Come To The Table

Written by Jack Hayford

When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, "With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer..." (Luke 22:14-15)

On the night before He was slain, Jesus opened up the Passover Seder to being more than a religious observance; it became a Communion Table in which He invited His disciples to partake of His fullness and life. It was here that the truth of our salvation, pre-figured in the deliverance of Israel from Egypt, would be fulfilled. As He broke the matzo, the unleavened Passover bread, and took the cup with them, He reinterpreted the practice that had been going on for centuries, applying it to Himself. Jesus was becoming the ultimate Pesach Lamb.
There in the Upper Room was the last time the Passover would be celebrated before what it prophesied was fulfilled. The next day at Calvary, the Lamb was slain, His blood was spilled, and His body broken that there might come-as it had in Egypt long ago-protection from judgment and death, and deliverance out of the bondage of slavery.

When you and I come to feast at the Lord's Table, there are great truths for us to celebrate. Open your Bible with me, and let's think through the implications of Communion.

The Table is a celebration of victory (Rev. 12:10-11)

"This do in remembrance of Me." It's the basic text of the Lord's Table, engraved on the front of it in churches everywhere. In every passage where Jesus was instituting the Lord's Table, He says that. But for many people, that call to remembrance is interpreted as morose, as if Jesus is telling us, "Remember all the agony I went through for you." Let me ask you, does that sound like a triumphant Savior?

Consider this: In all the New Testament Gospels where Jesus is introducing this practice, it begins by saying, "And He gave thanks...." Here in Revelation 12, we are prompted to remember Jesus has conquered the power of the enemy. What the Lord is telling us is that when we come to His Table, we are to celebrate that through His Cross, He has given us victory over the Adversary. We are called to remember Him because He's conquered all the powers of hell. Anybody want to say, "Hallelujah?" That ought to be the spirit of our approach to the Lord's Table-remembrance of the victory Jesus has accomplished for us.

The Table is a proclamation of redemption (1 Cor. 11:26)

The frequency of the Lord's Table is left entirely up to the church or individual: "As often as you come..." It doesn't say how often. I think it can be so frequent it becomes meaningless, or so infrequent you miss the vitality it contributes to believing life. As well, every time I come to the Lord's Table, I "proclaim" the impact of the Lord's death which is my salvation and redemption, and that cost something. By taking the bread and the cup, I proclaim that Jesus purchased life for me. I also proclaim it by partaking with others, for the word "communion" means a "sharing in common."

The Table is a declaration of dependence (John 6:53)

At the Lord's Table, we don't believe the bread becomes meat or the cup turns into blood. Jesus made clear He was talking about a spiritual reality, not a physical one. Yet neither are we saying these are just a piece of bread and a cup of juice. Jesus said there is a working of the Spirit of God that will happen in your life when you partake; a dynamic of Holy Spirit power that will cause His life to nourish you if you come in that receptivity and understanding. We partake in the recognition that we are dependent upon this life flow to us and among us as believers. We need the Lord, and we need each other.

The Table is a place for examination of self (1 Cor. 11:28-32)

The Lord calls us to the Table as His disciples. It's one thing to receive Jesus as Savior-to become a believer-and another to grow into a believer who is learning. That's the definition of a disciple, and it relates to being shaped and accepting disciplines. God's Word says, "Let a man examine himself..." Why? Because Jesus wants you to have periodic review with Him to see how your life with Him is coming along. And the time to do it is at the Table. Because if we judge ourselves, He says, we won't be judged. But if we don't correct ourselves, God will.

So, how do you do that? First, confess before the Lord your sin, weakness, doubt, or fear. Come before Him and speak your heart. Then, speak what His Word says about that, even if it contradicts what your heart says. You may not feel differently, but sow those words you speak as seed, and trust God to bring the harvest out of them. We come to the Table with a need to examine ourselves and see wherever the Lord is drawing us toward a stretch-point of discipleship.

The Table is a place for reception of provision (1 Cor. 11:29-32)

Finally, the Lord calls us to His Table to receive His provision. Verse 29 of this text has often been a source of confusion: "For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment [damnation in the KJV] to himself, not discerning the Lord's body." Let's settle this right here and now; who is worthy to come to the Lord's Table? The answer is, Nobody.

Partaking in a worthy manner means to ascribe the full worth to what Jesus Christ has done to welcome us into the presence of the Father. It has nothing to do with earning a place of value or acceptance; Jesus has made us worthy through His blood and Cross, not by any accomplishment of our works. The full worth of the provision of the Lord's Table is not only for the forgiveness of sins, but also for every matter in your life. The cup is the testimony that He has paid for everything we need.

Just as Jesus "with fervent desire" called His disciples to come to the Passover feast, so He calls you and me to come to His Table and partake with understanding-celebrating His victory over the powers of darkness, proclaiming His redemptive work in our lives, declaring our dependence upon Him and one another, examining ourselves that we might grow as His disciples, and receiving every blessing that His sacrifice for us has provided.

About Jack Hayford

Jack Hayford knows the awesome power of God firsthand. When he was a baby, he was gripped by a life-threatening illness. But as a result of the earnest prayers of friends and family, he was miraculously healed. The doctors had no other explanation except that the grace of God snatched him back from the brink of death. Several years later, Jack was struck down again by sickness. This time it was polio. The church elders anointed him and prayed for his recovery. God heard their petitions and granted a second miracle. These two extraordinary events ignited in Jack's heart a passion for God and convinced him that the Holy Spirit is alive and active in the contemporary church. "Contrary to our preconceptions, God is not economical with healings and miracles. Such wondrous works are frequently attending the proclamation of truth in Jesus' name," asserts Pastor Jack.

Jack Hayford serves as President of The Kings University (formerly The King's College and Seminary) in Los Angeles, which he founded in 1997. From 2004 to 2009, he also served as President of The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. He is probably best known, however, as "Pastor Jack," founding pastor of The Church On The Way in Van Nuys, California, where he served as senior pastor for more than three decades. A prolific and best-selling writer, Pastor Hayford is the author (or co-author) of more than 100 books and has composed 600 hymns and choruses, including the internationally known and widely recorded "Majesty."

He is an acknowledged "bridge-builder," helping to forge healthy bonds among all segments of the Body of Christ. He is recognized for his balance in preaching the Word, avoiding extremes while not diluting or compromising the demands of truth. Pastor Jack's heart to bring unity across all denominational and racial boundaries has given him an open door to minister in all kinds of settings

Dr. Hayford and his wife, Anna, have four children, eleven grandchildren, and a growing number of great-grandchildren.

http://www.jackhayford.org/teaching/articles/come-to-the-table/