Following the Sanctus, the next part of the communion service are the Words of Institution. We Lutherans have adopted the format included in Martin Luther’s Small Catechism in 1529:
On the night in which he was betrayed,
Our Lord Jesus took bread,
And gave thanks; broke it,
And gave it to his disciples, saying:
Take and eat; this is my body, given for you.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Again, after supper,
He took the cup, gave thanks,
And gave it for all to drink,
Saying: This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
Shed for you and for all people
For the forgiveness of sin.
Do this for the remembrance of me.
Lutherans do not ask for the Holy Spirit to come down to consecrate the elements of bread and wine; there is nothing in Scripture that speaks of such an invocation as causing the elements to become Christ’s body and blood. Instead, Jesus simply gives the words of institution.
That being said, we do not use the words in the Gospels and Paul’s writing verbatim. Let’s take a look at what Scripture offers:
Matthew 26:26-28: “26 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.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the[a] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
Mark 14:22- 24: “22 While they were eating, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.” 23 Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.”
Luke 22:14-20: “14 And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”
1 Corinthians 11:23-25: 23For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread, 24 and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Luther’s version is a combination of all of these Scriptural references; it strikes me as being beautifully poetic. All of the versions, despite their slight differences, contain the same information: Christ identifies the Sacrament with his own body and blood, given for the forgiveness of sins. And we know from Scripture that when the same information or phrase is repeated several times, it truly is central to the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Even if other Christian traditions include prayers before the Words of Institution, these words are mandatory; in the case of Lutheran worship, they stand alone.
While speaking the Words of Institution, the pastor makes the sign of the cross over the elements which are going to be consumed during the service of Holy Communion. These blessed elements are the vehicles by which the members of the congregation receive Christ. Additionally, the pastor may lift up the cup(s) and the host – this practice of elevation is not an ancient one, but was developed in the later Middle Ages. Whether the elevation is done or not, the consecration of the elements is a holy moment, and the lifting up of the elements demonstrates to the congregation that we believe the true presence of Christ is among us.
Now, I am not a theologian, and I am ill-equipped to weigh in on the controversies amongst various traditions of the Christian church regarding transubstantiation (from Dictionary.com: [Theology] the changing of the elements of the bread and wine, when they are consecrated in the Eucharist, into the body and blood of Christ (a doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church)), consubstantiation and the like. If you are interested, I encourage you to dive into these hotly debated topics on your own!
Next week – the Lord’s Prayer! May grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father’s Son, in truth and love. Amen.
Lutheran Liturgy 