Heidelberg Catechism Lord's Day 28 (Questions 75-77)

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, as sacraments/ordinances, are part of the divine program of assurance. They are given to buttress and grow faith in the covenantal promises of God. It is this area that relates to the idea of sacraments as seals. — Ligon Duncan

Question 75. How does the Lord’s supper signify and seal to you that you share in Christ’s one sacrifice on the cross and in all his gifts?

I fear that in most churches the Lord’s Supper is either celebrated so infrequently as to be forgotten or celebrated with such thoughtless monotony that churchgoers endure it rather than enjoy it. But the Lord’s Supper is meant to nourish and strengthen our weak faith. — Kevin DeYoung

Question 75. How does the Lord’s supper signify and seal to you that you share in Christ’s one sacrifice on the cross and in all his gifts?

In this way: Christ has commanded me and all believers to eat of this broken bread and drink of this cup in remembrance of him. With this command he gave these promises: First, as surely as I see with my eyes the bread of the Lord broken for me and the cup given to me, so surely was his body offered for me and his blood poured out for me on the cross. Second, as surely as I receive from the hand of the minister and taste with my mouth the bread and the cup of the Lord as sure signs of Christ’s body and blood, so surely does he himself nourish and refresh my soul to everlasting life with his crucified body and shed blood.

Tanong 75. Papaanong ang hapunan ng Panginoon ay nagpapaalala at nagtitiyak sa iyo na nakikibahagi ka sa nag-iisang pagpapakasakit ni Cristo sa krus at sa lahat ng Kanyang mga kaloob?

Sa ganitong paraan: Inutusan ako ni Cristo at ang lahat ng mga mananampalataya na kainin itong pinagpira-pirasong tinapay at uminom sa kopang ito bilang pag-alaala sa Kanya. Kalakip ng utos na ito ay ibinigay Niya ang mga pangakong ito: Una, kung paanong nakikita ng aking mga mata ang tinapay ng Panginoon na pinagpira-piraso para sa akin at ang kopa ay ibinigay sa akin, gayon din katiyak na ang Kanyang katawan ay inialay para sa akin at ang Kanyang dugo ay nabubo para sa akin doon sa krus. Pangalawa, kung paanong tinatanggap ko mula sa kamay ng ministro at natitikman ng aking bibig ang tinapay at ang kopa ng Panginoon bilang mga tunay na tanda ng katawan at dugo ni Cristo, gayon din katiyak na Siya mismo ang magpapalakas at magbabago sa aking kaluluwa tungo sa buhay na walang hanggan sa pamamagitan ng kanyang katawang ipinako sa krus at dugong nabubo doon.

Matthew 26:26–28 ESV

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Too many churches overlook God’s preferred visual aids-the sacraments-and jump right to video, drama, and props to get people’s attention. We are making a big mistake when we think these “signs and seals” will be anywhere as effective as the ones instituted by Christ Himself. Pastors who don’t explain the sacraments and very rarely administer them are robbing their people of tremendous encouragement in their Christian walk. We can hear the gospel every Sunday, and eat it too. — Kevin DeYoung

Design of the Lord’s Supper (Ursinus):

Confirmation of our faith

Public confession of our faith

Public distinction

Bond of love, unity, fellowship

Question 76. What does it mean to eat the crucified body of Christ and to drink his shed blood?

First, to accept with a believing heart all the suffering and the death of Christ, and so receive forgiveness of sins and life eternal. Second, to be united more and more to his sacred body through the Holy Spirit, who lives both in Christ and in us. Therefore, although Christ is in heaven and we are on earth, yet we are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones, and we forever live and are governed by one Spirit, as the members of our body are by one soul.

Tanong 76. Ano ang ibig sabihin ng kainin ang katawan ni Cristong napako sa krus at inumin ang Kanyang dugong nabubo doon?

Una, na tanggapin ng may pusong nananalig ang kabuuhan ng pagpapakasakit at kamatayan ni Cristo at sa gayong paraan ay tanggapin ang kapatawaran ng mga kasalanan at buhay na walang hanggan. Pangalawa, na lubos-lubusang makikiisa sa Kanyang banal na katawan sa pamamagitan ng Banal na Espritu na nananahang pareho kay Cristo at sa atin. Samakatuwid kahit na si Cristo ay nasa langit at tayo nama’y nasa lupa, gayunpaman tayo ay laman ng Kanyang laman at buto ng Kanyang buto, at magpasawalang-hanggan tayong mabubuhay at pangangasiwaan ng nag-iisang Espiritu kagaya ng mga sangkap ng ating katawan na nasasakop ng nag-iisang kaluluwa.

John 6:35–40 ESV

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

John 6:50–51 ESV

This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

Colossians 3:1 ESV

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

The Lord’s Supper belongs to the weak Christian. No one comes to the Table in unblemished worthiness or undiminished strength. We come to the Table in need. We come to the Table fresh from battles with sin, discouragement, unbelief, and the world. We need to be fed again. We need to receive the sustenance that Christ affords. By faith we receive the nourishment we need as we imbibe the benefits of Jesus’ atoning work for sinners and weaklings. — Thabiti Anyabwile

Question 77. Where has Christ promised that he will nourish and refresh believers with his body and blood as surely as they eat of this broken bread and drink of this cup?

In the institution of the Lord’s supper: 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 (1 Cor 11:23-26). This promise is repeated by Paul where he says: Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf (1 Cor 10:16, 17).

Tanong 77. Saan ipinangako ni Cristo na palalakasin at babaguhin Niya ang mga mananampalataya sa pamamagitan ng Kanyang katawan at dugo sa tuwing kakain sila ng pinagpira-pirasong tinapay at uminom sa kopang ito?

Sa pagtatatag ng hapunan ng Panginoon: Ang Panginoong Jesus noong gabing Siya’y ipinagkanulo ay kumuha ng tinapay at matapos na magpasalamat ay pinagpira-piraso ito at sinabi, "Ito’y aking katawan na ibinibigay dahil sa inyo. Gawin ninyo ito sa pag-aalaala sa akin." Sa gayunding paraan ay kinuha Niya ang kopa, pagkatapos maghapunan, na sinasabi, "Gawin ninyo ito tuwing kayo’y iinom nito, sa pag-aalaala sa akin." Sapagkat sa tuwing kainin ninyo ang tinapay na ito at inuman ang kopa, ipinahahayag ninyo ang kamatayan ng Panginoon hanggang sa dumating Siya (1 Cor 11:23-26). Ang pangakong ito ay inulit ni Pablo kung saan ay sinabi niya: Ang kopa ng pagpapala na ating pinagpapala, hindi ba ito’y pakikisalo sa dugo ni Cristo? Ang tinapay na ating pinagpuputul-putol, hindi ba ito’y pakikisalo sa katawan ni Cristo? Sapagkat may isang tinapay, tayong marami ay iisang katawan, sapagkat tayong lahat ay nakikibahagi sa isa lamang tinapay (1 Cor 10:16, 17).

Shame on parishioners for coming to the Lord’s Supper with nothing but drudgery and low expectations. And shame on pastors for not instructing their people in the gospel joy available to us in Communion. — Kevin DeYoung

The Commentary of Dr. Zacharias Ursinus on the Heidelberg Catechism Question 77. Where Has Christ Promised, that He Will as Certainly Feed and Nourish Believers with His Body and Blood, as They Eat of This Broken Bread, and Drink of This Cup?

The bread and wine are the communion, that is, they are the sign and testimony of our communion with Christ. This communion, as the Apostle briefly expresses it, consists in this, that we being many are one body; from which it is easy to see that this our communion with Christ is no corporal eating; for it is effected only by faith and the Holy Ghost. Christ is the head, and we are the members; all who are members have communion in all the benefits of Christ. The head and benefits are both common: hence we are all members in common and so have mutual love one to another.