Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Mark 14:22

"And as they were eating, he took bread, and when he had blessed, he brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take ye: this is my body." — Mark 14:22 (ASV)

The bread Jesus took was the unleavened bread of the Passover meal. He first gave thanks. After that blessing, Jesus divided the bread and gave it to his disciples with the words, “This is my body.” Since this saying of Jesus was separated from the cup-saying by the eating of the main part of the meal, it is best to understand it as separate from that saying. The significant action of Jesus was the distribution of the bread, not its breaking. The bread represented his body, i.e., his abiding presence, promised to the disciples on the eve of his crucifixion; and the words become a pledge of the real presence of Jesus wherever and whenever his followers celebrate the Supper. The wine (used later) symbolized his blood about to be shed.

That Jesus did not mean that the bread became his body is clear; it remained ordinary bread. Jesus often used symbolic language to speak of himself (cf. Jn 8:12; 10:11; 14:6; 15:1). What Christ wants us to do in the supper is lovingly to remember his sacrifice, to embrace him by faith, and to anticipate his glorious return.