The Lord’s Table
There is a connection between the OC Passover and the NC
Lord’s Table. The Passover was an animal
sacrifice that looked forward to the time when it would no longer be needed; it
was a prophecy that looked forward to its fulfillment. That fulfillment was Christ, the Lamb of God
being slain for us. As the OT believer
ate it in faith they looked forward to the time in which the true Lamb would be
slain for the forgiveness of their sins.
The Passover also looked back at their deliverance from Egypt, but the
danger for the Jew was to not realize that it primarily looked forward to true
deliverance from sin.
As Christ prepares to fulfill that type, he institutes a new
observance that causes us to look backward but also look at the present and to
look forward as well. Like the Passover
it anticipates a time in which it will no longer be needed. There are two basic truths that each NT
account mentions.
First of all, they all tell us that the bread and the cup
are symbols of his body and blood that were given for the remission of
sins. In the original each one says
consistently that the body was given and the blood was poured out. This is tied to how our sins are forgiven by
his death and that this is the essence of the NC. And so the first thing the observance of this
table does is to connect us to the past, to the day in which a suitable
substitute was lifted up and took our place.
He is the reason we are at peace with God because he took away the guilt
of our sin. This is why Jesus said to do
this in remembrance of me. We remember
his death, we do not re-crucify him, and we thank God that he died once for all
time for the sins of his people. Heb 10:12
But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he
sat down at the right hand of God, Heb 10:14
For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are
being sanctified.
Secondly, we don’t just remember but we eat the
symbols. We acknowledge that Christ
hasn’t just done something in the past but indwells us now and gives us life
and light and joy and peace. He
satisfies us with good things now and he has united us to his body and we share
communion with God’s people now. We are
growing in our knowledge and fellowship of him.
He indwells us with his Spirit and has sealed us until the day of his
return. Perhaps it is this last thing
that we are to especially consider at the present. We have been united to his death so that it
is a present reality and assurance to us.
Thirdly, this allows us to look forward to the day when we
shall no longer observe a rite that reminds and anticipates because we will be
safe in the eternal presence of God and in complete and unbroken fellowship
with him. Sin will no longer cause us to
forget and ignore our Savior but we will enjoy him perfectly.
In each of the gospel accounts Jesus makes it a point to say
that he will not drink of the fruit of the vine until he does so in the kingdom
of God. A lot could be said about this
but I think Paul sums it up in his account where he says, 1Co 11:26 For as often as you
eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Once he comes we won’t have to have this
observance because we will be enjoying the fullness of the kingdom.
Bread and wine in the Bible also speak of our needs being
met and the fullness of joy. Christ was
saying that he is going away but when he comes back we will once again sit down
with him and enjoy true fulfillment and true joy in the day in which all our
enemies have been destroyed.
So this table unites our past and our present and our
future. Because it is a celebration of
Christ and he is our perfect salvation, our abundant life now and our glorious
hope that awaits. Let us use it as time
of worship; to thank him for being a perfect savior and to commit our present
life to him and to be faithful until the day that he comes back for us to
receive him unto himself.
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