Communion Meditation

Christ Church Downtown

Ty Knight – June 3, 2018

Our God is the God of surprises. Peter, James, and John expected an afternoon hike and prayer retreat with Jesus on the mountain. This turned into being blinded by Christ’s radiance, observing two dead heroes of the faith, and beholding the Trinity’s glory. Surprising, to say the least. But God often transforms the ordinary, everyday, even mundane to reveal his great power and glory. This was true on the Mount of Transfiguration and also true on the Mount of Crucifixion.

Jesus’ death appeared as the awful and yet not uncommon execution of another criminal. But God is the God of surprises. On the cross, Jesus seemed to dash the hope of the Christ for his disciples, but really he was fulfilling the work of their Christ. He submitted to the torture of the Romans, and so became the Lord of the Romans and of every other government. He truly died, and by his death he ensured the future resurrection for all his people. All glorious surprises.

There will be the day when we will see fully revealed the promises of Christ, his Lordship over all creation, and the final resurrection of the dead. But that which comes at the end, God gives us a glimpse of now. As Peter glimpsed the coming power and glory of Jesus, so we experience Christ’s promises now, spiritual resurrection from the death of sin now, and even a taste of the heavenly feast now.

We have set before us ordinary bread and everyday wine. We come in obedience to Jesus. We pray, we sing, we eat and drink, we proclaim the Lord’s death, just like he told us to. We do all of this in faith knowing that God has the power to transform death into resurrection, weakness into power, a few loaves into a feast. We come knowing he is the God of surprises. So come, and welcome, to Jesus Christ.