Every Lord’s Day God cleanses us from our sins and gives us Himself, and this is gift beyond any reasonable creaturely expectation, but it is entirely consistent with the nature of the Triune God.

He has been giving Himself away from all eternity, and all creaturely existence is a manifestation of His giving of Himself. And the self-giving of God has always been by Word. In the beginning that word was light and water and land and trees and stars and birds and fish and camels and crocodiles and us. But somehow that was too small, so God spoke to Adam, and even in the midst of cursing He spoke promise. And He spoke promise to Abraham, and Law to Moses, and blessing and warning and curses and more promises by the mouths of all the prophets and psalmists and sages.

But apparently this was too small, so in the fullness of time, God gave us Himself by means of a Word made flesh, the eternally divine Word of God in our shape and likeness, one whom we could see and touch and speak with face to face.

But the Word took on flesh so that it might be broken, he took on blood so that it could be spilled, and by this breaking and shedding, we might be transformed into vessels fit for the Holy Spirit.

For the Word is not to remain outside of us. As Moses said in Deut. 30, the commandment is not far off, it is not in heaven or beyond the sea, it is near to you, in your very mouth, and in your heart. At this Table, every Lord’s Day, the King of Heaven again gives you Himself in bread and in wine; these are visible words. Your God is not far off; He is in your very midst. His word is passed from hand to hand, and it is in your very mouth.