MAUNDY THURSDAY (2)
Text: 1 Corinthians 11:23-25.
Source from Back to Luther with German archive reference. Back to Walther's Epistle Sermons.
Lord Jesus, after you completed the work of redemption, you left the world, withdrawing your visible presence from your disciples. You did this that by the faith with which they find and seize you they will cling to you untill their end. Yet you have not withdrawn yourself completely from them; you instituted a Meal in which we can embrace you not only in faith, but in which you -- oh incomparable love! -- have ordained that we eat and drink your very own body and blood. Through your Spirit lead us on this day of the institution of this Meal into this very mystery itself, that we may recognize the miracle of your grace, learn to use it for our salvation, truly thank you for it, firmly cling to it, and faithfully guard this greatest treasure of your Church, even in these last times, so that your death will be continually proclaimed on earth until you come. Hear us, O Jesus, for your name's sake. Amen.
Dearly redeemed hearers.
Today we again enter a period in which one important and holy day follows upon another. In a few days we will, God willing, celebrate Christ's glorious resurrection, tomorrow his reconciling death on the cross. And today: Today we think of the night when Christ was betrayed, when he instituted the sacrament of the Holy Supper. Is the Lord's Supper so important that we should set aside a special day for commemorating its institution along with the other great deeds of God for our redemption.
Sad to say, things have come to such a pass that nowadays one must ask chat question even of Christians. The Savior himself considered the institution of this Holy Supper so important that as he instituted it at the last Passover, he began his address to the first communicants in the words: "With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer." Lk 22,15. In order to reveal Christ's heart, John begins his report of this last deed of Christ before his suffering with the words: "Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end," Jn 13,1. The Lord and his apostles present the institution of this Holy Supper as a deed whose execution the Lord looked forward to with
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heartfelt longing. He did so because he loved his own, Whom he had to leave behind in this dangerous world, until the end, did not want to leave them orphans, but cared for them in a most wonderful manner. He wanted to crown all his works with one work of special, ardent, divine love.
But how do many Christians, yes, entire denominations view the Holy Supper? Alas, not as a work of Christ’s greatest love, but as a work by which we are to show our miserable love to him! The Holy Supper is viewed merely as a holy, meaningful ceremony, a way of thankfully remembering his bitter suffering and death.
So we ought not be surprised when many Christians consider this day a day of little significance. Why should we solemnly observe the mere command of a duty ? If the Holy Supper actually were just a memorial feast, merely a good work commanded us and not God 1 s work, not an act of divine grace, if we would not really receive Christ's true body and blood, What would be the sense of celebrating its institution?
Why don't they want to believe that Christ's true body and blood Is received in Communion? Christ's own word can not be the reason; he speaks so clearly that even a child can understand it: "This is my body, this is my blood." That reason cannot grasp how Christ could give his body and blood Under the bread and wine can likewise not be the real cause. That God's only begotten Son became a man is an even greater miracle, a more incomprehensible mystery, and yet they say they believe that. The main reason Why even Christians do not want to believe this mystery is the fact that they cannot comprehend why one Should eat Christ's body and drink his blood with their mouth, how this should benefit them. They think: How can Christ's flesh help us? Is it not more important for us to receive Christ's Spirit? Yes, is that not the only important and necessary thing? A mystery which does not promote Our Christianity can not be divine; divine mysteries must be mysteries of piety.
Yes, we could answer: When God clearly reveals something in his Word, we have no business to ask: How can that benefit us? and if we cannot comprehend it to reject it. It is more fitting for us poor shortsighted creatures to believe the all-wise God blindly and lay our hand upon our mouth.
Yet my friends, God has also been gracious enough to answer the question: Why ? This mystery of Christ's body and blood being really present in the Holy Supper is, if it is correctly understood, important for true, living, active faith; yes, it is of the greatest importance. It is this which I will attempt to show you from God's Word. God grant us his grace and blessing; let us pray for it by silently praying the Lord's Prayer.
Quote the text here: 1 Corinthians 11, 23-25.
That is the story of the institution of the Holy Supper, as it Was revealed directly to the apostle by Christ himself. On the basis of these words let me show you:
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE REAL PRESENCE IN HOLY COMMUNION FOR THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
I t is important,
1. For the Faith of the Christian, and
2. For the Love of the Christian.
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I.
No proof is necessary to show that true, living, and active Christianity consists of two parts: faith and love. Anyone who has only a smattering of the Christian faith admits that. From that follows that whatever promotes the Christian’s faith and love is also important and useful for true living Christianity. The first question which we will try to answer today is this: "Does the mystery that Christ's body and blood are truly present in the Holy Supper promote the Christian's faith ?"
That many nowadays do not recognize this, yes, deny it, is undoubtedly often based on the fact that they do not see the relationship of Christ's body and blood in the sacrament to faith. They suppose that if they admit that Christ's body and blood are truly present in this sacrament and are received by all communicants, worthy and unworthy, one must also admit that merely receiving this heavenly treasure saves a person. And so they believe that such a mystery would hinder true Christianity more than help it. And it is true that if such would be the case, it would be far removed from promoting true Christianity; it could serve only to hinder it. Then it would be a work and not faith which would save us, and such a miserable work that even the grossest hypocrite could do it and be saved.
The mystery in communion is entirely different. Christ does not say, "Take, and eat my body and drink my blood for through your eating and drinking you will receive forgiveness of sins and be saved," but he speaks this way: "Take and eat; this is my body which is broken for you; this is my blood which is shed for you." Christ says nary a word that merely eating and drinking his body and blood works faith. Christ's body and blood is not like medicine which makes one well even if taken in one's sleep. It is not as many today dream that Christ's body and blood mixes with our body and soul and sanctifies them like a cultivated graft ennobles a wild tree, plants in us the seed of resurrection, and makes us immortal by itself.
No; the sense of this mystery is a far different one. When the Savior ssys: " Take and eat; this is my body which is broken for you; this is my blood which was shed for you." he indicates that our body should take this heavenly food and drink, not to nourish our body but our soul by means of our faith; our souls should be strengthened. By receiving Christ's body and blood we share in his Spirit. Paul in the verses following our text writes that in the Holy Supper we "have been all made to drink into one Spirit." 1 Cor 12,13.
When Christ adds: " Which is broken for you, which is shed for you, " he indicates that the most important thing in the Holy Supper is not that his body and blood are in it, but that it is that body which was given into death for us, and that blood which was shed for us. The words: " for you " are there for the key which unlocks this mystery of grace in the Lord's Supper. These words are the real heavenly sun, the true star of grace, which shine in the Holy Supper. These words are the divine signature which give this Supper its true worth, its great meaning, its incomparable preciousness. By the words: " Broken for you, shed for you," Christ shows that the real point in the use of the sacrament is not the eating and drinking but knowing and believing that that body and that blood which we receives was given for us and shed for us. The words of Christ, " for you " cannot possibly be a useless addition, something merely added to describe Christ's body and blood. No; whenever we celebrate the Holy Supper and hear Christ's word " for you," he clearly invites us to appropriate to ourselves his sacrificial death in firm faith. That is why we read in the Small Catechism: "It is not the eating and drinking indeed that does them, but the words here written, 'Given and shed for you for the remission of sins.' For the words 'for you' require all hearts to believe."
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This word not only requires our faith, but it also promotes it in such a glorious way as nothing else in the Old and New Testament does.
Bear in mind: That faith which makes one a Christian is that he believes he has a gracious and reconciled God, that he has forgiveness of sins, that he is an heir of eternal life. Without this faith no one is a Christian, without it there is no Christianity. This is, as one might say, the Christian's real assignment in this life. Everything depends on this faith. If he is apd remains in this faith until the end, if he lives and dies in this faith, he is a Christian, he remains a Christian, he dies a Christian, and inherits eternal salvation.
But this is a difficult assignment. Opposed to, it are great and mighty hindrances. Oh yes, it is not difficult for a Christian to believe, that the entire world was reconciled with God, redeemed, and its salvation earned through Christ's sacrifice on the cross. This is most clearly stated in so many words in Scripture. But to believe that this reconciliation, this redemption, this salvation concerns also him, that he shares in it, that, that is so difficult for a Christian to believe. He does not find his name in the Scriptures but instead that many will not be saved even though they are redeemed. If a Christian does not feel the gracious working of the Holy Spirit, if instead he feels the drivings of sin, oh how difficult it is to believe that he not only belongs to those redeemed, reconciled, and saved by the cross but that he can also comfort himself by that cross against sin, law, death, judgment, God's wrath, Satan, and hell ! Oh, how often his heart is like a tossing sea in which one wave of doubt after the other rises and falls!
What more powerful, what more comforting, what more glorious means can there be to assure such a doubting Christian, strengthen his sinking courage, fill his dead heart with life, peace, and joy than when at Christ's command his body and blood is given him with the assurance: "Take, eat and drink; this is that which was given and broken and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins, for your reconciliation, redemption, and salvation!?" The voice of doubt must become silent; there the general redemption at Christ's command is announced to him personally; it is appropriated with the most wonderful and positive pledge that one can have in heaven and on earth.
Suppose we had incurred a debt which we could not have paid off and for which we would have to expect momentarily that we would be thrown into a debtor's prison; but then a rich man, whom we had often offended, had someone tell us that he had paid our entire debt. If our creditor were not present, we could never be certain, the doubt would always arise, whether our debt were actually paid. But if that wealthy man would give this great sum by which he more than paid our debt into our hands, could we still doubt? Certainly pot.
That is true of also our debt of sin. Christ paid it with the ransom of his holy blood by dying on the cross. He has not only commanded that this payment be told to us in the message of the Gospel, but -- oh miracle above all miracles! oh grace above all grace! -- in the Holy Supper he gives the ransom price of his body and blood into our very hands, yes, into our mouth, in order that we do not lose it, but that it becomes completely ours. And then he expressly adds, in order that we do not misunderstand him: "See, this is my body which was given for you on the cross; this is my blood which was shed for you on the tree of the cross."
Dare we, can we still doubt that we share in Christ's payment of our debt ? that we share in his reconciliation, redemption, and salvation? Indeed not! How can he be concerned about the payment of his debt who has received that great sum which far outweighs the debt of all men? How can he doubt that he has a part in the heaven earned for him when even now on earth he share in a heavenly meal at which he is nourished with heavenly food and drink, with such costly food, that the angels desire merely to look at it? How can he doubt, that the sacrifice
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which avails for also him, when God himself places Him who was sacrificed for him into his doubting, trembling heart? How the believers of the Old Covenant rejoiced when they ate the flesh of their Easter lamb! They were assured that they were reckoned as God's people and that all the promises given them were given and sealed to them as well.
Yet they partook of nothing but the picture, merely the shadow, of him who was to come. That which was pictured by their Easter lamb, the essence, the body of the shadow itself, they did not have. But we have it; we have it in the Holy Supper, because we partake of "Christ our passover" who "is sacrificed for us," 1 Cor 5,7 his true body, his true blood, and should we not rejoice with the most joyful faith? Oh, if only it were no miracle that, after we received the inexpressibly precious and blessed pledge, we would cry out at the altar with Simeon: "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace" – and add, "for my mouth has received the body and blood of my Redeemer," and then would immediately die for joy.
When Zechariah, describing the glory of the believers of the New Covenant, exclaims: "How great is his goodness, and how great is his beauty!" he states why: "Corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids." Zech 9,17. He means to say that the consecrated bread and wine of the New Covenant will not make them children in the faith but young men and young women, that is, people strong in the faith, people clothed with the power of youth and strength from on high.
Oh therefore use the Holy Supper often, believing the word of Jesus Christ: " Given and shed for you." You will experience that nothing in heaven or on earth is so powerful in promoting and strengthening your faith as this Meal. You will go as children weak in the faith and return as young men and women strong in the faith. You will experience the truth of the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the Church of the New Covenant: "And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick; the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity." Is 33,24. Yes, and what Zechariah writes: "He that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David," Zech 12,8b, that is, a hero, a conqueror of the lion, the giant of hell.
II.
If I have proven that through the mystery of Holy Communion the faith of the Christian is promoted, let us in the second place briefly ponder how important and useful it is for the Christian's love, for one's entire, true, living, and active Christianity.
Really, this does not need any further proof at all. For if it is certain that by Holy Communion the faith of a Christian is promoted, increased, and strengthened, then nothing else is possible but that his love is also promoted, increased, and strengthened. Faith is like a fire, which cannot exist without giving light and flames. These flames and light are what- love is with its hidden fire; it becomes apparent by good works. The moment a person becomes joyfully certain of his salvation he can do nothing else: His ice cold heart melts; not only does wrath and irreconcilableness disappear, but in this person's heart there arises such a love that he, as we might say, embraces the redeemed world and says by his deeds, that he embraces everyone in love through Christ, who loved everyone.
The Lord's Supper is of such a nature that it especially kindles, increases, and promotes a Christian's love; it can do that because Christ's body
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and blood is truly present and received. The Apostle Paul expresses it this way: "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body; for we are all partakers of that one bread." 1 'Cor 10,16.17. The apostle means to say: My dear Christian, when you partake of the cup of blessing and the bread, all partake of the body and blood of Christ; all of you become one; you enter into an intimate relationship; for as one loaf of bread is made from many kernels of grain, so in Holy Communion you become one body, one mass, even though you are many, because you partake of that one bread and that one and the same body and blood of Christ.
So you see, because in Holy Communion Christ's body is present and partaken by all, communion is a meal of the closest inner union; it is at the same time a feast of the greatest love, which promotes such inner love as well as demanding it. Ue all gather like children around the family table of our one heavenly Father. Though the difference between communicants in civil life may be great, here in Holy Communion all these differences vanish; we all become equal; all eat of the same earthly and heavenly bread and drink the same earthly and heavenly drink; the subject as well as his king, the slave as well as his lord, the beggar as well as the rich, the child as well as the aged, the wife as well as the husband, the most simple as well as the most learned; all communicants are equally poor sinners and beggars, hungry and thirsty for grace. Though the one may be present in a coarse frock, the other in satin and silk with gold and pearls, when they leave they all who were hungry and thirsty carry away Christ's blood and righteousness as their beauty and glorious dress. No one receives a better food and drink. All receive the same Jesus and with him the same righteousness.
Since we, who come to the Lord's Table, know that our fellow communicants have the same Jesus in their hearts as we do, and since they know that we have the same Jesus in our hearts as they do, what else can this produce but the most intimate, ardent brotherly love? Yes, since we by partaking of the same body and blood of Christ become, as it were, one body, one person because we have all, so to say, received the same soul, which common soul is Jesus, we can do nothing else; we must love our fellow communicant as our second self; no person can cease loving himself. The early Christians understood this thoroughly; whenever they celebrated the Holy Supper, they after they had become one heart and one soul embraced each other.
Well now, tell me, is the mystery of Holy Communion only an empty, dead speculation, a theological subtlety, as many claim? You must joyfully admit: No, it is a mystery of godliness, a richly flowing well of pure, true, living Christianity; it demands that faith and love which is the essence of a true, active Christianity, as nothing else does.
Oh, then let us recognize this precious treasure, which our dear Lutheran Church possesses, that by his grace according to God's Word she heartily believes, teaches, and confesses that Christ's body and blood are present in the Lord's Supper and received. Thus our Church has a means of grace which is worth more than heaven and earth. Let us not listen to the voice of the deceiver in these last times: "Yea, hath God said?" Let us the rather thank the Lord for this unspeakably precious treasure. Let us not enter into any union with those who deny the mystery of godliness which lies in the Lord's Supper. Let us remember what such a union will cost us: The loss of the greatest, the most powerful and necessary comfort in our greatest temptations and in the hour of death.
Yes, let us think of that last hour, when we lie on our deathbed, when the cold sweat of death comes upon our benumbed cheeks, and our heart tormented
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by the anxiety of sin will exclaim: I have wasted my life! Oh think of what it will mean when you will have a servant of Jesus Christ, who will come to our bed and, with the consecrated bread and wine in his hand, will say: Do not despair; see, here I bring you help for the difficult journey; be comforted, I bring you the precious body which was sacrificed for the sins of your whole life; I bring you the precious blood which flowed on the cross for your scarlet guilt; I bring you the ransom, which the Judge of all men has already declared is valid and has received for your guilt. Oh, take it and confidently appear before the holy God and he will be gracious to you.
Oh, how will we fare? How it will sweeten the bitterness of death, remove the fear of death from our hearts, and strengthen us to cry out confidently: Even so, come, my Lord Jesus; you are living in my heart, so come and take me home! Ah, may the thought of surrendering this sweetest and most powerful means of comfort be far removed; let us not even endanger it.
Let us use it often in childlike faith; may it bring us light, life, comfort, and power for faith and love; may it make us patient in suffering and finally give us a blessed death. Then, when death finally takes away this Table of Grace on earth, we will be seated at the eternal marriage of the Lamb at the table of heaven. Oh, happy goal! Then we will see him behind the curtain, in whom we have believed; we shall no longer see him alone in the dim Word and the Holy Sacrament, but face to face in eternal joy and blessed light. May Jesus Christ help us all, for the sake of his body and blood which was given also for us. Amen.