How is Christ present in the Lord's Supper?
At the Supper Jesus said, 'This is my body' and 'This is my blood,' and the church has always recognized a real presence of Christ at His table, while describing it differently. The historic views range from the bread and wine becoming His body and blood to a spiritual presence received by faith to a memorial of His once-for-all sacrifice. All agree on what matters: Christ is the host and the gift, the Supper is communion with Him, and His sacrifice is not repeated but proclaimed.
This question arose from studying How often should the church celebrate the Lord's Supper? and What is the Lord's Supper?.
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What the Scripture says
The words Jesus spoke
At the table Jesus took bread and said, 'This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me,' and the cup, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.' Matthew records, 'this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins.' These are the anchor words, and every view of the Supper is an attempt to take them seriously.
He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.” Likewise, he took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
When he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me.” In the same way he also took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink, in memory of me.”
As they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it. He gave to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, “All of you drink it, for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins.
For I received from the Lord that which also I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread.
The historic readings of the presence
The church has described Christ's presence in four main ways. The Catholic view holds that the bread and wine become His body and blood (transubstantiation). Luther held Christ is truly present 'in, with, and under' the elements (consubstantiation). The Reformed view holds a spiritual presence received by faith, not in the physical elements. And the memorialist view sees the Supper chiefly as a remembrance of a Christ who is present in His church by His Spirit. Each has honored the text and sought to guard the reality of Christ's presence and the once-for-allness of His sacrifice.
He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.” Likewise, he took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
As they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it. He gave to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, “All of you drink it, for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins.
When he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “Take, eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory of me.”
He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.”
What is beyond dispute: it is a communion with Christ
Whatever the precise mode, Paul is clear about the meaning: 'The cup of blessing which we bless, isn't it a sharing of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, isn't it a sharing of the body of Christ?' The word means participation and fellowship. At the Supper the believer genuinely communes with the crucified and risen Christ, receiving Him by faith. And because 'we, who are many, are one body,' the table is also communion with the whole church, the body of Christ.
The cup of blessing which we bless, isn’t it a sharing of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, isn’t it a sharing of the body of Christ?
Because there is one loaf of bread, we, who are many, are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf of bread.
For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy way eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he doesn’t discern the Lord’s body.
They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.
It is not a re-sacrifice of Christ
The Supper proclaims a sacrifice that is already finished, not one that is repeated. Christ 'did this once for all, when he offered up himself,' and 'he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God.' Paul says that 'as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes': the Supper announces the once-offered sacrifice and brings us into its benefit; it does not reoffer Christ.
who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself.
but he, when he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God;
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
or else he must have suffered often since the foundation of the world. But now once at the end of the ages, he has been revealed to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
A real presence, received by faith, held in humility
The safest and most biblical summary is reverence before a mystery. Paul says those who take the bread 'discern the Lord's body,' which is why he warns against coming carelessly. In the breaking of bread on the Emmaus road, the risen Lord made Himself known to His own; it is the table where the church meets its risen and present Lord. We may describe the mode differently, but we agree that Christ Himself is the host and the gift, that He is truly present to His people by faith, and that we approach His table with love, faith, and a thankful heart.
For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy way eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he doesn’t discern the Lord’s body.
When he had sat down at the table with them, he took the bread and gave thanks. Breaking it, he gave to them. Their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, and he vanished out of their sight.
Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the Lord’s cup in a way unworthy of the Lord will be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread, and drink of the cup.
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
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He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.” Likewise, he took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
The cup of blessing which we bless, isn’t it a sharing of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, isn’t it a sharing of the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf of bread, we, who are many, are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf of bread.
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
who doesn’t need, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices daily, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For he did this once for all, when he offered up himself.
For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy way eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he doesn’t discern the Lord’s body.
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