We are told that as often as we partake of this meal, we proclaim (katangello) the Lord’s death, and we are also told that this reality will be in force until He comes again. In this sense, the entire Christian church is a herald, an ambassador, a preacher. We announce, we declare, we proclaim.
What we are proclaiming is the death of Jesus. His shed blood for us, and His broken body for us, are the subject of the declared message.
How does the resurrection fit into this? We know that if Christ were not raised from the dead, we Christians of all men are most to be pitied (1 Cor. 15:19). The resurrection is what brings the account of Christ’s passion to a glorious fruition. We know that Christ was raised to life for our justification (Rom. 4:25).
So the resurrection is crucial, but let us remark on that word crucial, which comes from the Latin word for cross.
We break bread together on the Lord’s Day, which is the weekly commemoration of His resurrection. But what we do on that day of resurrection is focus on the death of Jesus. The wine is His blood and the bread is His broken body. When Paul was reminding the Galatians of his preaching to them, he emphasized how pronounced his emphasis had been on the crucifixion (Gal. 3:1). Christ as crucified had been placarded before them, He had been bill-boarded in their presence as crucified. Paul says the same thing to the Corinthians. He resolved to know nothing among them except Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2).
Now to enable us to do this faithfully, God did not give us a crucifix. We are not to try to portray the depth of what God did for us in the cross of Jesus without own invented means for doing it. We are given two central instruments by God. One is the proclamation of the gospel, the preaching of the announced Word. The second is this enacted meal.
So come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ.
The majority of the professing Christian world believes that there is at least some form of the Real Presence of Christ in the sacramental remembrance of the breaking of the bread and sharing of the cup of wine. Details can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_presence_of_Christ_in_the_Eucharist. For approximately 1500 years, the Real Presence of God existed in the Holy of Holies in the Jewish Tabernacle and Temple. Early in its institution, the glory of the Presence of God was so great that men like Moses and Solomon could not approach the holy place. For examples, see Exodus 40:34-35, 1 Kings 8:11. The… Read more »
Sure. But you can believe in the real presence, as the Reformed do, without believing in the local presence. We certainly don’t believe in the real absence.
Thank you, Sir. How might we have a Real Presence without a local presence? That seems not possible. Now, the image of Dagon, resided in a local place in the temple of Dagon at Ashdod in the land of the Philistines. Now, the dimensions of the Ark of the Covenant were 2.5 cubit by 1.5 cubits by 1.5 cubits as reported in Exodus 25:10, 37:1. Temporarily, the Ark of the Covenant resided in the temple of Dagon at Ashdod (1 Samuel 5). Dagon bowed (twice) before the Ark of the Covenant in that local place. In what local place would… Read more »
I think we have something more than you have internalized, or realized (intellectually). The real presence off the third person of the trinity living in the heart and life of every believer is something greater than was present during the administration of the old covenant. No longer is the law in a book but in a heart. No longer is the presence of God in a room of a tent out a temple, but in a person. If the real presence of Christ were in a wafer, do you think the nonregenerate would stand a better chance of enduring that… Read more »
The presence of God in the form of the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, did exist in the Old Testament. Jeremiah, Elizabeth, John the Baptist, David, Saul were among those who enjoyed the presence of the Spirit during the OT era. The Church is the Bride of Christ and called to a Oneness with the Second Person of the Trinity that we can expect to be consummated at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-10 and events that follow). The Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the bread and wine is a foretaste of the Real… Read more »
With thanks to Peter Leithart at: http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/leithart/2016/02/you-are-a-temple, the relationship of the disciple to the Third Person of the Trinity, the Spirit, is that he or she is a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Co 3:16, 6:19). This appears to me to be an inorganic relationship. The relationship with the Second Person, Jesus Christ, is organic. He is the Vine, we are the branches. He is the Head; we are the Body. He is the husband, we are the Bride. Intimate Oneness exists in the relationship with Jesus Christ that is different than the relationship of being a temple for… Read more »
But good thoughts. Nice to think about.
Once per year, Hannah, Elkanah, Jesus, Joseph and Mary would travel to be in the presence of God at Shiloh or at Jerusalem. At age 12, Jesus extended his stay. The presence of God was a special place to be. It still is a special place and will be a special place eternally.