Questions for Littles: Who gave to Paul what he had delivered to the Corinthians (v23)? On what night did Jesus take the bread? What did Jesus do with the bread first (v24)? What did He say they would eat when they obeyed this command? What were they to do in remembrance of Him? In what way did Jesus take the cup (v25)? When did Jesus take the cup? What did He call the cup? In whose blood is this covenant? What were they to do in remembrance of Him?At the Lord’s Table this week, we heard again in what manner Jesus instructs us to make remembrance of Him: by observing the Lord’s Supper.
The Lord’s Supper presents bread and wine to our sight and our smell and our touch and our taste. But it is the Lord’s own body and the Lord’s own blood that the Lord’s Supper presents to our faith.
We have no life in ourselves, so it is unto Christ’s flesh and Christ’s blood that we must look for all of our life (cf. John 6:53)! This is a necessary theological lesson that invites us into a vital theological action: to lift our hearts up to heaven, by the power of the Holy Spirit, who enables us to feed upon Christ, to have our souls nourished upon Him who took to Himself a true human body and soul for us. Hallelujah!
But there is more than a lesson and an action taking place here. For whom is the remembrance! The Lord has used such covenantal language before. Signs are not signs only unto us, but also unto Him. He gives the sign, and He promises to respond to it according to the terms of His covenanting with men.
Were you surprised recently, in Genesis 9:14 that God promised that there will be a rainbow in every cloud? How come we cannot always see it? Part of the answer is that it’s not just there for us! It is a sign between God and between us (Gen 9:12).
In fact, it is specifically God Himself who “remembers” (acts accordingly to) the covenant by its sign in 9:15 and 9:16! And so it is with many other covenant signs (circumcision, the blood of the Passover Lamb, etc.)
So also at the table with us. The Lord’s Supper is not only a remembrance unto us, but unto God! It is not only unto us that Christ’s death is “proclaimed” (v26, literally “shown forth”), but unto God.
When He sees the sign that He has appointed, He acts upon us according to His promises, as secured by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, Hallelujah!
Let us learn to treasure this Supper, in which the Lord invites us to act upon Him, even as He also responds to His own sign by acting upon us.
How do you prepare for the Supper? What do you think about and do at the table?Suggested Songs: ARP191 “I Love the Lord” or HB442 “Here, O My Lord, I See Thee Face to Face”
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