Bread and wine
What is the Rite of Bread and Wine?
Have you ever been to the Kariye Museum? We recommend you to visit this magnificent building located in Edirnekapı, Istanbul. Chora (Chora) Church, which dates back to the 4th century, was destroyed and rebuilt several times over the centuries. It was rebuilt in the 14th century and decorated with extraordinary mosaics. Mosaics depict the life of Jesus Christ and basic theological beliefs.
When you first enter the church, you will see Christ Pantocrator above the door before entering the next section, that is, the most sacred area, the Naos (Sacred Area). Pantocrator means lord and ruler of the universe. In fact, when you first enter the church, you answer 2 basic questions by looking at this mosaic:
So how can these two sides come together? You step inside and you encounter the Divine, the Lord of the universe. Isn't it scary to keep going? How can the sinner and the holy meet? Doesn't it take courage to take one more step? Who can stand against the holiness of God?
The inscription on the mosaic reads Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and right below it, "ἡ Χώρα τῶν ζώντων" (hē Chōra tōn zōntōn) The land/field of Life.
The Way of Real Life: Jesus Christ
So how can Jesus Christ be the Living One? What makes it a living space? How can we meet in such profound contrast? The answer to the question is actually hidden in the scenes in the upper left and right corners of the mosaic. The first miracle of Jesus Christ is depicted in the scene in the left corner. According to the text written in the 2nd chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus Christ is depicted turning water into wine. In the scene in the right corner, there is the miracle of Jesus Christ feeding 5000 people with 5 loaves of bread. These miracles were placed deliberately. We can get in on one condition. We can come to God, the Creator, the Holy, the Infinite, the Perfect, the Powerful, on one condition. This condition is hidden in the theme of bread and wine in these mosaics.
The Only Way to the Divine – Bread and Wine / Body and Blood
Jesus Christ came to earth in his human body and sacrificed his life on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins and the destruction of the walls between us and the Holy God. Only through this sacrifice can we come before God, cleansed and completely by grace. The bread and wine represent the body and blood of Jesus Christ, which he sacrificed for the salvation of each of us.
At the last supper before the journey of the cross, Jesus Christ says to his disciples:
Then he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to them. “This is my body sacrificed for you. "Do this in remembrance of me," he said. Likewise, after the meal, he took the cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you. (Luke 22: 19 – 20)
The only way we can approach God with courage is through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. We can reach God cleanly through His body and blood.
We can enter the most sacred area (Naos), the Living area, through the body and blood of Jesus Christ, the lord of the universe, who meets us at the entrance of Chora (Kariye) Church.
The Importance of the Bread and Wine Rite in Churches
The most important source about why and how the Bread and Wine rite should be used in worship in churches is written in 1 Corinthians 11: 23 - 26 in the New Testament.
I learned from the Lord what I convey to you. On the night he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” I learned from the Lord what I convey to you. On the night he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and said, “This is my body, given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” Likewise, after the meal, he took the cup and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. "Do this in remembrance of Me whenever you drink." As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until his coming.
Additionally, in Didake (60 AD – AD90), one of the oldest known written documents in Christian history, there are important instructions on how the bread and wine ritual should be performed. In the light of this information, let's look at why the Bread and Wine ceremony, which constitutes an important part of worship in churches, is performed. We need to know that all Christian churches, no matter how different their traditions and denominations, believe in the foundation of the gospel. There are some different technical details in worship practices. However, there are two basic rituals that many churches accept in common. These are called Sacraments. The first of these is baptism and the other is the Bread and Wine ritual. The bread and wine service may be called differently in churches. In some churches it is called the Lord's Supper, in some it is called the Eucharist, and in some it is called Communion. Now let's look at these basic concepts:
