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Kiddush or the “Lord’s Supper”?
Is “Communion” Practiced
Within Messianic Judaism?
Question: My boss and I have been having some discussions — he is a Lutheran. ... He asked me if Messianics have communion, and then he said he believes the juice/wine becomes the blood and the bread is literally the body, and asked me if I believed that. I have always thought of it as symbolism, that we were to do as a reminder of what He did for us until He comes again. I had heard that Catholics believe that but did not realize any Protestants did … or am I missing something?
Answer: Let’s begin by discussing your boss’s understanding of the “communion.” Your boss apparently does not accurately understand the Lutheran doctrine concerning the communion elements. That is not surprising; most Christians really do not understand the doctrines or their own denomination, let alone the doctrines of other denominations. The Roman Catholic Church teaches the doctrine of transubstantiation; the Lutheran Church teaches consubstantiation.
The word “transubstantiation” derives from Latin – trans (across), and substantia (substance). The term is employed in Roman Catholic theology to denote the idea that during the ceremony of the “Mass,” the “bread and wine” are changed, in substance, into the literal flesh and blood of Christ, even though the elements appear to remain the same. This doctrine, which has no basis in Scripture, first appeared in the early 9th century C.E., was formalized at the Council of Trent (1545-63), and was reaffirmed at the Second Vatican Council (1962-65).
“Consubstantiation” is a term commonly applied to the Lutheran concept of the communion supper, though some modern Lutheran theologians reject the use of this term because of its ambiguity. The expression, however, is generally associated with Luther. The idea is that in the communion, the body and blood of Christ, and the bread and wine, coexist in union with each other. “Luther illustrated it by the analogy of the iron put into the fire whereby both fire and iron are united in the red-hot iron and yet each continues unchanged” (The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, F.L. Cross, Ed., London: Oxford, 1958, p. 337).[1]
While both of those ideas are interesting, there is no Biblical basis for either view. Both are based on an ultra-literal interpretation of Scripture, which usually leads to error. When Yeshua said, “I am the door,” He did not mean that he was made of wood and had hinges. And when He said, “I am the bread of life” He didn't mean that he was made of flour, soft on the inside, and crusty golden on the outside. So when He said, “This is my body … this is my blood …,” He didn’t mean that the wine now had red and white corpuscles floating in it and that the bread contained His skin or muscle cells.
He who has ears, let him hear … he who has a brain, let him also think! Absolute faith in God and in His word does not mean that we are called to abandon common selse.
Most Messianic congregations that I know of do not observe “Communion” in the same way that Gentile Christians do, because it is not taught in the Bible that we are to do so, but only in Gentile Christian tradition. I know that sounds pretty radical coming from a Messianic theologian who was trained and ordained as a Baptist, but consider carefully what the Bible does teach.
The Kiddush
In most translations of Luke 22:17-19 (like the NASB, for example) it says something like: “And when He had taken some bread and given thanks …” This is actually a very poor translation — He actually “made the b'rakhah, or blessing” as correctly translated in the Complete Jewish Bible, as follows:
Then, taking a cup of wine, He made the b'rakhah and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on, I will not drink the ‘fruit of the vine’ until the Kingdom of God comes.” Also, taking a piece of [bread], He made the b'rakhah, broke it, gave it to them and said, “This is My body, which is being given for you; do this in memory of Me.”
What was the “this” that He was doing, and what is the “this” that He instructed His disciples to do in His memory? Was observing the traditional Kiddush? Or was He instituting a new element of the Pesach seder?
Kiddush is the traditional reinactment of the time in history when after he had defeated the kings in battle and rescued the captives, Abraham was met in the city which is now called Jerusalem by Malki-Tzedek (Melchizedek):
17After his return from slaughtering K'dorla'omer and the kings with him, the king of S'dom went out to meet him in the Shaveh Valley, also known as the King’s Valley. 18Malki-Tzedek king of Shalem brought out bread and wine. He was cohen [priest] of El 'Elyon [God Most High], 19so he blessed him with these words: “Blessed be Avram by El 'Elyon, maker of heaven of earth. 20and blessed be El 'Elyon, who handed your enemies over to you.” Avram gave him a tenth of everything. (Gen 14:17-20)
It is Jewish (including Messianic Jewish) practice to observe the Kiddush on erev Shabbat, the night before Shabbat (the Sabbath, Saturday), on Shabbat, and on Holy Days and their eves. This is what Yeshua was doing at His final dinner with His disciples. (See the informative article on MyJewishLearning.com)
So His instruction, in the Biblical context, was that whenever we celebrate Kiddush we are to remember Him. And it is my opinion (feel free to disagree) that it was His intent that all His followers, both Jew and non-Jew, should frequently celebrate Kiddush.
An Alternate View
14 When the time came, Yeshua and the emissaries reclined at the table, 15 and he said to them, “I have really wanted so much to celebrate this Seder with you before I die! 16 For I tell you, it is certain that I will not celebrate it again until it is given its full meaning in the Kingdom of God.” 17 Then, taking a cup of wine, he made the b’rakhah and said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on, I will not drink the ‘fruit of the vine’ until the Kingdom of God comes.” 19 Also, taking a piece of matzah, he made the b’rakhah, broke it, gave it to them and said, “This is my body, which is being given for you; do this in memory of me.” 20 He did the same with the cup after the meal, saying, “This cup is the New Covenant, ratified by my blood, which is being poured out for you. (Luke 22:14-20)
In the Passover Seder there are the Four Cups of wine which hold deep historical and theological significance. Rooted in the Exodus story, they symbolize the four expressions of redemption that God used in Exodus 6:6-7, marking the Israelites’ journey from slavery to freedom:
1. Kos Rishon (First Cup) – Accompanies Kiddush, the blessing that sanctifies the holiday. Called the Cup of Sanctification, it represents God’s promise: “I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.”
2. Kos Sheni (Second Cup) – Drunk after telling the story of the Exodus from Egypt. Called the Cup of Deliverance, it symbolizes God’s promise: “I will deliver you from their bondage.”
3. Kos Shlishi (Third Cup) – Drunk after Birkat HaMazon, the blessing after the meal. It is the Cup of Redemption, which reflects “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.”
4. Kos Revii (Fourth Cup) – Drunk after Hallel, the psalms and praises to God. This Cup of Praise celebrates: “I will take you as My people, and I will be your God.”
Historically, the tradition of drinking four cups dates back to rabbinic literature, possibly as early as the 3rd or 4th century CE. The Jerusalem Talmud connects the Four Cups to Pharaoh’s four decrees against the Israelites, reinforcing their symbolic importance. Additionally, Psalm 116:13 — “I will raise the cup of salvation and call on the name of ADONAI” — is often cited as a reference to this practice.
Some traditions also include a Fifth Cup, known as Elijah’s Cup, symbolizing future redemption and the coming of the Messianic age.
But notice that Luke directs us to two of those cups in Yeshua’s final Passover Seder this side of the Kingdom Age: the second and fourth cups. The first cup, the Kiddush in verse 17, and the broken bread of verse 19 show us that Yeshua was honoring the tradition that we discussed at length above. In my mind, when He said “… do this in memory of me,” He was instructing us to remember Him every time we celebrate the Kiddush.
In verse 20, Luke tells us that “He did the same with the cup after the meal.” I take this to mean that Yeshua made it a point to connect the bread of the Kiddush to “the cup after the meal,” the Cup of Redemption. Luke says “He did the same” with the Cup of Redemption.” He did what the same? Does that refer to “do this in memory of me”? I believe it does. That being the case, Yeshua links the Passover to the Kiddush in our minds, so that when we do either, we are to do so in His memory.
The Take-Away
Many (perhaps most) Messianic synagogues celebrate the Kiddush (not “communion”) with challah and wine at every Shabbat and Holy Day service, and every Jewish home, whether Messianic or Traditional, celebrates the Passover every year. Without being instructed to, I cannot possibly eat bread and wine together under any circumstances without “remembering” Him. I think most Believers feel the same way.
Note: There are two b'rakhot (plural of b'rakhah, blessing) that are of significance here, and which Yeshua would have recited during His last meal with His friends. The first is the b'rakhah that is always said before partaking of wine; the second is the b'rakhah that is always said before partaking of bread. These are the modern versions, but they are probably very similar to what Yeshua said.
| The b'rakhah for wine: | Barukh atah ADONAI Eloheinu,
Melech ha'olam, boray p'ree ha'gafen. Blessed are You, ADONAI our God, King of the universe, the One Who creates the fruit of the vine. |
| The b'rakhah for bread: | Barukh atah ADONAI Eloheinu,
Melech ha'olam, ha'motzie lechem mein ha'aretz. Blessed are You, ADONAI our God, King of the universe, the One Who brings forth bread [or sustenance] from the earth. |
Please note that is not the bread and wine that are being blessed, but rather it is He Who creates the the wine and He Who brings forth the bread that is blessed. So when we are saying our “grace” before meals and ask God to bless our food, that really isn’t Biblical. Not that there’s anything at all wrong with it; it just isn’t Biblical.
Discovering Passover • April 27, 2024
Lawrence Kirk, MD
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1. https://www.christiancourier.com/articles/477-what-are-transubstantiation-and-consubstantiation (an excellent article), last accessed 01/06/20. [BACK]
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