Communion

The Lord’s Supper: Part Two

By Pastor Josh Wamble

Last week, we started a short series exploring what the Bible says and what Christians have thought about the Lord’s Supper throughout history. If you were not here for that, you can listen to the audio here. This past Sunday (2/12) we spent some time talking about four views of the Lord’s Supper different Christian traditions have held throughout history. If you were not able to attend that service, that audio can be heard here. Below, we will briefly summarize these six historical views.

1. Transubstantiation

This is the understanding the Catholic church has. This label is a combination of trans (to change or transform) and substance (the core or essence of a thing).

There are three aspects to this view. First, when the priest says the words of institution, the bread and wine experience a transformation. Although the bread still looks and smells and tastes like bread, the essence of the bread has been transformed into the actual physical body of Jesus. In the same way, although the wine still looks and smells and tastes like wine, its essence is transformed into the actual physical blood of Jesus.

This brings us to the second aspect of this view. Because this is really Jesus’s body and blood, the Lord’s Supper (Mass) is a re-sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus is being sacrificed again and again for the sins of those participating in the mass.

Thirdly, like the Catholic understanding of baptism, they believe that the mass is ex opera operato. This is a Latin phrase that means literally “from the working, the work” or “from the operating, the operation.” What this means is that the mass works in and of itself. It does not require any faith or repentance or even understanding of the person involved. It is a completely outward ritual or ceremony that works (to provide forgiveness of sins) in and of itself.

Those who believe this way point to a few passages in the Bible. They emphasize a literal understanding of Matthew 26:26-28 and John 6:48-58. When Jesus says, “This is my body.” and “This is my blood.”, they say that he is being literal. They believe that they are just trying to take those passages literally as well.

2. Consubstantiation

This is the understanding the Lutheran church has. Martin Luther was responding to and reacting to the errors of the Catholic church’s misunderstanding of the Lord’s Supper. He wanted to continue to understand Matthew 26:26-28 literally. He insisted that Jesus meant that the bread and the wine was actually his body. However, he did not believe that the Jesus was being sacrificed each time the Lord’s Supper was observed.

He did not think the bread and wine actually became Jesus’s physical body, but he thought Jesus’s body was present “in, with, and under” the bread and wine. (“Con” means with.) He believed the substance of the bread and wine coexists with the body and blood of Christ. Most Lutheran churches have followed this teaching to the present.

3. Spiritual Presence

John Calvin was another Christian leader who lived around the same time as Martin Luther. He too had begun reading the Bible for himself and coming to understand things differently than the Catholic church had been teaching for many years.

Like Luther, he agreed that we should take passages like Matthew 26;26-28 seriously, but he understood them to mean that the bread and wine represent Jesus’s body in a symbolic or figurative way. He did believe that Jesus was present in and during the Lord’s Supper, but in a spiritual sense not physically. He reminded his followers of passages like Matthew 18:20 where Jesus promises his followers that he is present with them whenever they gather together and Matthew 28:20 (The Great Commission) where Jesus promises his followers that he will always be with us. Calvin said it’s pretty clear that these passages are speaking of Jesus being spiritually present with his people not physically, and that is what is happening during the Lord’s Supper as well.

He definitely agreed with Luther that there was no sacrifice happening during the Lord’s Supper, but he did think of the supper as a “means of grace”—God’s grace was imparted to the participant during the supper. Unlike the Catholic view, this was not ex opera operato. God’s grace comes only to those who participate in the supper with faith and repentance trusting in the gospel that it points to.

Today, most Presbyterian churches understand the Lord’s Supper this way. Many Methodist churches do as well.

4. Memorial View

Another important Christian leader at the same time at Luther and around the same time as Calvin was Ulrich Zwingli. While Luther was in Germany and Calvin was in France, Zwingli was leading a movement in Switzerland. (Later, Calvin ended up in Switzerland, also.) Like Luther and Calvin, he had begun reading the Bible for himself and realized that much of what the Catholic church had been teaching for many years differed from what the Bible said. He began leading Christians in Switzerland to follow the Bible.

His views on the Lord’s Supper also differed drastically from what the Catholic Church had been teaching. He also differed from Luther and Calvin. He agreed with Calvin that the bread and wine represent Jesus’s body and blood. He understood Matthew 26:26-28 symbolically or figuratively. He pointed to other passages such as John 6:35, 10:17, and 15:5 where Jesus made similar statements (“I am the gate,” “I am the door,” and “I am the vine”) that were obviously meant symbolically or figuratively.

Unlike Calvin, Zwingli believed that the Lord’s Supper was a memorial that pointed back as a marker or reminder to what had already happened on the cross. He emphasized 1 Corinthians 11:24-25 where Paul quoted Jesus saying to eat the bread and drink from the cup “in remembrance” of me. Zwingli believed that the Lord’s Supper is a remembrance service.

Historically, most Baptist churches have understood the Lord’s Supper this way. Many Pentecostal churches have as well. However, some Pentecostal churches also believe that there is a connection to physical healing in celebrating the Lord’s Supper. They believe Isaiah 53:5 (“with his wounds we are healed.”) means that Jesus’s death secured healing from physical diseases and sicknesses; so, they think the ordinance that memorializes Jesus’s death is connected to these healings also.

As far a which of these views is correct, I think we should completely deny both of the first two positions. We are not offering any kind of sacrifice in any way when we have the Lord’s Supper. Hebrews 10:1-18 makes it clear that when Jesus died on the cross He offered Himself once for all as a single sacrifice for all time. That sacrifice never needs to be repeated; it fully accomplished all that God intended for it to accomplish and as Hebrews 10:14 says, “perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” The basis of our salvation was accomplished for all time at the cross. Likewise, the bread and wine are not in any way transformed into the body and blood of Jesus during the supper.

I believe that we should think about the Lord’s Supper using a combination of the final two views. Primarily, I believe the Lord’s Supper is a memorial. We are told to “do this in remembrance” of him (remembering both his death and his promise to return). It is also true that Jesus is spiritually present with his people when we eat the meal together. However, He is no more (or less) present during the Lord’s Supper than He is during the sermon or singing or other aspects of the worship service. Moreover, the Lord’s Supper is a means of grace. We do encounter God’s grace when we partake of the supper together, but only in so far as the supper points us to and draws our hearts to the truths of Jesus’s death and return. In other words, we experience God’s grace as we trust in and believe the truth that the Supper points us to.

The Lord’s Supper: Part One

By Pastor Josh Wamble

This past Sunday evening, we started a short series exploring what the Bible says and what Christians have thought about the Lord’s Supper throughout history. If you were not here for that, you can listen to the audio here. We looked mostly at two passages, and two aspects of the Lord’s Supper became clear during that time. First, the Lord’s Supper has a vertical dimension to it. It has something to do with our relationship with God. Second, the Lord’s Supper has a horizontal dimension to it. It has something to do with our relationship with other believers.

The Lord’s Supper Has a Vertical Dimension

When we look at Luke 22:14, 20, we see that the Lord’s Supper was anticipated (v.15). This was not a spur of the moment addition to the Passover meal that Jesus came up with on the fly. The Lord’s Supper was planned by God and implemented by Jesus at the right moment.

We also see that the Lord’s Supper is only temporary. It points to something else (Luke 22:16 and 18). Revelation 19:7-10 tells us that there will be a day when a reunion takes place between the Lord and His people. This is what the Lord’s Supper is meant to point us to. It is a reminder that a better Supper is coming—a marriage feast. Until that day, we have the Lord’s Supper together in expectation of what is to come.

The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic meal. The bread and the wine/juice point to something else. In Luke 22:19, we are told that the bread represents Jesus’s body and the wine/juice represents His blood. The bread helps us to think of Jesus’s sacrifice for us (“do this in remembrance of me”), and the wine/juice helps us to celebrate and trust in the new covenant that Jesus’s death established (“the new covenant in my blood”).

The Lord’s Supper Has a Horizontal Dimension

In Luke 22:17, we read that Jesus instructed His disciples to share the meal among themselves—with one another. There is an aspect of the Lord’s Supper that is focused on the relationship between those who are celebrating it together. In 1 Cor. 11:26, Paul tells us that every time we share this meal together, we are proclaiming something that is true. To proclaim something is to announce it or spread it’s message. In seminary, the preaching class was called “The Ministry of Proclamation.” The Lord’s Supper is a visual sermon or gospel presentation. Every time we share the Lord’s Supper, we are preaching the gospel to one another! We do so in two ways.

First, we proclaim His death to each other. We look back to what Jesus has done and how it has affected us. We remind one another that Jesus’s death is the foundation of our standing and acceptance before God. This is the very foundation of our faith and our hope. We remind one another that we are in this together. We are trusting in the same things. We are believing and following together. We can count on each other.

Second, we proclaim His coming to one another. Paul says we proclaim His death until He comes. As we see each other eat the bread and drink the wine/juice, we are helping each other and being helped to look ahead. We are reminding each other of this hope that we are moving toward. We are advancing toward holiness and righteousness and the fullness of our salvation—and we are doing so together! We are helping each other to make it. Sharing in the Lord’s Supper meal is a reminder that we are a community of faith following Jesus together!

I wonder if you have ever thought of this horizontal aspect of the Lord’s Supper. Some traditions refer to the Lord’s Supper as “communion.” It is a communion between us and God but also between us and each other. It is one of the ways God uses the church to mold His people into the image of Jesus.

The Lord’s Supper is a blessing to you and your faith as you look backward to Christ’s death and forward to His return, but it is also a way for you to encourage and strengthen the other members of our church as you proclaim these truths to your brothers and sisters. At our church, we have the Lord’s Supper on the first Sunday of each month. Sometimes it is during the morning service, and sometimes it is part of the evening service. You cannot take part in this proclamation encouraging and strengthening the church if you are not present. Would you prioritize being in attendance during these services?