lord’s body (1 Corinthians 11:27 AMP). This shows the Table remains vital in the New Covenant.
• The Table is a declaration of Christ’s death, life, and return:

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” — 1 Corinthians 11:26 (AMP)

The Lord’s Table declares unity in the Body of Christ:

“Since there is one bread, we who are many are one body…” — 1 Corinthians 10:17 (AMP)

• The Table proclaims God’s wisdom to heavenly powers (Ephesians 3:10 AMP).
• The breaking of bread marked the earliest, purest Church expression (Acts 2:42 AMP).
• Christ still awaits the final Table in the Father’s Kingdom (Matthew 26:29 AMP).

Why the Table Must Continue #

1. The Body of Christ is not yet glorified (Romans 8:23 AMP).
2. The unity of the Church is not yet perfected (Ephesians 4:13 AMP).
3. The resurrection and glorification of the saints are future events (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 AMP).
4. The Table of Showbread finds its spiritual fulfilment in the ongoing Lord’s Table.
5. The Lord’s Table as spiritual Manna remains essential nourishment for the Church (John 6:51 AMP).

Thus, the Table remains an ongoing, spiritual necessity—rooted in Christ’s command, not Old Covenant law.

Summary #

• Christ’s death is finished (Hebrews 9:26 AMP).
• His life is present within us (Colossians 1:27 AMP).
• His appearing in glory remains ahead (Colossians 3:4 AMP).
• The resurrection is not yet fulfilled (Romans 8:23 AMP).
• The Lord’s Table fulfils the shadow of the Table of Showbread, nourishing the Church with the true Bread from heaven.
• The Lord’s Table is the believer’s present spiritual Manna, feeding the inner man unto life eternal.
• Therefore, the Table continues to proclaim these mysteries until all is completed.

Conclusion: The Table Is Christ’s Eternal Sign #

The Lord’s Table is not an optional tradition or a Jewish relic; it is the New Covenant meal of grace, life, and unity. Until Christ is fully revealed, the Table must continue as a divine testimony on the earth.

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” — 1 Corinthians 11:26 (AMP)

In Christ,
Shaliach.