Identity: Week 20

"Would you like to have dinner together?" That may be the most significant invitation in human history. It's the question we first ask the woman who eventually becomes our wife. It's an opening for deeper conversation about a challenge or an opportunity. It's a first step toward intimacy and friendship. Contracts are signed, alliances formed, friendships develop, weddings are planned, laws are written, and wars are ended all around the table.

It should not surprise us that Jesus would make the table central in his relationship with his bride (the Church). The Bible says, "The Son of Man came eating and drinking." Jesus' entire ministry revolved around going to a meal, eating a meal, or coming from a meal. His final word to his disciples before his crucifixion came in the context of a meal and his promise to us is that someday we will dine with him in glory. It is called the "wedding feast of the Lamb." The table was a focal concern for Jesus. He intended that it be as central to the worship of his church as Scripture.

Today we enjoy a meal that followers of Jesus have been eating together for over two thousand years. It is a foretaste of the feast to come. So, welcome to the table all who are followers of King Jesus. We remember his sacrifice and celebrate his promise as we eat.