He gives us a more particular account of the institution than we meet with elsewhere. We have here an account, 1. Of the author—our Lord Jesus Christ. The king of the church only has power to institute sacraments. 2. The time of the institution: It was the very night wherein he was betrayed; just as he was entering on his sufferings which are therein to be commemorated. 3. The institution itself. Our Savior took bread, and when he had given thanks, or blessed (as it is in Mt. 26:26), he broke, and said, Take, eat; this is my body, broken for you; this do in remembrance of me. And in like manner he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood; this do, as oft as you drink it, in remembrance of me, v. 24, 25.

 

The things signified by the outward signs of the bread and the cup; they are Christ’s body and blood, his body broken, his blood shed, together with all the benefits which flow from his death and sacrifice: it is the New Testament in his blood. His blood is the seal and sanction of all the privileges of the new covenant; and worthy receivers take it as such, at this holy ordinance. They have the New Testament, and their own title to all the blessings of the new covenant, confirmed to them by his blood.

In communion, both Christ and the communicant act...

• Our Savior, having undertaken to make an offering of himself to God, and procure, by his death, the remission of sins, with all other gospel benefits, for true believers, did, at the institution, deliver his body and blood, with all the benefits procured by his death, to his disciples, and continues to do the same every time the sacrament is administered to believers.
• The communicants are to take and eat, or to receive Christ and feed upon him, his grace and benefits, and by faith convert the bread and cup into nourishment to their souls. The believer communes in remembrance of Christ, to keep fresh in our minds Christ's for us, as well as to remember an absent friend, even Christ interceding for us, in virtue of his death, at God’s right hand.

As often as you eat this bread, indicates that communion should be celebrated on a regular basis. Our bodily meals are regular; we cannot maintain life and health without them. And it is fit that our "spiritual diet" should be taken regularly too. The ancient churches celebrated this ordinance every Lord’s day, if not every day when they assembled for worship. Holy Thursday is certainly a great traditional opportunity to celebrate the Lord's Supper.