The first thing that we learn about the Spirit of God in the Bible is that He hovered over matter. God the Father had spoken that matter into existence, and the Word which was powerfully spoken that way was God the Son, God the Word. And then the Spirit came, and He hovered over the …
Nabals at the Supper
In 1 Samuel 25, we are told the story of Nabal, Abigail, and David. It was the time of shearing, a time of prosperity for Nabal, a prosperity made possible by David. Nabal was celebrating this by means of a drunken feast. When messengers came from David, seeking to be included in the blessing, Nabal …
Two Kinds of Kings
There are two kinds of kings in Scripture. In the gospel of Mark, chapter 6, we see them placed side by side so that we might see the stark contrast between them. Herod had a big birthday bash, and the daughter of his illicit wife danced for them all, and Herod promised to give her …
To Gladden the Hearts of All Men
This is a meal of bread and wine, not milk and honey, but we need to talk about milk and honey anyway. The land of Canaan, the land to be inherited by Israel, is routinely described as a land flowing with milk and honey, and it is the land of blessing, the land of their …
No Ritual of Death
We gather to feed on the body of Christ, and to drink His blood, but do not make the mistake of thinking that it is some ritual form of macabre cannibalism. The Lord is risen, and we are partaking of His resurrection life. This is no corpse ritual. We are privileged to partake of the …
The Destroyer and the Sacramental People
In his discussion of the Lord’s Supper in Corinthians, Paul tells them that there is no temptation overtaking them that was not common to man. The context of this exhortation was the fact that they had apparently been putting on airs, over against the Jews. We have been baptized. We have spiritual food, they were …
The Blessing, the Bread and the Wine
In Genesis 14, Melchizedek greets Abraham as he returns from the slaughter of the kings. “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And …
He Has the Same Problem
As one writer aptly put it, one of the reasons we go to church is to learn how to love people we don’t like very much. And the testing point of this is here, at this Table. When you come, you are coming as a reconciled people, and this means that you are not only …
Don’t Bring That to the Table
We have been considering the Lord’s odd choice of table companions. First the religious fussers are upset with Him. “Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them” (Luke 15:1). But Jesus is not in …
Jesus Walks Right By This
We have been noting that this meal is a meal with Christ and, as such, it is similar to the meals He would eat during the time of His earthly ministry. And one of the characteristics of the meals He had during His earthly ministry is that they drew criticism from the pious. “And when …