The first time I helped serve communion at our church, I nearly dropped the tray. Shaky hands, trying to look reverent while also not spilling grape juice on someone’s white shirt. But what stuck with me wasn’t the logistics — it was looking out at the congregation and realizing most of them had tears in their eyes. The bread and the cup do something to people when they slow down enough to think about what it represents. These verses are for anyone preparing a communion meditation, leading the Lord’s Supper, or just wanting to understand what Scripture actually says about this practice.
What’s in this post
Quick Assessment
Why does your prayer life keep falling flat?
It's usually one of four things — and each one needs a completely different strategy to break through. This 2-minute assessment tells you exactly which pattern is blocking you.
All four Gospels record the Last Supper, and three of them give us Jesus’ specific words at the table. This is where communion comes from — a direct command from Christ on His last night before the cross.
Matthew 26:26-28 — “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.'”
Free Resource
Get Your FREE Prayer Guide Now
and join the Daily Way Devotional: Join 25,000+ Subscribers
Mark 14:22-24 — “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take it; this is my body.’ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it. ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,’ he said to them.”
Luke 22:19-20 — “And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.'”
John 6:53-56 — “Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.'”
Paul’s Teaching on the Lord’s Supper
Paul’s letters give us the most detailed instructions about how communion should be practiced in the church. First Corinthians 11 is the foundational passage pastors reference when teaching on the Lord’s Supper.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 — “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night 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.’ 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.’ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
1 Corinthians 11:27-29 — “So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.”
This is why many churches pause before communion — it’s a moment of self-examination, not performance.
1 Corinthians 10:16-17 — “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.”
Communion and the Body of Christ — Unity Verses
Communion isn’t just about remembering the cross. It’s about being reminded that you belong to something bigger — one body, one faith, one table.
Ephesians 4:4-6 — “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all.”
1 Corinthians 12:27 — “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
Colossians 3:14-15 — “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.”
Acts 2:42 — “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”
The early church didn’t separate communion from daily life. Breaking bread was fellowship, worship, and remembrance all wrapped together.
Acts 2:46-47 — “Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God.”
John 13:34-35 — “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples.”
If your church is preparing for a baptism alongside communion, these baptism Bible verses pair well for services that celebrate both sacraments together.
Verses About Christ’s Sacrifice
Every time you take the bread and the cup, you’re remembering a death. These verses ground communion in the reality of what Jesus gave.
Romans 5:8 — “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Isaiah 53:5 — “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
Hebrews 9:22 — “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
John 3:16 — “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
1 Peter 2:24 — “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 — “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
Ephesians 1:7 — “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”
Hebrews 10:10 — “We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Old Testament Foreshadowing
Communion didn’t appear out of nowhere. The Passover meal — the lamb, the unleavened bread, the blood on the doorpost — pointed straight to Jesus centuries before He arrived.
Exodus 12:13 — “The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you.”
Exodus 24:8 — “Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, ‘This is the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you.'”
Psalm 116:13 — “I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.”
Psalm 23:5 — “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.”
Isaiah 25:6 — “On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples.”
Grace and Forgiveness Verses for the Table
These verses work well as readings during the self-examination moment before communion.
Ephesians 2:8-9 — “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.”
1 John 1:9 — “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Psalm 103:12 — “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
Romans 8:1 — “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Hebrews 4:16 — “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Colossians 1:13-14 — “For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
Quick-Reference Table for Communion Services
Moment in Service
Best Verse
Opening the table
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Self-examination pause
1 Corinthians 11:28, 1 John 1:9
Breaking the bread
Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24
Passing the cup
Matthew 26:27-28, Ephesians 1:7
Closing prayer
John 13:34-35, Colossians 3:15
Easter / Good Friday
Romans 5:8, John 3:16
3 Short Communion Meditations You Can Use
1. “Remember”
Jesus didn’t say “understand this” or “explain this.” He said “do this in remembrance of me.” Communion isn’t a theology exam. It’s a memory. The bread — His body, broken. The cup — His blood, poured out. You don’t need to have everything figured out to come to this table. You just need to remember what it cost.
2. “One Table”
When we take communion together, we’re saying something: we belong to each other. We’re not just a group of people who happen to attend the same building. We’re one body. The divisions, the disagreements, the grudges we carry — they all get put on pause at this table. Because the One who invited us here gave His life for every person in this room.
3. “Until He Comes”
Paul says we proclaim the Lord’s death “until he comes.” Communion is past and future at the same time. We look back to the cross and forward to His return. This table is a bridge between the two. And the fact that we’re still taking it means the story isn’t over.
If you’re a worship leader looking for resources to build out your communion services, our Bible study guides work well for midweek communion prep or small group studies. And if you’re putting together slides for the service, we have a collection of free PowerPoint templates for church worship that includes communion-themed designs.
George Hendricks is the founder and managing editor of Godsverse.org. He has written and published over 200 skit reviews, church resource guides, and Bible study articles. With a background in data-driven content strategy and digital publishing, George built Godsverse into one of the most comprehensive collections of church skit reviews and printable scripts online. When he's not writing, he's researching what churches actually need and figuring out how to deliver it.
