Did you know Jesus has already obtained redemption for believers?
Catholicism denies this by teaching: “The work of our redemption is carried on” every time the Eucharist is celebrated (CCC, 1405) God’s Word declares: “He [Jesus] entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (Heb. 9:12). “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7).
I think the key word in Hebrews 9:12 is eternal. If something is eternal, it goes on and on forever. The word eternal does not refer to something only in the past tense. Eternal things exist outside of the boundaries of time and they continue without interruption. The Eucharist is an eternal gift from God. Those who receive the Eucharist step outside of time. They are with Jesus at the Last Supper. They are with Jesus at the foot of the Cross. They are with Jesus at His resurrection. They are with Jesus in Heaven at the marriage supper of the Lamb. They are present with Jesus in all of these places and times simultaneously. The gift of the Eucharist is mysterious, mystical, and miraculous.
The Eucharist was never meant to be a one-time event. Jesus commanded the breaking of the bread to continue when He said, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” The Eucharistic meal, like the Passover meal of the Old Covenenant, is a memorial of redemption. The Eucharist, however, is not just a memorial, it is also a real communion with Christ.
Judge what I say: Is not the cup of blessing which we bless a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ? 1 Corinthians 10:15-16
Is the Body and Blood of Christ eternal? Is our redemption through the Body and Blood of Christ? I think the Bereans would, after a thorough search of Scripture, answer “yes” to both questions. Therefore, everytime that we partake of the bread and the cup which St. Paul refers to in 1 Corinthians 10, we participate in our eternal redemption.
