THE CHRISTMAS FEAST

Isa.25:6 – Now the LORD of armies will prepare a lavish banquet for all peoples on this mountain;
A banquet of aged wine, choice pieces with marrow,
And refined, aged wine.

England has a tradition of having a great holiday meal at Christmas that is quite similar to our American Thanksgiving. It reminds me of the great gospel feast that Jesus spoke about in one of His parables. As we prepare ourselves to celebrate this Christmas maybe we should take time and reflect on what we will be feasting on this Christmas season.

The first item on the menu is the greatest of all drinks, the blood of Jesus. This is the drink that will cleanse us through and through and prepare us for the rest of our Christmas feast. This drink cleanses us from all of our sin, brings us into the presence of the Lord, breaks the curse of poverty from our lives, and brings healing to our whole body. It is the precious blood of Jesus that makes us whole.

The next item on the menu is the spritzer or the Living Water. Jesus said that if we drink this water we will never thirst again and it would become a fountain of life on the inside of us. The world has all sorts of drinks that they offer but none of them can ever quench the thirst of our soul. You drink this Living Water and your soul thirst will be totally satisfied.

The next fare offered today will be of course the Bread of life. No meal is complete without fresh bread, this bread reminds us that Christ became one of us, actually became a man, to redeem us from all of our sin. This is the bread that satisfies our soul. Every time we take communion we are reminded of this, Christ became a human to be our representative in heaven. He is always there as a man representing all of mankind as He prays for us to His Father.

Next on the menu is the main course, the Lamb of God. Jesus became our sacrificial lamb and redeemed each one of us and our households by His death on the cross. This Christmas we are feasting on the Lamb of God in the hope that our whole house will be saved.

Finally we finish our meal with an after dinner beverage. No meal is complete until you drink the new wine of the Holy Spirit. This is the perfect finish for our gospel feast, drinking this new wine that fills us totally with the joy of the Lord.