Devotional #76

Question 76. What does it mean to eat the crucified body of Christ and to drink His poured out blood?

Answer: It is not only to embrace with believing heart all the sufferings and death of Christ and thereby to obtain the pardon of sin, and life eternal (a); but also, besides that, to become more and more united to His sacred body, (b), by the Holy Spirit, who dwells both in Christ and in us; so that we, though Christ is in heaven (c) and we on earth, are notwithstanding “flesh of His flesh and bone of his bone (d)” and that we live, and are governed forever by one spirit, (e) as members of the same body are by one soul.

(a) John 6:35: Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

John 6:40: For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
John 6:47-54: Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”  The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.

(b) John 6:55-56: For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.

(c) Colossians 3:1: If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
1 Corinthians 11:26: For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

(d) Ephesians 3:16: that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being.
Ephesians 5:29-30: For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.
Ephesians 5:32: This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
1 Corinthians 6:15: Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!
1 Corinthians 6:17: But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.
1 Corinthians 6:19: Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.
1 John 3:24: Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
1 John 4:13: By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
John 14:23: Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

(e) John 6:56-58: Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”
John 15:1-6: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.
Ephesians 4:15-16: Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

For your personal reflection:
There is no salvation, no “spiritual” life available to anyone outside of union with Christ.  As we receive the sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ we profess our faith in His life and His work.  By sharing Table fellowship we recognize His creation, of which we are a part, of a new people.
What fills your mind as you receive Communion?  The clock?  What’s for lunch?
What is taking place at Communion?