SUMMARY: QTM 306 // THE REPEATED FINISH

A Systems Audit of the Lord's Supper and the Finished Work of Christ

AUDIO // JUST THE GIST — QTM 306

0.0 The Paradox

In Christian doctrine, there is a perceived collision between two fundamental commands in the "Source Code" (Scripture).

The Finish: On the cross, Jesus declared, "It is finished" (John 19:30).
The Repetition: At the Last Supper, Jesus commanded, "Do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19).

This creates a logical tension: If the work of salvation was truly "paid in full" at the cross, why does the church return to the Table week after week? Skeptics argue that if Jesus’ death were truly sufficient, any ongoing ritual is redundant. If we have to keep doing it, did it really work the first time?

This audit resolves this tension by distinguishing between the Accomplishment of salvation (the objective legal work) and the Application of salvation (our ongoing participation in it).

1.0 THE ACCOMPLISHMENT: DEFINING "FINISHED"

To understand the Table, we must first audit the Event it points to. The Source Code confirms that the cross was a transaction that permanently altered the legal status of the believer.

The Evidence: Tetelestai

When Jesus said "It is finished" (John 19:30), He used the Greek word tetelestai.

The Grammar: It is in the perfect tense, indicating an action completed in the past with permanent, ongoing results. It means "It stands finished."
The Context: Archeological findings of first-century tax receipts show tetelestai written across them to signify "Paid in Full." Jesus was not announcing the end of His biological life; He was declaring the liquidation of a debt.

The Structural Argument (Hebrews)

The book of Hebrews contrasts the Old Covenant priests with Christ using physical posture:

The Old Priests Stood: They offered sacrifices "day after day" because their work was never done (Hebrews 10:11).
The New Priest Sat: After offering one sacrifice for all time, Christ "sat down" (Hebrews 10:12).

The Verdict: The "Accomplishment" is a closed system. The Priest has sat down. Any theology of communion that suggests we are re-sacrificing Christ to "top up" forgiveness violates the core logic of the New Testament.

2.0 THE APPLICATION: THE MECHANICS OF REMEMBRANCE

If the work is finished, why do we repeat the meal? We repeat it not to re-do the sacrifice, but to re-encounter the reality.

THE TRUST FUND ANALOGY The beneficiary does not add to the fund by withdrawing from it; they simply access the wealth that was already deposited.

The Access Key: Anamnēsis

The command "Do this in remembrance (anamnēsis) of me" is not a call for passive mental recall.

The Logic: In the biblical worldview (rooted in the Hebrew zakar), remembrance is a covenantal act that synchronizes the present believer with a past reality.
The Sync: Just as Passover made the Exodus real for every generation of Jews, the Lord's Supper functions like a "System Sync." It does not restart the clock; it synchronizes our local timeline with the definitive event of the Cross.

The Proclamation

Paul writes that as often as we eat, we "proclaim the Lord’s death" (1 Cor 11:26). The Logic: You do not proclaim a work in progress; you proclaim a victory. We repeat the meal because we can never exhaust the wealth of the "Finished Work."

3.0 THE SYSTEM AUDIT: HOW IS CHRIST PRESENT?

The church has historically struggled to explain how Christ is present. We tested the major views against the Source Code:

Transubstantiation (Catholic): Rejected. By turning the bread into the literal body to be offered again, it violates the "Once-for-All" kill-switch of Hebrews 10:18.
Memorialism (Zwinglian/Baptist): Insufficient. By reducing the meal to pure mental memory, it ignores Paul’s claim of koinōnia (real participation/fellowship) in 1 Corinthians 10:16.
Spiritual Presence (Reformed): Verified. The text says we are "seated with Him in heavenly realms" (Ephesians 2:6). We do not drag Christ down to the table; the Spirit lifts us up to commune with the seated Christ.

The Forgiveness Variable

Does communion forgive sins? Matthew 26:28 links the cup to "forgiveness of sins."

THE "ATM" ANALOGY The Table functions as read-only access to the account Christ filled. The ATM doesn't create money; it dispenses what is there. Communion doesn't write new payments for sin; it dispenses the benefits of the once-for-all payment.

4.0 THE ESCHATOLOGICAL HORIZON

The Table is not just a look back; it is a look forward.

The King's Fast

Jesus vowed at the Last Supper: "I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom" (Matthew 26:29). Jesus is currently on a "King's Fast." He refuses to celebrate until the mission is complete and His bride is gathered.

The Beta Version

Revelation 19 promises the "Wedding Supper of the Lamb." The Communion table is the Beta Version of that final feast. It is a temporary interface ("until He comes") designed to eventually be uninstalled. We eat physical bread and wine now as a rehearsal for the physical, resurrected reality of the New Earth.

5.0 THE SECURITY WARNING (1 CORINTHIANS 11)

Paul warns against eating in an "unworthy manner." This is often misinterpreted as requiring personal moral perfection, causing anxiety.

The Context: The Corinthians were getting drunk and letting the poor go hungry during the meal.
The Error: They were failing to "discern the body"—meaning, they failed to recognize the Unity of the Church.
The Check: Self-examination is not a hunt for sinlessness; it is a check for alignment. Are you relying on the Finished Work? Are you in unity with the Body? If yes, the Table is open.

FINAL VERDICT The repetition of the Lord's Supper does not signal the insufficiency of the cross; it signals its infinite sufficiency.

We return to the Table not to pay for our sins, but because they have been paid for. It is a Proclamation of a finished victory, a Participation in a living Savior, and a Remembrance that synchronizes our present reality with our eternal legal status.

System Status: Verified. The Table is Open.