What is the Sacrament of the Altar?

 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: “Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.”

In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: “Drink of it, all of you; this cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

Like the Sacrament of Baptism, the greatest importance, according to Martin Luther, of the Sacrament of the Altar is God’s Word and command. Luther wrote in his Large Catechism: “It [the Sacrament of the Altar] was not dreamed up or invented by some mere human being but was instituted by Christ without anyone’s counsel or deliberation.”

Last month, I discussed the importance of the Creed – the statements of what we believe and confess as Christians. This month, we will look at what Martin Luther says about the Sacrament of the Altar, otherwise known as the Lord’s Supper or the Eucharist, from his Large Catechism.

So, what is the Sacrament of the Altar? Luther writes, “It is the true Body and Blood of the Lord Christ, in and under the bread and wine, which we Christians are commanded by Christ’s Word to eat and drink. And just as we said of Baptism that it is not mere water, so we say here, too, that the Sacrament is bread and wine, but not mere bread and wine such as served at the table. Rather, it is bread and wine set within God’s Word and bound to it. It is the Word, I say, that makes this a Sacrament and distinguishes it from ordinary bread and wine, so that it is called and truly Christ’s Body and Blood.”

How can bread and wine be Christ’s Body and Blood? “Christ’s lips speak and say, so it is; He cannot lie or deceive.”

What is the power and benefit to the Lord’s Supper? “We go to the Sacrament because there we receive a great treasure, through and in which we obtain the forgiveness of sins. … This is the very gift He has provided for me against my sins, death, and all evils. Therefore, it is appropriately called food for the soul, for it nourishes and strengthens the new creature. For in the first instance, we are born anew through Baptism. However, our human flesh and blood, as I have said, have not lost their old skin. There are so many hindrances and attacks of the devil and the world that we often grow weary and faint and at times even stumble. Therefore, the Lord’s Supper is given as a daily food and sustenance so that our faith may be refreshed and strengthened and that it may not succumb in the struggle but become stronger and stronger. For the new life should be one that continually develops and progresses. … So, when our heart feels too sorely pressed, this comfort of the Lord’s Supper is given to bring us new strength and refreshment.”

How can a Christian receive this Sacrament worthily? “Fasting, prayer, and the like may have their place as an external preparation so that one’s body may behave properly and reverently toward the Body and Blood of Christ. Christians should prepare themselves to receive this blessed Sacrament frequently. True Christians who cherish and honor the Sacrament should of their own accord urge and constrain themselves to go. For we know and feel how the devil always sets himself against this and every other Christian activity, hounding and driving people from it as much as they can.”

“However, those who are impudent and unruly ought to be told to stay away, for they are not ready to receive the forgiveness of sins because they do not desire it and do not want to be righteous. But those who earnestly desire grace and comfort should compel themselves to go and allow no one to deter them, saying, ‘I would really like to be worthy, but I come not on account of any worthiness of mine, but on account of your Word, because you have commanded it and I want to be your disciple, regardless of my worthiness.’

“The only ones who are unworthy are those who no not feel their burdens nor admit to being sinners.”

What is confessed in this Sacrament? “Let all heads of a household remember that it is their duty, by God’s injunction and command, to teach their children or have them taught the things they ought to know. Because they have been Baptized and received into the people of Christ, they should also enjoy this fellowship of the Sacrament so that they may serve us and be useful. For they must all help us to believe, to love, to pray, and to fight against the devil.”

In the Lord’s Supper, we confess that we, by faith, are receiving the true Body and Blood of Christ in and under the bread and the wine for the forgiveness of our sins, which begets eternal life, salvation, and strength for our weak faith. We also confess that this Supper is a testimony to our unity of faith and doctrine. God’s Law in the Ten Commandments teaches us what we ought to do. God’s Gospel teaches us what God has already done for us. Through God’s Law and Gospel, we come to the Lord’s Table knowing that we are sinners in need of restoration. This is what we receive in the Lord’s Supper. By faith in Jesus, we receive the medicine of immortality through His very Body and Blood. By faith in Christ alone, we are given eternal life!

In Christ,

Pastor Adelsen