Who Is Right?

In 1970 I saw a large triptych in Zurich, which had been painted on the wall of an old building.

Martin Luther, John Calvin and Jesus Christ were portrayed as dressed like priests holding up a host and a chalice.  Christ was in the center.

Under the figure of Martin Luther were inscribed the words: “This is like my body, this is like my blood.”

 

Under John Calvin: “This is a symbol of my body, this is a symbol of my blood.”

 

Under Jesus Christ: “This is my Body; this is my Blood.” Jn. 6: 35-40

And under all three captions, the artist had written in large bold letters: WHO IS RIGHT?

Read the New Testament for yourself: Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out.  For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me; and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”  John 6:35-40

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life.  Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.  This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die.  I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh.” John 6: 47-51

“For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for * you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 1Cor. 11: 23-25

Jesus Christ did what no other person ever did: leave Himself behind in His greatest miracle of all; the Eucharist, made possible by His Redemption, made possible by His Incarnation, made possible by the Fiat the new Eve, made possible by I Am Who Am.