God calling you to His Table is both a gracious invitation and a powerful command. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 77 Q. Where does Christ promise to nourish and refresh believers with his body and blood as surely as they eat this broken bread and drink this cup? A. In the institution of the Lord’s Supper: “The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” This promise is repeated by Paul in these words: “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.” Summary This is a summarized paraphrase of the commentary Dr. Zacharias Ursinus, the author of the Heidelberg Catechism, wrote regarding QA 77. The Lord's Supper was instituted by Jesus on the night He was betrayed, during the last celebration of the Passover. This marked the end of ancient sacrifices and the establishment of a new sacrament. The Passover symbolized Christ's future sacrifice, while the Lord's Supper signifies its fulfillment. By instituting it at the time of His death, Jesus made it a testament or last will. During the Supper, Jesus took unleavened bread, similar to the what was eaten during the Passover feast. However, this specific type of bread is not necessary for the celebration. The bread used in the Lord's Supper spiritually nourishes the soul, strengthens faith, and signifies union with Christ. Before distributing the bread, Jesus gave thanks. This signifies gratitude to the Father for His redemptive plan. Jesus then broke the bread, symbolizing His suffering and graphically depicting what would happen to His own body, how He Himself, like the one loaf, would be distributed to all who trust in him. When Jesus said, "Take, eat," He commanded His disciples and the New Testament church to partake in the Supper. This highlights that the Lord's Supper should not be a mere spectator event or a private supper for priests, but a communal act of receiving and eating the elements. Regarding the statement, "This is my body," Jesus referred to the bread as a sign or sacrament of His body. The bread does not physically become His body but signifies it. Likewise, the promise attached to the sacrament establishes a connection between the sign and the thing signified, not through physical union but through a sacramental union. The bread becomes the sacrament of Christ's body through this promise, which requires faith from the participants. The Supper was instituted as a remembrance of Christ, including His death and the benefits He has obtained. It is not solely a meditation on His history but a remembrance that involves faith and gratitude. The Supper calls believers to remember Christ's sacrifice, appropriate His merits through faith, and publicly express gratitude. Jesus commanded all to drink from the cup, refuting the practice of denying the laity the wine. The argument that the command only applied to the disciples present at the time is flawed, as all believers are referred to as priests in Scripture. The notion of concomitance, claiming that the blood is present in the bread, is also contradicted by Jesus' separate administration of the bread and the cup. Dig Deeper In conclusion, the Lord's Supper holds great significance as a memorial of Christ's sacrifice, calling believers to remember His benefits, exercise faith, and express gratitude. It is a communal act of partaking in the elements, symbolizing the body and blood of Christ. The Supper should be observed with faith, unity, and gratitude, in accordance with the commandments of Jesus. Dr. Zacharias Ursinus, 1563 - Age 29 AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who sent His only begotten Son, whose body would be broken and blood poured out to redeem all those who believe; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask God to begin preparing you now to appropriately respond to His gracious invitation to His table; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 13

Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 57 Q. it only makes sense that true perfection can not be fully attained until both parts are once again joined

The washing symbolized in your baptism gives you a clear conscience towards God. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 71 Q. Where does Christ promise that we are washed with his blood and Spirit as surely as we are washed with the water of baptism? A. In the institution of baptism where he says: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” This promise is repeated when Scripture calls baptism the washing of rebirth and the washing away of sins. Summary Baptism is a sign and a seal of God’s covenant of grace. There is a close relationship between the baptism as a sign of God’s grace and the work of Christ it signifies. Enough so, that Peter uses the words “baptism…. now saves you,” which is not used to describe salvation via the sacrament of baptism, but salvation via the grace symbolized in baptism. Peter also makes a connection between the waters of baptism and the waters of the flood during the days of Noah. This connection may feel out of place at first. Especially considering how the flood was an act of God’s judgment on the wickedness of mankind. What can be missed in this is how the flood was also a means of salvation for Noah and his family. While judgment was cast by God, grace was also extended. Dig Deeper There is a question from back when I was taking the written test to get motorcycle license that has stuck with me. The question referred to safety procedures when riding a motorcycle and which of the listed answers was the “most true” as a means of making yourself visible to other drivers. The trick here was that all of the answers were true and listed in the reading I had done ahead of time. While proper lane position and high visibility clothing were good answers, what they were looking for is which of the options was deemed the most important. In this case, I remembered the answer was to have a functioning headlight. The thing to keep in mind, however, is that one answer being correct does not mean the other options are without merit. As the catechism rightly points out from scripture, baptism is described as “the waters of rebirth” and “the washing away of sins.” It is easy to see the grace symbolized in baptism, but what we sometimes miss is the presence of God’s judgment. Just as both grace and judgment were present in the flood narrative, so too are both present in baptism. Salvation and new life in Christ are seen in the waters of baptism, but these waters also symbolize God’s judgment on sin, which can be seen in the removal of sin by means of Jesus’ death and resurrection. While the grace symbolized in baptism might appear to be the “most true” answer, this does not diminish the presence of God’s judgment on sin. In recognizing the price paid to separate you from that sin, do not overlook the importance of repentance. Jesus paid a high price to set you free from your sin, which speaks into the necessity to continually turn away from sin and abide in Christ. AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who saved believing Noah and his family from the judgment on sin that flooded the world; ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask God that you would reflect your status as a baptised believer by continually repenting and turning away from sin; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 3

If you were to read through the book of Acts, 1 Corinthians, 1 Peter, or 2 Timothy, you would find topics

the next meal; ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 17

said, and how David had also sent his son Solomon riding in on a donkey at the beginning of his reign (1 Kings 1:33).

Listen to passage & devotional: Belgic Confession of Faith, Article 1 We all believe in our hearts and

God built you a house through Jesus, the Son of God and the son of David. Read / Listen Listen to passage & devotional: Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 35 Q. What does it mean that he “was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary”? A. That the eternal Son of God, who is and remains true and eternal God, took to himself, through the working of the Holy Spirit, from the flesh and blood of the virgin Mary, a truly human nature so that he might become David’s true descendant, like his brothers in every way except for sin. Summary After David had fully established his kingdom in Israel, he expressed his desire to build a house for God, since God's presence still was within the tabernacle, a tent designed to move as Israel moved. David approached the prophet Nathan to be sure his idea of building a permanent temple was consistent with God's will. Nathan initially gave David the green light, telling David that the Lord was with him. But that night, the word of the Lord came to Nathan, revealing that David would not be the one to build Him a house, rather God would be the one who built a House - a never ending dynasty - for David. This passage is significant as it establishes the concept of the Davidic Covenant, which promises a lasting dynasty and kingdom for David's descendants, ultimately fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ as the eternal king from the line of David. Dig Deeper Yesterday we were reminded of the importance of Jesus' miraculous virgin birth. The importance of this doctrine isn't necessarily the biological uniqueness of Jesus not having an earthly father, but as we'll focus on tomorrow, the point is that Jesus is a new Adam rather than a descendent of the first Adam. But at the same time, Jesus is fully human and through his mother Mary, He does have a biological heritage, and it's one that's very important: the fact that Jesus is a descendent of David fulfills the promise that David's throne will be established forever. It's often easy to just pray that Jesus will be with us in our horizontal relationships: our jobs, families and other immediate concerns. Of course Jesus will be with us in these things, and it is important to pray for them, but passages like this one remind us that God's concerns for us are much bigger than the particular challenges we struggle with on a day to day basis. God fulfilled this amazing promise to King David years about 1,000 later on Christmas morning, and what's more, He's included you in these promises! You have been chosen by God to be included in Christ, and so to reign with Him in a kingdom that will never end. God didn't need David to build a house for Him, rather God built a house for us through David! So whatever it is that's weighing you down today, take it to the Lord in prayer for sure, but even more so, be reminded that you're included in the Kingdom of God. Know that God will "plant you so that you can have a home of your own and no longer be disturbed (v10)." AAA Prayer (About) ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who rules over all things with His Son, who sits on David's throne forever. ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask God to continually remind you of your kingdom citizenship in the midst of worldly struggles. ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - James 4

Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 1 Q. What is your only comfort in life and in death? A.

ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED: Read the New Testament in a year, a chapter a day - Luke 5