THE LORD’S SUPPER
2004-2005
LESSON EIGHT
How useful and comforting for consciences this doctrine is which is based on the proper and natural meaning of the last will and testament of Christ.
A. Task in this study.
1. Not only to consider what is present, distributed and received.
2. Also, the importance, benefit, efficacy and salutary value.
a. Will call attention only to main points.
b. Will assist in confirming the proper and natural meanings of the words.
c. Will assist in encouraging us to love and defend His last will.
d. Losing the words in their proper meanings at the very least weakens the consolations and confirmations offered.
B. We look to Him for the kind of consolation and confirmation offered.
1. Lk 9:35.
2. We must fight to retain the proper and natural meaning of His will.
3. He knows what is best for us to remedy our infirmities.
4. Particularly “Take, eat and drink, this is My body, this is My blood.”
C. Even if no consolation had been stated, we still could not set aside His words.
1. He would not give us that which was useless or dangerous to salvation.
2. But, Scripture shows usefulness.
a. If unworthy eating is eating to judgment to oneself,
b. Then, worthy eating is participation in Christ and of all His merits.
3. “This do” includes entire act of institution.
4. “This do in remembrance of me” is the kind of remembrance in which for our restoration, He:
a. Assumed human nature.
b. Gave His assumed body into death and shed His blood as a ransom for us, and
c. Offers for us to receive this body and blood in order that this memory of Him, which is faith, may by this eating be more and more aroused, preserved and confirmed.
5. In this way, the new covenant is applied, confirmed, and sealed to each person who eats in faith.
A. Our faith
1. Ought to lay hold on Christ as God and man,
2. In that nature by which He has been made our neighbor and brother.
B. The life which belongs to the deity resides in the assumed humanity.
1. Adversaries teach that our faith should:
a. Turn away from the present celebration of the Supper, and
b. In its thoughts, ascend above all heavens and there seek and embrace Christ in His majesty.
c. Even though they admit they do not know in what place in heaven He is dwelling according to the mode of His true body.
2. But, the words of His will teach that:
a. Christ Himself is present with us in the celebration of the Supper with both His deity and His flesh.
b. He comes to us in order to lay hold on us (Php 3:12).
c. He joins us to Himself as intimately as possible.
d. This brings sweetest comfort.
C. Christ, God and man, must lay hold on us for there to be union between Him and us.
1. We are not yet able to enter the secret places of heaven (Col 2:18,19).
2. We are not yet able to penetrate Him in glory nor to bear the glory of His majesty.
a. Mt 17:2-7.
b. Ac 9:3-9.
3. Therefore, His body and blood are present, distributed and received under the bread and wine.
4. He does not want us wandering around heaven uncertain in which area we ought to look for Christ in His human nature.
5. He shows by visible signs where He wills to be present.
A. Adversaries teach:
1. That the deity of Christ is the medium through which we are joined to His flesh.
2. Which is separated from us by a very long distance.
B. We teach:
1. Because of alienation through sin from the life of the Deity,
2. Our weakness cannot bear Him to be dealing with us except through a medium.
3. Therefore, He assumed our nature that through His human nature (consubstantial with us), the Deity might deal with us.
C. His humanity is the point of connection between us and God Himself.
1. He not only assumed our nature.
2. He also restores it again for us by distribution in the Supper.
3. Thereby draws us into communion and union with the deity itself.
A. Our flesh.
1. Originally adorned with all heavenly and divine gifts.
2. Through fall, became corrupted by sin and doomed to death.
1. Assumed our nature, but without sin.
2. In that nature, condemned sin, destroyed death, and restored that nature to life.
C. Now:
1. He has in His own Person sanctified, restored, and blessed human nature.
2. To make certain these blessings apply to us, He offers in this Supper, the very nature which He assumed from us and in Himself restored.
A. The price of our redemption is His body and blood.
B. The question:
1. To whom does this promise pertain?
2. Who are the receivers of this benefit of Christ?
3. Jn 3:16.
C. But anxious and fearful minds have doubts arise.
D. Therefore, He willed in His Supper to confirm and seal to us the demonstration and application of the Gospel promise with a certain and firm guarantee.
E. But how?
1. He uses bread and wine, but these are partly expelled from our system.
2. Therefore, He distributes His very body and His very blood in the present.
3. There can be no more faithful, firm or efficacious sign and seal of the promise and grace.
4. Demonstration made not only in general way, but to the individuals.
a. Ancients used adaptation of formula to the individual.
b. Recipient would respond: “Amen”.
5. He says how He wants the sealing to take place, by eating and drinking.
A. His human nature:
1. Has now been removed from all miseries.
2. Now resides in the glory of the Father.
B. But our nature.
1. Is still befouled with sinfulness.
2. Therefore, our faith is under the cross.
3. Is still tossed about by temptations.
C. He offers us His own body and blood which have been exalted above all miseries into glory.
1. Joins Himself to this miserable nature of ours.
2. Thereby gives us certainty that we too shall someday be conformed to His glorious body.
3. Canon of Nicaea calls the body and blood we receive in the Supper symbols (Greek:sumbola) of our resurrection.
a. Sumbola: tokens given to guests that they might be recognized as a guest.
b. We are admitted to the heavenly fatherland.
c. Symbols of our own resurrection and glorification.
A. The New Testament is that covenant of grace described in Jer 31:33,34.
1. Established and confirmed by the shedding of His blood.
2. But, it is necessary that we be brought into this covenant and remain in it.
3. Received into this covenant by the Spirit through Baptism.
4. Preserved in it thorough the Word.
B. But we still are subject to fear.
C. Therefore, Lord willed that in His Supper our faith be strengthened by a definite pledge and guarantee.
1. That we be assured.
2. Thereby He bears witness that He strongly wills to preserve us in this covenant.
D. We often violate this covenant of grace.
1. We return to our Baptism.
2. For fuller assurance, we are constantly received and restored through His Supper.
E. Further, it conflicts with the nature of a pledge, sign or guarantee if we are separated by an immense distance .
1. When things begin to slip away due to forgetfulness or neglect, are brought back to memory.
a. Mk 14:9.
b. 2Ti 1:3.
2. Loss of faith: forgetfulness (2Pe 1:9).
B. A true remembrance is an arousing, preserving, and augmenting of living and growth faith.
C. By taking hold of His life-giving flesh, we are:
1. Trained.
2. Nourished.
3. Preserved.
4. Increased.
5. Confirmed.
A. Supper is not only a figurative admonition regarding our fellowship and love for one another.
B. Because He joins Himself most intimately to us.
1. He will work powerfully and efficaciously in the believers.
2. So that, because our Head is among us, we also may be members of one another.
3. 1Co 10:17.
4. 1Co 12:13.
A. Followers of adversaries typically show less frequent use.
B. The more we love it.
1. The more diligently we will defend it.
2. The more tenaciously we will defend the proper, simple, and natural meaning of the words.
Note: See Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, Vol. III, pp. 373,374, and 379f
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