The Mystical Union, Lord’s Supper and John 6

Today we are going to get technical. At least as technical as we can with what God has revealed to us.

In my last blog, I talked about the purpose of the Lord’s Supper. It is not just a weird way to remember the sacrifice that Christ made, and it is definitely not re-sacrificing Him. The Lord’s Supper gives support (I don’t have a better word for it) to a connection that Jesus makes with us at our baptism. This connection is critical to our salvation for it is by being connected to Christ that His fulfillment of God’s Law is ours, His being forsaken on the cross is ours, and eternal life is ours.

What kind of “connection” is this? It’s not intellectual/cognitive. We don’t form it at all. Read closely Jesus’ prayer in John 17:

²⁰ “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, ²¹ that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

John 17:20-21 (ESV)

Jesus prays that believers would be united in a way that is similar to how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are united. The is what all the “in me”, in us” talk is all about. This bond, I’m sure, is not identical to what makes the Trinity a unity, but it is something real and beyond our experience. Just as theologians have coined a word, “Trinity”, for the unity between Father, Son and Holy Spirit; they have also coined a phrase for our unity with Christ and consequently our unity with each other: the Mystical Union.

The Lord’s Supper is primarily about the Mystical Union. Without this union there is no forgiveness of sins. There is no eternal life. Apparently, Jesus’ actual body and blood are necessary for the preservation of the mystical union. I don’t know why. I don’t know what is does. How do I know this is the purpose of communion? Read Jesus’ confusing and shocking words in John 6:

⁵² The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” ⁵³ So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. ⁵⁴ Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. ⁵⁵ For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. ⁵⁶ Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. ⁵⁷ As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. ⁵⁸ This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.”

John 6:52-58 (ESV)

The words are definitely Lord’s Supper words. Jesus is not talking about cannibalism. Many, including Martin Luther, have concluded nonetheless that this passage isn’t about the Lord’s Supper. The reason is primarily one thing. In verse 53, Jesus makes it sound like the Lord’s Supper is necessary for eternal life, and there is no other biblical support for that idea. The reason for this confusion is because this passage is technically about the mystical union. This union begins with our baptism (really what God does to us in our baptism). It continues with the support of the Lord’s Supper (see verse 56). I know not many of us use the word “abide” anymore. But it means to “remain” or “keep living”.

John 6 is definitely not a dense metaphor for really, really trusting Jesus’ words. That is what some want to make it. It is deep. So deep, that many of Jesus’ disciples left Him at this time.

More support for this idea is found in 1 Corinthians 10:

¹⁶ The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? ¹⁷ Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

1 Corinthians 10:16-17 (ESV)

The word “participation” used in the translation above is the Greek word “koinonia”. Sometimes we translate that as “fellowship”. In this case “fellowship” is not going bowling together. It is mutually sharing in the body and blood of Christ and consequently we are bonded to Christ and to each other by the mystical union. The “one bread” in verse 17 is Jesus, not what we think about Jesus. The union is mystical and not doctrinal.

Why would we need to keep taking the Lord’s Supper? Why would the mystical union not be permanent? I don’t know. I understand the logic which some people advance for the belief that once you are really saved, you are always saved. I also understand the reason for why hard-core Calvinism teaches that you are simply selected for salvation or damnation. I find that both of these teachings don’t align with all of what Jesus has taught us.

It seems that God knows who is savable and He will save them. He desires that it be everybody, but it isn’t even a majority. I don’t know why. The Holy Spirit brings us to an understanding of the Gospel. In baptism we are united to Christ via the mystical union. The union remains fragile through the course of our lifetime. The Lord’s Supper, the power of God’s Word, even the fellowship of other believers defends and preserves our union.

I think this is critical for Christians to understand. We can be pretty cavalier about the preservation of faith. God is the lone cause for our reception of eternal life. We call that “divine monoergism” Eternal life is our bond with God. We have that already. But the preservation of our bond to God until we are brought to Heaven (see my other blog afterdeathsite.com if you doubt Heaven) is a cooperative project. God provides the means, but we must use them. Some don’t use them and fall away. So, if you are saved it all to God’s credit. If you are lost, it is on you.