09 05 2021

Eucharist

Matthew 26: 26-30
Why we celebrate the Lord’s Supper/Holy Communion/Eucharist. Scripture must be the basis of our understanding
of the Lord’s Supper. Jesus Christ not only gave us this Holy meal, but his command determines the administration of the sacrament. The giving of this gift is found in the gospels of Matthew 26:26-30, Mark 14:22-25, and Luke 22:14-20. All of these note that Jesus specifically states the bread is His body, and the wine is His blood. Yes, Christians observe the Lord’s Supper as an act of obedience to remember Christ and his death, but the bread and wine are not merely a representation of Christ’s body and blood. Christ’s body and blood are really present with the bread and wine, just as Christ said they are – “This ‘IS’ my body, …. This ‘IS’ my blood. (Matthew 26:26,28). That being so, God gives blessings in the Lord’s Supper, forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. The converse is also true. If this meal provides us forgiveness of our sins, as Jesus Christ taught, then the true presence of His body and blood, as He taught, must also be true. (John 6:22-69). So, when we participate in the Supper there is a ‘communion’ with Jesus and with one another when they gather at the Lord’s table (Eph 4:3–6; 1 Cor 10:16,17).
The Lord’s Supper is indeed a wonderful gift, a treasure, a means of grace and is good news – the gospel, given for our comfort and spiritual strength.

We do not try to explain how Jesus can be present with his body and blood under the bread and wine. We simply must trust Jesus’ words. Luther explains in the Large Catechism. “…Now the only way this treasure is passed along and made our very own is in the words ‘Given . . . and shed for you.’ For in the words, you have both truths, that it is Christ’s body and blood, and that it is yours as a treasure and gift.”

Pastor Darryl

Photo by Nico Smit on Unsplash