The apostle Paul teaches us that we are all one loaf (1 Cor. 10:17). We are one body, one loaf, one congregation. We symbolize this by symbolically partaking of one loaf. Now if it happens that we have more saints gathered than can be fed by one loaf, no matter. The Lord once took five …
Threat and Promise
The Bible describes God has one who sometimes repents, sometimes changing His mind (Gen. 6:7). The Scripture also describes God as one who does not do so (1 Sam. 15:29). How are we to harmonize this? We know that with regard to His eternal decrees God freely and unalterably ordains whatsoever comes to pass. But …
The Only Real Christian
The words of grace that surround this Table of grace are glorious words. The great Augustine once said that if God gave what He commanded, He could command whatever He wanted. This Table has conditions—the unholy are not welcome. This Table contains a promise—the unholy are most welcome. Scripture frequently assigns conditions to us. If …
What Else Was Broken?
The words of institution say that this bread is the body of Christ, which is broken for you. But that is not the only thing that is broken. Scripture says, “We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19, ESV). When Christ …
Brokenness and Unity
When I lift up the loaf and break it, this fraction of the bread is a key element of our observance of the Supper here. It is not just important because Jesus broke the loaf He had, and we are to mimic everything without understanding. No, there is a world of glory in everything here. …
To Untie Every Knot
The Puritan William Bridge once said that “the word ‘father’ is a sweet word, for it sweetens all our duties.” So it is here. We have a duty or an obligation to come here to the Supper, but at the same time, it is a sweet duty. The Lord Jesus is here, His Spirit is …
Done With Accusation
This Table goes by various names, like the Eucharist, which means thanksgiving, or by the Lord’s Supper, or the Lord’s Table. One of the common names for it is communion. In this meal, we have communion with the Lord Jesus, and with one another. But communion entails more than a nebulous spirit of unity. Christian …
Keeping It All
This Table embodies one of the central realities of the Christian life, which is the glory of my life for yours. Of course, it doesn’t seem that way. It is designed to seem different than it is, so that we can walk by faith, and not by sight. How can breaking bread make it whole? …
And We All Qualify
We serve a merciful God, but one who does not trifle with sin. When we come before Him, forgetful of our sins, in that self-serving and convenient way we have, He remembers them. In Hos. 8:13, when the worshipers came to offer their sacrifices, there God promised to remember their iniquity. But this is the …
God Prepares Both Meal and Eaters
At this Table, God delights to feed us. But God does not just feed us, He prepares us to be fed. He undertakes the feeding, and He undertakes the preparation for feeding. Of course, the preparations began before the foundation of the world, when God the Father elected a people for Himself. And the preparations …