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THE MEANING OF THE LORD’S SUPPER (II)
FRIDAY, MAY 15
John 6:51-58
Hebrews 7:27
 
“My flesh... I will give
for the life of the world.”
 
THE MEANING OF THE LORD’S SUPPER (II)
 
There are four views of the Lord’s supper: (1) Transubstantiation, (2) Consubstantiation, (3) Symbolical, and (4) Spiritual Presence.
 
Transubstantiation is the Roman Catholic view. It says that the bread and cup literally become the body and blood of Christ. When the priest utters the words of Christ, “This is my body” and “This is my blood,” the bread and the wine magically become the actual body and blood of Christ. So you are actually eating real flesh and drinking real blood. Sometimes they put the wafer into a monstrance (a little glass showcase with a stand that can be carried around) to be worshipped as God. The wafer becomes God. This is idolatry. They also say that each time the Holy Communion is observed, Christ is crucified all over again. This goes against Hebrews 7:27 which tells us that Christ offered Himself once for all. His death is not repeatable.
 
In John 6:53, Jesus told the disciples to eat His flesh and drink His blood. When He said this He did not mean a literal eating of His actual flesh and literal drinking of His actual blood. The context clearly tells us that the eating of His flesh and drinking of His blood is to be taken spiritually. It is a spiritual feeding. His sinless body will be crucified and His blood will be shed. Jesus was telling the people in John 6:53 to believe on Him — to partake of Him spiritually. The body and blood point to Christ’s work on the cross. When we believe all that Jesus has done for us on the cross, His shed blood and His resurrection from the dead, we shall be saved.
 
The Roman Catholic view of transubstantiation is thus idolatrous, superstitious, and blasphemous, and must be rejected.
 
THOUGHT: “The first object of the sacraments is to assist our faith towards God; the second, to testify our confession before men.” (Calvin)
PRAYER: Lord, I want to testify before my family and friends that Thou art my Lord and my Saviour.

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