LUKE 22:7–20
And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer”
(Luke 22:15).
When Jesus and the Twelve reclined for the Passover meal, Jesus told them that He had been greatly desiring to eat this last meal with them because He would not eat it again until the fulfillment of the kingdom. During the Passover meal, Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, telling the disciples to eat and drink in remembrance of Him.
It seems Jesus is telling us that we may forget many things in the Bible, but there is one thing we must never forget. Every time we break bread and drink the cup, we must look to His suffering and death for our sins.
The Lord’s Supper also has a forward look, as Jesus makes clear in verses 16 and 18. The celebration of the Lord’s Supper today is a joyous foretaste of the future feast that God has promised His people in heaven, which will commemorate the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Is there an aspect of the meal that points to a present reality? Christians are divided on the issue of exactly how Jesus is present at His table. Roman Catholics have one view, Lutherans another, and the many Protestant and Reformed churches another, while some others see the Supper as a mere symbol. The vast majority of Christians affirm some kind of “real presence” of Christ at the Lord’s Supper, but the exact nature of it is the disputed issue. Thus, in addition to the fact that the Supper points back to the Cross and forward to heaven, it also provides us present fellowship with our Savior.
It is true that Jesus is present with us at all times, and when two or three are gathered in His name, He is there with them. There is, however, a special sense in which He is mysteriously present with us at the Lord’s Supper.
CORAM DEO
Ezekiel 27–28
James 4
Americans today celebrate a meal to commemorate God’s providence in making them a free nation. Are our Founding Fathers here with us when we eat? Is this meal a guarantee that our nation shall always exist? Consider the differences and similarities between these two meals and ask yourself: Which meal do I look forward to more?
For further study: Matthew 22:1–14; 1 Corinthians 11:17–34; Revelation 19:1–9; tape #B57INT.88/89
friday
november