The Word of God Pictured

The church is called the body of Christ in part because the church continues Christ’s operation in the world. The church is to the world now what Christ incarnate was when he walked here (1 Corinthians 3:9-17).

Likewise, the word of God written is comparable to the Word of God alive among us. The words of scripture point to events that occurred before the very eyes of Christ’s first witnesses (2 Peter 1:12-21).

As Christ left behind the church and his word, so also he left behind the representations of his body we observe together now. The One who said, “This is my body and blood” also promised to eat it with us in his kingdom (Matthew 26:29). The church points the world to Christ, and the word written points to the Word incarnate; likewise, these emblems point to the body of the One who gave himself for us. They signify the real presence of the Christ that is really here invisibly with us as we partake of them with him in the Kingdom of God now.