Eating the Promise

We’ve seen today that one of the central roles of a sign is to be a promise. The sign that Moses was given was first and foremost a promise, an oath of what God swore to do. This table is no different. When we celebrate this meal, we do it in remembrance of Christ, or better, as a memorial of Him. The first memorial in the Bible is the rainbow that God placed in the sky to remind himself of his promise to never destroy the earth with a flood again. This table is the same. This sacrament is a sign which is simultaneously a promise that all those in Christ are hidden in Him. The first sign and promise that God gives to us is baptism. In baptism, God declares that we are His and nothing can separate us from His love. And every time we come to this table, we remind God about what he promised to us in our baptism. God promised us the forgiveness of our sins, he promised us the fellowship of his people, he promised to meet all of our needs, in short, he promised us a land flowing with milk and honey. This means that the only way you may come to this table is in faith believing the promises of God for you. Come in faith believing that your sins are forgiven in Christ, because they are. Come in faith, believing that you are in fellowship with the Lord and all his people, because you are. Come in faith, believing that God will give you your daily bread and meet all of your needs, because He is. Come, eat, drink, and believe the promise of God. You are eating the promise of God. Believe it.