Jesus asked His disciples if they would also go away. “Where could we go?” Peter replied. “You have the words of eternal life.” He said this confessing that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. And this is what we also confess. When we do, we are confessing what God has already declared Himself – in the Incarnation, at the baptism of Christ, and with His resurrection. All these realities are also declared of us in our baptism – which is not our declaration concerning God, but God’s declaration concerning His Son and all who are in Him.
Ultimately, there are only two tables at which we may sit down – the table of the Lord and the table of demons – and we do not want any of our children to partake with devils. And so I want particularly to invite some of you covenant children who may have been holding back from this table. You are with us – you may partake. If you are baptized, and if you can hear these words that “this is the Table of the Lord,” you are welcome. You may be worried because you do not understand the Table fully yet, but do not be concerned about this – neither does your pastor.
We grow up into Christ and into a right wisdom because we are fed. We do not grow up strong, and then earn the right to eat at His Table as a reward. We eat and consequently grow. We do not grow and consequently eat. So all you, from the least to the greatest, the people of God in whom He delights – come, sit down, take and eat, take and drink. Grace is dangerous, but not in the way we think.