Jehovah’s witnesses: The Memorial

Also known as the Last Supper, the Memorial is commemorated on Nissan 14 at sundown in Jehovah’s witness tradition. This is the time to reflect on Jesus sacrifice for our sins. It is the only ceremony witnesses keep but it is commemorated differently from other Christian denominations. According to JW.ORG, “The Lord’s Evening Meal is to remember Jesus, to show gratitude for his sacrifice.” They continue in their article titled, “Why do Jehovah’s witnesses Observe the Lord’s Supper Differently from the Way Other Religions Do?”: “The observance is not sacrament or a religious practice that imparts merit such as grace or the forgiveness of sins.” JW.ORG. Witnesses are taught Jesus’ sacrifice does not give grace and his sacrifice does not grant forgiveness of sins. After being informed of the lack of power the ceremony imparts, witnesses are shown the unleavened bread and wine on the platform. The congregation is seated and told they must not unworthily partake of the bread and wine. They are warned only the 144,000 are to partake, all who are not of that number are of the ‘earthly class’, not the ‘heavenly class’ and do not partake as they do not have a ‘heavenly hope’, but an ‘earthly hope’. According to the Governing Body of Jehovah’s witnesses, “A number of factors – including past religious beliefs or even mental or emotional imbalance – might cause someone to assume mistakenly that they have the heavenly calling.” Wikipedia 2011. While seated, the bread and wine are passed around the congregation, each abstaining from the blood and body of the Lord Christ on His Supper.

Jehovah’s witnesses believe:

• The memorial supper is not a sacrament that imparts forgiveness of sins or grace
• JW must not partake of the bread and wine
• JW are part of the ‘earthly class’, not the ‘heavenly class’ meaning they must not partake
• Those who partake are holding onto past religious beliefs or are mentally unstable

Christianity holds true to the Bible’s instruction about the Memorial. Namely, that Christ instructed us to ‘keep doing this in remembrance of me.” Matthew 26:26-28 “And as they were eating (the Lord’s Supper), Jesus took bread and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, Drink ye all of it; 28. For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” KJV. It is documented in Luke 22:18-20 and Mark 14:22 likewise. (More supporting scriptures: Hebrews 9:28, 1 Corinthians 15:3, Ephesians 2:8, John 1:29.) According to Jesus, it is important to keep his commandment, and the power of the sacrament goes hand in hand with the act he carried out for all humanity on the cross when he died for us all for the forgiveness of our sins. There was no other reason Christ came to earth. He came to be the saviour as promised by God in Genesis.

Why is the witness taught to abstain from Christs body and blood? The answer may surprise you. Witnesses are taught they are not the right ‘class’ to partake, they are not worthy to partake, and they are mentally unstable or not ‘strong in the truth’ if they partake. These three lies keep witnesses away from accepting Christ and keep them away from salvation. Many witnesses believe earnestly their way of commemorating Christ’s memorial is the right way. They trust an organisation for their information. But the bible says there is no ‘class’ difference under Christ. We are all one under Christ. Romans 3:22 says, “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference. 23. for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. 24. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God.” KJV. All can partake, we are all sinners that need saving in God’s eyes.

As for unworthy partaking, Paul had a lot to say in regard to who was unworthy and why. 1 Corinthians 11:20-34 speaks of problems in the congregation of Corinth the main one being people attending the Lord’s Supper hungry and thirsty. When these people took the cup and the bread they didn’t regard the spiritual significance of the ceremony. They attended to feed the physical body, not the spiritual body. This brutish disregard is what Paul called ‘unworthy partaking’. 1 Corinthians 11:21, 22 Paul admonishes them to eat and drink at home. At 1 Corinthians 11:31, “For if you judge yourself, you won’t be judged.” KJV. These scriptures are to be read in context for what they are: reprimands from Paul to a naughty section of his congregation. It stands to reason that if there were some who got this warning, there were also others in the congregation who did not get this warning; those who partook worthily, as Jesus commanded in the Bible. So there would have been those who regularly partook, as Paul taught them to do as it is done in church down to today. This means Paul taught the congregation at Corinth how to partake of the Lord’s Supper, meaning a professing Christian (as the witnesses claim to be) should worthily partake. Interestingly, Paul never added in the instructions at Corinth how to go counter to Christ’s command, and pass the plate around and abstain. Where did this custom come from? Among all Christianity, the witnesses are the only professing Christian group who come together annually to pass up the blood and body of Christ. Hebrews 13:9 says: “Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines….” KJV.

It is interesting that the Governing Body of Jehovah’s witnesses would call those who partake ‘mentally imbalanced’. This ‘us and them’, ‘good and bad’ dichotomy is used as a weapon against members who do not fit into their construct. According to their understanding, all Christians who partake are mentally ill. How can this be true, when up until 2011, the Governing Body all thought they were anointed and had the heavenly hope and all partook. What does that tell us when we are all the same in the Lord (Romans 3:22). Were the Governing Body mentally imbalanced themselves? How can a board of men in JW Headquarters make decisions on 8.3 million people’s lives that belong to their religion when they admit they do not have anointing from God? And on that note, what right do they have to take away anybody’s salvation by denying them Christ’s body and blood? It is the JW government that is mad, not the congregant who wishes to partake at their ceremony. Paul had a compelling thought about partaking at 1 Corinthians 10:30-31: “For if I by grace be a partaker, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks? Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” KJV.

Summing up: the witnesses are wrongly taught they can’t partake. In the vast majority of cases witnesses should partake. What witnesses practice today aligns with an Anti-Christian or Satanic theology. The similarities are hard to ignore: they deny Christ by ‘passing over’ his blood of the new Covenant with the aim of denying Christ and rejecting him. It means in the Kingdom Hall, the majority of congregants have individually denied Christ in a ritual carried out annually.

To deny Christ, even in a crafty guise like the witnesses have created is serious. This perversion of biblical truth aligns this religion with the Devil whose ultimate plan is to lure as many away from Christ as he can before his judgement comes. Denying Christ leads to destruction and will keep individuals from salvation.

If this Jehovah’s witness teaching is false, then Hebrews 10:29 is significant: “Of how much worse punishment do you suppose will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the Covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing and insulted the spirit of grace.” Gideon. Isn’t this exactly what the Witnesses are teaching?