The Body and Blood of Christ?

Question

Where in the bible does it say that you must drink the Body and Blood of Christ? Did Jesus give authority to priests to carry out the ritual of the last supper to turn the blood into his body and the wine into his blood?

last sentance, you know what I mean. I really messed that up, lol.

SueBee don't tell me what to do, this is what this site is for. I am Catholic and very time I go to church I hear the last supper, ok. I am just trying to find out if Jesus told us all to eat his body and blood and I Jesus is saying that it is actually his blood and body when we consume it.

I don't have time to read it. I don't even have one in my dorm room.

Answer 1

Chapter 6 of John presents Jesus' teaching. He explains that he is the bread of life, and that we are to eat his body and drink his blood in a new sacrament. He reiterated this teaching numerous times when people demonstrated their incredulity, and many disciples, like some of the answerers here, deserted him.

His meaning became clearer when he gave his disciples bread and wine, saying, "This is my body," and "This is my blood." The oldest account is in 1 Cor 11, written even before the gospels.

Paul warns us that eating the body and drinking the blood of Christ must be taken seriously:

"Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep."

If the Eucharist were just a symbol, or only a remembrance, why would there be sin in taking the sacrament carelessly, with the consequence of sickness or death?

Cheers,
Bruce

Answer 2

The Christian tradition holds and the Catholic faith will always uphold that the first Eucharist was the Last Supper. At that moment Christ changed the bread that they ate and the wine that they drank into his body and blood respectively. It is fitting that it is named eucharist which means thanksgiving (Greek) for it was a sacrifice; Christ's perfect sacrifice for all of us. The institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper can be found in Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, Luke 22:19-20 and 1 Corinthians. 11:23-26. You don't really think that wafer is Jesus do you? It depends on when you are speaking of that wafer. Before it is consecrated it is just a wafer, but after the priest re-enacts the Last Supper then it is truly the body and blood of Jesus Christ. This is also known as the Real Presence. The Church has maintained since the time of the apostles that the bread that is broken and the wine that is poured becomes the actual body and blood, not that Jesus is present with the bread and the wine, nor that they are merely a symbol. In the Eucharist Christ is truly, wholly, and substantially present. The two clearest expressions of the real Presence in Scripture is in 1 Corinthians 10:14-17 and John 6:22-69. It IS the Body and Blood. Jesus said "This is my body", "this is my blood". He didn't say "this is a symbol". The words that Jesus used when he said we must eat, was very specific and meant to chew, tear, and rip the flesh. Catholics believe the miracle of the Eucharist is that it has the taste, smell, and shape of the wafer but that during the mass, the substance actually becomes Christ's glorified body which can only been seen through the eyes of Faith. When Catholics say that the bread becomes the body of Christ, they are talking about the glorified body of Christ. Immediately after Jesus said "whoever eats me will live because of me" (Jn 6:58) He says "what if you saw the Son of Man ascending to where he was before?" (Jn 6:62) Catholics feel he is explaining that his body will be changed into a glorified body (such as is described in 1 Cor 15:40) his body became glorified at the ascension. This passage of John foreshadows the ascension. And this is how Jesus clarified himself and made the distinction between his mortal body (Cannibalistic concept) and his Glorified body (Eucharistic concept). The glorified body of Christ was the revelation of his true nature as the Incarnate God. That is what we receive.

Answer 3

Holy Communion (Holy Eucharist): Biblical references: Jn 6:35-71; Mt 26:26ff; 1 Cor 10:16; 1 Cor 11:23-29; Ex 12:8,46;
Jn 1:29; 1 Cor 5:7; Jn 4:31-34; Matt 16:5-12; 1 Cor 2:14-3:4; Ps 27:2; Is 9:18-20;
Is 49:26; Mic 3:3; 2 Sam 23:15-17; Rev 17:6,16

Answer 4

Yes, he did.

First of all in John 6 he says many times, you must eat my body and drink my blood to have life within you. http://www.scripturecatholic.com/the_eucharist.html

He gave the authority to his Apostles when he told them, on you, Peter, I build my Church. He gave Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and he gave the Apostles the authority to loose and bind. Whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven and what you bind on earth will be bound in heaven. Now all these references, to keys, to loosing and binding, and the building of his Church, have roots in the Old Testament. Jesus was quoting from the scripture...so it's important that you understand the context in which these things were meant. The Apostles understood because they were Jewish and knew the traditons and scripture. Jesus was making them his priests.

Then at the Last Supper, he showed them how to celebrate his sacrifice. He gave them instruction and instituted the Eucharist. They had been present when he told his followers to eat his body and drink his blood. The Apostles didn't understand how they were to do that at the time, but they stayed with him because they knew he had the "words of eternal life." Then, at the Last Supper he showed them how they were to accomplish his command to eat his flesh and drink his blood.

This sounds kind of odd to us and it did to them. But the Jews knew about sacrifice. When they made a sacrifice for their sins, they took the best lamb of their flock and slaughtered it. Part of the ritual was to eat the flesh of the sacrifice. So...again...understanding the Old Testament helps us to understand the words and expectations of Christ.

http://www.catholic.com/library/Christ_in_the_Eucharist.asp
http://www.catholic.com/library/Real_Presence.asp

There is a lot to it. It's really amazing and if you understand the whole miracle of the Eucharist, you will be in absolute awe.

Answer 5

The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lords death until he comes. 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Answer 6

Actually there is a passage...crap I can't remember it. Hang on let me see if I can find it.
AHA! My grandmother would be so darn proud
1 Corinthians 11:24-26
24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes

NIV


edit: How on earth is this a TD? Good goddess I can't make ya'll happy...

Answer 7

It's in Matthew 26:17-30, at the Last Supper.

"He blessed the bread and broke it. Then he gave it to them. He said," Take, eat, this is my body." He gave thanks for the drink in the cup. He said, "This is my blood which is shed for you."

Answer 8

You obviously need to read the Bible BEFORE you ask these types of questions. Yes, Jesus gave them the authority. Read the Last Supper. I'll bet you answer your own question.

Answer 9

Jesus said, "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." (John 6:53)

Answer 10

No, the catholic church assumed the position with no biblical basis. The way in which it is performed is a perverted form of the simple, and non ritualistic gathering of believers to take a moment and remember the Lord's death. It does not turn into bood at all or his flesh at all. That is a false teaching among many that the catholic church teaches.