The Incarnation Continues: Christ Present in Communion

Devotional

Day 1: The Incarnation at the Heart of Faith

A thousand conversations can swirl around life and church, yet one truth holds everything together: God came to us in real flesh. The child in the manger, the man on the cross, and the Lord at the Table are not three different stories but one living Lord drawing near. If this center is lost, the rest unravels; if this center is kept, everything else finds its place. In Jesus, God is not distant theory but present mercy. Let the nearness of Christ steady your thoughts and warm your hope today. Rest in the wonder that God chose to be touchable for you. [25:52]

Luke 2:11–12: Today, in David’s town, a Rescuing King has been born for you; and this is how you’ll recognize him—you’ll find a baby wrapped up and lying in a feed trough.

Reflection: Where have secondary concerns crowded out the simple wonder that God took on flesh for you, and what one practice could re-center your week around His nearness?

Day 2: He Earnestly Desires to Share His Table

Jesus does not merely permit you to come; He longs to share this meal with you. He does not hand you an idea or a memory; He gives Himself—body and blood—for you. The same Lord cradled by Mary and lifted on the cross places His life into your hands. Come not to perform, but to receive the God who refuses to stay far away. Let His presence be the measure of your worth and the source of your peace. He delights to meet you here. [27:12]

Luke 22:14–20: When the hour arrived, Jesus reclined with His friends and said, “I have deeply longed to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. I won’t share it again until God’s reign is fulfilled.” He took a cup, gave thanks, and said, “Share this among yourselves.” He took bread, thanked the Father, broke it, and gave it to them: “This is my body given for you—keep doing this to remember me.” After supper He took the cup: “This cup is the new covenant, secured with my blood, poured out for you.”

Reflection: As you approach the Table this week, what simple preparation—confession, a quiet prayer, or reading the words of institution—could help you come expectant rather than distracted?

Day 3: Go Where He Locates His Saving Presence

Yes, God fills heaven and earth, yet He graciously makes Himself findable in particular places. The shepherds moved toward a manger, and the magi journeyed to a house, because God’s saving presence had an address. Today He locates Himself in His Word and at His Table, where forgiveness is placed into trembling hands. Vague spirituality can admire the stars, but only here can you receive the mercy that remakes you. Come to the places He promises to be, and let His faithfulness answer your hunger. He is not hiding; He is inviting. [28:57]

Matthew 2:1–2, 9–11: Wise men arrived from the east, asking, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw His star and came to honor Him.” Guided again by the star, they rejoiced when it stopped over the place the child was. Entering, they saw the child with Mary His mother; they bowed low, opened their treasure chests, and offered gifts of gold, incense, and myrrh.

Reflection: Where have you been hoping to “find God anywhere,” and what concrete step will you take this week to meet Him where He promises—under His Word and at His Table?

Day 4: Communion: Medicine for the Sick, Not a Reward

At the table sat deniers, arguers, and one betrayer—and still Jesus served them. Every sin is a small betrayal, yet He chooses to come into the middle of our failures with forgiveness, not shame. This meal is not a prize for the strong but a remedy for the weak. Bring the real story of your week, and let His real presence be your healing. He sets His peace before sinners, inviting us to receive what we cannot earn. Come as you are, and be mended by the One who comes for you. [31:33]

Luke 22:21–23: “Look,” Jesus said, “the hand of the one who will hand me over is here at this table with me. The Son of Man goes the path already set, but tragic is the one who betrays Him.” Then they began to ask one another which of them it might be.

Reflection: What specific failure or fear from this past week will you place before Jesus at the Table, trusting Him to meet you with mercy rather than condemnation?

Day 5: Advent Nourishment—Little Bethlehems Every Sunday

Advent is not only about remembering then or waiting for someday; it is about meeting Him now. The King who will come in glory refuses to wait to be with you, feeding your mortal body with His eternal life. Every Lord’s Day becomes a little Bethlehem where Christ gives Himself—hidden, humble, and wholly sufficient. He presses peace into your hands and places hope upon your tongue. Come with expectancy, for the One you need is the One who draws near. Receive what He promises: Himself for you. [34:24]

Matthew 11:4–6: Jesus replied, “Go tell John what you’re hearing and seeing: the blind are seeing, the disabled are walking, those with skin disease are made clean, the deaf are hearing, the dead are being raised, and the poor are being given good news. And blessed is the one who doesn’t trip over me.”

Reflection: How will you prepare—practically and prayerfully—to come to worship this week ready to receive Christ’s peace in His Word and in the bread and the cup?

Sermon Summary

I invited us to lay down the noise that so often swirls around church life and to return to the beating heart of our faith: the incarnation. God does not stay at a safe, spiritual distance. He comes in the flesh—near enough to hold, near enough to feed, near enough to forgive. In Luke 22 Jesus says, I have earnestly desired to eat the Passover with you. That longing doesn’t end with the Upper Room. He still desires to draw near, and He does so in the meal He gives: “This is my body… This cup is the new covenant in my blood…for you.”

We often say God is everywhere—and that’s true. But the incarnation teaches something even more specific: God locates His saving presence. Shepherds didn’t stay in the fields and say, “God is everywhere.” They went to the manger. The wise men traveled to Bethlehem. In the same way, Christ locates Himself now under humble bread and wine. Hidden? Yes. Less real? No. The same Lord found in the manger and on the cross comes to us at the altar.

This changes how we come. The table isn’t a reward for those who’ve figured out holiness. The betrayer’s hand was on the table. The denier’s hand was on the table. So are ours. Every sin is a mini-Judas, a small betrayal of His love. Yet He still comes—into our failures—with His peace, His forgiveness, His very life. Advent isn’t only backward-looking to a manger or forward-looking to a trumpet; it trains our eyes to see Christ coming now, to this place, for you. Christmas: God comes to dwell with us. Good Friday: God comes to die for us. The Supper: God comes to forgive and feed us. The incarnation did not end in Bethlehem; it continues in the breaking of the bread.

So come like shepherds and magi—where He is found. In a world starving for meaning, belonging, and a love that touches real life, Christ does not wait. He comes, even now, to place His peace in your mouth and His life in your hands.

Key Takeaways

1. The center is the incarnation Everything else in the Christian life takes its shape from God coming in the flesh. If we lose this center, we drift into distractions—ideas about God instead of the God who comes to us. The manger, the cross, and the altar reveal one Lord, one body, one salvation. Let the incarnation define your faith and your practices. [25:52]
2. Christ locates His saving presence God is present everywhere, but He locates His saving presence where He promises to be. Like shepherds and magi, we do not invent our own destinations; we go where He has made Himself findable. At Word and Sacrament, we don’t just think about God—we receive Him. This is where forgiveness is given, union with Christ is enacted, and life is fed into mortal bodies. [28:57]
3. Communion is medicine for sinners The table is not a merit badge for the spiritual elite; it is the healing Christ gives to betrayers, deniers, and the self-assured. We come not boasting, but hungry—confessing our “mini-Judases,” and finding Him already waiting with mercy. In this meal, He doesn’t glance past your sin; He bears it and gives you Himself. Here, peace is not a feeling but a gift placed in your hands. [31:33]
4. Real presence feeds real life Jesus does not say, “Imagine me,” but “This is my body…my blood…for you.” The same body seen in the manger and nailed to the cross is given at the altar. This is not inspirational symbolism; it is the Incarnate One nourishing you with Himself. Advent becomes profoundly practical when Christ’s life is pressed into our weakness. [27:12]
5. Advent is a present-tense invitation Advent trains us to see His coming now, not only then or someday. He will not wait to comfort, forgive, or unite you to Himself. So don’t seek God in abstractions—come where He is found and receive Him. The feast is readiness made visible. [34:24]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[02:17] - Serving opportunities this season
[02:53] - Caroling night details
[03:20] - Worship schedule and opening hymn
[16:19] - Gospel: John’s question from prison
[16:58] - John the Baptist, more than a prophet
[17:26] - Ears to hear: kingdom and violence
[22:05] - Advent series text: Luke 22
[22:41] - “This is my body…this cup…for you”
[23:12] - Prayer for hearing God’s Word
[24:07] - At the heart: the incarnation
[24:54] - Icon story: “It’s incarnational”
[26:21] - Christ’s longing to draw near
[26:48] - Real presence given, not imagined
[27:57] - One Christ: manger, cross, sacrament
[28:57] - Saving presence: located, not vague
[29:33] - Little Bethlehem: Advent nourishment
[30:37] - Peace breaks in at the table
[31:33] - Communion: medicine for the sick
[32:31] - The world’s hunger and Christ’s nearness
[33:32] - Christmas, Good Friday, and the Supper
[34:00] - He will not wait to be with you
[34:24] - Look here: where He is found
[36:11] - Final confession of faith

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- Luke 22

Observation questions

Read Luke 22:14–20. What specific words and actions does Jesus use at the table to identify himself with bread and wine? [22:05]
Jesus says, “I have earnestly desired to eat the Passover with you.” What does that longing communicate about Jesus’ attitude toward coming near to his people? [26:21]
The text notes, “the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table.” How does the presence of betrayal at the meal shape the scene and the meaning of the supper? [22:41]
The sermon connects manger, cross, and sacrament as one Lord in one flesh. What images or phrases in the passage and message tie those three moments together? [27:57]

Interpretation questions (third-person, reflective)

What does it mean that the incarnation “locates” God’s saving presence rather than leaving salvation as a merely general, everywhere presence? How does this idea affect the role of Word and Sacrament? [28:57]
If the Lord’s Supper is described as “medicine for sinners,” what theological and pastoral implications follow about who comes to the table and why? [31:33]
The claim is made that the same body seen in the manger and on the cross is given at the altar. How should that claim change the way one understands the relationship between Christmas, Good Friday, and communion? [27:12]
Advent is presented as a present‑tense invitation to see Christ coming now. How does that interpretation of Advent reshape expectations for worship, waiting, and daily life? [34:24]

Application questions (personal, specific)

The invitation is to “come like shepherds and magi—where He is found.” When was the last time one intentionally came to Word and Sacrament rather than seeking God elsewhere, and what practical step will be taken this week to prioritize that practice? [34:24]
The table is called “medicine for the sick.” Which small “mini‑Judas” habits or hidden loyalties need to be named and brought to the table this season, and what concrete way will one confess or bring them before receiving communion? [31:33]
The sermon says the real presence feeds real life. In what specific weakness, fear, or need does one want Christ’s life pressed into them now, and what next tangible step (regular communion, private confession, a repentance plan, a spiritual conversation) will be taken? [29:33]
Advent trains eyes to see Christ coming now. What one new devotional or communal practice will be adopted this Advent (for example: weekly attendance for the sacrament, a focused reading on the incarnation, inviting someone to church) to make that training concrete? [34:24]
People sometimes say, “I can meet God anywhere.” How would one briefly explain to a friend where the saving presence is located and then invite that friend to come and see it in Word and Sacrament this month? [28:57]
The kingdom of peace “breaks into a troubled world” at the table. Where in life is one urgently needing that peace right now, and who will be asked to pray with or accompany one to the table in the next two weeks? [30:37]

Sermon Clips

It stays with me as a reminder, this is what matters. This is the heartbeat of the Christian faith. not just Christmas, not just Advent, everything, every Sunday, every sermon, every sacrament. The Christian faith is incarnational. God comes in the flesh for us. Jesus longs to come near his people. He doesn't say, well, I guess it's communion Sunday. No, he desires it. He anticipates it. He is the incarnate God, the God who refuses to stay distant. And he gives the disciples and us, not just teachings, not just memories, not just inspiration. He gives himself flesh, blood, life. [00:25:28] (80 seconds) #HeartbeatOfIncarnation

People today sometimes say, I can meet God anywhere. And of course, God is present everywhere. We don't deny that. But in the days of Jesus' birth, the shepherd still went to the manger. The wise men still traveled to Bethlehem. Why? Because the incarnation did not limit God's presence. It located his saving presence. You can behold God as creator in the stars and the seas, but only here can you hold him. [00:28:29] (42 seconds) #HoldHimHere

Only here is the God who loved you enough to have a body you can touch and blood poured out for you to drink. Only here does he give forgiveness. Only here does he unite you with himself. Only here does he feed eternal life into mortal bodies. And this is not just spiritual nourishment. This is advent nourishment. This is incarnational nourishment. [00:29:11] (35 seconds) #IncarnationalNourishment

The manger was the first sanctuary. A group of shepherds gathered where Jesus was present. Later a band of travelers also gathered where Jesus was present and today it is we who gather because Jesus is present. And what does he bring when he comes? Not anxiety not condemnation but peace. That is what advent announces. A newborn king bringing peace on earth. The kingdom of peace breaks into a troubled world right here. [00:30:03] (47 seconds) #AdventBringsPeace

Jesus gives his very body and blood to a table of sinners. Betrayers deniers arguers which of us is the greatest. We want to think surely not I Lord but every sin is a mini Judas. Every time we turn our back every time we love something more. Every time we betray his ways. And so it's a reminder this table is not a reward for the faithful. It is medicine for the sick. [00:31:01] (49 seconds) #medicineForTheSick

Not just back then not just in the future someday but here now today. People may say I don't need church to find God but what they truly hunger for cannot be found in vague spirituality or sunsets at the beach. It is only found where Jesus locates himself in his word and sacrament. Here they can taste the love that saves. Here they can touch the kingdom that is coming. Here they can receive the very body and blood that were given for them. [00:32:45] (45 seconds) #FindGodAtTheTable

Let's put it clearly. Christmas God comes to dwell with us. Good Friday God comes to die for us. The Lord's Supper God comes to forgive and feed us. You see the incarnation didn't end in Bethlehem. It continues in the breaking of the bread. Christ will come again in glory but he refuses to wait until then to be with you. He will not wait to comfort you. He will not wait to forgive you. He will not wait to join you to himself. He comes now incarnate on this altar. [00:33:30] (44 seconds) #IncarnationInTheBread

So yes a thousand issues will always swirl around the church but at the center at the heart at the foundation it's the incarnation. The God who once lay in a manger who once hung on a cross now comes hidden in bread and wine to lay himself before you again not symbolically not metaphorically but really flesh and blood God for you. [00:35:19] (37 seconds) #CenterIsTheIncarnation

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