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Why is there bread and wine? Why not just the wine? Why not just the bread?

I am no theologian, but I still figured I’d share what I have personally discovered through my Bible study of these questions.

Body | Bread

In John 13, near the end of Jesus’ life, the disciples and the Son of God were gathered for a meal. This was when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet and mentioned that one of the disciples was unclean.

For He knew who would betray Him; therefore, He said, “You are not all clean.” (John 13:11)

He proceeded to dip the bread and give it to Judas, at which point Satan entered him. So Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do it quickly” (John 13:27). The remaining disciples had no idea what Jesus was talking about. Of course, we know now He was talking about Judas’ betrayal, leading to Jesus’ death on the cross.

But what I want to point out was that Jesus dipped the bread and it wasn’t in wine. Where the other disciples found themselves in communion with the Son of God, theologians believe the liquid to be a fish sauce known as ‘garum’. Judas never got the wine, which means he never got the blood. And in turn, he never saw forgiveness.

Breaking the bread is remembering that Jesus was 100% a man, who performed miracles, loved sinners and lived a perfect life.

Then we come to the blood.

Blood | Wine

Communion is all about fellowship, togetherness and community, remembering that Jesus died on the cross for us. The wine is remembering that his blood spilled on the cross, covers us. It is our proof of citizenship as kingdom people, our right to speak to the mountains and see them move, raise the dead and know that we are forgiven. That we aren’t living in the old, but we are in the new.

Drinking the wine is belief in his death and resurrection, proof that he is also 100% God. A man that can go through the most atrocious death, that should have killed someone 10x over, then follow up by wiping the dust off his feet, walking out of that tomb, overcoming death.

But without the bread, do we just take the grace that covers us and assume that is all we have to do? Perhaps the bread helps us remember that he lived that perfect death, and the wine helps us remember he died a brutal death.

Communion

As Paul says:

²⁷ Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸ But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. ²⁹ For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.

It is not certain whether Judas drank the wine but I believe John made it very clear that Jesus handed Judas the body without the blood. He was not covered by the forgiveness the world was about to receive.

And after the cross, Judas’ remorse returning the silver coins, makes this story a true tragedy. It is perhaps a phenomenal reminder that we must abide in Him as He does in us. That Jesus came to Earth as a baby to bring forgiveness, not as a knight in shining armour to bring judgement. The humility of the Son of God and his humanity makes for the story of the greatest King. 100% man and 100% God.

I pray we have given up our old and evil ways, and that our flesh is dead and our spirit alive in You.

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Photo by Geda Žyvatkauskaitė on Unsplash.