Memorial of Jesus’ Death—Is the WT Celebration Biblical?

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.)