Sondag 28
Vraag 75: Hoe word jy in die heilige nagmaal daaraan herinner en verseker dat jy aan die een offer van Christus aan die kruis en al sy gawes deel het? Antwoord: So: Christus het my en alle gelowiges beveel om van hierdie gebroke brood te eet en uit hierdie beker te drink tot sy gedagtenis¹. Hy het daarby beloof: eers dat sy liggaam so seker vir my aan die kruis geoffer en gebreek en sy bloed vir my vergiet is, as wat ek met my oë die brood van die Here vir my gebreek sien en die beker vir my gegee sien word²; en verder dat Hy my siel met sy gekruisigde liggaam en vergiete bloed net so seker tot die ewige lewe voed en verkwik, as wat ek die brood en die wyn as tekens van die liggaam en bloed van Christus uit die hand van die bedienaar ontvang en met my mond geniet³.
Skrifverwysings: 1: Lukas 22:19-20; 1 Korintiërs 11:23-25 2: 1 Korintiërs 10:16-17 3: Johannes 6:51, 55-56
Vraag 76: Wat beteken dit om die gekruisigde liggaam van Christus te eet en sy vergiete bloed te drink? Antwoord: Dit beteken nie net om met ‘n gelowige hart die hele lyding en dood van Christus aan te neem en daardeur vergewing van sondes en die ewige lewe te verkry nie¹, maar ook om deur die Heilige Gees wat tegelyk in Christus en in ons woon², so met sy heilige liggaam al hoe meer verenig te word³, dat ons, al is Hy in die hemel en ons op die aarde, tog vlees van sy vlees en been van sy bene is⁴, en altyd deur een Gees (soos die lede van ‘n liggaam deur een siel) lewe en regeer word⁵.
Skrifverwysings: 1: Johannes 6:35, 40, 47-48, 50-54 2: Johannes 14:23; 15:4-5 3: Efesiërs 3:16-17 4: Efesiërs 5:29-30 5: 1 Korintiërs 6:15-17; 10:17
Vraag 77: Waar het Christus beloof om gelowiges net so seker te voed en verkwik met sy liggaam en bloed as wat hulle van hierdie gebroke brood eet en uit hierdie beker drink? Antwoord: In die instelling van die nagmaal: “Die Here Jesus het in die nag waarin Hy verraai is, brood geneem en nadat Hy gedank het, dit gebreek en gesê: ‘Neem, eet, dit is my liggaam wat vir julle gebreek word; doen dit tot my gedagtenis.’ Net so ook die beker, ná die ete, met die woorde: ‘Hierdie beker is die nuwe verbond in my bloed; doen dit, so dikwels as julle daaruit drink, tot my gedagtenis’.”¹ Hierdie belofte word ook herhaal deur Paulus waar hy sê: “Die beker van danksegging wat ons seën, is dit nie die gemeenskap met die bloed van Christus nie? Die brood wat ons breek, is dit nie die gemeenskap met die liggaam van Christus nie? Omdat dit een brood is, is ons, al is ons baie, een liggaam, want ons het almal deel aan die een brood.”²
Skrifverwysings: 1: 1 Korintiërs 11:23-25 2: 1 Korintiërs 10:16-17
Lord’s Day 28
Question 75: How does the holy supper signify and seal to you that you share in the one sacrifice of Christ on the cross and all His benefits? Answer: In this way: Christ has commanded me and all believers to eat of this broken bread and to drink of this cup in remembrance of Him.¹ With this command He has promised: first, that His body was as certainly offered and broken on the cross for me and His blood shed for me, as I see with my eyes the bread of the Lord broken for me and the cup given to me;² and second, that He Himself as certainly feeds and nourishes my soul to everlasting life with His crucified body and shed blood, as I receive from the hand of the minister and taste with my mouth the bread and the cup of the Lord, as sure signs of the body and blood of Christ.³
Scripture References: 1: Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 2: 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 3: John 6:51, 55-56
Question 76: What does it mean to eat the crucified body of Christ and to drink His shed blood? Answer: It means not only to embrace with a believing heart the whole suffering and death of Christ and thereby to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life,¹ but also, through the Holy Spirit who dwells both in Christ and in us,² to be united more and more with His sacred body,³ so that, although He is in heaven and we are on earth, we are nevertheless flesh of His flesh and bone of His bones,⁴ and are forever lived and governed by one Spirit, as the members of a body are by one soul.⁵
Scripture References: 1: John 6:35, 40, 47-48, 50-54 2: John 14:23; 15:4-5 3: Ephesians 3:16-17 4: Ephesians 5:29-30 5: 1 Corinthians 6:15-17; 10:17
Question 77: Where has Christ promised that He will feed and nourish believers with His body and blood as surely as they eat of this broken bread and drink of this cup? Answer: In the institution of the supper: “The Lord Jesus on the night when 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 also He took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’“¹ This promise is repeated by Paul where he says: “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.”²
Scripture References: 1: 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 2: 1 Corinthians 10:16-17