The Meal That Heals

The Meal That Heals

came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.” Acts 20:7 I have always assumed that the phrase breaking bread referred to the believers eating dinner from house to house. Yet, notice they were breaking bread “upon the first day of the week” (Acts 20:7). The first day of the week was Sunday, or the day that would become the Lord’s day for the Gentiles. The Jews worshiped on Saturday and, eventually, the Gentile Christians were expelled from the Jewish synagogues. It appears the believers were celebrating the Lord’s Supper each week when they came together. Twice we read where Christ broke bread with His disciples. At the Last Supper, Christ took the bread, broke it, blessed it, and then gave it: “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.” Matthew 26:26 After Jesus was raised from the dead, He again was breaking bread in the home of a disciple: “And it came to pass, as He sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.” Luke 24:30 During both examples, our Lord took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it. At the Last Supper, He stated it represented His body. After His resurrection, some of His disciples did not recognize Him. When Jesus broke the bread and gave it, their eyes were opened and they knew it was Jesus: “And their eyes were opened, and they knew him, and he vanished out of their sight.” Luke 24:31

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