Now when the even was come, He sat down with the twelve. Matthew 26:20
If you and I were to be transported back into the days of the book of Acts, and were to gather to break bread with members of a local Assembly back then, we would find one aspect of it very unusual, compared to the way we gather for the Lord’s Supper in our day. That huge difference would be the time of day that we would meet. So common is it that we hold this meeting in the morning that we often refer to it as the ‘morning meeting’. That’s not the way they did it in early days. The Lord’s Supper was eaten in the evening. In fact, because the first day of the week began at sundown on the Sabbath, the Christians gathered on what we would consider Saturday night. There were two primary reasons for meeting at night. First, most early Christians were slaves or workers whose days were totally occupied. Secondly, the Christians were following the pattern of the first Lord’s Supper, which was in the evening. Many too preferred to keep to the pattern of the Passover, which was always eaten in the evening. Although the time differs over the centuries, the pattern doesn’t: Jesus was with them.
There was a specific time set for the Passover. When that time came, the disciples were present. They would not have thought of being anywhere else, or of being late. The same approach should be taken at meetings of the Assembly, any meeting, not just the Lord’s Supper. For the disciples, the important element was that the Lord was with them. So should it be the most important element of our meetings. The presence of the Lord made all the difference. The disciples were not at the passover because of the other disciples, much as they might have enjoyed each other’s company. We don’t attend Assembly meetings because of the other Christians who are there, although we should surely enjoy being in their company. No, Jesus’ presence was all that mattered back then, and it should be all that matters now.
Some will say it doesn’t matter how we gather, as long as we claim the Lord’s presence. But we should note that Jesus didn’t arrive for the passover until it was prepared. He doesn’t arrive today unless the preparations are made, unless the pattern that He gave us is followed. It’s a simple pattern. But it is a necessary pattern.
Will we have the Lord Jesus with us when we meet? At the appointed time, and in His appointed manner, we meet, and He is with us. -Jim MacIntosh