For those who hold to the spiritual view of the Lord’s Supper, Jesus is truly present, and these benefits are truly enjoyed by means of the Holy Spirit and believer’s union with Christ.

In Matthew 26:26-28 Jesus spoke a few simple words that have been the cause of a great many differences between Christians. The differences, or disagreements, are centered upon what Jesus meant when the Bible tells us that:

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Just about every Christian agrees that this is the establishment, or foundation, of the Lord’s Supper. Most even acknowledge that what Jesus is describing here—the practice of coming together as a body of believers to partake of bread and wine—is a practice that Jesus has mandated all Christians to participate in. In fact, for many, the Lord’s Supper is a highlight of corporate worship, wherein the gospel takes a physical and tangible form as the congregation participates in a sacramental meal commemorating all that Jesus has accomplished on behalf of sinners.

So, if the debates that rage are not over what the practice of the Lord’s Supper is to be, where then are the differences? Well, to put it simply, the question that has raised so much disagreement is, “In what way does Jesus mean that the bread is His body, and in what way does Jesus mean that the wine is His blood?” How, exactly, is Jesus present in the Lord’s Supper?

To answer this question, there have been several ideas put forth. The one that was likely the most common during the Middle Ages was the view of transubstantiation, which many Roman Catholics still believe today. This is the view that when the priest blesses the bread and wine, it transubstantiates into the literal body and blood of Christ. This is also why the Roman Catholic Mass is such a big deal—the priest is literally participating in offering up Jesus as a sacrifice to take away the sins of the people.

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