Submitted by Sean Russell
A meme on the Internet triggered me into writing this article. A Reformed guy posted a meme which had such bad theology that it was blasphemous. The kicker? The meme was specifically mocking the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, a position I and other confessional Lutherans reject. Yet the meme did so in a way that corralled together into one pen all of the denominations which hold to the church’s historic teaching that “Is means is” and labeled all of us as cannibals, and direct causes of their need to vomit. In essence, the argument was that eating the flesh of Christ is gross. Obviously, I disagree. I am refreshed by the salutary gift of Christ’s body and blood every Sunday morning.
Clearly the Visual Eating of Christ’s Flesh and Blood Is Not Gross to Christ
We all know the passage I’m about to quote. John 6:52-57:
Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
Let’s pretend for a moment that this is just an analogy and not literal. Does Jesus teach this “analogy” as if the visual of eating His flesh and drinking His blood is gross? By no means. In fact, He says that this meal gives life.
Life in the Gospel of John
Life is not an insignificant aspect of the Gospel of John. The three synoptic gospels combined use the Greek word ζωή a total of 16 times. John, coming in at over twice that number, uses it 36 times. More than a quarter of those (11) are right here in chapter 6. Contrast this with John’s (and the other gospel writers) use of ψυχή. Pull up your favorite interlinear source and compare what type of life ζωή is with ψυχή. These are clearly not talking about the same thing, even though in English we use the same word, life.
Notable Uses of ζωή
“Eternal life” (John 3:16) and sixteen others in just this gospel alone. “You have no life in yourselves.” – Jesus talking to living people in John 6:53. “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10).
Notable Uses of ψυχή
“I lay down my life for the sheep” — three times in John 10. Notice the two words contrasted in this chapter. “I will lay down my life for you” (John 13:37). “…lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
A Beautiful Way of Giving a Beautiful Gift
So which Greek word is Jesus using when He says, “As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me”? You probably guessed it. It’s ζωή (versions of it) all three times. Life is the greatest and central gift which Christ gives to us. It is the gift which all other gifts are built upon. In fact, life is the most beautiful gift which can exist. Surely, a far cry from “gross.” The gift is good, and true, and beautiful; but how does Christ Himself say that this gift is received? By eating His flesh and drinking His blood. His flesh is true meat indeed, and His blood is true drink indeed. So, my Reformed brothers, don’t call this gross. Even if you believe this is a simple analogy, Jesus certainly did not find it to be a gross “analogy.”
An Addendum for my Lutheran Brothers
We know that eating the flesh of Christ and drinking His blood is true. We can rest assured that Christ does not lie when He gives us His promises, especially His last will and testament before suffering death. We know that both in John 6 and the words of institution, Christ calls true bread and wine His own flesh and blood. Rest assured that Christ is not being tricky. He is truly and bodily present. We also know that the flesh and blood of Christ are truly given for the forgiveness of sins and for eternal life, because Christ says so in both the words of institution and in John 6. Do not forsake this salutary gift, for unless you eat the flesh of Christ and drink His blood, you have no ζωή in you.