Body and Blood for Supper? – April 5, 2023

Read: 1 Corinthians 11:23-28

The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
1 Corinthians 11:23-25

Body and Blood for Supper?

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

How would you react if tonight your mom or dad said, “We’re eating our neighbor for supper”? Wouldn’t that sound awful? You might say, “Eww, what? We’re eating our neighbor?!” Imagine if your parents were serious. “Yes, we’re eating our neighbor for supper tonight.” That’s disgusting! Eating another human being is just plain wrong!

But consider this: Have you ever noticed how we talk just that way at church? During the worship service, there is a time when teenagers and adults walk to the front of church and receive Jesus’ body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. Body and blood? Why on earth would people want that?

Because it’s exactly what we need. The Lord’s Supper isn’t a meal to fill our stomachs. It’s absolutely true that we would never eat another person for supper. Instead, the Lord’s Supper is a special meal for our souls. We need more than just food and milk and water. We need God’s forgiveness for our sins. We need God’s salvation.

That’s what Jesus offers to us in the Lord’s Supper. On the night before he died, he took bread, gave it to his disciples, and said, “This is my body, which is for you.” Then he took a cup of wine, gave thanks, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” It’s Jesus’ body that died to save us on the cross. It’s Jesus’ blood that washes all our sins away. In the Lord’s Supper, Jesus is thinking of us. He gives us exactly what our souls need—his body and blood.

The next time you see people receiving the Lord’s Supper at church, think to yourself: What a special thing! Your parents aren’t perfect. No one is. Every single one of us needs God’s forgiveness over and over again. In the Lord’s Supper, Jesus puts a little plate in front of us and says, “This is for you. Eat it. Drink it. Not to have energy for another day, but to have the forgiveness you need to live forever.” Body and blood for supper? On the dining room table, that would be gross! But body and blood for supper? In the Lord’s Supper, it’s exactly what we need.

Closing Prayer:

Dear Jesus, thank you for giving your own body and blood to wash away our sins. May all who receive the Lord’s Supper receive the forgiveness and salvation their souls need. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

• When Jesus took bread and gave it to his disciples, what did he say about the bread?
• When Jesus took a cup of wine and gave it to his disciples, what did he say about the wine?

Questions for Elementary Age Children

• Why would someone want to receive Jesus’ body and blood?
• If people receive God’s forgiveness through the Lord’s Supper, how often do you think people will want to receive the Lord’s Supper?

Questions for Middle School and Above

• Look up 1 John 1:7. What’s one thing that Jesus’ blood does for us?
• Look up 1 Peter 3:18. What did Jesus use his body to do?