The first meal was a shared meal at a tree in Eden. Eve hands the fruit to Adam. They both partake. Thus began humans’ enduring feast of rebellion. Every generation found itself partaking of that self-exalting meal of self-righteous pride. It became a tradition passed down year after year, generation after generation (1 Pt. 1:18). Father handed it down to son. Master to apprentice. Teacher to student. Sin was mankind’s treasured hand-me-down.
But as Christ prepared to go to the tree of Calvary to deal with our sin, He too began an enduring feast. Christ invites His bride to a meal, where he hands out the food, week in and week out, year by year, century by century until He comes.
Jesus took the bread and gave it to His disciples. His disciples spread out to give it to the swelling numbers of believing saints. Those saints lived and died while crossing oceans, deserts, mountains, and valleys to bring the feast to every nation. When the minister breaks the bread, he does so as an authorized representative of the first Human who defeated Sin, our Lord Jesus. When the tray is handed to you, it is handed to you by a member of Christ’s body. When you hold that tray and pass it to your neighbor, you do so as brothers and sisters in Christ. He is the One Who presides at this meal. He is the One Who serves this meal. He is the One who partakes of this meal. He is the One Who is this meal.
Mankind’s first meal damned humans. But this meal is real bread and real wine for real humans, served by real humans, instituted by a real Human––who was also God––who came in order to save humans and reunite them, in Himself, to God.
So come in faith, and welcome to Jesus…
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