The Lord's Table

Brother Sparks emphasizes the significance of spiritual insight in understanding the Scriptures and the work of Christ. He references Luke 24:16 and 24:31, highlighting how the disciples' eyes were deliberately veiled and then opened by divine action, symbolizing a divine fiat necessary for true spiritual understanding. He suggests that from Christ's call to Pentecost, believers were in a "parenthesis," a period of incidental events that culminated at Pentecost into a continuous, permanent Christian life rooted in the resurrection. The walk to Emmaus exemplifies this transition: the disciples, initially despondent and fixated on Christ's death, were spiritually enlightened when Jesus expounded the Scriptures, revealing that the cross was not an end but a beginning of new life. Brother Sparks stresses that the true understanding of the cross and resurrection is a divine act—an inward spiritual awakening—rather than mere intellectual knowledge. He shares his personal experience of this awakening, describing how it created an "open heaven," a spiritual faculty that enables him to see Christ and the church in a new, living way. This spiritual sight is essential for comprehending the significance of Christ's work, the church, and the Scriptures. He concludes by urging believers to pray for this divine act of spiritual opening, especially as they approach the Lord’s table, emphasizing the importance of remembrance, proclamation, and self-examination in communion.

Outline of Main Points

• Divine act necessary for spiritual understanding: eyes are deliberately veiled and opened by God.
• Period from Christ's call to Pentecost is a parenthesis of incidental events culminating in a permanent Christian life.
• The walk to Emmaus illustrates the transition from natural despair to spiritual enlightenment through Scripture exposition.
• The cross is not an end but a beginning of new life, revealed through divine spiritual awakening.
• Personal testimony of the "open heaven"—a spiritual faculty that enables seeing Christ and the church in a new light.
• True understanding comes from seeing the Lord Jesus, not just intellectual knowledge or doctrine.
• Prayer for divine inward act to open spiritual eyes, especially as believers approach the Lord’s table.
• Communion involves remembrance, proclamation, and self-examination, emphasizing the spiritual significance of the Lord’s death and resurrection.