The Supper
New Creation, Hospitality, and Hope in Christ
- Preaching & Worship
- Theology
- Publisher: Wipf and Stock
- Published: 2019
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Publisher's Description
The Lord's Supper (or Eucharist) has often been a subject of intense debate in the church. What is often lost in this debate is the significance of the relationship of the Eucharist to Jesus' Last Supper with his disciples, which was a Passover--or Passover-like--meal. Moreover, the Last Supper connects back to various meals in Jesus' earthly ministry. And it looks forward to the great messianic banquet as fulfillment of Jewish expectations. In exploring these connections, this book focuses on the three motifs of "new creation," "hospitality," and "hope" in Christ. Most significantly, when we break the bread and drink the wine (or juice) together we are asserting the reality of the new creation in Christ, affirming God's grace, forgiveness, and cruciform love which is to be embodied in the Christian community, and anticipating the day when God's present and ongoing work of restoration, justice, and reconciliation will ultimately prevail. The Supper, then, is basically a condensed summary of the story of God's plan of redemption. Hesselgrave brings together biblical, theological, ethical, and social insights in a way that deepens our understanding of the meaning and practical significance of biblical texts related to this central ordinance of the church.
Endorsements (3)
“Pastors and students of the Bible will be captivated and challenged by this insightful unfolding of the biblical love story in the context of cosmic struggle. We see the Lord’s Supper as the anticipation of the wedding supper of the Lamb, celebrating God’s rescue of his bride, and all creation, from the clutches of the evil one. The author concludes with practical admonitions for the present-day church to demonstrate God’s will and avoid Satan’s deceptions.”
“Ron Hesselgrave provides a deep, imaginative survey of how the Lord’s Supper can reinvigorate our thinking and practice of hospitality—particularly as we engage people and communities that have been ‘othered.’”
“Hesselgrave opens our eyes to the depth of meaning in what is obviously the most important dining event in Christian history.”
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