Jesus–Attributes – What Does This Mean?

The Lord’s Supper is Christ’s Supper

Encore Post: The Lord’ Supper is really very simple. At his last Passover meal, Jesus took bread, broke it, gave it to his disciples and said, “This is my body” and took a cup of wine and said “This is my blood.” When we eat this bread, we also eat his body and when we drink this wine, we drink his blood. From the day the Lord instituted this sacrament until the Reformation, all Christians believed these words do what they say. They also realized this was a mystery that human reason cannot possibly begin to understand.

Because we cannot understand how this can be true, the Reformed and Evangelical traditions believe that Jesus did not mean these words literally, but that the sacrament is a meaningful symbol that reminds us of the death of Jesus on the cross for the forgiveness of sins. They argue that a human body can only be in one place at a time. Since Jesus is now in Heaven, the literal body and blood of Jesus cannot be in the elements of Holy Communion. This way of interpreting the words of Jesus, however, relies not on Holy Scripture, but on our capability of making sense of them.

The problem with this approach is it causes all kinds of other difficulties. Human wisdom is limited because we are creatures and God is our creator and because we are sinful and God is holy. We can never know for sure that we are right when we depend upon our reason. So, Lutherans are content to use our reason to understand what God’s word says and then believe it, even when we cannot put it all together. We let the Bible be the master of our minds and not our minds the master of the Bible. (theologians call these approaches the ministerial and magisterial uses of reason) When we start to alter the meaning of Scripture based on reason, we end up with all kinds of unintended problems. For example, if Christ’s resurrected body can be in only one place at a time, Heaven, then how can he be as he promised “with us always until the end of time.” (my paraphrase of Matthew 28:20)

Since all of the passages which report the institution of the Lord’s Supper are simple reports of the historical events and none of them have poetry, teaching or preaching in them, we take them at face value. They mean exactly what they say. When Jesus says “this is my body” and “this is my blood,” we believe that is exactly what the Lord’s Supper is: Bread together with the body of Christ and Wine together with the blood of Christ. We wonder at the mystery of it all and thank God for the gift of his own flesh and blood to us, uniting us to him now and forever.

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Concordia Theological Seminary

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Blog Post Series

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The Right Hand of God

Encore Post: In ancient palaces, a ruler exercised power in a very formal way. He would enter the throne room, with a herald going before him. All would bow to him and yet watch his every move, every gesture and listen carefully to every word. His crown identified him as ruler. The session began when he sat down on his throne. In fact, the word “session” literally means “the time of sitting.” those who stood near him were very powerful people. Only those of equal power would sit in his presence — especially at his right hand. So, the right hand of the ruler became a figure of speech that stands for his authority, glory and honor.

When we say that Jesus “ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty,” we confess that he is equal to the Father and is also almighty. (Matthew 28:18) this truth is precious to us for many reasons.

When Satan, the world and our sinful nature try to rule over us, we can tell them to get lost. They do not rule us — Jesus does. When we baptize and teach others God’s Word, it is not our talents, reputation, ability to impress others with our words that matter. The authority to do so comes from Jesus and power that changes hearts come from him and the Holy Spirit. When we feel lonely, we are not alone, because he is with us always, until the end of time itself.

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Concordia Theological Seminary

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Blog Post Series

Jesus Does What God Does

Encore Post: The New Testament calls Jesus God in many ways. It uses the name “God” and “Lord” and applies titles the Old Testament uses for God to Jesus. (see The Bible Calls Jesus God) Jesus also has qualities that belong to God alone and demonstrated them. (John 3:2) There was little doubt on the part of either his disciples (Matthew 14:33) or his opponents that he claimed to be God. (John 10:33)

According to the Scripture, Jesus is almighty or omnipotent. (Matthew 28:18, John 3:35, Revelation 5:12) He controls the weather. (Matthew 8:23-27) He heals the sick and raises the dead. (John 11:38-44) He created everything. (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16) Jesus is present everywhere his people are. (Matthew 18:20, Matthew 28:20, John 14:23) He is with us forever and never changes. (Matthew 28:20, John 8:56-59, Hebrew 1:12 Hebrews 13:8, John 17:5) Jesus allows people to worship him. (Matthew 28:9, John 9:35) Jesus forgives sins by his own authority. (Mark 2:5-11)

Because of this witness of the Scriptures, the church believed and confessed from the very beginning that Jesus is both God and Lord. They also continued to believe what the scripture told them about the nature of God — that only one God exists. Concluding that human reason would never understand how this could be so, they trusted God and his word instead. They continued to confess the mystery in the face of one heresy or another that changed doctrine in order to make sense of God’s nature.