Marriage Supper of the Lamb

I was asked to lead our Communion service for yesterday. As I reflected on the lectionary readings, a passage kept popping up in my head: Revelation 19. It reads:

⁴ The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried:

“Amen, Hallelujah!”

⁵ Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

“Praise our God,
all you his servants,
you who fear him,
both great and small!”

⁶ Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.


⁷ Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
⁸ Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear.”

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)

⁹ Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!'; it kept repeating in my head over and over again. We have been invited, we are invited, we must respond! So I used the text as the invitation for our Communion service. Christ has invited us to the marriage supper of the Lamb, but he has also given us an invitation to his table on earth as a foretaste to the marriage feast.

I wonder if we realize how multi-faceted the Eucharist is? A couple of weeks ago I spoke of the Eucharist as sacrifice. This week I am speaking of the Eucharist as a glimpse of what is to come. Is there anything the Eucharist doesn't illustrate about faith in Christ?

Peace,
Joseph