Sermon Transcript
Reader's Version
Breaking BreadSermon by Gene SimcoReader’s Transcript
In the last chapter, we discussed the fellowship aspect of the church, which included breaking bread together. We explored what we do in our church, including fellowship and the interpersonal connections involved. This week, we’ll focus on that third aspect: sharing meals or breaking bread with one another.
Now, when I think about breaking bread, my mind goes straight to pizza. So, let’s talk about pizza – starting with a brief history. The story goes that in 1889, King Umberto I and Queen Margherita of Savoy visited Naples, Italy. A pizza maker named Raffaele Esposito baked a pizza in honor of the Queen, using ingredients that represented the colors of the Italian flag: red for the tomatoes, white for the mozzarella, and green for the basil leaves. This was the birth of what we now know as a “Margherita Pizza” – or Neapolitan Pizza. Since then, pizza has made its way all over the world and has evolved into many different styles – here in the United States, we have New York Pizza, Chicago Pizza, Detroit Pizza, just to name a few.
I was born and raised in New York but moved to a different Naples in Florida a little over a decade ago. The problem in Naples Florida, though, is that the pizza standards, well, let's just say they aren’t exactly high. So, I embarked on a quest to learn how to make my own pizza. Making pizza for myself was one thing but making it for others came with another set of pizza problems. You see, here in Naples Florida, it seems that everyone is from somewhere else – and everyone has a different idea about what pizza should be. Indeed, there are many “Pizza Denominations” here and everyone is looking for their pizza back home. As we’ve seen, every denomination seems to have their bad teachings – some might call them heresies. For example, one common heresy espoused by some might be the teaching that it’s the toppings that make a good pizza. But this theology doesn’t hold much water. You see, if we were to take a bunch of meat and put it on a pizza plate, a person in their right mind wouldn’t call that pizza – it’s just a plate of meat without the dough. And I don’t mean to pick on any group in particular – coming from a New York Pizza denomination (upstate chapter), I also espoused certain pizza heresies. You might have heard – or even said that it’s the water that makes the pizza great. This is a completely false pizza teaching. While the water in New York piped into the city by the Catskill pipeline may contribute some rust or radiation to the water – it has little to do with the actual quality, shape or texture of the dough.
The dough is arguably the most important part of any pizza. It defines the style of the pizza itself. You have thin crust, flatbread (which isn’t really pizza), Detroit-style, which is thicker and similar to a Sicilian pie for a New Yorker, and then Chicago deep-dish pizza. But no matter the style, the dough is the foundation, the base.
One key aspect of making pizza dough is hydration, and this brings us back to the “water heresy.” While water quality—like pH levels—can slightly affect the flavor or structure, it doesn’t make a huge difference. I’ve tried different pH levels and types of water, and as long as you use clean, filtered water, you’ll be fine.
In Italy, there are strict standards for dough hydration. According to the AVPN (Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana), the hydration should be between 55-62%, although some artisan pizza makers go as high as 70%. Here in Florida, I use a slightly lower hydration percentage in order to accommodate for the humidity.
The process of making Neapolitan pizza dough can be complex. New York and Detroit styles are easier to master, but Neapolitan standards require longer proofing times. Personally, I make my dough with four simple ingredients: high-quality flour, sea salt (I prefer Himalayan sea salt), water, and yeast.
Once your dough is mixed and properly kneaded to create a good gluten network, you let it proof. You can leave it out for up to two days before the yeast starts eating too much of the dough. I leave mine out for about a day, then it goes through a cold-proofing process for three days. At the end of those three days, you have a dough that has risen—like Jesus!
This dough, regardless of the style of pizza you’re making, is the base. Once the dough is ready, it’s baked in the oven. For Neapolitan pizza, the oven temperature should be around 900 degrees, which requires a specialty oven. At home, it’s hard to replicate this result, especially the “oven spring”—that bounce you get in the dough. So, I invested in a pizza oven to achieve the proper effect.
If you’ve done everything right, when you cut into the pizza (preferably with scissors – the Italian way) and look inside the outer rim, you’ll see what’s called a cornicione (pronounced cor-nee-cho-ne), which means “molding” in Italian. It creates a honeycomb effect in the dough, which is a sign that it’s been made correctly.
Now, onto toppings. While some people like to pile on as many toppings as possible, I prefer quality over quantity. I’ve experimented with everything from high-quality deli meats to filet mignon. For a typical pizza, though, it’s best to use fresh, high-quality ingredients. Neapolitan pizza uses San Marzano tomatoes, grown in volcanic soil. But you can also find great tomatoes in regions like California, where the climate and soil are ideal – similar to wine. With good tomatoes, you don’t need many spices—just a little sea salt, maybe some basil, and a drizzle of olive oil.
As for cheese, buffalo mozzarella is the preferred choice, but a good-quality dry mozzarella will work fine. You can also add a bit of Parmesan or Romano cheese. And don’t forget the fresh basil. I recently started growing my own basil, and it makes a big difference when it comes to freshness.
Now, I say all this to emphasize that I’m passionate about pizza. And, if you’d like to fellowship with us at the church café, I hope this entices you to join us in that fellowship. Let’s break bread together—perhaps even pizza!
We've been asking the question, "Are we doing Christianity wrong?" As part of that, we’ve been looking at the early church in Acts. We’ve already talked about the four key points of the Acts church: the Word, fellowship, the breaking of bread (or pizza, as I like to say), and prayer. Today, we’ll dive deeper into those points, especially focusing on the breaking of bread, or more specifically, the Lord's Supper.
Acts 2:42 tells us, "All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals, including the Lord’s Supper, and to prayer." Now, notice I didn’t add pizza into that Scripture because, well, it’s not in the original Greek! But we’re looking at that fellowship aspect again, and how it extends to the breaking of bread. Today, we are focusing on the Lord’s Supper.
Some translations refer to this as the Lord’s Supper, which Jesus instituted towards the end of the Gospels. This happens during what we call Passion Week, which is the lead-up to His crucifixion. The Lord’s Supper takes place during the Passover festival, a significant time in Jewish festival. Though Jesus had already predicted His death earlier in the Gospels, this is the moment when He begins to fulfill what He had foretold.
This event occurs between the initiation of the Passover meal, His time of agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, and His subsequent arrest. Before all of that, we see the religious leaders plotting against Jesus, Judas agreeing to betray Him, and Jesus preparing to share this important meal with His disciples.
If we follow the chronological order of the Gospels, particularly Mark’s account, we see that Jesus sends two disciples ahead to prepare the Passover meal. It’s the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which commemorates the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. During this festival, no bread with yeast is to be eaten—think of it as "horrible pizza," or flatbread. In John’s Gospel, chapter 13, we read about Jesus washing His disciples' feet before the meal, demonstrating profound humility.
There’s some debate about whether Judas was still present when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, but from what I can gather, Judas was indeed there. This act of humility, even knowing that Judas would betray Him, shows the depth of Jesus’ love, forgiveness and grace. In Matthew 26, just before the Lord’s Supper, Jesus predicts this betrayal, saying, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray Me." The disciples, understandably distressed, begin to ask, "Am I the one, Lord?"
Jesus replies, "One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me. For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays Him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born." Judas then asks, "Rabbi, am I the one?" And Jesus says, "You have said it."
This leads us to the initiation of what we call the Lord’s Supper.
Matthew 26:26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. 29 Mark my words—I will not drink wine [birth of the vine] again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.” 30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
If you're new to reading this passage, it can be a bit confusing, especially when it comes to the references to Jesus' body and blood. So let’s clear up some confusion about the "Body" and "Blood" of Christ in this context.
Regarding the wine, I want to point out something important. While some versions use the word "wine," what Jesus literally says here is "birth or produce of the vine"—not specifically wine. The Greek word for wine, οἶνος (oinos), is notably absent here, though it is present in other passages, such as John 2, where Jesus turns water into wine at the wedding in Cana. In this passage of the Lord’s Supper, however, the Greek word used is γεννήματος τῆς ἀμπέλου (genimatos tes ampelou), which means "birth/produce of the vine."
This detail is significant because certain denominations insist that wine must be used during Communion. But the text simply says "fruit of the vine," which could include grape juice or other forms of the vine’s produce. This provides some flexibility in how the Lord's Supper is observed across different traditions.
Next, we’ll take a look at Luke’s Gospel account, which gives us a few more details about this important event.
Luke 22:14 When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. 15 Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. 16 For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.” 17 Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I will not drink wine [birth of the vine] again until the Kingdom of God has come.” 19 He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.
In Luke’s account of the Lord’s Supper, we see a slightly different order of events, but that’s not a problem. The exact chronological order of the details isn’t the focus here. What’s significant is that Jesus presents the cup again, and He reiterates the establishment of the New Covenant. We’ve talked about this New Covenant before—it’s the transition from being under the Law of Moses to being under the grace of God through Christ. We see this New Covenant mentioned in places like 2 Corinthians and Hebrews. In Hebrews, it quotes Jeremiah 31, where God promises a New Covenant. Hebrews 8 emphasizes that we are now under this New Covenant – the Old is “obsolete”.
Before we dive into the Passover meal Jesus was celebrating with His disciples, it’s important to understand the context of the Old Covenant, which the Passover was a significant part of. The Passover, like the 10 Commandments, is rooted in the Exodus account, which many of you may be familiar with. In the story of the Exodus, after a series of plagues that God sent upon Egypt, the final plague was the death of the firstborn sons. This event sets the stage for the institution of the Passover.
The Passover was a meal that the Israelites were commanded to observe in remembrance of what God did for them—redeeming them from slavery in Egypt. The meal had specific instructions: they were to prepare a lamb, cook it with bitter herbs, and eat all of it. They were to eat it with their sandals on and their staff in hand, symbolizing the need to be ready to leave Egypt in haste. This meal marked the moment when God would deliver them from bondage. The blood of the lamb was a key part of this event—they were to take the blood of the lamb and spread it over the doorposts of their homes using a hyssop branch. This blood would be a sign for the angel of death to pass over their houses, sparing the firstborn sons of the Israelites.
Interestingly, we see a connection between the hyssop branch used in the Passover and Jesus’ crucifixion. During His crucifixion, Jesus was offered sour wine on a hyssop branch (John 19:29), echoing the Passover lamb's blood applied with hyssop. Just as the Israelites were covered by the blood of the lamb to escape death, we, as Christians, are covered by the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God, for the forgiveness of our sins.
This concept of being "covered by the blood of the Lamb" is one of those phrases we often hear in Christian circles. But its roots are deeply tied to the Passover and what Jesus fulfilled in His death. As the lamb's blood protected the Israelites from death, Jesus' sacrifice protects us from eternal death and separation from God. He is the fulfillment of the Passover lamb, and His blood establishes the New Covenant for us. The symbolism is rich here: God gave His Son, the ultimate firstborn, as a sacrifice, fulfilling what was foreshadowed by the death of Egypt's firstborn sons.
So, when we participate in the Lord’s Supper today, we are not just commemorating an ancient meal. We are remembering how Jesus became the true Passover Lamb for us, shedding His blood to bring us into a new relationship with God. It’s a powerful reminder of the sacrifice that was made, and how Jesus' death brings us life.
If we read beyond the Gospels – we see Jesus mentioned as the “Passover Lamb” in 1 Corinthians within the surrounding context of a man in sin – sleeping with his stepmother.
1 Corinthians 5:7 Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. 8 So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread [yeast/leven] of sincerity and truth.
Yes, in 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses the church about a serious issue of sin among them. In chapter 5, verse 7, he says, “Get rid of the old yeast by removing this wicked person from among you,” using the imagery of yeast to describe sin's corrupting influence. He is urging the church to remove sin, just as the Israelites had to remove all yeast from their homes during Passover. This metaphor of yeast—something small that spreads and affects everything—reminds us that unchecked sin can corrupt the entire community, much like how "one bad apple spoils the bunch."
Paul also connects this imagery to Christ, who is the new Passover Lamb. As he writes, “Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). So, in this sense, when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we are celebrating the fulfillment of Passover, recognizing that Jesus’ sacrifice covers us, just as the Passover lamb's blood did for the Israelites.
Now, there are different beliefs about how the Lord’s Supper should be celebrated, and one of the major points of disagreement is whether the bread and wine literally become the Body and Blood of Jesus. This is known as the doctrine of transubstantiation, a belief held by some Christian denominations, including the Roman Catholic Church. However, this idea has been a source of confusion and even controversy from the earliest days of the church.
In fact, in the early centuries, Christians were sometimes accused of being part of a strange, cannibalistic cult because of the language used around the Lord’s Supper. Outsiders, not understanding the symbolic nature of the meal, misunderstood phrases like “eating the body” and “drinking the blood” of Christ and took them literally.
The confusion can partly be traced to Jesus’ words in John 6. This is where things often get misunderstood. In John 6, after performing the miracles of feeding the 5,000, and walking of water, Jesus begins teaching about the “bread of life.” He says in verses 53-56:
“...unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.”
This language is startling, and many of those listening were confused, even offended. Some turned away, unable to accept what He was saying. But was Jesus speaking literally here? Let’s look at the context.
The people following Jesus at this time were mainly interested in the miracles He performed, like the feeding of the 5,000. They were drawn to Him because He provided food and performed signs. But Jesus wanted them to understand that He wasn’t just a miracle worker—He was offering something far greater: eternal life. When He says, “eat my flesh” and “drink my blood,” He is using strong metaphorical language to emphasize the need for total dependence on Him for spiritual life.
Later in the chapter, Jesus clarifies that He is speaking spiritually, not literally. He says in verse 63, “The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”
So, we see that Jesus was not advocating for a literal consumption of His body and blood. Instead, He was teaching that just as we need physical food and drink to survive, we need Him—His sacrifice, His life, and His Spirit—to have spiritual life. This is what the Lord’s Supper represents: our deep, spiritual communion with Christ through His sacrifice on the cross.
The misunderstanding of this passage led to some strange accusations against early Christians, but it also created theological debates about the nature of the Lord’s Supper that continue to this day. For some, the bread and wine are symbols of Christ’s body and blood. For others, they believe a literal transformation takes place. But what we should focus on is what Jesus was pointing to: our need for Him, the Bread of Life, for eternal life. This is how Jesus responds to the people following Him for the miracles:
John 6:26 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. 27 But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.” 28 They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?” 29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”
Yes, this is a crucial point. Within this point, some teachings, often referred to as "greasy grace," can distort the true message of grace by suggesting that once we believe, nothing else is required of us. It's true that salvation is by grace alone, as Ephesians 2:8-9 says: "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."
However, this does not mean that grace gives us a free pass to do nothing. The very next verse, Ephesians 2:10, emphasizes that we are created in Christ to do good works: "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."
What happens with "greasy grace" is that some take this gift of grace and interpret it as a license to avoid responsibility or action. They might latch onto verses like John 6:29, where Jesus says, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” But they miss the context of what Jesus is actually addressing.
In John 6, the crowd was following Jesus not because they truly believed in Him as the Son of God, but because He had performed miracles—especially the feeding of the 5,000. Their focus was on getting more physical bread, not on the spiritual truth Jesus was offering. When Jesus said, “The only work God wants from you is to believe,” He was addressing their desire for signs and wonders rather than genuine faith. The "work" He’s referring to isn’t about moral deeds but the shift from relying on external signs to putting full faith in Him.
This does not negate the call to live out our faith. As James 2:17 tells us, "Faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless." Our works do not save us, but they are the fruit of true faith in Christ – evidence of our salvation. A transformed heart leads to a transformed life.
The misuse of John 6:29 is a prime example of taking Scripture out of context, twisting it to justify a belief system that disregards the broader teachings of the Bible. Jesus was calling the people to stop focusing on miraculous signs and start trusting in Him fully as the source of eternal life. It's not about avoiding action, but about reorienting our belief and works in light of Christ's grace. True faith will always manifest itself in obedience and good deeds as evidence of salvation, not as a means to earn it.
John 6:30 They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? 31 After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. 33 The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.” 35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. 37 However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. 38 For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. 39 And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. 40 For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”
Here Jesus makes a profound connection between the manna that God provided to the Israelites in the wilderness and His own role as the "bread of life." In John 6:32-35, He explains that while the manna provided physical sustenance, He Himself is the true spiritual sustenance—the bread that came down from heaven. Jesus is offering something much greater than the temporary provision the Israelites received; He offers eternal life.
Following the Passover account (Exodus 12), in Exodus 16, the Israelites were given manna each day, a miraculous provision to sustain them physically during their journey in the wilderness. This "daily bread" was meant to point them toward reliance on God for their every need, much like Jesus teaches in Matthew 6:11, "Give us today the food we need (daily bread)." The manna was a physical sign of God's care, provision and faithfulness.
However, as we see in John 6, Jesus shifts the focus from physical bread to spiritual sustenance. In verse 48-51, He says, "Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh."
This is where Jesus begins to reveal more clearly that He is not just another miracle worker or prophet, but the very source of eternal life. When He says, "I am the bread of life," He is using the same divine phrase, "I AM," that God used when He revealed Himself to Moses in Exodus 3:14. There, God declared His name to be "I AM WHO I AM," signifying His eternal, self-sufficient nature. When Jesus uses the same language—"I Am the bread of life"—He is claiming divinity, indicating that He is not just a man but God in the flesh, the one who provides life, both now and eternally.
However, the crowd begins to murmur in response, as they do not understand how Jesus can say that He came down from heaven (John 6:41-42). They see Jesus as just the son of Joseph, someone they know from their own community, and they cannot grasp how He can claim to be divine or the "bread that came down from heaven." The people’s focus on His earthly origins—"Isn't this Jesus, the son of Joseph?"—prevents them from seeing the bigger truth He is revealing. Jesus is not merely talking about physical bread, but about spiritual fulfillment and salvation, available only through faith in Him. But Jesus presses further in John 6:47-51, reiterating that those who believe in Him will have eternal life and that He is the living bread.
John 6:47 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. 48 Yes, I am the bread of life! 49 Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. 50 Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” 52 Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked. 53 So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. 54 But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.” 59 He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
This is also where some of the deeper confusion begins. As Jesus continues speaking about eating His flesh and drinking His blood (John 6:53-58), He points to a greater reality: that His sacrifice on the cross will be the means by which humanity is saved. Just as the Israelites had to rely on the daily manna to survive in the wilderness, Jesus' followers must rely on Him to receive eternal life.
The murmuring of the crowd reflects the difficulty many had in understanding the spiritual implications of what Jesus was teaching. Their minds were set on the physical provision, much like the manna, but Jesus was offering something infinitely more: the gift of eternal life through His body and blood. This would later be symbolized in the practice of the Lord's Supper, where believers remember and proclaim His sacrifice until He comes again.
Jesus uses the familiar story of manna to make a greater point: that He Himself is the ultimate provision from God, the true bread from heaven that leads not just to temporary satisfaction, but to eternal life. This was a radical teaching, one that challenged both their understanding of who Jesus was and what He came to offer.
Remember, the context here is resurrection. Jesus is saying that whoever believes in Him will live forever. He is the fulfillment of the manna from heaven. The Israelites ate the manna and died, but Jesus offers life to those who believe in Him.
So, how did the disciples respond? Many deserted Him. They were there for the wrong reasons, and this teaching was too difficult for them to accept, which is why they left. This is the "hard teaching" that filtered out those who weren’t truly committed to following Him.
John 6:60 Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?” 61 Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? 63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) 65 Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.” 66 At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. 67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” 68 Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”
Many of the disciples were there for the wrong reasons. Jesus knew from the beginning who did not believe, which is the point of His hard teaching. We must ask: Did they eat Jesus? No, they did not. Yet many people still misunderstand the significance of the Lord's Supper and like those following Jesus for the wrong reasons, people today also attend churches for the wrong reasons. I’m simply laying out the textual facts so you can form your own beliefs.
There are several categories of belief regarding the Lord's Supper:
1. Transubstantiation: This is the belief held by the Roman Catholic Church and some Eastern Orthodox denominations, where the elements of the Eucharist—bread and wine—are believed to miraculously change into the body and blood of Christ while retaining only the appearance of bread and wine.
2. Consubstantiation: This doctrine, especially in Lutheran belief, states that the substance of the bread and wine coexists with the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist. This is close to Catholic doctrine, as Martin Luther lived his life as a Catholic priest.
3. Remembrance: This Protestant view sees the Lord's Supper as a ceremony to remember Jesus, reflecting the purpose of the Passover and Jesus' instruction to "do this in memory of me."
Which belief is correct? I leave that up to you to decide. However, I lean toward the remembrance aspect, which is also shrouded in mystery. The term "mystery" is reflected in the Orthodox Church's use of the Greek word mysterion. We don’t fully understand how it happens, but there is certainly something spiritual occurring.
Jesus said, "Do this in memory of me," underscoring the remembrance aspect. Problems arise when one interprets the Lord's Supper as Jesus' literal body and blood. The disciples did not consume Jesus, which indicates that they understood His words symbolically. In the Gospel accounts, Jesus identifies the fruit of the vine as such before stating it “is” – or represents His blood, emphasizing its symbolic nature.
Additionally, if we look at how Paul understood the Lord's Supper in his letter to the Corinthians, he outlines its significance and details. The theme of unity is prevalent in 1 Corinthians, particularly in chapters 1 through 4, where Paul addresses issues like "pastor worship." Chapters 5 through 7 deal with sexual issues, including a man caught in an inappropriate relationship, representing the "bad apple" Paul refers to. Chapters 8 through 10 continue the theme of unity and address divisions over secondary doctrines, such as meat sacrificed to idols (this may be similar today to that pizza “meat heresy” I taught you about), and include discussions about secondary doctrine also found in Romans 14 and Colossians 2. The point is that we don’t divide the church over such things – again, unity!
Chapters 11 through 14 focus on worship issues, where Paul addresses problems arising during the Lord's Supper, which we'll examine further in 1 Corinthians 11.
1 Corinthians 11:23 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread 24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.
We see the emphasis of celebrating this as remembrance – just as the Passover was. Importantly, as Paul concludes, Jesus does say, "This is my body." He begins with that phrase but then Paul clarifies, stating, "For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord's death until He comes again." This clarification is crucial; Paul identifies it as bread while quoting Jesus, reinforcing the symbolism of the elements. It is important to note that Paul does not refer to the blood as wine.
In addition to this early understanding found in 1 Corinthians, we have insights from The Didache, one of the earliest Christian documents outside the New Testament. In this text, we see discussions about the Eucharist. If you're unfamiliar, the Greek word for Eucharist is eucharisto, which means "I give thanks." This highlights the dual purpose of the Eucharist: remembering and giving thanks. The Didache provides specific instructions regarding the practice of the Lord's Supper, further affirming this understanding within the early church.
Didache Chapter 9
Now concerning the Thanksgiving or the Eucharist:
First, we give thanks for the cup. We thank You, our Father, for the Holy vine of David, Your servant, which You made known to us through Jesus, Your servant. To You be the glory forever.
Next, concerning the broken bread, we thank You, our Father, for the life and knowledge which You made known to us through Jesus, Your servant. To You be the glory forever. Just as this broken bread was scattered over the hills and was gathered together and became one, so let Your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into Your kingdom. Yours is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ forever.
What we see in The Didache is that the elements are not referred to as the body or blood of Christ. Instead, it's simply called bread and the cup. Interestingly, it doesn’t even specify wine—just the cup.
Regardless of the stance you take on the nature of the Lord's Supper, this is clearly a serious matter. If we turn back to 1 Corinthians, we observe that Paul is addressing issues related to the worship service, and he says this:
1 Corinthians 11:17 But in the following instructions, I cannot praise you. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together. 18 First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it. 19 But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that you who have God’s approval will be recognized! 20 When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. 21 For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. 22 What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this!
Remember the emphasis Paul places on disunity and divisions within the church. This theme is evident again as Paul addresses the issues surrounding the Lord's Supper. In the context we've discussed, there's a clear problem in how the Corinthians were observing the meal. Paul, therefore, takes the opportunity to clarify and teach about the proper observance of the Lord's Supper. After the verses we’ve previously looked at, Paul then says this:
1 Corinthians 11:27 So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. 29 For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died. 31 But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way. 32 Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world. 33 So, my dear brothers and sisters, when you gather for the Lord’s Supper, wait for each other. 34 If you are really hungry, eat at home so you won’t bring judgment upon yourselves when you meet together. I’ll give you instructions about the other matters after I arrive.
This concept is very similar to what Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 13: "Test yourselves; examine yourselves." We've discussed the idea that while Christians are judged, they are not necessarily condemned. However, this underscores the seriousness of examining oneself in the faith. The Lord's Supper is not something to be taken lightly; we are called to take it very seriously.
A key part of this examination is understanding the importance of unity. Paul highlights that disunity was the underlying issue in the Corinthian church. So, whatever your belief about the Lord's Supper, it is essential to approach it with reverence and a heart that remembers what Jesus did for us.
We also see the emphasis on unity in Philippians, another letter of Paul’s. At the center of Philippians is that powerful gospel poem we've discussed before, found in Philippians 2. This section is my favorite, not just a verse of the day, but a whole section. The message in Philippians could be summed up as Be Like Jesus. Paul encourages everyone to be of one mind, one body, and to look out for the interests of others. He writes:
Philippians 2:
5 Think this in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider being equal with God something to be grasped,7 but emptied himself by[g] taking the form of a slave, by[h] becoming in the likeness of people.And being found in appearance like a man,8 he humbled himself by[i] becoming obedient to the point of death, that is, death on a cross.9 Therefore also God exalted him and graciously granted him the name above every name,10 so that at the name of Jesusevery knee should bow, of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth,11 and every tongue confessthat Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.(LEB Bible Translation)
The gravity of this cannot be overstated. Jesus, the Lord—He is God, the great I AM. He laid down His life and became the Passover Lamb, the very sacrificial lamb that the people once slaughtered to protect them from the death of their firstborn sons. Now, the Firstborn Son—God Himself—became that sacrifice for us. Can you even imagine that? He died so that we could have eternal life through Him.
This brings us back to the Bread of Life—we can now partake in the resurrection from the dead. Death no longer has power or sting over us because of Jesus’ sacrifice. This moment is pivotal and profound, and it is this sacrifice that we remember when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper.
©️ Copyright 2024 Gene Simco
Most Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scriptures in brackets reflect the original Biblical languages.
In the last chapter, we discussed the fellowship aspect of the church, which included breaking bread together. We explored what we do in our church, including fellowship and the interpersonal connections involved. This week, we’ll focus on that third aspect: sharing meals or breaking bread with one another.
Now, when I think about breaking bread, my mind goes straight to pizza. So, let’s talk about pizza – starting with a brief history. The story goes that in 1889, King Umberto I and Queen Margherita of Savoy visited Naples, Italy. A pizza maker named Raffaele Esposito baked a pizza in honor of the Queen, using ingredients that represented the colors of the Italian flag: red for the tomatoes, white for the mozzarella, and green for the basil leaves. This was the birth of what we now know as a “Margherita Pizza” – or Neapolitan Pizza. Since then, pizza has made its way all over the world and has evolved into many different styles – here in the United States, we have New York Pizza, Chicago Pizza, Detroit Pizza, just to name a few.
I was born and raised in New York but moved to a different Naples in Florida a little over a decade ago. The problem in Naples Florida, though, is that the pizza standards, well, let's just say they aren’t exactly high. So, I embarked on a quest to learn how to make my own pizza. Making pizza for myself was one thing but making it for others came with another set of pizza problems. You see, here in Naples Florida, it seems that everyone is from somewhere else – and everyone has a different idea about what pizza should be. Indeed, there are many “Pizza Denominations” here and everyone is looking for their pizza back home. As we’ve seen, every denomination seems to have their bad teachings – some might call them heresies. For example, one common heresy espoused by some might be the teaching that it’s the toppings that make a good pizza. But this theology doesn’t hold much water. You see, if we were to take a bunch of meat and put it on a pizza plate, a person in their right mind wouldn’t call that pizza – it’s just a plate of meat without the dough. And I don’t mean to pick on any group in particular – coming from a New York Pizza denomination (upstate chapter), I also espoused certain pizza heresies. You might have heard – or even said that it’s the water that makes the pizza great. This is a completely false pizza teaching. While the water in New York piped into the city by the Catskill pipeline may contribute some rust or radiation to the water – it has little to do with the actual quality, shape or texture of the dough.
The dough is arguably the most important part of any pizza. It defines the style of the pizza itself. You have thin crust, flatbread (which isn’t really pizza), Detroit-style, which is thicker and similar to a Sicilian pie for a New Yorker, and then Chicago deep-dish pizza. But no matter the style, the dough is the foundation, the base.
One key aspect of making pizza dough is hydration, and this brings us back to the “water heresy.” While water quality—like pH levels—can slightly affect the flavor or structure, it doesn’t make a huge difference. I’ve tried different pH levels and types of water, and as long as you use clean, filtered water, you’ll be fine.
In Italy, there are strict standards for dough hydration. According to the AVPN (Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana), the hydration should be between 55-62%, although some artisan pizza makers go as high as 70%. Here in Florida, I use a slightly lower hydration percentage in order to accommodate for the humidity.
The process of making Neapolitan pizza dough can be complex. New York and Detroit styles are easier to master, but Neapolitan standards require longer proofing times. Personally, I make my dough with four simple ingredients: high-quality flour, sea salt (I prefer Himalayan sea salt), water, and yeast.
Once your dough is mixed and properly kneaded to create a good gluten network, you let it proof. You can leave it out for up to two days before the yeast starts eating too much of the dough. I leave mine out for about a day, then it goes through a cold-proofing process for three days. At the end of those three days, you have a dough that has risen—like Jesus!
This dough, regardless of the style of pizza you’re making, is the base. Once the dough is ready, it’s baked in the oven. For Neapolitan pizza, the oven temperature should be around 900 degrees, which requires a specialty oven. At home, it’s hard to replicate this result, especially the “oven spring”—that bounce you get in the dough. So, I invested in a pizza oven to achieve the proper effect.
If you’ve done everything right, when you cut into the pizza (preferably with scissors – the Italian way) and look inside the outer rim, you’ll see what’s called a cornicione (pronounced cor-nee-cho-ne), which means “molding” in Italian. It creates a honeycomb effect in the dough, which is a sign that it’s been made correctly.
Now, onto toppings. While some people like to pile on as many toppings as possible, I prefer quality over quantity. I’ve experimented with everything from high-quality deli meats to filet mignon. For a typical pizza, though, it’s best to use fresh, high-quality ingredients. Neapolitan pizza uses San Marzano tomatoes, grown in volcanic soil. But you can also find great tomatoes in regions like California, where the climate and soil are ideal – similar to wine. With good tomatoes, you don’t need many spices—just a little sea salt, maybe some basil, and a drizzle of olive oil.
As for cheese, buffalo mozzarella is the preferred choice, but a good-quality dry mozzarella will work fine. You can also add a bit of Parmesan or Romano cheese. And don’t forget the fresh basil. I recently started growing my own basil, and it makes a big difference when it comes to freshness.
Now, I say all this to emphasize that I’m passionate about pizza. And, if you’d like to fellowship with us at the church café, I hope this entices you to join us in that fellowship. Let’s break bread together—perhaps even pizza!
We've been asking the question, "Are we doing Christianity wrong?" As part of that, we’ve been looking at the early church in Acts. We’ve already talked about the four key points of the Acts church: the Word, fellowship, the breaking of bread (or pizza, as I like to say), and prayer. Today, we’ll dive deeper into those points, especially focusing on the breaking of bread, or more specifically, the Lord's Supper.
Acts 2:42 tells us, "All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals, including the Lord’s Supper, and to prayer." Now, notice I didn’t add pizza into that Scripture because, well, it’s not in the original Greek! But we’re looking at that fellowship aspect again, and how it extends to the breaking of bread. Today, we are focusing on the Lord’s Supper.
Some translations refer to this as the Lord’s Supper, which Jesus instituted towards the end of the Gospels. This happens during what we call Passion Week, which is the lead-up to His crucifixion. The Lord’s Supper takes place during the Passover festival, a significant time in Jewish festival. Though Jesus had already predicted His death earlier in the Gospels, this is the moment when He begins to fulfill what He had foretold.
This event occurs between the initiation of the Passover meal, His time of agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, and His subsequent arrest. Before all of that, we see the religious leaders plotting against Jesus, Judas agreeing to betray Him, and Jesus preparing to share this important meal with His disciples.
If we follow the chronological order of the Gospels, particularly Mark’s account, we see that Jesus sends two disciples ahead to prepare the Passover meal. It’s the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which commemorates the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. During this festival, no bread with yeast is to be eaten—think of it as "horrible pizza," or flatbread. In John’s Gospel, chapter 13, we read about Jesus washing His disciples' feet before the meal, demonstrating profound humility.
There’s some debate about whether Judas was still present when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, but from what I can gather, Judas was indeed there. This act of humility, even knowing that Judas would betray Him, shows the depth of Jesus’ love, forgiveness and grace. In Matthew 26, just before the Lord’s Supper, Jesus predicts this betrayal, saying, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray Me." The disciples, understandably distressed, begin to ask, "Am I the one, Lord?"
Jesus replies, "One of you who has just eaten from this bowl with me will betray me. For the Son of Man must die, as the Scriptures declared long ago. But how terrible it will be for the one who betrays Him. It would be far better for that man if he had never been born." Judas then asks, "Rabbi, am I the one?" And Jesus says, "You have said it."
This leads us to the initiation of what we call the Lord’s Supper.
Matthew 26:26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. 29 Mark my words—I will not drink wine [birth of the vine] again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.” 30 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
If you're new to reading this passage, it can be a bit confusing, especially when it comes to the references to Jesus' body and blood. So let’s clear up some confusion about the "Body" and "Blood" of Christ in this context.
Regarding the wine, I want to point out something important. While some versions use the word "wine," what Jesus literally says here is "birth or produce of the vine"—not specifically wine. The Greek word for wine, οἶνος (oinos), is notably absent here, though it is present in other passages, such as John 2, where Jesus turns water into wine at the wedding in Cana. In this passage of the Lord’s Supper, however, the Greek word used is γεννήματος τῆς ἀμπέλου (genimatos tes ampelou), which means "birth/produce of the vine."
This detail is significant because certain denominations insist that wine must be used during Communion. But the text simply says "fruit of the vine," which could include grape juice or other forms of the vine’s produce. This provides some flexibility in how the Lord's Supper is observed across different traditions.
Next, we’ll take a look at Luke’s Gospel account, which gives us a few more details about this important event.
Luke 22:14 When the time came, Jesus and the apostles sat down together at the table. 15 Jesus said, “I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. 16 For I tell you now that I won’t eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.” 17 Then he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. Then he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I will not drink wine [birth of the vine] again until the Kingdom of God has come.” 19 He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.
In Luke’s account of the Lord’s Supper, we see a slightly different order of events, but that’s not a problem. The exact chronological order of the details isn’t the focus here. What’s significant is that Jesus presents the cup again, and He reiterates the establishment of the New Covenant. We’ve talked about this New Covenant before—it’s the transition from being under the Law of Moses to being under the grace of God through Christ. We see this New Covenant mentioned in places like 2 Corinthians and Hebrews. In Hebrews, it quotes Jeremiah 31, where God promises a New Covenant. Hebrews 8 emphasizes that we are now under this New Covenant – the Old is “obsolete”.
Before we dive into the Passover meal Jesus was celebrating with His disciples, it’s important to understand the context of the Old Covenant, which the Passover was a significant part of. The Passover, like the 10 Commandments, is rooted in the Exodus account, which many of you may be familiar with. In the story of the Exodus, after a series of plagues that God sent upon Egypt, the final plague was the death of the firstborn sons. This event sets the stage for the institution of the Passover.
The Passover was a meal that the Israelites were commanded to observe in remembrance of what God did for them—redeeming them from slavery in Egypt. The meal had specific instructions: they were to prepare a lamb, cook it with bitter herbs, and eat all of it. They were to eat it with their sandals on and their staff in hand, symbolizing the need to be ready to leave Egypt in haste. This meal marked the moment when God would deliver them from bondage. The blood of the lamb was a key part of this event—they were to take the blood of the lamb and spread it over the doorposts of their homes using a hyssop branch. This blood would be a sign for the angel of death to pass over their houses, sparing the firstborn sons of the Israelites.
Interestingly, we see a connection between the hyssop branch used in the Passover and Jesus’ crucifixion. During His crucifixion, Jesus was offered sour wine on a hyssop branch (John 19:29), echoing the Passover lamb's blood applied with hyssop. Just as the Israelites were covered by the blood of the lamb to escape death, we, as Christians, are covered by the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God, for the forgiveness of our sins.
This concept of being "covered by the blood of the Lamb" is one of those phrases we often hear in Christian circles. But its roots are deeply tied to the Passover and what Jesus fulfilled in His death. As the lamb's blood protected the Israelites from death, Jesus' sacrifice protects us from eternal death and separation from God. He is the fulfillment of the Passover lamb, and His blood establishes the New Covenant for us. The symbolism is rich here: God gave His Son, the ultimate firstborn, as a sacrifice, fulfilling what was foreshadowed by the death of Egypt's firstborn sons.
So, when we participate in the Lord’s Supper today, we are not just commemorating an ancient meal. We are remembering how Jesus became the true Passover Lamb for us, shedding His blood to bring us into a new relationship with God. It’s a powerful reminder of the sacrifice that was made, and how Jesus' death brings us life.
If we read beyond the Gospels – we see Jesus mentioned as the “Passover Lamb” in 1 Corinthians within the surrounding context of a man in sin – sleeping with his stepmother.
1 Corinthians 5:7 Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. 8 So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread [yeast/leven] of sincerity and truth.
Yes, in 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses the church about a serious issue of sin among them. In chapter 5, verse 7, he says, “Get rid of the old yeast by removing this wicked person from among you,” using the imagery of yeast to describe sin's corrupting influence. He is urging the church to remove sin, just as the Israelites had to remove all yeast from their homes during Passover. This metaphor of yeast—something small that spreads and affects everything—reminds us that unchecked sin can corrupt the entire community, much like how "one bad apple spoils the bunch."
Paul also connects this imagery to Christ, who is the new Passover Lamb. As he writes, “Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). So, in this sense, when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, we are celebrating the fulfillment of Passover, recognizing that Jesus’ sacrifice covers us, just as the Passover lamb's blood did for the Israelites.
Now, there are different beliefs about how the Lord’s Supper should be celebrated, and one of the major points of disagreement is whether the bread and wine literally become the Body and Blood of Jesus. This is known as the doctrine of transubstantiation, a belief held by some Christian denominations, including the Roman Catholic Church. However, this idea has been a source of confusion and even controversy from the earliest days of the church.
In fact, in the early centuries, Christians were sometimes accused of being part of a strange, cannibalistic cult because of the language used around the Lord’s Supper. Outsiders, not understanding the symbolic nature of the meal, misunderstood phrases like “eating the body” and “drinking the blood” of Christ and took them literally.
The confusion can partly be traced to Jesus’ words in John 6. This is where things often get misunderstood. In John 6, after performing the miracles of feeding the 5,000, and walking of water, Jesus begins teaching about the “bread of life.” He says in verses 53-56:
“...unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.”
This language is startling, and many of those listening were confused, even offended. Some turned away, unable to accept what He was saying. But was Jesus speaking literally here? Let’s look at the context.
The people following Jesus at this time were mainly interested in the miracles He performed, like the feeding of the 5,000. They were drawn to Him because He provided food and performed signs. But Jesus wanted them to understand that He wasn’t just a miracle worker—He was offering something far greater: eternal life. When He says, “eat my flesh” and “drink my blood,” He is using strong metaphorical language to emphasize the need for total dependence on Him for spiritual life.
Later in the chapter, Jesus clarifies that He is speaking spiritually, not literally. He says in verse 63, “The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”
So, we see that Jesus was not advocating for a literal consumption of His body and blood. Instead, He was teaching that just as we need physical food and drink to survive, we need Him—His sacrifice, His life, and His Spirit—to have spiritual life. This is what the Lord’s Supper represents: our deep, spiritual communion with Christ through His sacrifice on the cross.
The misunderstanding of this passage led to some strange accusations against early Christians, but it also created theological debates about the nature of the Lord’s Supper that continue to this day. For some, the bread and wine are symbols of Christ’s body and blood. For others, they believe a literal transformation takes place. But what we should focus on is what Jesus was pointing to: our need for Him, the Bread of Life, for eternal life. This is how Jesus responds to the people following Him for the miracles:
John 6:26 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, you want to be with me because I fed you, not because you understood the miraculous signs. 27 But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.” 28 They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?” 29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”
Yes, this is a crucial point. Within this point, some teachings, often referred to as "greasy grace," can distort the true message of grace by suggesting that once we believe, nothing else is required of us. It's true that salvation is by grace alone, as Ephesians 2:8-9 says: "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."
However, this does not mean that grace gives us a free pass to do nothing. The very next verse, Ephesians 2:10, emphasizes that we are created in Christ to do good works: "For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."
What happens with "greasy grace" is that some take this gift of grace and interpret it as a license to avoid responsibility or action. They might latch onto verses like John 6:29, where Jesus says, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.” But they miss the context of what Jesus is actually addressing.
In John 6, the crowd was following Jesus not because they truly believed in Him as the Son of God, but because He had performed miracles—especially the feeding of the 5,000. Their focus was on getting more physical bread, not on the spiritual truth Jesus was offering. When Jesus said, “The only work God wants from you is to believe,” He was addressing their desire for signs and wonders rather than genuine faith. The "work" He’s referring to isn’t about moral deeds but the shift from relying on external signs to putting full faith in Him.
This does not negate the call to live out our faith. As James 2:17 tells us, "Faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless." Our works do not save us, but they are the fruit of true faith in Christ – evidence of our salvation. A transformed heart leads to a transformed life.
The misuse of John 6:29 is a prime example of taking Scripture out of context, twisting it to justify a belief system that disregards the broader teachings of the Bible. Jesus was calling the people to stop focusing on miraculous signs and start trusting in Him fully as the source of eternal life. It's not about avoiding action, but about reorienting our belief and works in light of Christ's grace. True faith will always manifest itself in obedience and good deeds as evidence of salvation, not as a means to earn it.
John 6:30 They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? 31 After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. 33 The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.” 35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me. 37 However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them. 38 For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will. 39 And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them up at the last day. 40 For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”
Here Jesus makes a profound connection between the manna that God provided to the Israelites in the wilderness and His own role as the "bread of life." In John 6:32-35, He explains that while the manna provided physical sustenance, He Himself is the true spiritual sustenance—the bread that came down from heaven. Jesus is offering something much greater than the temporary provision the Israelites received; He offers eternal life.
Following the Passover account (Exodus 12), in Exodus 16, the Israelites were given manna each day, a miraculous provision to sustain them physically during their journey in the wilderness. This "daily bread" was meant to point them toward reliance on God for their every need, much like Jesus teaches in Matthew 6:11, "Give us today the food we need (daily bread)." The manna was a physical sign of God's care, provision and faithfulness.
However, as we see in John 6, Jesus shifts the focus from physical bread to spiritual sustenance. In verse 48-51, He says, "Yes, I am the bread of life! Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh."
This is where Jesus begins to reveal more clearly that He is not just another miracle worker or prophet, but the very source of eternal life. When He says, "I am the bread of life," He is using the same divine phrase, "I AM," that God used when He revealed Himself to Moses in Exodus 3:14. There, God declared His name to be "I AM WHO I AM," signifying His eternal, self-sufficient nature. When Jesus uses the same language—"I Am the bread of life"—He is claiming divinity, indicating that He is not just a man but God in the flesh, the one who provides life, both now and eternally.
However, the crowd begins to murmur in response, as they do not understand how Jesus can say that He came down from heaven (John 6:41-42). They see Jesus as just the son of Joseph, someone they know from their own community, and they cannot grasp how He can claim to be divine or the "bread that came down from heaven." The people’s focus on His earthly origins—"Isn't this Jesus, the son of Joseph?"—prevents them from seeing the bigger truth He is revealing. Jesus is not merely talking about physical bread, but about spiritual fulfillment and salvation, available only through faith in Him. But Jesus presses further in John 6:47-51, reiterating that those who believe in Him will have eternal life and that He is the living bread.
John 6:47 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes has eternal life. 48 Yes, I am the bread of life! 49 Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. 50 Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.” 52 Then the people began arguing with each other about what he meant. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked. 53 So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. 54 But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. 57 I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.” 59 He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.
This is also where some of the deeper confusion begins. As Jesus continues speaking about eating His flesh and drinking His blood (John 6:53-58), He points to a greater reality: that His sacrifice on the cross will be the means by which humanity is saved. Just as the Israelites had to rely on the daily manna to survive in the wilderness, Jesus' followers must rely on Him to receive eternal life.
The murmuring of the crowd reflects the difficulty many had in understanding the spiritual implications of what Jesus was teaching. Their minds were set on the physical provision, much like the manna, but Jesus was offering something infinitely more: the gift of eternal life through His body and blood. This would later be symbolized in the practice of the Lord's Supper, where believers remember and proclaim His sacrifice until He comes again.
Jesus uses the familiar story of manna to make a greater point: that He Himself is the ultimate provision from God, the true bread from heaven that leads not just to temporary satisfaction, but to eternal life. This was a radical teaching, one that challenged both their understanding of who Jesus was and what He came to offer.
Remember, the context here is resurrection. Jesus is saying that whoever believes in Him will live forever. He is the fulfillment of the manna from heaven. The Israelites ate the manna and died, but Jesus offers life to those who believe in Him.
So, how did the disciples respond? Many deserted Him. They were there for the wrong reasons, and this teaching was too difficult for them to accept, which is why they left. This is the "hard teaching" that filtered out those who weren’t truly committed to following Him.
John 6:60 Many of his disciples said, “This is very hard to understand. How can anyone accept it?” 61 Jesus was aware that his disciples were complaining, so he said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what will you think if you see the Son of Man ascend to heaven again? 63 The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64 But some of you do not believe me.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning which ones didn’t believe, and he knew who would betray him.) 65 Then he said, “That is why I said that people can’t come to me unless the Father gives them to me.” 66 At this point many of his disciples turned away and deserted him. 67 Then Jesus turned to the Twelve and asked, “Are you also going to leave?” 68 Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. 69 We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”
Many of the disciples were there for the wrong reasons. Jesus knew from the beginning who did not believe, which is the point of His hard teaching. We must ask: Did they eat Jesus? No, they did not. Yet many people still misunderstand the significance of the Lord's Supper and like those following Jesus for the wrong reasons, people today also attend churches for the wrong reasons. I’m simply laying out the textual facts so you can form your own beliefs.
There are several categories of belief regarding the Lord's Supper:
1. Transubstantiation: This is the belief held by the Roman Catholic Church and some Eastern Orthodox denominations, where the elements of the Eucharist—bread and wine—are believed to miraculously change into the body and blood of Christ while retaining only the appearance of bread and wine.
2. Consubstantiation: This doctrine, especially in Lutheran belief, states that the substance of the bread and wine coexists with the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist. This is close to Catholic doctrine, as Martin Luther lived his life as a Catholic priest.
3. Remembrance: This Protestant view sees the Lord's Supper as a ceremony to remember Jesus, reflecting the purpose of the Passover and Jesus' instruction to "do this in memory of me."
Which belief is correct? I leave that up to you to decide. However, I lean toward the remembrance aspect, which is also shrouded in mystery. The term "mystery" is reflected in the Orthodox Church's use of the Greek word mysterion. We don’t fully understand how it happens, but there is certainly something spiritual occurring.
Jesus said, "Do this in memory of me," underscoring the remembrance aspect. Problems arise when one interprets the Lord's Supper as Jesus' literal body and blood. The disciples did not consume Jesus, which indicates that they understood His words symbolically. In the Gospel accounts, Jesus identifies the fruit of the vine as such before stating it “is” – or represents His blood, emphasizing its symbolic nature.
Additionally, if we look at how Paul understood the Lord's Supper in his letter to the Corinthians, he outlines its significance and details. The theme of unity is prevalent in 1 Corinthians, particularly in chapters 1 through 4, where Paul addresses issues like "pastor worship." Chapters 5 through 7 deal with sexual issues, including a man caught in an inappropriate relationship, representing the "bad apple" Paul refers to. Chapters 8 through 10 continue the theme of unity and address divisions over secondary doctrines, such as meat sacrificed to idols (this may be similar today to that pizza “meat heresy” I taught you about), and include discussions about secondary doctrine also found in Romans 14 and Colossians 2. The point is that we don’t divide the church over such things – again, unity!
Chapters 11 through 14 focus on worship issues, where Paul addresses problems arising during the Lord's Supper, which we'll examine further in 1 Corinthians 11.
1 Corinthians 11:23 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread 24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as you drink it.” 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.
We see the emphasis of celebrating this as remembrance – just as the Passover was. Importantly, as Paul concludes, Jesus does say, "This is my body." He begins with that phrase but then Paul clarifies, stating, "For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord's death until He comes again." This clarification is crucial; Paul identifies it as bread while quoting Jesus, reinforcing the symbolism of the elements. It is important to note that Paul does not refer to the blood as wine.
In addition to this early understanding found in 1 Corinthians, we have insights from The Didache, one of the earliest Christian documents outside the New Testament. In this text, we see discussions about the Eucharist. If you're unfamiliar, the Greek word for Eucharist is eucharisto, which means "I give thanks." This highlights the dual purpose of the Eucharist: remembering and giving thanks. The Didache provides specific instructions regarding the practice of the Lord's Supper, further affirming this understanding within the early church.
Didache Chapter 9
Now concerning the Thanksgiving or the Eucharist:
First, we give thanks for the cup. We thank You, our Father, for the Holy vine of David, Your servant, which You made known to us through Jesus, Your servant. To You be the glory forever.
Next, concerning the broken bread, we thank You, our Father, for the life and knowledge which You made known to us through Jesus, Your servant. To You be the glory forever. Just as this broken bread was scattered over the hills and was gathered together and became one, so let Your Church be gathered together from the ends of the earth into Your kingdom. Yours is the glory and the power through Jesus Christ forever.
What we see in The Didache is that the elements are not referred to as the body or blood of Christ. Instead, it's simply called bread and the cup. Interestingly, it doesn’t even specify wine—just the cup.
Regardless of the stance you take on the nature of the Lord's Supper, this is clearly a serious matter. If we turn back to 1 Corinthians, we observe that Paul is addressing issues related to the worship service, and he says this:
1 Corinthians 11:17 But in the following instructions, I cannot praise you. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together. 18 First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it. 19 But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that you who have God’s approval will be recognized! 20 When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. 21 For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. 22 What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this!
Remember the emphasis Paul places on disunity and divisions within the church. This theme is evident again as Paul addresses the issues surrounding the Lord's Supper. In the context we've discussed, there's a clear problem in how the Corinthians were observing the meal. Paul, therefore, takes the opportunity to clarify and teach about the proper observance of the Lord's Supper. After the verses we’ve previously looked at, Paul then says this:
1 Corinthians 11:27 So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. 29 For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and sick and some have even died. 31 But if we would examine ourselves, we would not be judged by God in this way. 32 Yet when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned along with the world. 33 So, my dear brothers and sisters, when you gather for the Lord’s Supper, wait for each other. 34 If you are really hungry, eat at home so you won’t bring judgment upon yourselves when you meet together. I’ll give you instructions about the other matters after I arrive.
This concept is very similar to what Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 13: "Test yourselves; examine yourselves." We've discussed the idea that while Christians are judged, they are not necessarily condemned. However, this underscores the seriousness of examining oneself in the faith. The Lord's Supper is not something to be taken lightly; we are called to take it very seriously.
A key part of this examination is understanding the importance of unity. Paul highlights that disunity was the underlying issue in the Corinthian church. So, whatever your belief about the Lord's Supper, it is essential to approach it with reverence and a heart that remembers what Jesus did for us.
We also see the emphasis on unity in Philippians, another letter of Paul’s. At the center of Philippians is that powerful gospel poem we've discussed before, found in Philippians 2. This section is my favorite, not just a verse of the day, but a whole section. The message in Philippians could be summed up as Be Like Jesus. Paul encourages everyone to be of one mind, one body, and to look out for the interests of others. He writes:
Philippians 2:
5 Think this in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider being equal with God something to be grasped,7 but emptied himself by[g] taking the form of a slave, by[h] becoming in the likeness of people.And being found in appearance like a man,8 he humbled himself by[i] becoming obedient to the point of death, that is, death on a cross.9 Therefore also God exalted him and graciously granted him the name above every name,10 so that at the name of Jesusevery knee should bow, of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth,11 and every tongue confessthat Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.(LEB Bible Translation)
The gravity of this cannot be overstated. Jesus, the Lord—He is God, the great I AM. He laid down His life and became the Passover Lamb, the very sacrificial lamb that the people once slaughtered to protect them from the death of their firstborn sons. Now, the Firstborn Son—God Himself—became that sacrifice for us. Can you even imagine that? He died so that we could have eternal life through Him.
This brings us back to the Bread of Life—we can now partake in the resurrection from the dead. Death no longer has power or sting over us because of Jesus’ sacrifice. This moment is pivotal and profound, and it is this sacrifice that we remember when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper.
©️ Copyright 2024 Gene Simco
Most Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scriptures in brackets reflect the original Biblical languages.