We don't talk about covenants very often. But this word is used often in the Bible, more than 275 times! But today we will only briefly discuss only the last one that He made with humanity, the one He continues to invites you into today!
This covenant that I refer to is the Lord's Supper, and this Covenant is for you. Normally a covenant is two sided. Which means: if you do this thing then I will do this thing. If you do not do what you promised I will not do what I have promised. That is a covenant can be ended, nullified. In reality, it is much like a contract.
So if the Lord's Super is like a contract, what happens if the contract becomes voided? Can you imagine what would happen if you were worried that Christ would take away this Holy Supper? But he doesn't. He won't. He will never take away the Sacrament from you. This Covenant will not end. It doesn't end because of how this covenant was created.
The sainted Dr. Martin Chemnitz wrote his great book, The Lord's Supper, "In the same way the new covenant is ratified, confirmed, and sealed over against God by the shedding of Christ's blood in order to merit and obtain the covenant blessings...This blood is called the blood of the covenant for two reasons: 1. because by its shedding the treaty is ratified with God in order to acquire the covenant blessings; 2. because by the imparting of the same in Holy Communion the treaty is also ratified and sealed with us, in order to confer and seal the covenant blessings. Christ therefore is called the Guarantor and Mediator of the new covenant: 1. because He brought into the holy of holies His own blood to be the sacrifice, and 2. because He brought this same blood out to us through Holy Communion, so that by the same blood He might ratify, complete, confirm, and seal with both parties this new covenant or treaty, which is not some empty thing but includes the blessings promised in the covenant"
You see when you come to the Lord's Supper you are coming simply because he already invites you, much like we see in Jesus' parables about the wedding feast. You don't do anything to earn this invitation, much as we confess in the meaning of the first article of the creed, "All this He does only out of Fatherly Divine Goodness and Mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. Or in the third article of the Creed: I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him, but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel."
He, through your pastor, whom God has called through the Church, delivers this precious gift of body and blood. Jesus brought his blood to the Heavenly Father, and it was accepted and this blood was brought back out to you and poured into your mouth sealing this gift of forgiveness!
How wonderful to know that Christ does all the work in this covenant! To doubt the gift of Christ's body and blood received in, with, and under the bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins is to doubt the sacrificial work of Christ and the covenant that he alone established for you!
This has many great blessings for us today, most notably, as you come forward you are receiving a gift! You are receiving Christ's given and shed body! It is for this reason that we do not admit everyone to Christ's altar but only those who understand what God's Word teaches. It is also for this reason that we do treat this sacrament reverently both during and after it's use, for these elements are sanctified, set aside for God's use! It is also why we participate in this often. Jesus didn't give a number of times in the year! And so the disciples did it daily!
All this is because of the Covenant that Christ made not with you, but for you! Everything He did, He did with you in mind, for your salvation. Thanks be to God! As you come to the altar this Sunday, come with joy and not trepidation because you do not bring anything to the table but rather come receive the gift of eternal life, the forgiveness of sins. This, my brothers and sisters in Christ, is Gospel, good news for you and me. Come. Take. Eat and Drink. For it is for you. Now that is a good covenant.
