The Identity of the Victim

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We come to this Table in order remember certain things, and to remember them by means of an enacted memorial. The two principal things we are to remember have to do with the person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

His work is more obvious to us because of the nature of this meal. We have bread to represent His broken body, and we have wine to represent His shed blood. His work was the work of His passion and suffering as He died on a cross of wood in order to satisfy the justice of God.communion20elements20-20dickow

But we also remember the person of Jesus Christ, meaning that we must also remember who He is. It is not just that a man named Jesus died, but that the one who died was God enfleshed. The one who died was the God/man. “To [the Jews] belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen” (Rom. 9:5, ESV).

According to His human nature, He was descended from David. But there was far more to it than that. “and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 1:4, ESV).

Now when we partake of this meal, we are partaking of Christ. And when we partake of Christ, we never partake of a partial Christ. In the gospel, in the proclamation of the Word, and in the sacrament, God gives us Himself through Christ. In a sense, God never gives us anything but Himself, and when He does it, He gives Himself fully.

So as we come here in true and living faith, we rejoice that the Creator/creature distinction is never done away with. We will always be finite. But at the same time the Creator and the creature have been miraculously joined in Jesus of Nazareth, and we are privileged to participate in that glorious union by faith alone.

So come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ.

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