sharon barre Supporter

I have seen comments from other sources that are not Christian that state the Bible teaches cannibalism. Such a notion is ridiculous. Jesus said, "Take eat, this is my body that was broken for you." I believe that portion means that we are to share in Christ's sufferings. "Take, drink, this is my blood that was shed for many for the remission of sins." It is only by the blood of Christ that we are cleansed of our sins. "For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins," 

We are washed in his atoning blood for the remission of our sins. I also believe it is to remind us to not forsake Holy Communion as we have been commanded by Jesus when he ate the last supper with his disciples before his death. He commanded them them to do this in remembrance of him.

September 19 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht Supporter ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church

Great question, Wanda Jenkins! It is symbolic, in my view.

Eating and drinking are metaphors for faith (see John 6:35). Wiersbe says that "drinking symbolizes receiving salvation (John 6:10-14; 6:53, 55; 7:37; Rev. 21:6. Compare Isaiah 12:3 which says, “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”). 

Eating his "flesh and blood" is talking about Christ's work on Calvary. There Christ's flesh was nailed to the cross and his blood was shed to make man's salvation possible. By putting faith in the crucified Christ, we appropriate him and his work of salvation. Do it today before it's too late, I beg you! Ron Rhodes adds this and more in his book, What Did Jesus Mean?

It's not Communion. Consider the tense of the Greek verbs in John 6:50-51, 53. It is the aorist tense, which signifies a once-for-all action. The Communion service is a repeated thing; in fact, it is likely that the early church observed the Lord’s Supper daily (Acts 2:46). Jesus makes the point that faith in Him—to the point of partaking of His role in the world (including His suffering)—is the way to God.”

March 04 2022 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Tim Maas Supporter Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

As a Lutheran, I was raised to believe that Christ's body and blood are received "in, with, and under" the bread and wine, rather through any type of transubstantiation (in which the physical elements would literally BECOME His body and blood). However, at the same time, the elements are also not merely symbolic, since Jesus said, "This IS my body," and "This IS my blood." The sacrament is in a real sense an intimate participation of the believer in a memorial to the salvation gained through faith in Christ. 

Christians are also to take the sacrament repeatedly (even though Jesus experienced bodily death and the shedding of His blood only one time), since He Himself commanded the apostles to do so in remembrance of Him (as noted in 1 Corinthians 11:25-26, and as also reinforced by Paul in that same passage).

August 05 2024 • 4 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report