The Last Supper
Scripture: 1
Corinthians 11:23-26 (ESV)
23 For I received
from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night
when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and
when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for
you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In
the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new
covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
26 For as often as
you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he
comes.
Devotion:
The words above should seem familiar.
At least to anyone who has been a Christian for any length of time. These very
words or words very much like them are said every time we celebrate communion.
Let us take a closer look at these words and what they mean for us today.
Paul starts off by saying that he learned
these words from the Lord. Commentators do not agree on the exact meaning of
this phrase. Some say that Jesus must have given these words to Paul by divine
revelation. Others suggest that he learned them from other disciples after his
conversion in Acts 9.
Paul goes on to write that this meal
took place on the night he was betrayed. In the gospel accounts we learn that
his betrayer Judas was present at the meal and went out afterwards to do his
business with the religious leaders. Jesus then takes bread and wine and
consecrates them and gives them to his disciples.
Each time we receive the bread and
the wine we are to both remember and proclaim the wonderful deeds of our Lord to all we come in
contact with. We are to continue to proclaim Jesus’ life, death, and
resurrection until his return in glory.
What does this meal mean to us in
the 21st century? It is a time to stop and meditate on the presence
of God in our midst. In the eating and drinking at the Lord’s table we are to
be refreshed in our faith. The substance of this meal is to give us concrete
tokens for our faith in and our love for Jesus Christ. Different faith
traditions give different significance to the exact meaning of the bread and
cup. All, however, agree that it is a serious occasion that brings together all
of the world-wide church of Christ. It and baptism are the only sacraments
celebrated by the whole church of Christ.
Prayer:
Lord, help us to be mindful of your
instructions to celebrate Holy Communion whenever and wherever it is observed.
Help us to be open to receiving you in the eating of this bread and drinking of
the cup that our lives may be transformed. And that by being transformed into
one body by taking of the one loaf and the drinking of the one cup let us
proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior until he comes again in glory. Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment