God's Kingdom breaking in

Gathering

This morning, after hearing from the missionaries, we now have an opportunity to come before the table in remembrance of what Jesus has done for us.

But not only do we have their witness before us, but we also find ourselves in the season of Advent.

As we’ve been exploring this season, we find it’s not just a time of preparation for Christmas, when we remember the first time Jesus came, it is also a time of looking forward to the time when Jesus will come for a second time.

In this third week of Advent, and while we gather around the table, I want to read a section of Matthew 11.

Matthew 11:1–6 NIV 2011

After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee. When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’ Jesus replied, ‘Go back and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.’

There’s an absolutely fascinating.

You see, we find John the Baptist in prison, and he seems to be somewhat confused.

Now just remember, John the Baptist was the one I spoke about briefly last week. Last week we considered what it means to prepare yourself for the coming of Jesus, and that’s what John the Baptist did. He prepared the people for the coming of Jesus.

But yet, now we find him in prison, and it would seem that John the Baptist is doubting whether Jesus really is the Messiah - the one they had all been expecting.

And he had good reason to think as such.

You see, the Romans were still in power, which meant the Jews were still being controlled. Not only that, they didn’t even seem to be close to getting any sort of power.

What gives?

Well, the way Jesus answers switches things around completely.

You see, the power the comes with Jesus, is of a completely different nature.

It’s not a power that the world would normally recognise. But it is still a power.

He tells him to look at the way that things are happening. The blind receive sight. The lame walk. Those with leprosy walk. The deaf hear. The dead are raised. And the good news is proclaimed to the poor.

We could of course look how each of those link with past prophecies, but this morning I want to look at it on a simpler level.

What Jesus is saying is that we’re starting to see a reversal of the curse. As Jesus comes in, all those messed up things that we see - well, they begin to roll back.

We start to see a picture of shalom. The restored society that God always intended.

Reflections on missionaries

<spend a short time reflecting on how the missionaries story shows God breaking into the world to restore shalom>

Communion

What we really begin to notice, is that the way that God works, is very different to the power based approach that we are more familiar with in this world.

And it’s on this note, that as we turn to the table set before us, we see just how different the approach of Jesus really is.

You see, in many ways, this table represents a significant amount of irony.

You see, this table is a reflection of a man who was tried and condemned. Who was punished in such a cruel and humiliating way and left to die.

The irony is, we don’t just remember it in a way we might look back in sympathy with someone who died in some wort of tragic circumstance. Rather we look back at it remembering that it was in these circumstances that God chose to reverse the curse.

Because Jesus hang on the cross, we know that shalom is possible.

Because his blood was shed, we know that it’s possible to commune once again with God.

It is with this table that we not only remember this, but we take part in it and know that this different sort of power is now part of us.

If you’ve accepted Jesus as your Lord and saviour, then this is for you.

1 Corinthian 11

Paul reminds us of what this table is all about. In 1 Corinthians 11 he says:

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 NIV 2011

For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: the Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

We now follow the example of Jesus as we share in this table together.

The Bread

I’ll ask if < > will now come and give thanks for Jesus’ body which is symbolised in the bread....

Jesus broke the bread and gave it to his disciples saying:

“Take and eat, this is my body”

As the bread is now distributed we will:

Take, eat, remember and believe,

that the body of our Lord Jesus Christ

was given for the complete forgiveness of all our sin.

The cup

I’ll ask if < > will come and give thanks for Jesus shed blood, symbolised by the cup...

After the supper, Jesus took the cup saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sin”.

As the cup is being served, I’ll ask if you can hold it until all are served and we will drink together.

Drinking the cup

Take, drink, remember, and believe,

that the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ,

was shed for the complete forgiveness of all our sin.

Proclamation

In sharing this time of communion we:

remember your death, O Lord Jesus,

proclaim your resurrection,

put our trust in the enabling of Your Holy Spirit, and

await your return.

All glory, praise and honour to be to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

O amazing God, you come into our ordinary lives and set a table of grace among us, filling our plates with the bread of life and our cups with salvation.

Send us out, O God, with tender hearts to touch an ordinary everyday world with the promise of your holiness. Amen