John 12:21
We would see Jesus.
THOMAS WATSON (1620-1686): The Lord’s Supper is the most spiritual ordinance ever instituted.
AUGUSTUS TOPLADY (1713-1758): A formal professor does not look upon ordinances as means of inward religion, and as steps to communion with God, through the Spirit: but having skimmed the surface of outward duties, he sits down satisfied with externals, and aims at nothing higher. Not so are the conduct and views of one, whose heart God hath touched―the Christian is sensible that, not a bare attendance on outward duties, but the presence of God enjoyed under those duties, is that which nourishes the believing soul, and renews the believer’s strength.
JOHN FLAVEL (1630-1691): God hath instituted every ordinance, and duty, whether public or private, to beget, and maintain communion betwixt Himself and our souls. What are ordinances, duties, and graces, but perspective-glasses to give us a sight of God, and help us to communion with Him? God never intended His ordinances to be our rest, but mediums, and instruments of communion with Himself, which is our true rest. When we go into a boat, it is not with an intention to dwell, and rest there, but to ferry us over the water, where our business lies. If a man miss of communion with God in the best ordinances, or duty, it yields him little comfort. He comes back from it, like a man that hath travelled a great many miles to meet a dear friend, upon special and important business; but met with disappointment, and returns sad and dissatisfied. God appoints ordinances to be meeting-places with Himself in this world, Exodus 25:21,22.
WILLIAM STRONG (circa 1656): To converse with ordinances, and not to converse with God; to have to do with ordinances, and not to have to do with God, alas!―Ordinances without God are but like bones that have no marrow in them; they are but like shells without a kernel.
J. C. RYLE (1816-1900): The Lord Jesus Christ well knew the weakness and infirmity even of the holiest believers. He knew the absolute necessity of keeping them in intimate communion with His own vicarious sacrifice, as the fountain of their inward and spiritual life. Therefore, He did not merely leave them promises on which their memories might feed, and words which they might call to mind. He mercifully provided an ordinance in which true faith might be quickened by seeing lively emblems of His body and blood, and in the use of which true Christians might be “strengthened and refreshed” as the Catechism says, and realize close communion with their Saviour in heaven. The strengthening of the faith of believers in Christ’s atonement was one great purpose of the Lord’s Supper.
OCTAVIUS WINSLOW (1808-1878): The sincere and devout communicant approaches the Lord’s table with this language breathing from the heart―“I would see Jesus.” For what other purpose was the Lord’s Supper instituted, but that through this window of grace we might behold the Lord Himself?
THOMAS WATSON: Here we have to do more immediately with Christ. In prayer, we draw near through Christ: in this ordinance we become one with Him. In the Word preached we hear of Christ; in the Supper we feed on Him.
C. H. SPURGEON (1834-1892): We know what it is to feed on Jesus, but we cannot speak it or write it.
THOMAS MANTON (1620-1677): The Lord’s Supper is a duty which is mainly dispatched by our thoughts; there we come to put reason to the highest use, to be the instrument of faith and love; of faith in believing applications; of love, in resolutions of duty and thankfulness. In that one ordinance there is a union of mysteries, which we take abroad in holy and serious thoughts. To have an unfruitful understanding then, is a great damp and deadness to the heart.
JEREMIAH DYKE (1584-1639): Therefore a special duty to be done at the Lord’s supper is to take up our hearts with serious meditation.
C. H. SPURGEON: Eat and drink so as to discern the Lord’s body. Having the mind awake to see Jesus symbolized in this ordinance.
J. C. RYLE: A right reception of the Lord’s Supper has a humbling effect on the soul. The sight of these emblems of Christ’s holy body and blood, reminds us how sinful sin must be, if nothing less than the death of God’s own Son could make satisfaction for it, or redeem us from its guilt…A right reception of the Lord’s Supper has a sanctifying effect on the soul. The bread and wine remind us how great is our debt of gratitude to our Lord, and how thoroughly we are bound to live for Him who died for our sins. Right reception of the Lord’s Supper has a restraining effect―he is reminded what a serious thing it is to be a Christian, and what an obligation is laid on him to lead a consistent life. Bought with such a price as that bread and wine call to his recollection, ought he not to glorify Christ in body and spirit, which are His? The man that goes regularly and intelligently to the Lord’s Table finds it increasingly hard to yield to sin and conform to the world.
JOHN ANGELL JAMES (1785-1869): The frame of mind in which we should receive the memorials of redeeming love, is that of a humble, thankful, and peaceful reliance upon the mediation of our Divine Lord for pardon and eternal life.
JOHN CALVIN (1509-1564): As we come to this holy table, we ought to be confirmed in this, that our Lord Jesus Christ is made one with us, and that we can never be sundered from Him.
J. C. RYLE: A right reception of the Lord’s supper has a cheering effect on the soul. The sight of the bread broken, and the wine poured out, reminds us how full, perfect, and complete is our salvation. Those lively emblems remind us what an enormous price has been paid for our redemption. They press on us the mighty truth, that believing on Christ, we have nothing to fear, because a sufficient payment has been made for our debt. The “precious blood of Christ” answers every charge that can be brought against us.
MATTHEW HENRY (1662-1714): The great desire of our souls should be to see Jesus; to have our acquaintance with Him increased, our dependence on Him encouraged, our conformity to Him carried on; to see Him as ours, to keep up communion with Him, and to derive our communications of grace from Him; we miss our end in coming if we do not see Jesus.
J. C. RYLE: He that eats the bread and drinks the wine in a right spirit, will find himself drawn into closer communion with Christ, and will feel to know Him more, and understand Him better.
C. H. SPURGEON: Come, eat His flesh, and drink His blood. There, on the table, thou wilt see nothing but the emblems of His flesh and blood; but, if thou believest, Christ will feed thee spiritually upon Himself.
