One Little Word: Is

Matthew 26:26-29

As Luther began to proclaim words of truth once again, the devil hated it, and so the devil again did his best to spread lies. And one of the lies he tried to spread was in regards to the Lord’s Supper. When Jesus gave us the Lord’s Supper, Jesus could have said, “This has changed into my body.” Jesus didn’t say that. Jesus could have said, “This represents my body.” Jesus could have said that. He did not say that. What Jesus said is, “This is my body. “This is my blood of the covenant.” And in the Greek, the word is, is in emphatic position. What’s God saying? God’s saying that, “Yes, you really do eat bread. “Yes, you really do drink wine. “Nothing weird about that.” But then, in a supernatural, miraculous way that goes beyond our understanding, you also receive Jesus himself, because this is my body. This is my blood of the new covenant. Can you imagine? God connects himself to you, to me? Yes, God connects himself to you as we eat the bread and drink the wine, and in a miraculous way, we also get Jesus himself, the body that was broken for us, the blood that was shed for us. Can there be any question as to whether God loves you; if he’s willing to do that for you? No, there can be no question. Can there be any question that your sins are forgiven and that you are a child of God and will be forever? No, there can be no question. And what does it say about your value? If God is willing to connect himself to you, what does that make you to be worth? Oh my. It’s flying through the roof. And so with joy, hear those words. This is my body, which is given for you. This is my blood, which is shed for you. And know that with that one little word is, once again, the devil is felled. Amen? – Amen.