Lord's Day 29

Question 78. Do then the bread and wine become the very body and blood of Christ?
Answer. Not at all: [a] but as the water in baptism is not changed into the blood of Christ, neither is the washing away of sin itself, being only the sign and confirmation thereof appointed of God; so the bread in the Lord's supper is not changed into the very [b] body of Christ; though agreeable to the [c] nature and properties of sacraments, it is called the body of Christ Jesus.

Question 79. Why then doth Christ call the bread his body, and the cup his blood, or the new covenant in his blood; and Paul the "communion of the body and blood of Christ"?
Answer. Christ speaks thus, not without great reason, namely, not only thereby to teach us, that as bread and wine support this temporal life, so his crucified body and shed blood are the true meat and drink, whereby our souls are [d] fed to eternal life; but more especially by these visible signs and pledges to assure us, that we are as really partakers of his true body and blood (by the operation of the Holy Ghost) as we [e] receive by the mouths of our bodies these holy signs in remembrance of him; and that all his sufferings [f] and obedience are as certainly ours, as if we had in our own persons suffered and made satisfaction for our sins to God.
A Brief Topical Index to the
Heidelberg Catechism Lord's Day

Lord's Day #

  1. Our Only Comfort and its Enjoyment
  2. The Knowledge of our Misery by the Law
  3. The Source of our Misery, not by Creation but by the Fall, and its Extent
  4. The Justice of God and the Necessity of Satisfaction and Atonement
  5. The Way of Satisfaction, not by any mere Creature
  6. The Mediator We Need, Jesus Christ
  7. Saved by Christ of Grace though True Faith
  8. The Triune God
  9. God the Father, Creation
  10. The Providence of God
  11. Jesus the Complete Savior
  12. Christ's Anointing and Ours in Him
  13. The Only Begotten Son, Our Lord
  14. The Birth of Christ, our Mediator
  15. Jesus Suffering an Accursed Death
  16. Jesus' Death, Burial, and Hellish Agony
  17. Jesus' Resurrection
  18. Jesus' Ascension to Glory
  19. Jesus' Exalted Glory and Coming to Judge
  20. The Holy Ghost
  21. The Church of Christ
  22. The Resurrection of the Body and Life Everlasting
  23. Righteous before God in Christ by Faith Without Works
  24. Works, Not our Righteousness but its fruit and Graciously Rewarded
  25. Faith Wrought of the Spirit by the Word and Confirmed by the Sacraments
  26. The Sign and Seal of Baptism
  27. The Washing by the Blood and Spirit of Christ, Signified, Embracing also the Infants of Believers
  28. The Sign and Seal of the Lord's Supper
  29. The Spiritual Presence of Christ, Signified, and Communion with Him
  30. The Error of the Mass and the Necessity of Supervision of the Lord's Supper
  31. The Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, Preaching and Church Discipline
  32. The Necessity of Conversion and the Fruit of Good Works
  33. The Grace of Conversion and its Elements
  34. The Law the Rule of Gratitude and the First Commandment
  35. The Second Commandment
  36. The Third Commandment
  37. A Godly Oath in God's Name
  38. The Fourth Commandment
  39. The Fifth Commandment
  40. The Sixth Commandment
  41. The Seventh Commandment
  42. The Eighth Commandment
  43. The Ninth Commandment
  44. The Tenth Commandment and the Imperfect Christian
  45. Prayer the Chief Part of Gratitude, The Requisites of Prayer
  46. Our Father, Which Art in Heaven
  47. Hallowed be Thy Name
  48. Thy Kingdom Come
  49. Thy Will Be Done
  50. Prayer for Daily Bread
  51. Prayer for Forgiveness of sins
  52. Temptation and Deliverance, Concluding Prayer
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Scriptural Proof
  1. Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 1Cor. 10:1,2,3,4;

    The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: 1Pet. 3:21;

    And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. ... What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. John 6:35,62,63

  2. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. ... 1Cor. 10:16, 17 &c;

    When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. ... 1Cor. 11:20 &c.

  3. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. 11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. ... And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant. Gen. 17:10,11,14;

    And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? 27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD' passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped. ... And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof: ... And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. Ex. 12:26,27,43,48;
    And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs. Acts 7:8;

    And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. Mat. 26:26;

    And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. Mark 14:24

  4. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. ... For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. John 6:51,55,56

  5. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. 1Cor. 10:16,17;

    For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 1Cor 11:26,27,28;

    For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. Eph. 5:30

  6. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. ... Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Rom. 5:9,18,19;

    That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Rom. 8:4
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