The Lord’s Supper by Thomas Watson

“See, then, what entire affection we should bear to Christ, who gives us His body and blood in the Supper. If He had anything to part with of more worth, He would have bestowed it upon us. ‘He gave Himself for us to redeem us.’ Titus 2:14. O let Christ lie nearest our hearts! Let Him be our Tree of Life—and let us desire no other fruit. Let Him be our morning Star—and let us rejoice in no other light.

As Christ’s beauty—so His bounty should make Him loved by us. He has given us His blood as the price—and His Spirit as the witness of our pardon. In the Lord’s Supper, Christ bestows all good things. He both imputes His righteousness, and imparts His loving-kindness. He gives a foretaste of that supper which shall be celebrated in the paradise of God. To sum up all, in the blessed supper, Christ gives Himself to believers—and what more could He give? ‘Dear Savior, how should Your name be as ointment poured forth!’ The Persians worship the sun for their god. Let us worship the Sun of righteousness. Though Judas sold Christ for 30 pieces of silver—let us rather part with all, than this pearl of great price. Christ is that golden pipe, through which the golden oil of salvation is transmitted to us.

Was Christ’s body broken? Then we may behold sin odious in the red looking-glass of Christ’s sufferings. It is true, sin is to be abominated since it turned Adam out of paradise and threw the angels down to hell. Sin is the peace-breaker. It is like an incendiary in the family that sets husband and wife at variance. It makes God fall out with us. Sin is the birthplace of our sorrows—and the grave of our comforts. But that which may most of all disfigure the face of sin and make it appear abominable is this—It crucified our Lord Jesus!It made Christ veil His glory and lose His blood.

If a woman saw the sword which killed her dear husband—how hateful would the sight of it be to her! Do we count that sin light—which made Christ’s soul heavy unto death? Mark 14:34. Can that be our joy—which made the Lord Jesus a man of sorrows? Isaiah 53:3. Did He cry out, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’ And shall not those sins be forsaken by us—which made Christ Himself forsaken? O let us look upon sin with indignation! When a temptation to sin comes, let us say, ‘Is not this the sin which poured out Christ’s blood!’ Let our hearts be enraged against sin.

When the senators of Rome showed the people Caesar’s bloody robe, they were incensed against those who slew him. Sin has rent the white robe of Christ’s flesh, and died it a crimson color. Let us, then, seek to be avenged of our sins. Under the Law, if an ox gored a man so that he died, the ox was to be killed, Exodus 21:28. Sin has gored and pierced our Savior! Let it die! What a pity is it for sin to live—which would not allow Christ to live!

Was Christ’s body broken? Let us, then, from His suffering on the cross, learn this lesson—do not wonder if we meet with troubles in the world. Did Christ suffer—who ‘knew no sin,’ and do we think it strange to suffer—who know nothing but sin? Did Christ feel the anger of God? And is it much for us to feel the anger of men? Was the Head crowned with thorns? Must we have our bracelets and diamonds—when Christ had the nails and spear going to His heart! Truly, such as are guilty may well expect the lash—when He, who was innocent, could not go free.”

The Lord’s Supper by Thomas Watson

“(4) That Christ should die for such as we are. What are we? Not only vanity—but enmity! When we were rebelling—He was dying! When we had weapons in our hands—then He had the spear in His side! ‘But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’ Romans 5:8.

(5) That Christ died for us when He could not expect to be at all bettered by us. We were reduced to poverty. We were in such a condition that we could neither merit Christ’s love—nor requite it. For Christ to die for us when we were at such a low ebb, was the very quintessence of love. One man will extend kindness to another as long as he is able to requite him. But if he is fallen to decay, then love begins to slacken and cool. But when we were engulfed in misery and fallen to decay, when we had lost our beauty, stained our blood, and spent our portion—then Christ died for us. O amazing love, which may swallow up all our thoughts!

(6) That Christ should not repent of His sufferings. ’He shall see the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied,’ Isaiah 53:11. It is a metaphor which alludes to a mother who, though she has suffered greatly, does not repent of it when she sees a child brought forth. So, though Christ had hard travail upon the cross, yet He does not repent of it—but thinks all His sufferings well-bestowed. ’He shall be satisfied.’ The Hebrew word signifies such a satiating, as a man has at some sweet banquet.

(7) That Christ should die for us—rather than for the fallen angels. They were creatures of a more noble extraction and, in all probability, might have brought greater revenues of glory to God, Yet, that Christ should pass by those golden vessels and make us ‘clods of earth’ into ‘stars of glory’—O the hyperbole of Christ’s love!

(8) Yet another step of Christ’s love, for like the waters of the sanctuary—it rises higher: that Christ’s love should not cease at the hour of death! We write in our letters, ‘your friend until death.’ But Christ wrote in another style, ‘your Friend after death!’ Christ died once—but loves forever. He never withdraws His affection to us. He is making the mansions ready for us, John 14:2. He is interceding for us, Hebrews 7:25. He has finished dying—yet He has not finished loving. What a stupendous love is this! Who can meditate upon His love—and not be in ecstasy? ‘May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it!’ Ephesians 3:19. When you see Christ broken in the Lord’s Supper, think of this love.”

The Lord’s Supper by Thomas Watson

“QUESTION. What is meant by Christ’s taking the cup?

ANSWER. The cup is figurative of the wine in it. By this, Christ signified the shedding of His blood upon the cross. When His blood was poured out—now the vine was cut and bled. Now was the lily of the valleys dyed a purple color. This was, to Christ, a cup of astonishment, Ezekiel 23:33. But to us, it is a cup of salvation. When Christ drank this cup of blood, we may truly say that He drank a toast to the world.

It was precious blood, 1 Peter 1:19. In this blood, we see sin fully punished and fully pardoned. Well may the spouse give Christ of her spiced wine and the juice of her pomegranate, Song of Solomon 8:2, when Christ has given her a draft of His warm blood, spiced with His love and perfumed with the Divine nature!

‘This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’ This is a mercy of the first magnitude, the crowning blessing. ‘Who forgives your iniquities, who crowns you with loving-kindness,’ Psalm 103:3-4. Whoever has this charter granted, is enrolled in the book of life. ‘Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,’ Psalm 32:1. Under this word, ‘forgiveness of sin’—are comprehended all heavenly blessings: justification, adoption, and glory—in respect of which benefits we may, with Chrysostom, call the Lord’s Supper, ‘the feast of the cross!’

See in this text, as in a looking-glass, God’s infinite love displayed.

(1) Behold the love of God the Father in giving Christ to be broken for us! That God should put such a jewel in pledge—is the astonishment of angels. ‘God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,’ John 3:16. It is a example of love, without a parallel. It was a far greater expression of love in God to give His Son to die for us—than if He had voluntarily acquitted us of the debt without any atoning sacrifice at all. If a subject is disloyal to his sovereign, it argues more love in the king to give his own son to die for that subject—than to freely forgive him the wrong.

(2) That Christ should suffer death. ’Lord,’ said Bernard, ‘You have loved me more than Yourself; for You laid down Your life for me.’ The emperor Trajan tore off a piece of his own robe to bind up one of his soldier’s wounds. But Christ tore off His own flesh for us! Nay, that Christ should die as the greatest sinner—having the weight of all men’s sins laid upon Him—here was most transporting love! It astonishes all the angels in heaven!

(3) That Christ should die freely. ’I lay down My life,’ John 10:17. There was no law to coerce Him, no force to compel Him. It is called the offering of the body of Jesus, Hebrews 10:10. Nothing could fasten Jesus to the cross—but the golden link of love!”

The Lord’s Supper by Thomas Watson

“QUESTION. What was the cause of Christ’s suffering?

ANSWER. Surely not for any desert of His own. ‘The Messiah shall be cut off—but not for Himself,’ Daniel 9:26. In the original it is, ‘He shall be cut off, and there is nothing in Him.’ That is—there is no cause in Him, why He should suffer. Why, then, was His blessed body broken? It was for our sins. ‘He was wounded for our transgressions,’ Isaiah 53:5. The Hebrew word for ‘wounded’ has a double emphasis. Either it may signify that He was pierced through as with a dart, or that He was profaned. He was used as some common vile thing—and Christ can thank us for it. ‘He was wounded for our transgressions.’ So that, if the question were put to us, as once was put to Christ, ‘Prophesy to us—who smote You?’ Luke 22:64, we might soon answer that it was our sins which smote Him! Our pride made Christ wear a crown of thorns. As Zipporah said to Moses, ‘A bloody husband are you to me,’ Exodus 4:25, so may Christ say to His church, ‘A bloody spouse you have been to Me—you have cost Me My heart’s blood!’

Concerning Christ’s suffering upon the cross, observe these things:

1. It was a BITTER death. ’He was broken.’ The very thoughts of His suffering, put Him into an agony. ‘Being in agony, He prayed more earnestly, and He sweat, as it were, great drops of blood falling down to the ground!’ Luke 22:44. He was full of sorrow. ‘My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death!’ Matthew 26:38.

2. It was a LINGERING death. It was more for Christ to suffer one hour—than for us to have suffered forever. But His death was lengthened out. He hung three hours on the cross. He died many deaths before He could die one.

3. It was a PAINFUL death. His hands and feet were nailed, which parts, being full of sinews, and therefore very tender—His pain must be most acute and sharp. And to have the envenomed arrow of God’s wrath shot to His heart—this was the direful catastrophe, and caused that outcry upon the cross, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me!’ The justice of God was now inflamed and heightened to its full. ‘God spared not His Son,’ Romans 8:38. Nothing must be abated of the debt. Christ felt the pains of hell, though not locally, yet equivalently. In the Lord’s Supper, we see this tragedy acted before us.

4. It was a SHAMEFUL death. Christ was hung between two thieves, Matthew 27:38. It was as if He had been the principal malefactor. Well might the lamp of heaven withdraw its light and mask itself with darkness, as blushing to behold the Sun of righteousness in an eclipse. It is hard to say which was greater, the blood of the cross—or the shame of the cross, Hebrews 12:2.

5. It was a CURSED death. Deuteronomy 21:23. This kind of death was deemed exceedingly execrable, yet the Lord Jesus underwent this, ‘Being made a curse for us,’ Galatians 3:13. He who was God blessed forever, Romans 9:5—was under a curse!

6. Also, consider the SWEETNESS of it to us. Christ’s bruising—is our healing. ‘By His stripes, we are healed,’ Isaiah 53:5. Calvin calls the crucifixion of Christ, the hinge on which our salvation turns. Luther calls it a gospel spring opened to refresh sinners. Indeed, the suffering of Christ is a deathbed cordial. It is an antidote to expel all our fear. Does sin trouble? Christ has overcome it for us! Besides the two thieves crucified with Christ, there were two other invisible thieves crucified with Him—sin and the devil.”