Words that Function Performatively

 When a cop says, "You're under arrest."  You are indeed, under arrest.

When the umpire says, "You're out."  There's no use arguing, you're out.

These are indeed examples of words that mean what they say.  There are verbal expressions that definitely mean what they say.

Wouldn't that be even more so when Jesus Christ utters words?  

In Genesis we hear that creation occurred through divine speech, "God said, 'Let there be light' and there was light...God said, 'Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.' And it happened.  

God is not describing, His words are performing.  This is the case with Jesus. "And the Word became flesh and lived among us."  John 1: 14  Think of Jesus' healings.  He speaks and the cure happens.  Again and again, Jesus' words are shown to be efficacious in producing what they pronounce.

The night before He died, Jesus performed His most important words, "Take, eat; this is my body...drink...for this is my blood..." Matt 26: 26-28  Jesus words are producing what they pronounce.