Martin Luther said that the Lord’s Supper is nothing less than the gospel.
You must believe the gospel to be welcomed at this table. If you do not trust in Christ, if you have not tasted of the blessings of the age to come, do not come to this table.
The Gospel is the triumphant declaration of what God has done in history through Jesus Christ. The gospel is the life, death, resurrection and ascension of the Son of God.
The Gospel is a history lesson that saves.
God has ushered in a new age in redemptive history. We are in “the last days” (Hebrews 1:1-2), or “the end of the ages” have come upon us (1 Corinthians 10:11).
Heaven has come to earth through Jesus Christ. Eternity has broken into time. We have a foretaste of heaven. A glimpse of glory at the Table of the Lord.
A new creation has already begun. Jesus was the first man to enter the new creation (1 Corinthians 15:20; 35-39). All who trust in Christ participate in this new age. We do not have spiritual bodies but we do share in the power of his resurrection and taste the powers of the age to come (Ephesians 1:18-20).
To be saved means to be delivered from this present evil age and transferred into a new age of life, righteousness, and joy.
The gospel is the good news that God has acted in history to establish a new world and that the blessings and privileges of that world are available to all who will repent and believe.
If that is you, come. Your faith in Jesus Christ, and trust in the gospel is your invitation to come to dine with Christ at this table.
Adapted from Blessed are the Hungry, p. 147-150.