Jehovah’s Witnesses observe “The Memorial” (also called “The Lord’s Evening Meal”) once a year.

The Watchtower describes it as “an observance that honors God.” (What Does the Bible Really Teach?, p. 206)

But a number of ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses call it, “The Reject Jesus Party” because at the vast majority of Kingdom Halls, no one actually partakes of the bread or wine.

They just pass the tray and cup on by.

Symbolically, they are testifying, “I have no part in the body and blood of Christ.”

Why? Isn’t that the opposite of what the Lord’s Supper is supposed to be all about?

The reason is that the Watchtower teaches that only 144,000 “anointed” people chosen by God throughout the Christian era are in the new covenant!

Only they are born again.

Only they will go to heaven.

All other Christians and believers from the Old Testament era will be saved without being born again and without having the righteousness of Christ imputed to them. 

They benefit from the new covenant by virtue of their association with the anointed 144,000, but they themselves are not a part of that new covenant.

 The Watchtower explains its position:

Humans can thus become clean in God’s eyes and can enter into the new covenant with Jehovah…This covenant, or contract, makes it possible for 144,000 faithful Christians to go to heaven. There they will serve as kings and priests for the blessing of all mankind…

Who should partake of these Memorial emblems? Logically, only those in the new covenant—that is, those who have the hope of going to heaven—should partake of the bread and the wine. God’s holy spirit convinces such ones that they have been selected to be heavenly kings… They are also in the Kingdom covenant with Jesus…

What about those who have the hope of living forever in Paradise on earth? They obey Jesus’ command and attend the Lord’s Evening Meal, but they come as respectful observers, not partakers. (What Does the Bible Really Teach?, pp. 207-208, Scripture citations omitted)

Showing Jehovah’s Witnesses that all Christians are in the new covenant

To show the Witnesses that this practice and the two-class division of Christians is unscriptural, I recommend that you draw their attention to the following passages.

Ask them to read them aloud (I will quote them from the Watchtower translation).

 Matthew 26:26-28

“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.’ And taking a cup, he offered thanks and gave it to them, saying: ‘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.’”

Ask, “Didn’t Jesus command all those present to eat and drink? Did he say that some should partake and that some should not?”

Most likely they will say that all of the apostles were of the 144,000.

If so, ask, “Don’t you believe that Jesus’ ransom sacrifice applies to you? Don’t you believe that Jesus’ blood was poured out for the forgiveness of your sins as well as for the sins of the 144,000?”

John 6:53-56

 “Whoever 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 and I live because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me 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. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

Ask, “Why aren’t you included in whoever?”

You might add, “I believe that Jesus is speaking of an inward experience of which partaking of the bread and wine is only a symbol. But when you pass the bread and wine along without partaking, aren’t you testifying that you have never had this inward experience which Jesus said was essential in order to have eternal life?”

If they insist that this experience is only for the 144,000, say, “Jesus says that people who don’t eat his flesh and drink his blood have no life in themselves. Don’t you have life in you?”

Romans 8:8-9

“So those who are in harmony with the flesh cannot please God. However, you are in harmony, not with the flesh, but with the spirit, if God’s spirit truly dwells in you. But if anyone does not have Christ’s spirit, this person does not belong to him.”

Ask, “According to this passage, can we please God and belong to Christ if we don’t have God’s spirit dwelling within us?”

Wait for their answer.

Then ask, “How do we get God’s spirit dwelling within us except by faith becoming part of the new covenant?”

Romans 8:14

“For all who are led by God’s spirit are indeed God’s sons.”

Ask, “Aren’t you led by God’s spirit? Why aren’t you included in all?

1 Corinthians 10:16-17

 “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of the Christ? The loaf that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of the Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, although many, are one body, for we are all partaking of that one loaf.”

Ask, “According to this passage, how many bodies are there—one or two? Why aren’t you included in all?”

Conclusion

 The Watchtower prides itself on emulating the first century Christians, so you can conclude the discussion by asking the Witnesses, “Can you show me anywhere in the Bible where Jesus or the apostles invited anyone to come to the Lord’s Evening Meal without partaking?”

Most likely, they will tell you that all Christians in the first century were of the anointed class; the earthly class didn’t start forming until the 20^th century.

You can ask them to show you that in the Bible.

Of course, it isn’t there.

Ask them to show you in the Bible where anyone could become a Christian without being in the new covenant.

That isn’t there either.

Ask, “Shouldn’t we be biblical?”