How did Martin Luther understand Christ’s presence in the bread and wine?

Martin Luther rejected the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, which posits that the bread and wine lose their substance and are replaced by the body and blood of Christ. Instead, Luther taught that Christ’s body and blood are physically present in the Eucharist alongside the bread and wine.12

Luther’s understanding, often referred to as the real presence, maintains that Christ is present "in, with, and under" the elements of the offering. He based this belief on a literal interpretation of Christ’s words, "This is my body". Crucially, for Luther, the bread and wine do not change their substance; rather, the body and blood of Christ substantially coexist with the elements.134

This view distinguished Luther from other reformers like Huldrych Zwingli, who interpreted the words of institution symbolically and argued for a spiritual presence rather than a physical one. Luther’s rejection of transubstantiation also served to undercut sacerdotalism, as he believed the priest’s actions did not miraculously alter the substance of the elements.241