“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till he come.”
—1 Corinthians 11:26
The Heidelberg Catechism, Q&A 66, reads as follows, “What are the sacraments? The sacraments are visible, holy signs and seals appointed by God for this end, that by their use He may the more fully declare and seal to us the promise of the Gospel, namely, that of free grace He grants us the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life for the sake of the one sacrifice of Christ accomplished on the cross.”
In giving us the sacraments, the Lord, who knows we are weak and need to be assured again and again, comes to our aid by giving us signs and seals that we may be able to see and taste. As often as the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is administered, it is as if we hear God say to us, “Come and see.” Because the truth of what the Lord tells us in His Word is visibly presented to the believer in the sacraments.
The sacraments, then, are signs and seals of what God has promised to give. They are a sign of what Christ has done to save us from our sins –how He broke His body and shed His blood so that our sins could be washed away. They are a seal or a pledge that the forgiveness of sins, righteousness, and eternal life, which Christ has earned for every believer, is truly a present reality and possession. Every time we partake or observe a sacrament, this is told to us in a visible way. And in this way the believer’s faith is strengthened. That is why we call the sacraments a secondary means of grace. Dear Christian, God has given you the gift of faith, but we all know our faith is weak and needs constant strengthening. Strengthening is what the believer receives every time the sacraments are observed and administered in the church.
Our text deals with the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, and the Apostle Paul wrote that when we partake of the Lord’s Supper, we “show” the Lord’s death till He come. To “show” means to declare or proclaim. When the bread and wine are on the table and we gather around to partake of the elements we declare our belief that Jesus, the Son of God, came into this world and died as a sacrifice for the sins of His people. This proclaiming the Church must continue to do until the Lord returns for His Bride to consummate all things and inaugurate His Kingdom in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved in Christ, eat and drink this Supper with joy, but do so with holy anticipation because the Lord has promised that He will come again for His people (John 14:1-3). Come, Lord Jesus, Come!
Friday Devotional: June 5, 2026
In Christ,
Pastor S. Henry
