THE BROKEN BODY OF JESUS
The question has been raised, “In giving thanks at the Lord's Table for the bread is it appropriate to refer to it as representing or symbolizing the broken body of Jesus?” Well-meaning brethren, with no intent of desecrating the body of Christ or of praying unscripturally, have, in their prayers, spoken of the bread as representing the broken body of Christ. Equally well-meaning brethren have sometimes been critical of speaking in such a way, contending that the Scriptures prophetically speak of the fact that “not one of His bones shall be broken” (John 19:36). Let us examine this matter in a little more detail.
Clearly the apostle John appropriated a prophecy from Psalm 34:20 in which David, in speaking of the Lord's care for the righteous, said, “He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken.” While David was not speaking directly about the body of Christ, the Holy Spirit nevertheless guided the apostle John to take those words and apply them to the crucifixion of Christ. Earlier, John had spoken of the fact that the Roman soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves crucified with Christ, then adds, “But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs” (John 19:32-33). He then declared, “For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, 'Not one of His bones shall be broken' ” (John 19:36).
Further, it is worth noting that in giving instructions to the Israelites for the killing and eating of the Passover lamb, they were told “nor shall you break one of its bones” (Exodus 12:46). Christ is our Passover (I Corinthians 5:7), and just as the bones of the Jewish Passover lamb were not broken, so neither were the bones of Christ, our Passover lamb, broken.
Yet, there is a obvious difference between the bones of Jesus being broken and His body being broken. Paul wrote: “For I have received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me” (I Corinthians 11:23-24, NKJV). The King James Version uses the same language: “...this is my body which is broken for you.” (Emphasis mine, hf).
Of interest is the fact that neither the American Standard Version nor the New American Standard speak of the “broken body,” but simply state: “This is my body, which is for you” (I Corinthians 11:24). However, in both versions there is a footnote or marginal note stating that “many/some ancient authorities/manuscripts read 'is broken for you.' ” Thus, from the biblical text itself there is a basis for believing that “the broken body of Christ” is acceptable terminology.
Further, the reality is that the body of Jesus was broken. He was brutally scourged, resulting in His flesh being severely lacerated. His hands and feet were nailed to the cross, and a Roman soldier pierced His side (John 19:34). None of these things could happen without the breaking of the flesh of the body of Christ. When Thomas doubted the resurrection, Jesus told him, “Reach your fingers here, and look at My hands, and reach your hand here and put it into My side” (yes, “into My side”!). When we think about it, how else could Jesus have shed His blood if His body had not been opened/broken in some way.
The bread in the Lord's Supper is broken each Lord's Day, and faithful Christians eat that broken bread. “The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?” (I Corinthians 10:16b). Jesus Himself, in instituting the Lord's Supper “took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “ 'Take, eat; this is My body' ” (Matthew 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; I Corinthians 11:23-24). In every recorded case of Jesus instituting the Lord's Supper it is said that He broke the bread and then declared that the bread was His body.
Thus, I believe it to be scriptural and therefore acceptable to speak of the broken bread as representing the broken body of Christ. The important thing is for us to recognize the importance and the significance of the bread and the fruit of the vine, to partake of them in a worthy manner, to discern the Lord's body and blood when we partake of these sacred emblems. What is important is to not forsake the assembly but to join with our brothers and sisters in Christ on the first day of the week to participate in this sacred meal because it is the supreme “fellowship meal”--table fellowship with our Lord and with our brothers and sisters in Christ (Acts 20:7; Hebrews 10:24-25; I Corinthians 10:16-17). What is important is to remember that “Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (I Corinthians 5:7). He made no excuses for not going to the cross for us. How hollow our excuses are for not going to His Table to remember what He did for us on the cross.
Hugh Fulford
