Presents the biblical institution of the Lord's Supper, theological issues (the presence of Christ, the sacrament's efficacy and necessity), and pastoral considerations.

Delivered in St. Giles, Edinburgh, in 1589, the sacramental doctrine of Bruce's sermons has passed into the very soul of the Church to which he was so touchingly devoted and which he so steadfastly served. --

A revelatory exploration of the Jewish roots of the Last Supper that seeks to understand exactly what happened at Jesus’ final Passover. “Clear, profound and practical—you do not want to miss this book.”—Dr. Scott Hahn, author of The Lamb’s Supper and The Fourth Cup Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist shines fresh light on the Last Supper by looking at it through Jewish eyes. Using his in-depth knowledge of the Bible and ancient Judaism, Dr. Brant Pitre answers questions such as: What was the Passover like at the time of Jesus? What were the Jewish hopes for the Messiah? What was Jesus’ purpose in instituting the Eucharist during the feast of Passover? And, most important of all, what did Jesus mean when he said, “This is my body… This is my blood”? To answer these questions, Pitre explores ancient Jewish beliefs about the Passover of the Messiah, the miraculous Manna from heaven, and the mysterious Bread of the Presence. As he shows, these three keys—the Passover, the Manna, and the Bread of the Presence—have the power to unlock the original meaning of the Eucharistic words of Jesus. Along the way, Pitre also explains how Jesus united the Last Supper to his death on Good Friday and his Resurrection on Easter Sunday. Inspiring and informative, Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist is a groundbreaking work that is sure to illuminate one of the greatest mysteries of the Christian faith: the mystery of Jesus’ presence in “the breaking of the bread.”

This study of the Lord's Supper (which Barth did not live to write) systematically develops the implications of Karl Barth's doctrine of God for his view of the sacrament. It analyzes his conceptions of God, revelation, grace, and sacramental causality, critically comparing them to the views of Rahner, Torrance, Wainwright, Jungel, Moltmann, Pannenberg, Gunton, and others. By contrasting Barth's views with more recent theology, this study clarifies many important issues that are often neglected or misunderstood by theologians who have moved "beyond" Barth without grappling with the important questions he raised, especially concerning God's freedom. Sacramental controversies are explored in the context of Christology and Trinitarian theology.

"Rivals the major systematic theologies of this century."--Baptist History and Heritage Journal, July 1996"One of the characteristics of Garrett's system that needs especially to be noted is its balanced, judicious, and nearly invariably objective presentation of materials. While holding true to the teachings of his own Baptist faith, Garrett so carefully and judiciously presents alternatives . . . that teachers and students from other confessional and denominational positions will find his work instructive."--Consensus, 1997"If one is searching for an extensive exposition of the biblical foundations and historical developments of the various loci of systematic theology, there is no more complete presentation in a relatively short work than this . . . Pastors will especially find this feature to be a real help in teaching theology . . . [It is] an indispensable contribution to the task of systematic theology."--Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, September 1999"Many students and pastors will find all they need here, and will in addition be helped to relate their knowledge to recent developments in the theological world."--The Churchman: A Journal of Anglican Theology, 1991"A gold mine of helpful material."--The Christian Century, May 29-June 5, 1991"No book that I know is more loaded with biblical and theological facts than this one. The prodigious research that must have gone into the preparation of this volume is truly mind-boggling."--Faith and Mission, Fall 1991"Garrett has provided a massive and scholarly systematic theology from a thoroughly conservative and comprehensive viewpoint. The work is well documented in both biblical and historical scholarship and will prove to be a classic."--William Hendrickson, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary"One of the most comprehensive, concise books of its type available; it should receive wide use in the classroom and in the study."--Robert H. Culpepper, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

A call to a renewed hunger and thirst for the Lord's Supper, this book unfolds a historic Reformed understanding in contrast to other views. Building on careful biblical analysis, Robert Letham explains why we have the Supper, how we partake of Christ in it, who should take communion, and related matters.