In Nomine Iesu
Jesus gives us His Body to eat and His blood to drink. That is the focus of our attention and devotion this evening.
We are reminded of that simple yet profound sentence from the Catechism: "It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself for us Christians to eat and to drink."
It is the night of His betrayal, the start of the day we call Good Friday. Soon He would lay down His life for the world - His Body given into death on the cross; His Blood poured out. He celebrates the final Passover with His Twelve, His Israel. He gives them what has never been given or received before in the Passover - the Body and the Blood of the Son of God.
He gives His Body to eat. The body born of Mary. This is why He came in the flesh - to give His body as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This is His body given into death for your sin, given into your death. To eat His body is to live off His death. He is our Passover, the Lamb slain for the freedom and life of the people. Not a bone of His was broken. He is our Passover, going through death to life for us. His body is the body that rose. Death cannot hold Him; it has no mastery over Him, nor over you thanks to Him. His body is the body raised and glorified at the right hand of God, and His glory is yours.
He gives His body as bread. Bread is the food of affliction and death - “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread until you die.” Free fruits and nuts gave way to the sweat and work and death of bread. Manna in the wilderness, bread of heaven to sustain Israel in her time of testing. Jesus refused to turn a stone to bread to feed Himself, yet He multiplied bread to feed the multitudes. He taught His disciples to pray for “daily bread.” He is the Bread of Life, living bread come down from heaven, of which you may eat and live forever. And the bread which He gives for the life of the world is His flesh. “How can this man give us His flesh to eat?” they asked in the Capernaum synagogue in outrage. You know the answer to that question. He takes the bread of the Passover and says, “Take, eat, this is my Body.” This is how He gives His flesh to eat - as bread.
He gives His blood to drink. Drinking blood was strictly forbidden in the Old Testament. The blood was for atonement, sacrifice for sin. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.” To drink His blood is to imbibe of His life, to live as branches joined to the vine, whose life coarses through each fruitful branch. His life flows into our bodies riddled with sin, death, and decay - His crucified, risen, glorified life. The “medicine of immortality,” the ancient fathers called it. His blood is the antidote for sin.
In the OT, blood was poured out and sprinkled. The blood of the Passover lamb was painted on the doorposts of the Israelite houses in Egypt. They walked through blood into freedom. Moses sprinkled sacrificial blood on the people at Sinai - “This is the blood of the covenant with the Lord has made with you today.” The blood was poured on the ark of the covenant on the Day of Atonement, covering the sins of the people. Jesus takes the cup, the third cup of the Passover, the cup of blessing, and He says, “This is my blood of the new covenant which is being poured out for you.” The new covenant spoken of by Jeremiah in which God forgives and forgets sin. “I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” This is the blood that atones for sin; this is His Yom Kippur, His Day of Atonement. The sins of the world restson Him, and His blood atones for them all.
He gives His blood as wine. Wine that gladdens the hearts of men. It is a foretaste of that great feast to come when God pours out the best wines and gives the finest of meats, where the shroud of death is lifted and the nations rejoice. Wine. The fruit of the vine turned to joy. Jesus made 180 gallons of wine out of ceremonial washing water. Joy overflowing and in abundance. It was said that a single cluster of grapes would yield a thousand hin of wine in the age of messiah. “He gives His sacred blood for wine.” God has surely saved the best vintage until last, and you at His table, are privileged to drink it.
Jesus gives His body to eat, His blood to drink. Food and drink like no other in this world. Your reason and senses will not bring you to the table, nor will they discern the meal. It calls for faith in the words of Him who died and rose. “This is my body given for you. This is my blood shed for you.” He’s talking to you, personally. He wants to deal with you, personally. He wants for you to feed off His death and drink of His life and live forever in Him. He’s set this table for you, in the presence of your enemies - sin, death, the devil, the unbelieving world, the Law.
Come, sinners, poor and needy, hungry and thirsty.
Come, eat and drink, be refreshed and live.
Lachayim! To life!
In the name of Jesus,
Amen.