What Happens At The Lord's Table?
Jan 13, 2010
What Happens at the Lord’s Table?
Over the past decade, there has been an increasing awareness within Evangelicalism of the central need of the gospel not only to get started in the Christian life but also to continue on in the Christian life (Gal. 3:3). Such awareness has brought a much-needed corrective to many erroneous views of discipleship and spiritual growth. The Biblical teaching is clear that the gospel is the means for spiritual growth.
Much of the focus and discussion has been directed to the cross, which is certainly correct! The cross was preeminent in the apostles teaching and writing. The message of the cross rests at the heart of the gospel (cf., 1 Cor. 15:1-4).
However, despite all the helpful books that have been written, there has been little attention given to the sacraments (some may also argue the resurrection) and the vital role they play in the believer’s spiritual growth. To be sure, the sacraments are dependent upon the Word of God. Apart from the Word, they are empty signs. But when joined with the Word and the Spirit, the sacraments play a vital role in the believer’s spiritual growth. Robert Bruce writes, “The Word leads us to Christ by the ear; the Sacraments lead us to Christ by the eye,” (The Mystery of the Lord’s Supper, p. 30). Therefore, if the gospel is recognized as the key means of spiritual growth, it is regrettable that many fail to give more emphasis to the beneficial role the sacraments play in the discipleship process.
The sacraments visibly and tangibly placard the promises of God before believers. They are signs and seals of the covenant of grace, which assure believers that God’s promises are indeed “Yes and Amen” for them. These visible words help strengthen our faith and nurture discipleship. Hence, they play a vital role in public worship, which is critical to the discipleship process.
How then does the Lord’s Supper, which is a visible proclamation of the gospel, serve to strengthen our faith and nurture discipleship? What exactly happens?
One of the phrases Paul regularly uses to speak of the believer’s union with Christ is, “in Christ,” (e.g., 1 Cor. 1:2, 30; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 3:26; Eph. 1:1, 3; 2:6). In Ephesians 1:3, Paul states that the believer’s union with Christ is the wellspring of all his spiritual blessings. Union with Christ is the foundation for all of our obedience to God. It is the key to living a holy life (i.e., discipleship). Yet, without assurance of this union, genuine spiritual growth is impossible. Walter Marshall wrote,
“You cannot love God if you are under the continual, secret suspicion that He is really your enemy!...This kind of slavish fear will compel you to some hypocritical obedience…However you will never truly love God if you are compelled only by fear…You simply cannot love God unless you know and understand how much He loves you…In the gospel, you can come to know that God truly loves you through Christ. When you have this assurance, you can even love your enemies, because you know that you are reconciled to God,” (The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification, pp. 31-32).
Because the reality and nature of our union with Christ is difficult to apprehend, Jesus gave us The Lord’s Supper to assure us of our union with Him. This “spiritual banquet,” as John Calvin called it, assures us that we are made one with Christ and that the whole Christ with all of His benefits are applied and given to us. Calvin writes,
Since, however, this mystery of Christ’s secret union with the devout is by nature incomprehensible, he shows its figure and image in visible signs best adapted to our small capacity. Indeed, by giving guarantees and tokens he makes it as certain for us as if we had seen it with our own eyes. For this very familiar comparison penetrates into even the dullest minds: just as bread and wine sustain physical life, so are souls are fed by Christ. We now understand the purpose of this mystical blessing, namely, to confirm for us the fact that the Lord’s body was once for all so sacrificed for us that we may now feed upon it, and by feeding feel in ourselves the working of that unique sacrifice…(Institutes, 4.17.1).
Through the Gospel and faith, the Holy Spirit brings believers into union with Christ and through the Lord’s Supper the Spirit makes this union certain for us. The Spirit brings believers into a deeper and fuller fellowship with Christ, who in turn makes them more holy. Consequently, unless the outward signs are conjoined with the inward ministry of the Spirit, this sacrament is to no avail. We must therefore pray and ask God to be present by His Holy Spirit (Bruce, The Mystery of the Lord’s Supper, pp. 31, 55).
In the Lord’s Supper, when the Spirit is present, the believer is helped not only to remember Christ’s death in the history of it but also in the mystery of it (Marshall, The Gospel Mystery, p. 205). The Holy Spirit reveals Christ to us and increasingly assures us of our union with Him. We are made to “feel” that Christ’s body was broken for us, and that His blood was shed for the forgiveness of our sins.
God wants His people to receive and enjoy all the promises of the gospel. He therefore instituted the Lord’s Supper as an ongoing gospel-reminder that Christ’s body and blood, just as bread and drink, are totally sufficient to nourish our souls to everlasting life. When we eat and drink the signs by faith, the Spirit assures us that we are as closely united to Christ as the food is to our bodies (Marshall, p. 205). “Indeed,” writes Bruce, “so truly is the Body of Christ conjoined with the bread, and the Blood of Christ conjoined with the wine, that as soon as you receive the bread in your mouth you receive the Body of Christ in your soul, and that by faith. And as you receive the wine in your mouth, you receive the Blood of Christ in your soul, and that by faith,” (The Mystery of the Lord’s Supper, pp. 35-36).
God’s favor is placarded before us in the humble signs of bread and wine. This gospel blessing assures us of His great love for us and it deepens our delight in Him. Gospel-driven believers recognize and avail themselves of these guarantees and tokens of God’s favor. They understand the vital role this sacrament plays for their spiritual growth and deepening discipleship.
Through the visible signs of bread and wine, the Holy Spirit assures us of our invisible union with Christ. He makes real the invisible food of the Gospel. He assures us that we have been received once and for all into the Father’s family as beloved, adopted sons (Gal. 4:6-7). O, how great this gift is in light of those too frequent moments when we are acutely aware of our sins and failures! By this spiritual banquet, believers can gather great assurance and delight (Institutes, 4.17.2). We can taste and see that the Lord is good and thereby delight ourselves in Him!
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