In the tomb His dead body was not subject to decay. For three days His body laid in a borrowed sepulchre awaiting His own return from Upper Sheol. The beating and crucifixion did not kill Him, because He was not subject to death. He gave up His own spirit temporarily to complete the sacrifice of death and three days later He arose. When He arose, He totally transformed His body into a glorified body that was no longer limited to space and time. While He traveled around Jerusalem, no one saw Him except those to whom He revealed Himself. His glorified body was both divine and human – the first fruits of our future eternal body. This beautiful new creation could reveal the marks of death and then ascend where there is no death.

Now, we are told to eat this Body and drink this Blood so that we may live. Just as His glorified body was physical and spiritual, our communion supper is physical and spiritual. We physically eat the bread and drink from the cup. Then, by the ministry of His Holy Spirit, He manifests Himself spiritually to us. The life is not in the bread or the cup; it is in the death and resurrection of Christ. Just as His body was supernatural as He walked among men. His body is still supernatural in His intercession at the Father’s right hand.

To suggest that the bread and wine need to be transformed into His body and blood is unthinkable. His very hands – even His words – could touch or speak and the sick were healed. The great miracles He performed did not require the conversion of His flesh into bread or His blood into drink. Why should His communion supper require any such paganistic thought or action? That changes the beautiful gift of a Holy body that is filled with Holy life into a Babylonian sacrifice conducted by a priest of Marduk, who was their chief god.

Spiritual life is never ministered by flesh and blood. The theme of all Scripture is, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts” (Zechariah 4:6). Jesus Christ added to that great Word with the following, “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 6:63).

Our life is in our utter abandonment to His bodily sacrifice and the Spirit of the Resurrection that was out of His willing surrender unto death. To be as cannibals – eating flesh and drinking blood – is blasphemy against the perfect Holy One, Who is seated at the Father’s right hand.