In Remembrance Of Jesus

-May 1, 2022-

Good morning, happy Lord’s Day,

“And when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same manner He also took the cup after supper saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’”

(1 Corinthians 11:24-25).

The Apostle Paul received this command directly from the Lord Jesus Christ. The account of the institution of the Lord’s Supper is also found in all four gospels, and is of vital importance for the church. The Breaking of Bread along with baptism are the two great tenets of the church, and thus for all believers in Christ. Only believers in Jesus can participate in taking the bread and wine in remembrance of our Lord.

Twice in today’s text, Paul quotes the words of Jesus, “In remembrance of Me.” Our Lord did not tell us to remember His birth, His life, or any of His signs, miracles, or teachings; He told us to remember His death at Calvary to save us from our sins. Of course He wants to remember all of those other things too, but His purpose in coming into this world was to die in our place on the cross.

When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper there in the upper room with His disciples, He had just celebrated Passover with them. He was to be the perfect sacrificial Lamb of God who willingly laid down His life for us. There was a clear fulfillment of the Old Covenant and the establishment of the New Covenant.

Our Savior took bread, a symbol of His body, broke it, and He and the disciples ate from it. Then He took the wine in a similar way, a symbol of His blood that was shed to wash away our sins. They took the wine and each drank from the cup. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:26, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” Bread is the staff of life and wine represents joy. The early Christians celebrated the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week, which was Sunday. They met together in this way each week.

1 Corinthians 20:7 says, “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.” Some churches celebrate the Lord’s Supper once a month or once a quarter, but biblically, it should be every Sunday.

It is a precious meeting that is spontaneous as the Holy Spirit leads men to share from the Word, and to offer up hymns in keeping with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. There is usually a distinct theme each Sunday on a particular aspect of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. It never gets old, dull, or monotonous; but it is rather fresh and flourishing each time. What a privilege we have to remember our Lord!

Have a blessed day remembering the Lord, hearing the Word, praying, and having fellowship with the saints. Stay safe and healthy.

In Calvary’s bonds of love,

Dean