What does 1 Corinthians 11:26 mean?

Paul is wrapping up his reminder to the Corinthians of the purpose of observing the Lord's Supper. It's not meant to be a social event and a cause for division (1 Corinthians 11:17–22). Paul has described how Jesus Himself taught His disciples to break and distribute the bread that represented His broken body, along with the wine that represented His spilled blood (Matthew 26:26–28). Jesus commanded them to be intentional about remembering Him and His sacrifice when they came together to eat and drink for this purpose (1 Corinthians 11:23–25).

Now Paul reveals another purpose for observing this sacrament, also known as communion. It is a proclamation that Christ died for the sins of all who trust in Him. Built into that proclamation is the promise that Christ will one day return. In that way, the Lord's Supper involves both looking back to the cross and looking forward to Christ's return to earth. This creates a unique sense in which the gospel imbues meaning into every moment of history. The past—looking back to Christ, the present—partaking in communion, and the future—the imminent return of Jesus are all relevant to the Christian worldview.