The Lutheran's Confession
Helping Lutheran's Reclaim Their Witness
As Lutherans we are concerned that many of our brothers and sisters seem to believe that Jesus is stuck in heaven and that it is up to us, by means of our own devotion and emotional fervor, to find a way to meet him.
There is no better evidence of this disturbing trend than in the common misunderstanding of the purpose and substance of the Lord's Supper among many of our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Ask your friends in the faith, “In the Holy Supper are the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ truly and essentially present, distributed with the bread and wine, and received by the mouth by all those who avail themselves of the sacrament—whether they are worthy or unworthy, godly or ungodly, believers or unbelievers—to bring believers comfort and life and to bring judgment upon unbelievers?”
The vast majority of Christians in America will say, “No.” They believe:
“That the bread and wine are only representations, similes, and symbols of the far-distant body and blood of Christ.”
“That the bread and wine are no more than a reminder, a seal, or a guarantee, through which we are assured that when faith soars into heaven, it will participate there in the body and blood of Christ as truly as we eat and drink bread and wine in the Supper.”
“That not the almighty words of the testament of Christ, but rather faith, effects and creates the presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Holy Supper.”
“That believers should not look for the body and blood of Christ in the bread and wine of the Holy Supper but instead lift their eyes from the bread to heaven and look there for the body of Christ.”
Jesus does not tarry in heaven, waiting for us to find (or feel) our way to Him. He does not wait to find faith before he will visit. He is not one who seeks to be sought after. He is the Good Shepherd who seeks and finds the lost. He has come and He has told us where we can find him and all of the gifts he suffered, died, and rose to give to us.
“We believe, teach and confess that the words of the testament of Christ are not to be understood in any other way than the way they literally sound, that is, not that the bread symbolizes the absent body and the wine the absent blood of Christ, but that they are truly the true body and blood of Christ because of the sacramental union.”
All quotes come from the Formula of Concord, Article VII: Holy Supper
