Nougat 8

Have you ever connected The Lord’s Supper with Advent? It most definitely is Advent-ist in nature. For if Advent is about intentional, purposeful, anticipation, what better description can we find for the liturgy and reality of the sacrament. As we reflect on this, let’s bear today’s Holy Nougat in mind, as it provides the basis for the ritual (prior to the Supper).

“Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. For it is my Father’s will that all who see his Son and believe in him should have eternal life. I will raise them up at the last day.”” ‭‭John‬ ‭6‬:‭35‬, ‭40‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Never Again and Forever

In a devotional I read recently, the author proposed that God’s Self-revelation to Moses (in response to Moses’ question about God’s identity) revealed God’s accessibility for all. By this the author meant (and actually wrote) that YHWH can be interpreted as ‘I will be What you need Me to be …’ This was very important, I surmised, for a people who’d only known servitude and abuse for 400 years ie for 10 generations! They had no hope, they merely existed. God’s unmentionable name was thus not so much unmentionable as it was beyond infinity, as no one word or title captures the surface of all God can be for and to us.

Several years later, about 42 generations later (using the 40-year generational model), Jesus speaks to another group of broken Hebrews and He also Self-revealed. I am convinced that His descriptor, ‘The Bread of Life’ in Aramaic (the language of the day) would have triggered inherited motor memory of ‘manna’ provided in the Wilderness, right at the point of need. When coupled with ‘I AM’, that indeterminate ‘unmentionable’ name; the disciples would have been filled with new Hope for the future.

Although this takes me to another season of captivity for the Children of Israel, this might not be the same for Jesus’ disciples. Yet, if it did, then they would have heard Jesus saying ‘I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper not to harm you, plans to give you Hope and a future … and you will seek Me and find Me when You seek me with all your heart.’ (See Jeremiah 29:11,13). Now that’s a blessed Hope! Not only for the disciples then, but for us also.

We can satisfy our hunger for Justice and Peace in the Bread of Life, Our Prince of Peace, quenching our thirst with the Life-giving waters of Jesus Christ. Advent reminds us that this is not only possible, but it will happen. For inasmuch as we recite, ‘Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again!’, as part of the litany of Hope each (most) time we gather for Communion; inasmuch as we eat of the Bread, and drink of the wine, remembering His death; we live in the sure and certain Hope that our God, Who is all that we can ever imagine and more, is a keeper of promises!

And He’s promised us to raise us up on the Last Day. In a moment, the twinkling of an eye, our God of All Possibilities will change us out of our earthly ‘corruptible’ bodies and gift is with pure spirit selves to be forever in God’s presence! Heh! I can only say, ‘Thank God for Jesus!’

Finally, rather than ask ‘for what do we hope’, I invite us to affirm the One in Whom we Hope this Advent. Thank God for Jesus.

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May all we seek be found in Christ