The Scholarly Case

The observance of Yeshua's death, known as the Lord's Supper or Communion, is a central practice within the Hebraic-Messianic faith, rooted in Yeshua's own institution at the Passover Seder. Yeshua commanded His disciples, "do this in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19, BSB). This instruction was not given as a once-yearly ritual, but as an ongoing act of remembrance, proclaiming His death "until He comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26, BSB).

The earliest followers of Yeshua, firmly rooted in their Jewish heritage, understood this to be a frequent, communal meal. The Brit Chadashah records that the first believers "devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer" (Acts 2:42, BSB). The phrase "breaking of bread" here signifies the communal meal that included the Lord's Supper, indicating a regularity far beyond an annual observance. There is no explicit biblical instruction limiting this to an annual event; rather, the context suggests frequent assembly for this purpose.

Furthermore, the instrument of Yeshua's execution is consistently depicted in primary sources as a cross, not a single upright stake. The Greek word stauros (σταυρός), while generically meaning an upright pole, in the context of Roman execution, consistently referred to a cross-shaped instrument. This is supported by linguistic and historical evidence, including the very etymology of "crucifixion" from the Latin crux (cross) and figere (to fix). The Brit Chadashah itself uses the term "tree" (xylon) in passages like "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree" (Acts 5:30, BSB) and "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree" (1 Peter 2:24, BSB). This aligns with the Torah's declaration that "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree" (Galatians 3:13, BSB, quoting Deuteronomy 21:22-23, BSB), fulfilling the prophecy of Yeshua bearing the curse for humanity. The use of "tree" does not negate the cross, but rather emphasizes the shame and curse associated with such a death in Jewish law.

The nature of Yeshua's death is understood within the Hebraic-Messianic framework as the ultimate atonement for sin, fulfilling the sacrificial system of the Torah. Yeshua, as the Suffering Servant described in Isaiah 53, became the Passover Lamb, whose blood atones for His people. His divine nature is crucial to this understanding. The Brit Chadashah unequivocally presents Yeshua as Elohim, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1, BSB). He "did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant" (Philippians 2:6-7, BSB). He is identified as "our great God and Savior Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13, BSB). This understanding of Yeshua's full deity, alongside His humanity, is foundational to the efficacy of His sacrifice. He was "put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit" (1 Peter 3:18, BSB), and His physical resurrection is attested by His eating fish (Luke 24:42-43, BSB) and showing His physical body (Luke 24:39, BSB).

The purpose of the Memorial, therefore, is not merely to remember a past event, but to proclaim an ongoing truth: that "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, BSB). It is a communal expression of faith in Yeshua's atoning sacrifice and His bodily resurrection, a practice meant for all believers, not a select few.

Adversary Teardown: Wikipedia

Wikipedia, in its article "Memorial (Jehovah's Witnesses)," accurately describes the Jehovah's Witness (JW) practice of observing Yeshua's death annually, calling it the "Lord's Evening Meal." The article notes that JWs believe "only a small number of Christians go to heaven," and that "only those who expect to go to heaven partake of the bread and wine." This statement, while descriptively accurate of JW practice, highlights a significant deviation from the original Hebraic-Messianic faith and early apostolic teaching.

The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, founded by Charles Taze Russell in the late 19th century, introduced this distinctive practice. Russell's theology, and that of his successors, systematically diverged from historical Christianity and the Hebraic roots of the faith. The doctrine of the 144,000, which forms the basis for restricting partaking of the emblems, was solidified within the Watch Tower Society under Joseph F. Rutherford in the 1930s. This teaching asserts that only 144,000 "anointed" individuals will rule with Yeshua in heaven, while the vast majority of believers ("other sheep") will live forever on a paradise earth. This bipartite destiny is entirely absent from the Brit Chadashah and the unified hope presented to all believers in Yeshua. Yeshua's command "do this in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19, BSB) was given to all His disciples, without any qualification or restriction based on a heavenly or earthly hope. The early assemblies, as recorded in Acts 2:42, BSB, included all believers in the breaking of bread.

Furthermore, the JW insistence on Yeshua dying on a "torture stake" (as opposed to a cross), as detailed in their publications and reflected in various encyclopedic entries, is a deliberate and historically revisionist interpretation. This doctrine, also popularized by Russell and Rutherford, seeks to distance JWs from what they deem "pagan" symbols associated with the cross. However, as scholarly works and linguistic analyses confirm, the Greek stauros, though sometimes meaning a simple stake, overwhelmingly referred to the cross as the instrument of Roman crucifixion by the 1st century CE. The consistent use of "tree" in the Brit Chadashah (e.g., Acts 5:30, BSB; Galatians 3:13, BSB) is a direct reference to the curse of Deuteronomy 21:22-23, BSB, not an argument against the cross-shape itself. The Watch Tower Society's rejection of the cross is a theological innovation, not a recovery of original truth. This stance is explicitly promoted by JW.org, which claims that Yeshua "commanded that we commemorate his death not his birth," providing an arbitrary justification for rejecting Christmas while simultaneously creating an annual, restricted observance for His death.

Britannica's entry on Jehovah's Witnesses similarly notes their unique observance of the Memorial, highlighting its annual nature and the limited participation. This further underscores how this specific practice has become a defining characteristic of the denomination, distinguishing it from the broader body of Yeshua's followers. The insistence on an annual, restricted observance, coupled with their "torture stake" theology, demonstrates a clear departure from the inclusive, frequent, and historically grounded practices of the original Hebraic-Messianic faith.

Counter-Arguments Anticipated

Objection 1: Yeshua only commanded remembrance, not frequency, so an annual observance is valid.

Rebuttal: While Yeshua did not specify frequency, the consistent practice of the early believers, as recorded in the Brit Chadashah, indicates a frequent, communal breaking of bread (Acts 2:42, BSB; 1 Corinthians 11:26, BSB). The context of Yeshua's command during the Passover Seder, which was a yearly event, does not automatically translate into an annual observance for the Lord's Supper itself. The Passover was a shadow; Yeshua is the substance. His ongoing presence and the continuous proclamation of His death suggest a more regular remembrance, fitting for a living relationship, not a yearly ritual.

Objection 2: The term "stauros" in Greek truly means an upright stake, and the cross is a pagan symbol.

Rebuttal: This argument selectively interprets linguistic evidence. While stauros could mean a simple stake, its usage in Roman contexts for crucifixion, as understood by 1st-century writers, included cross-shaped structures. Moreover, the Brit Chadashah's use of xylon (tree) is a theological reference to Deuteronomy 21:22-23, BSB, emphasizing the curse Yeshua bore, not a definitive description of the execution instrument's shape. To reject the cross as "pagan" is a later theological development, not a return to Hebraic purity. The early followers of Yeshua understood His death on the cross to be the fulfillment of prophecy, not an embrace of paganism. The symbolism of the cross, though later incorporated into various traditions, does not negate the historical reality of Yeshua's crucifixion on such an instrument.

Objection 3: Only the 144,000 have a heavenly hope, so only they should partake of the emblems.

Rebuttal: The Brit Chadashah offers a unified hope of eternal life and resurrection for all who believe in Yeshua, without distinguishing between a heavenly and earthly class of believers. Yeshua's command to "do this in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19, BSB) was given to all His disciples present, and the early community of believers, without any such distinctions (Acts 2:42, BSB). The concept of a limited 144,000 heavenly class and a separate earthly class is a doctrinal innovation of the Watch Tower Society, lacking support in the original Hebraic-Messianic texts. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16, BSB) makes no such distinction.

Position Lock

Position Lock: The Hebraic-Messianic faith affirms that Yeshua's death on the cross, as the divine Son of Elohim and the promised Messiah, is the singular atoning sacrifice for all humanity, and His command to remember Him through the breaking of bread and drinking of the cup is for all believers, frequently observed, proclaiming His death until His return, without restriction or distortion of the instrument of His execution.

Related Sources & Prophecies

• The Divinity of Yeshua: A Hebraic Perspective
• The Messianic Passover: Yeshua Our Paschal Lamb
• Messianic prophecy fulfillment timeline
• General worldview overview
• Ask Enoch about do Jehovah's Witnesses celebrate Jesus' death