Real Presence in the Lord’s Supper: Christ Feeds His People (Eucharist/Communion)
1. The Meaning of Real Presence
Real presence simply means that Christ’s body and blood are truly present in the consecrated bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper (also called the Eucharist or Communion). For those who participate by faith, the Supper is not only a remembrance but a true communion with Christ himself. The believer feasts on Christ and his benefits, receiving in an intimate way the nourishment of the Gospel.
This is not bare symbolism. Real presence insists that Christ is active, giving himself to his people in the sacrament. Baptists historically affirmed this. Though many modern evangelicals assume Baptists lean toward a purely memorial view, the majority tradition has been otherwise. Great Reformers and Baptist voices alike held that Christ is truly present—spiritually, sacramentally, and powerfully—in the Supper.
2. Distinguishing Views of Presence
Christian history shows a variety of ways the Church has explained Christ’s presence in the Supper:
Roman Catholic tradition: Transubstantiation teaches that the substance of bread and wine changes into Christ’s body and blood, though the appearances remain.
Lutheran tradition: Sacramental union affirms Christ’s body and blood are present “in, with, and under” the elements.
Reformed tradition: Christ is truly present by the Spirit, and believers feed on him in faith, though his body remains in heaven.
Memorialist tradition: The Supper is only a remembrance, with no real participation in Christ.
Real presence, as held in most historic Protestantism, avoids extremes. It is not a carnal presence (as if Christ’s body were locally in the bread) but a spiritual presence where the risen Lord gives himself to his people by the Spirit.
3. Scriptural Foundations
The Bible does not spell out a systematic theory, but it gives rich language that suggests more than remembrance. Three key passages stand out:
Institution words: Jesus says, “This is my body… this is my blood” (Matthew 26:26–28). The verb is demands interpretation, but it cannot be reduced to “this merely symbolizes.”
Participation language: Paul writes, “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10:16). Participation (koinonia) is fellowship and sharing, not bare commemoration.
Judgment warnings: Some Corinthians “fell asleep” because they ate unworthily (1 Corinthians 11:29–30). Such seriousness suggests more than a symbolic act.
Together, these texts point to a sacrament in which Christ is truly present to bless, nourish, and sanctify his people.
4. Historical Testimony
Church history confirms this reading. The overwhelming majority of Church Fathers and Reformers upheld real presence in some form. Consider just a few voices:
Cyril of Jerusalem: “Contemplate therefore the bread and wine not as bare elements… judge not the matter from taste but from faith.”
Martin Bucer: Christ’s body and blood are “truly and substantially present, but not locally and carnally.”
Thomas Cranmer: Though rejecting transubstantiation, he affirmed that believers feed on Christ truly and spiritually in the Supper.
Occasional dissenters appear—such as Ratramnus in the ninth century or Zwingli in the sixteenth—but these are minority voices. For most of church history, real presence has been assumed as part of Christian orthodoxy.
5. Theological Fittingness
Why does real presence matter? Because the Supper is not random ritual but the fitting sign of Christ applying his saving work to believers. The bread and wine are the point of contact where Christ’s death touches the believer’s faith. As food satisfies hunger, so Christ’s body and blood satisfy the soul.
Three theological themes highlight this fittingness:
Union with Christ: The Supper is the pinnacle expression of our mystical communion with Christ (John 6:56).
Application of the Cross: The sacrifice once offered is not repeated but applied to believers in the present (Hebrews 10:10, 14).
Foretaste of Glory: The meal anticipates the wedding supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).
Real presence makes sense of these realities, tying together redemption accomplished and redemption applied.
6. Objections and Clarifications
Some Protestants resist real presence, fearing it sounds too Catholic. Yet several clarifications help:
Not re-sacrificing Christ: The Supper applies Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice but does not repeat it.
Not local or carnal: Christ’s body remains at the Father’s right hand. His presence is spiritual, sacramental, and real.
Not automatic: Only those who partake in faith truly receive Christ’s benefits. Without faith, the sacrament brings judgment, not blessing.
These distinctions safeguard biblical teaching while preserving the richness of Christ’s promise: “This is my body, given for you” (Luke 22:19).
7. Real Presence and the Gospel
Ultimately, real presence proclaims the bigger Gospel. The Supper is not a mere memorial meal but a Gospel feast where Christ nourishes his people. He gives himself—not just ideas about him—so that we share in his death and resurrection.
For Baptists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Anglicans, and many others across history, this is not marginal theology. The Supper is at the center of Christian worship. Charles Spurgeon put it simply: this is “as close as you get to heaven in this world.”
When the Church gathers at the table, Christ himself is the host, the meal, and the gift. The Supper is remembrance, yes—but remembrance that becomes encounter.
Conclusion
Real presence in the Lord’s Supper is more than a doctrinal curiosity. It is the living heart of communion with Christ. The Supper is where faith receives Christ himself, where the benefits of the cross are sealed, and where the Church tastes the powers of the age to come.
The historic consensus of the Church—Eastern, Western, Catholic, Protestant, and even Baptist—points to this truth. Scripture’s words, history’s testimony, and theological fittingness converge: in the Supper, Christ is present.
This is why the Church continues to gather at the table, week after week, century after century. In bread and wine, believers meet Christ crucified, risen, and reigning—the same Lord who will one day feast with us in the new creation.
Bible Verses about the Lord’s Supper and Real Presence
“This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:24)
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:25)
“The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10:16)
“The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10:16)
“For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.” (1 Corinthians 11:29)
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.” (John 6:51)
“My flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.” (John 6:55)
“Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.” (John 6:56)
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” (Acts 2:42)
“Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” (Revelation 19:9)
