In Remembrance
Read the Text: Luke 22
Memorize the Text: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
Consider the Text: Luke 22:14-20
During the last hours before the arrest of Christ, he shared the Passover meal with his disciples. As Jesus dined with his followers, he took a moment to institute a greater understanding of the Passover meal and set forth a command for a church ordinance in the observance of the Lord’s Supper. The institution of this activity led to an opportunity to reflect on and remember the work of Christ on the cross and in the resurrection. Thus, when reading Luke 22, we should take a moment to recall the great sacrifice Christ gave so that we may have eternal life.
We must REMEMBER CHRIST. Christ left the fullness of heaven to redeem the world. He willfully submitted to the Father’s plan by leaving the place of complete joy to enter a broken and corrupt world in need of redemption. The act of coming to earth included the leaving of the Father’s right hand and taking up residence in the fallen created world. The impact of this transition comes when we recognize that he left the fullness of glory. He enjoyed the fullness of the glory of God in heaven and left that for the devil’s playground for you and me.
The motivation of Jesus included a focusing on us. He saw the disastrous eternal reality of humanity and was driven to offer hope. He demonstrated this motivation through a ministry that was selfless and revolutionary. In the prayer before the arrest, he prayed for the “cup to be removed,” but surrendered to Father’s will at the same time. His selfish mission centered on rescuing the lost and thus, he focused on the task at hand. Jesus did not waver at the task in front of him. Instead, he abandoned his intent and stayed firm to the task given by the Father.
We must REMEMBER THE CROSS. The Lord’s Supper provides a time of remembering and reflecting on the sacrifice Christ gave on the cross. He surrendered himself and received an unjust punishment because of his great love for us. He took on the condemnation due to humanity so that humanity would have a way to escape the just condemnation that each deserved.
On the cross, Jesus became broken for us. He experienced a brokenness that was complete. He endured physical, spiritual, and emotional brokenness because sin breaks each of these aspects. When we investigate the words on the cross, we see these three areas of brokenness come to the forefront. At the same time, the brokenness came with the spilling of blood. The blood poured out was a necessity because a blood sacrifice must occur for the forgiveness of sins to occur. Thus, Jesus took the pain and penalty of the cross to be the needed blood spilled sacrifice for humanity.
We must REMEMBER THE COMPLETION. The cross would not be the final chapter, and the participation in the Lord’s Supper provides an opportunity to remember this truth. On the cross and in the resurrection, Jesus would conquer the plague of sin. He broke the bondage of sin that held us trapped in separation from the Lord. At the same time, he conquered the penalty of sin in the victory over death. The victory over death came in the resurrection and only becomes available to us through a relationship with Christ. He completed what he started.
As we have moments of participating in the Lord’s Supper, may we remember the importance of reflecting and remembering the significance of Christ's work. This ordinance provides the chance to grow closer to the Lord personally and to declare the greatness of the gift of life from the Lord. May we take time and thoughtfully reflect on Christ when we take part in this gourmet meal and battle against the temptation to rush through this fellowship with the Lord.
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
