The term “the Lord’s Supper”, as used by Paul, refers to a congregational meal that that includes the foot washing and the bread and wine ceremonies.  For further information on this see ‘What is “the Lord’s Supper”, 1Co 11:20?‘  The question naturally arises of how often the Lord’s Supper should be taken.

The Bible nowhere gives a specific answer to this question.  However, by putting the various pieces of the puzzle together we can come to an answer.

In Leviticus 23 God gave instructions to ancient Israel to keep His “Holy Convocations”.  The first one mentioned is the regular Sabbath day, the seventh day of the week.  After that, seven annual “Holy Convocations” are listed.  These occurred once a year, every year, in the same way that Christmas or Easter occur once a year.  The first two of these annual “Holy Convocations” are the first and last days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Lev 23:4  ‘These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times.
Lev 23:5  On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the LORD’s Passover.
Lev 23:6  And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; seven days you must eat unleavened bread.
Lev 23:7  On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.
Lev 23:8  But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.’ “

Passover is not a Holy Convocation, but it is linked to the Feast of Unleavened Bread occurring immediately before it.

Jesus’s disciples undoubtedly grew up keeping the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread every year.  That was their custom.  Throughout His ministry, Jesus no doubt kept the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread with His disciples.  The gospels record Jesus’s last Passover where He introduced the foot washing ceremony and the bread and the wine. 

Jesus introduced the ceremony of the bread and wine at the annual Passover.  This was a natural time for Jesus to so as both the ceremony of the bread and wine and the Passover point to His sacrifice.  Jesus also introduced the foot washing ceremony at the Passover.  As mentioned earlier, the meal Jesus had with His disciples along with the foot washing and the bread and the wine is what the apostle Paul referred to as “the Lord’s Supper”.

It is just natural to understand that “the Lord’s Supper” should be taken once a year at Passover time.  There is nothing in Scripture to indicate that the bread and wine should be taken more than once a year, and neither is there anything to indicate that the foot washing and the bread and wine can be done separately and at different times.  Sometimes 1 Corinthians 11:26 is quoted to support this idea.

1Co 11:26  For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

This verse is not saying, “Eat the bread and drink the wine as often as you want”!  It’s saying, “As often as you do this”.  In other words, “whenever you do this”, or “each time you do this”.  This, naturally, would have been done once a year at Passover time.

Conclusion

The Lord’s Supper should be taken once a year at Passover time.