Matthew 26:
26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
isἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person
SingularStrong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.
Why is the verb to be used here?
The bread is not just a metaphor or a symbol of Christ's body. Jesus seemed to insist on its literal meaning. In what sense?
In the sense of typology and spiritual reality.
John 6:
31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”
This was the OT type that foreshadowed the true type in the NT.
32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
Jesus' body is the true type.
41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”
It didn't make any sense to these Jews because they failed to see the typology and spiritual reality.
47 Truly, truly, I say to you,
i.e., Jesus insisted on the typology and spiritual reality
whoever believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life.
the true type of bread is the bread of life
49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.
The physical bread could not fulfill the spiritual life. On the other hand:
50 This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
Jesus' flesh fulfilled the typology and spiritual reality.
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you,
again, Jesus insisted on the typology and spiritual reality
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59Jesusd said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.
60 When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?”
Again, these people failed to see the typology and spiritual reality. Jesus tried to help his disciplines to understand better:
63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all.
Focus on the spiritual reality, not the physical reality.
The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
The communion ritualistically reflects this typology and spiritual reality. When taken properly, it feeds your soul and spirit.
Luke 22:
19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
See also
