704. Anyone who has received enlightenment from heaven can perceive for himself that flesh here does not mean flesh, neither does blood mean blood, but that both in the natural sense mean the passion on the cross, of which they are a memorial. Therefore Jesus said when He instituted the Supper as the last celebration of the Jewish passover and the first of the Christian Easter*:
Do this in remembrance of me. Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11: 24, 25.
Likewise bread does not mean bread, neither does wine mean wine, but in the natural sense they mean much the same as flesh and blood, that is to say, His passion on the cross. For we read:
Jesus broke bread and gave it to the disciples, and said, This is my body. And taking the cup, he gave it to them, saying, This is my blood. Matt. chapter 26; Mark chapter 14; Luke chapter 22.
He also for this reason called the passion on the cross 'a cup' (Matt. [26:39; Mark] 14:36; John 18:11).
* Passover and Easter are both the same word in Latin.
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