Among the most sacred practices in the Christian faith is Holy Communion—the sharing of bread and the cup in remembrance of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. For generations, believers have gathered around this table of grace, not merely as a ritual, but as a deep spiritual encounter with the risen Savior. While we often associate the institution of Communion with Jesus at the Last Supper, the threads of this sacred meal are woven throughout the Old Testament, pointing to what would one day be fulfilled in Christ.
One of the most compelling foreshadowings of Holy Communion is found in the story of Joseph during his time in the Egyptian prison. There, Joseph encounters two key individuals: Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and chief baker—the bread man and the wine man. Their presence, their dreams, and their outcomes whisper of a greater narrative, one that would ultimately culminate in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, where the broken bread and poured-out wine would declare life, death, and hope.
The Shadow in the Prison: Joseph, the Bread, and the Cup
In Genesis 40, Joseph is unjustly imprisoned. While there, he meets two of Pharaoh’s servants—his chief cupbearer and chief baker. Each man has a dream on the same night, and God gives Joseph the ability to interpret them.
The cupbearer’s dream involves three branches on a vine. He sees grapes ripening, squeezes them into Pharaoh’s cup, and places the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. Joseph interprets the dream: in three days, the cupbearer will be restored to his position.
The baker’s dream involves three baskets of bread on his head. In the top basket are baked goods for Pharaoh, but birds are eating from it. Joseph’s interpretation is grim: in three days, the baker will be executed, and birds will eat his flesh.
Why does Scripture preserve this moment so vividly? Why are the dreams of these two men—one involving wine, the other bread—center stage in Joseph’s prison years?
Because the story is not just about Joseph. It is about Jesus.
Communion Foreshadowed: Life Through the Cup, Death Through the Bread
In this scene, the cup leads to restoration and life, while the bread leads to judgment and death. In a curious reversal of the symbolism we later see in Jesus’s life, the cupbearer’s outcome is hopeful, while the baker’s is tragic.
But the pattern is there.
The cup—which in Scripture often represents covenant, fellowship, and deliverance—is given back to Pharaoh. The bread, often representing the body or human life, is devoured. These two dreams together speak to the reality that there are two outcomes for every person: restoration or judgment. Life or death.
Fast-forward to the Gospels. On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus takes bread and wine—and He reframes the entire redemptive narrative:
“This is my body, broken for you… this is my blood of the new covenant, poured out for many.” (Luke 22:19–20)
In Joseph’s prison, the dreams of the cupbearer and baker give us a shadow. In the Upper Room, Jesus gives us the substance.
The Broken Bread and the Poured-Out Cup
Communion, or the Lord’s Supper, is more than a symbolic act. It is a holy declaration that Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again. In the bread, we see the body of Jesus broken for us. In the cup, we see the blood of Jesus, shed to establish a new covenant.
Jesus, the sinless Son of God, took upon Himself the judgment of the “baker”—He was broken, pierced, and bruised. He bore the wrath and penalty for sin. Yet at the same time, He fulfilled the hope of the “cupbearer”—He was raised, restored, and seated at the right hand of God, offering us fellowship and eternal life through His blood.
Thus, in Communion, we participate in both the death and life of Christ. We remember that His body was broken, but also that His blood was poured out to make us new.
The Joseph Parallel: From Prison to Palace
Joseph, like Jesus, went from humiliation to exaltation. He was falsely accused, rejected, and imprisoned. But in time, he was lifted up, given authority, and became the instrument of salvation for nations. This too mirrors the Gospel.
At the table of Communion, we celebrate not just a Savior who died, but a Savior who reigns. He who was “in the prison” of death has now been given the name above all names. And just as Joseph opened the storehouses of Egypt to provide bread in a famine, Jesus offers us the bread of life that never runs out.
Communion Today: Why Christians Practice It
Holy Communion is one of the two sacraments ordained by Christ for His church (the other being baptism). The Apostle Paul writes:
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26)
Why do we practice Communion?
- To Remember: We remember the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross.
- To Reflect: We examine our hearts and confess our sins.
- To Rejoice: We celebrate the forgiveness and victory we have in Christ.
- To Reunite: We come together as one body, united by faith.
Communion is not a lifeless ritual. It is a sacred moment where heaven touches earth, where time meets eternity, where believers experience grace again and again.
The Invitation: Bread for the Broken, Cup for the Thirsty
Holy Communion invites us to the table, regardless of where we’ve been. Whether we feel like the forgotten prisoner, the broken baker, or the restored cupbearer, the invitation is the same: Come. Eat. Drink. Remember.
In the Joseph narrative, only one man was restored. In Jesus, all who believe can be.
This is the beauty of the Gospel. Through His death, we find life. Through His blood, we find restoration. Through His body, we are made whole.
Conclusion: The Bread and the Cup—Then and Now
From a prison in Egypt to a table in an upper room, from a Roman cross to churches around the globe, the symbols of bread and wine have carried one eternal message: Jesus saves.
So the next time you take the bread and the cup, remember the baker and the cupbearer. Remember the prison and the palace. But most of all, remember Jesus—the one who took the cup of wrath so we could receive the cup of joy, and the one whose body was broken so that ours could be restored.
This is not mere tradition.
This is Communion.
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