Lord’s Day 29
Q78. Do the bread and wine actually turn into Christ's real body and blood?
No. Just as the water of baptism does not turn into Christ's blood and does not actually wash away sins — it is simply God's sign and promise — so also the bread of the Lord's Supper does not turn into Christ's actual body, even though it is called the body of Christ, as is the way sacraments speak.
Scripture Proofs — King James Version
Ephesians 5:26
Titus 3:5
Matthew 26:26–29
Genesis 17:10–11
Exodus 12:11, 13
1 Corinthians 10:1–4
Parent Guide
Discuss this question together
Discussion Questions
- 1
Do the bread and wine actually turn into Christ's body and blood?
- 2
What does the catechism mean when it says the bread is called Christ's body "as is the way sacraments speak"?
- 3
Why does it matter whether the bread stays bread or turns into something else?
Illustration
When you look at a photograph of your grandparents, you might say "that's Grandma and Grandpa." You do not mean the paper became your grandparents. You mean the picture truly represents them. Sacraments speak that way. The bread is called Christ's body because it truly represents his body given for us. The bread remains bread.
Application
Talk with a parent about why Reformed churches believe the bread stays bread. The point is not what happens to the bread. The point is what Christ did with his actual body on the cross for you.