[Sept 20]--The Lord’s Supper: Salvation Future

Matt. 26:26-30

The Lord’s Supper or Communion, or whatever term you have for it, is a mine of rich symbolism of our salvation. We looked at how it represents our salvation past and present, so let’s look at how it pictures our salvation in the future.

The image of a feast, especially a wedding feast, is used multiple times in Scripture to symbolize our eternal destiny. Isaiah 25:6-8 is one of the first: “On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine— the best of meats and the finest of wines.” Several of Jesus’ parables used a wedding feast as the setting, such as "The Wedding Feast" and "The Ten Virgins," and he used this image in warning the Jews of his time that they'd be excluded from God’s final celebration unless they repented and believed in him. And of course the last book of the Bible uses this word-picture in 19:6-9: “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” At the last supper Jesus had with his disciples before the Passion, today’s passage records him saying that he would “not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom."

We don’t know all the details about the future, and we don’t need to. The main point that the Lord is trying to get across to us is celebration. We'll all sit down and enjoy his presence forever and ever. We'll meet with saints we’ve only read about, along with millions of countless faces whose names'll only be made famous at the consummation of history.

This is what we should think about when we participate in Communion. This is why Paul told us that “whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."

Hopefully this will make the Lord’s Supper a bit more meaningful for you. It’s both sadness and joy, a memorial and expectation, solemnity and festivity. He’s inviting you to his table, and his feast is prepared. Are you coming?

Lord Jesus, I can’t wait to see what you have in store. You've spent the last 2000 years getting your feast ready, and you’re almost ready to call the guests. Do you have more people for me to invite?