By God’s good design, this table confronts you with the severity of sin and the sweetness of the Gospel. Like the Israelites of old, standing upon the twin mountains of blessings and curses, we stand here to say “amen” to the covenant terms which God has kindly made with us.
Upon this table is hard law. “Cursed be the man that obeys not the words of this covenant (Jer. 11:3).” You see here that sin deserves death. The paycheck that comes along with toiling in the fields of sin is death. Signified upon this table is the torn body of Jesus, and the blood he spilt upon Golgotha’s tree. He died, and did so joyfully, because we all had sinned, and had done so with a twisted gladness.
Set before you is the severity of God towards sin. He hates your sin so much, that He sent His Son to die for you. You don’t taste the sweet wine of the Gospel’s salvation without having tasted the bitter cup of the Law’s condemnation. “Be holy, for I the Lord your God, am holy” echoes in our ears, even as we see the dingy gray of our own pathetic efforts at holiness, and the soiled garments of our sin. As one poet put it, “When legal fears shook me, I trembled to die; No refuge, no safety in self could I see.”
The heavy word of the Law ought not to be despised. For it is followed by the easy burden of the Gospel Word: come unto me, all ye who are weary and heavily burdened, for I will give you rest. Simultaneously, here is a meal of rest. Wine well aged. Bread well baked. A table of true leisure, rest, and welcome. Truly, the severity of the Law makes the sweetness of the Gospel deeper and richer.
So come in faith and welcome to King Jesus…
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