Every week, when I read the words of institution for this Supper, it includes the phrase “you show the Lord’s death till He comes.” This means that this meal has two elements in it—consummation and delay. We commune with the Lord now, and we show the Lord’s death until He comes. The showing of the …
Dews and Downpours
As we come to this Table week after week, we are approaching the Lord Jesus. We are partaking of Him, and being knit together with one another in love. But sometimes, it might not feel that way to us. Sometimes we are tempted to be discouraged because we don’t sense the progress strongly enough. But …
Unclean Crows All Over It
In Genesis 15, Abraham is told to offer a sacrifice in which the sacrificial animals were divided in two. This was a time when God was going to give him a great promise concerning his posterity, and it was a numinous and holy moment. But when birds came down upon the sacrifice, they were treating …
Being Fitted
The Puritans used to speak of improving their baptisms. By this they did not mean that the sacrament of baptism had any deficiencies, but rather that the sacrament of baptism was a beginning. God is easily pleased with us, and with our improvements, but He is not easily satisfied. In fact, because we will live …
Peek Out the Door
This is a meal indeed, but it is also preparation for the Meal. It is a true Supper, but it is not the final Supper. All of history is God’s preparation for the final Table of rejoicing, the great Supper of the Lamb. In one way we certainly are at the Table. Sit and eat, …
And Eats Hate
God does not just feed us when times are easy. He feeds us when we are at home and at peace, He feeds us on the road, and He feeds us when we are at war. He sets a Table for us, David says, in the presence of our enemies. There are two ways this …
He Gives Us Food
In partaking of this meal, we are recognizing that the Lord Jesus is our ruler and sovereign. We rejoice in His righteousness, and we exult in His care for us. That care is manifested in a glorious way, here, at this Table. “For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, …
Accepting What He Gives
In just a few moments we are going to be eating and drinking the good news of our salvation. Before we do that, let us hear the good news of our salvation. Our salvation, the whole thing, is God’s gift to us. He is our righteousness, our justification, and our sanctification. He gives Himself to …
Coming Near to Hear
When we gather at the Lord’s Table, we are coming near to Him. We are approaching Him. How could we be partaking of Him and not be coming near? From the vantage of the holy things, our worship is a coming. From the vantage of our daily lives, our worship is a going. Come, let …
Edible Theology, Liquid Doctrine
We sometimes divide up things that ought not to be divided. Just because we can distinguish them does not mean that they should be separated. We can distinguish height, breadth, and depth, but we cannot remove one without removing all of them. We can distinguish soul and body, but to separate them is to die. …