He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you.” …In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” Luke 22:19-20 (NIV)
When you come to the Lord’s Table, the pastor repeats Christ’s words: “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” When the pastor says these words, we are to understand that Christ is speaking them to us.
Christ speaks to you at the table, and He says, “This is my body given for you. This cup is the new covenant in my blood, poured out for you.” As you take the bread and wine, Christ is saying, “There is forgiveness for you. There is strength for you. My body has been broken. My blood has been shed. And this is for you.”
The Lord’s Supper is not about us placing the cross before God in order to persuade Him to be merciful. No, at the Lord’s Supper, it is God who places the cross before us, to persuade us that He is merciful to us in Christ.
When you come to the Lord’s Supper, are you listening for the voice of Jesus?
