Thomas Watson - The Lord’s Supper: A study

This is my cliff-notes version of a short book by Thomas Watson from the 17th century focusing on The Sacrament of the Eucharist. I found it very refreshing and it deepened my love, appreciation, and desire for Christ and his Supper. Pick it up on amazon.

The Mystery of The Lord’s Supper

A visible sermon

Q: Why was the sacrament appointed?
A: As a visible sign.

Five Particulars

The Author
- Jesus
The Time
- After supper and Before His sufferings
The Manner
- The taking of the bread
  - Christ is set apart for us
  - We must be set apart for him
  - Why bread?
    - Type: Showbread, Symbol: “I am the Bread of Life”
    - Bread is useful, satisfying and strengthening.
- The blessing of it
  - Common bread was changed into a holy use, Consecration
  - Opened the nature of the sacraments to the Apostles
    - Corporeal reception of the elements = Spiritual reception of Christ Himself
  - Signified His prayer for a blessing upon the Ordinance
    - To Sanctify the elect
  - The blessing was His giving thanks (Eucharistia)
    - For God giving His Son
    - For the elements as signs and seals of our redemption
- The breaking of it
  - Foreshadowed His death and passion
  - Why was His body broken?
    - Not for himself
    - For our sins
  - How could He suffer?
    - Only in His human nature
  - How then could this satisfy for our sin?
    - Hypostatical union
    - He was Sacrifice, Priest and Altar (Matt 23:19)
      - The Altar of His divine nature sanctified the sacrifice of His death
  - 2 Observations regarding His sufferings
    1. It was bitter to Him
      - It was a lingering death
      - It was a painful death
      - It was a shameful death
      - It was a cursed death
    2. It is sweet to us
      - Christ has overcome sin, death, and Satan
- The Administering of the cup
  - The Lord gives redemption in abundance (Ps. 130)
  - What is meant by His taking th cup?
    - The spilling of His blood
The Guests
- Given to the disciples, true belivers
- No benefit to non-believers
The Benefits
- The Remission of Sins
- Refutation of Transubstantiation
  1. It is absurd
    - It is contrary to scripture (Acts 3:21)
    - It is contrary to reason
  2. It is impious
    - It is a profaning of Christ’s body
    - It runs men inevitably upon sin - It is to be abhorred - Implies the Supper is not efficacious
- The supper gives us a taste of Christ
- It is a duty
- To reject the supper is to reject Christ

Christ’s Love Displayed in the Sacrament

Behold the love of God in giving His Son
Behold the wonderful love of Christ
- He who knew no sin was reputed a sinner
- He suffered death
- He died freely
- He died for us
- He did so knowing he could not be bettered by us
- He did not repent of His sufferings
- He died for us and not the fallen Angels
- His love did not cease at the hour of His death
- He is interceding for us (Heb 9:24)
- We should love Him back.

The Broken Body of Christ

Was Christ’s Body Broken?
- Then we should hate the sin for which he was put to death
- We should not marvel at our own sufferings
- We should be affected with the great goodness of Christ
- We should highly value Him
- Christ’s flesh exceeds Manna
  - Manna was food, but not medicine
  - Manna was corruptible

The Blood of Christ

Let us prize Christ’s blood it is ‘drink indeed’ (Joh 6:55)
1. Christ’s blood is reconciling
2. Christ’s blood is quickening
3. Christ’s blood is cleansing
4. Christ’s blood is softening
5. Christ’s blood is cooling
  - It cools the heat of sin
  - It cools the heat of conscience
6. Christ’s blood is comforting
7. Christ’s blood is heaven-procuring

Self-Examination

We should come in solemn preparation
- How?
  1. With self-examining hearts
    - If we do not examine ourselves, we don’t know our spiritual inheritance
    - God will examine us
  2. We must come with serious hearts
  3. We must come with intelligent hearts
  4. We must come with longing hearts
    - Consider the magnificence and royalty of this supper
    - Consider what spiritual need we have of it
    - Consider Christ’s readiness to dispense it
    - There is no fear of excess at this supper
    - We don’t know how long this feast will be available
    - Feeding upon Christ is good preparation for sufferings
  5. We must come with penitent hearts
  6. We must come with sincere hearts
  7. We must come with hearts burning with love for Christ

True and False Faith

Exercise the Eye of Faith
- Look up to Christ with a believing eye
Exercise the mouth of Faith
- Adam died by eating; we live by eating.
Q: Does the virtue lie simply in Faith?
- A: Not in faith but in Christ
Q: Why should Faith carry away more from Christ in the sacrament than any other grace?
- A:
  1. Because faith is the most receptive grace
  2. It is the most humble grace

Exhortation on approaching the table

We must come with humble hearts
We must come with heavenly hearts
We must come with believing hearts

False (Hypocritical) Faith

A hypocritical faith is easily come by
A hypocritical faith is afraid to come to trial
A hypocritical faith has a slight esteem of true faith
A hypocritical faith has a disability in one hand
A hypocritical faith is impure
A hypocritical faith is a dead faith

Exhortation (cont.)

We must come with charitable hearts
We must come with praying hearts
We must come with self-denying hearts

Objections Against Coming to the Sacrament

But I am sinful and unholy
- Who do you think Christ died for?
But I have sinned presumptuously against mercy
- The blood of Christ can forgive sins against mercy
But I find such a faintness and feebleness in my soul
- Then you have even more need to go. Our weakness should send us to Christ
But I have often come and find no fruit,I am not filled with comfort
- Though he may not fill you with comfort He may fill you with Strength
- If you are not filled with joy, but your eyes with tears, this is God meeting you at His table
- If your comforts are low, yet your faith is high, this is God’s manifesting His presence in the Supper
But I cannot find any of these things in the sacrament, my heart is dead and locked up, and I have no return at all.
- Wait for God to give an answer of the ordinance. God has promised it, so wait and His promise will be fulfilled.

Remember the Lord Jesus At the Sacrament

Remember Christ’s passion.
Remember the glorious benefits we receive from teh broken body of Christ
- Remember Christ’s death with joy
- Remember Christ’s death, as to conform to His death

Great Faith

Let us labor to feel some virtue flowing out of this ordinance to us.
Q: How may I know whether I have this great faith?
- A: Six signs of great faith
  1. A great faith can trust in God without a pawn or security
  2. A great faith is a wonder-working faith
  3. A great faith is firm and steadfast
  4. A great faith can trust in an angry God
  5. A great faith can swim against the tide
  6. A great faith can bear great delays

Thankfulness to God

Show thankfulness to Christ by courage
Show thankfulness to Christ by fruitfulness
Show thankfulness to Christ by zeal
Show thankfulness to Christ by universal subjection to Him

Comforts to Unbelievers and Warnings to Unbelievers

Let us show forth Christ by our heavenly words
Let us show forth Christ by our heavenly affections
Let us show forth Christ by our heavenly conversation

Comfort for God’s People

Christ’s body broken and blood poured out was a glorious sacrifice
- It was a sacrifice of infinite merit
- It was a sacrifice of eternal duration
Christ’s blood being shed, believers may lay claim to all heavenly privileges
Is Christ’s blood shed? Here is comfort against death.

Warning to unrepentant sinners

The Blood will cry gainst them