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Communion

Eucharist (from the greek meaning Thanksgiving)

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Passages

Mark 14:12-26
Matthew 26:17-30
Luke 22:14-23
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
John 6:22-59

See also John 4:1-15

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Views of Eucharistic Theology

Transubstantiation (Catholic)
Definitive change (Eastern Orthodox)
Consubstantiation (Lollards)
Sacramental Union (Lutheran)
Pneumantic presence (Presbyterian, Reformed)
Memorialism (Baptist view)

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Why is this important?

All the different views of communion center around what Christ means when He said “This is my body” and “This is my blood” in reference to the bread and wine. Was it a metaphor or literal statement? ��How you interpret that has far reaching implications for how you understand the machinery of salvation to work. This was once so important that church killed over it, and christians were willing to die over it.

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“ The heart of the Mass was the real physical, material presence of the incarnate body of Christ in the form of bread and wine. This was essential, not peripheral, because in the consecrating words of the priest another crucial sacrifice happened with this body. This is what the Protestant Reformers saw. And this is what they believed undermined the gospel of Christ crucified once for all for our sins.” - John Piper

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Why do we hold that it isn’t Jesus’ real physical body in the bread?

It is the most natural way to read the passage.
It is the most consistent way to read the passage
It is consistent with the rest of our understanding of the process of salvation

1 & 2 see John Piper’s explanation in https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/why-we-eat-the-lords-supper-part-1

Also, regarding 2, see Jesus with the woman at the well (we don’t actually drink of the Holy Spirit, but experience him. He isn’t really water, though he is described as such). In John 6:35 Jesus tells them straight that the way we satiate “hunger” and “thirst” is by “coming” and “believing”. We no longer hunger or thirst when we “come” to Christ, by accepting the truth of who He is and entering into His promises (covenants) by exercising faith. There is no physical eating or drinking here. vs 40 reinforces that understanding.

The protracted metaphor that Jesus continues to extend in vs 41-59 is really an indictment of the stubborn nature of those who were questioning him. In vss 48-51 Jesus repeats his earlier statements but this time going deeper into His initial metaphor. Their lack of understanding causes Him to keep drawing it out.

3 - the implication of Jesus being sacrificed again and again and that we we must partake to continue to have salvation flies in the face of numerous parts of scripture that are clear about salvations permanence.

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What do the symbols in communion mean?

Bread: represents Jesus’ body, broken during crucifixion
Cup: represents the New Covenant, made possible by Jesus’ shed blood (signified by the wine)

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What is the relationship to passover?

The Lord’s Supper was ordained during passover
In passover, an Israelite family would escape death if a lamb was sacrificed and its blood used to mark the door of their home during the last plague of Egypt.
Similarly, Jesus’ sacrifice is like the sacrifice of the passover lamb

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Why do we observe communion?

We are commanded to do so
It proclaims the gospel
It focuses our attention

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How does the observance of Communion proclaim the Gospel?

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How do you remember Christ�during communion?