Jul 31, 2012

The Eschatological Dimension of the Lord's Supper

  
I appreciated this comment by Robert Stein concerning the often neglected eschatological aspect of the Lord's Supper.

"The second dimension of the Lord's Supper points to the more distant future. Jesus looked to the cross with both horror and confidence. The horror of crucifixion is clearly understandable. Jesus' confidence is seen in his last saying. He goes to the cross knowing that he will be victorious. He will rise from the dead; he will ascend to the Father; he will return again in glory. Any celebration of the Lord's Supper that focuses only on thee horror of the cross is decidedly unbiblical. The Lord's Supper also speaks of a glorious reunion of Jesus with his followers. Even such a sad hymn as "'Man of Sorrows,' What a Name," which dolefully sings of Jesus' death, ends "When he comes, our glorious King, / All his ransomed home to bring, / Then anew this song we'll sing, / 'Hallelujah, what a Savior!'" The church must never lose sight of or minimize this dimension of the Lord's Supper."

Robert H. Stein, Jesus the Messiah: A Survey of the Life of Christ (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1996), 212-13.

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