How would you feel if you were invited to a friend’s home for
Thanksgiving dinner but NOT allowed to eat? In fact, all the elements are there
for a glorious dinner but they are just passed from person to person without
anyone partaking. Sound weird, unusual to say the least. But that is exactly
what the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses requires of all Witnesses once a
year at what they call the “Memorial of Jesus Christ’s Death.”
In 2025, it will be “celebrated” after sundown in most Kingdom Halls on
April 25. JW’s will invite millions of people around the world to come to the
Lord’s Evening Meal and WATCH as the Witnesses partake or more accurately, NOT
PARTAKE.
Why are there so many NON-PARTAKERS? Why is it so necessary that each
participant hold the bread plate and wine glass then decline to partake and
pass it to the next person?
Let’s take a look at a typical WT Communion Service which usually has
two parts: (1) The Communion and (2) The Talk.
WT’S “MEMORIAL OF JESUS’ DEATH” SERVICE—Part 1: “THE COMMUNION”
WHY FEW PARTAKE. The WT has a two-class system of believers. The
“Anointed Class” are those JWs who have a heavenly hope and this number, since
Pentecost, is limited to 144,000. It is only those JW’s, who are part of the
144,000, who can ‘Partake.’ The vast majority of JW’s are of the “Earthly
Class.” They will spend eternity on a Paradise Earth and are not allowed to
Partake but they are commanded to “observe” the ritual. Thus, only the elite
“Anointed Class,” made up of only 144,000, will eat the bread and drink the
wine at Communion; so you might see only one, or more likely, none of the JW’s
present eating and drinking. Almost all of those present will only pass the
plate and cup up and down the rows, since they are there to only “observe” the
ritual.
THE ACTUAL COMMUNION starts with the speaker who receives the elements
from an elder. The speaker then hands both back to the elder. After all the
elders take and pass the bread and wine, the elements move to the crowd who in
turn pass them among themselves. As mentioned, only a chosen few are partaking.
For most Kingdom Halls no one does partake. In a few Kingdom Halls, if the
speaker or one of the other elders or a member is of the “anointed class,” they
would be permitted to eat and drink, but this is extremely rare.
PEW WORLD WIDE STATISTICS ON THE WT’S “CHRIST’S MEMORIAL” FOR THE YEAR
2022. (All numbers are rounded)
There were about 20,000,000 attendees for Christ’s Memorial with 20,000
Partakers. That means for every 1,000 attendees, 1 person partook of the bread
and wine for communion.
There are about 117,000 Watch Tower Congregations World-Wide. That means
for every 5.9 Congregations, 1 Congregation will have 1 person partake.
Therefore, if you attend a JW “Memorial,” chances are you will see no
one partake.
WHAT DO THE SCRIPTURES SAY ABOUT THE PROPER WAY TO CONDUCT COMMUNION?
All scriptures sited are from the WT Bible: The New World
Translation.The communion celebration was started by Christ himself and he asked ALL
his followers to partake. Where in scripture does it indicate the practice that
JWs carry out today, namely that the vast majority do not partake?
Jesus made it very clear what his followers were to do at the Lord’s
Evening Meal that he started. Jehovah Witnesses actually do read Christ’s
instructions during the Memorial from their Bible on what they are commanded by
him to do at 1 Corinthians 11:23-26:
For I received from the Lord that which I also handed on to YOU,
that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was going to be handed over took a
loaf and, after giving thanks, he broke it and said: “This means my body which
is in YOUR behalf. Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” He did likewise
respecting the cup also, after he had the evening meal, saying: “This cup means
the new covenant by virtue of my blood. Keep doing this, as often as YOU drink
it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as YOU eat this loaf and drink this
cup, YOU keep proclaiming the death of the Lord, until he arrives.”
Is this what they do? They teach it is a command for all JW’s to attend
this memorial and then are told to disobey Jesus' command to partake of the
emblems that represent His blood and body that He gave to cover our sins. Right
after they read Jesus’ words to “Keep doing this in remembrance of me” they are
told not to do the very thing that would remind them of Jesus, namely partake.
If the majority of JW’s are not in the New Covenant then why are they invited
to this meal? Is this some kind of spectator sport that Christ instituted?
Apparently, the leadership of JW’s think so.
Consider Christ words at John 6:53-58:
Accordingly, Jesus said to them: “Most truly I say to YOU,
Unless YOU eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, YOU have no
life in yourselves. He that feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has
everlasting life, and I shall resurrect him at the last day; for my flesh is
true food, and my blood is true drink. He that feeds on my flesh and drinks my
blood remains in union with me, and I in union with him. Just as the living
Father sent me forth and I live because of the Father, he also that feeds on
me, even that one will live because of me. This is the bread that came down
from heaven. It is not as when YOUR forefathers ate and yet died. He that feeds
on this bread will live forever. (NWT)
Notice what Jesus urges his followers to do:
“As they continued eating, Jesus took a loaf and, after
saying a blessing, he broke it and, giving it to the disciples, he said: “TAKE,
EAT. This means my body.” Also, he took a cup and, having given thanks, he gave
it to them, saying: “DRINK OUT OF IT, ALL OF YOU,” (Matthew 26:26-27,)
If there are two classes of Christians, those who attend and partake AND
those who attend but do not partake, then why didn’t Jesus ever mention this?
Clearly the practice of not partaking is against Jesus’ command for all of his
followers to partake!
PART 2: THE TALK is basically the same one at each Memorial. There are
four talking points: (1) How is the ransom provided, (2) Who benefits from the
ransom, (3) Who should partake of the bread and wine, and (4) What more can
JW’s do to show appreciation for the ransom. Point 3 is always a thinly veiled
warning against anybody but the anointed 144,000 taking the elements. Point 4
is an appeal to attend meetings,
participate in ministry, take in Bible knowledge and live a clean moral life.
IN CONCLUSION: Some Questions to Ponder as You Come to Your Own
Conclusions.
Jesus said, ‘Do this in remembrance of me.’ What did he mean? Do what?
It seems like JW’s are not doing what Jesus said to do.If we’re only supposed to observe, why do we even touch the dishes?
Shouldn’t they have the actual participants up front at that little table, and
the rest of us watch? It seems like you’re half participating in the ritual. If
you’re only supposed to observe, then observe and nothing else, don’t you
think?
The speaker quoted Jesus, where he said, “Drink out of it, all of YOU, for
this means my ‘blood of the covenant,’ which is to be poured out in behalf of
many for forgiveness of sins.” (Matt. 26:27-28) Does that mean those who do not
partake are not in the New Covenant? Are your sins forgiven? If you’re not in
the New Covenant, what covenant are you in?”
Did you know that the Watchtower likens the Great Crowd of believers to
the ‘foreign residents’ in the Old Testament? Did you also know that the
foreign residents, once they committed to Jehovah and are circumcised, (Exodus
12:48) could participate in all the festivals and feasts, including Passover?
I’m sure you know that the Lord’s evening meal is the fulfillment of the
Passover. So here’s what’s puzzling to me. Since the foreign residents could
eat and drink at the Passover, why can’t the great crowd of believers eat and
drink at the “Memorial?” (See the WT Publication Isaiah’s Prophecy—Light for All Mankind II,
Chapter 17, “Foreigners Gathered to God’s House of Prayer,” pgs. 247-261.)