Dear friends,
It’s good to bring you this weekly encouragement, I hope it encourages your heart as it has mine.
Luke 22:19-20 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you
Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” Remember my body given for you, remember my blood which is poured out for you. However, some church leaders say, “Do this in remembrance of your sin”, or “examine yourself” to see if you’re in the faith. What exactly are we to remember while taking communion? Are we to remember our sins of the past week so we can confess them? To bring them to the altar before the Lord as we “prepare our hearts” for the cup and the bread? Are we to remember and bring this list of our stumbles and falls before the throne of grace?
Do this in remembrance of Me! Remember that I was clothed with flesh and blood and impaled on a tree in your place. Remember that I became sin, and was judged and condemned for you. Remember my sacrifice on that mountain, that with each strike of the nails I was loving you. Remember that with each lash to My back and chunk of skin removed I was removing your sins from you. Remember that the New Covenant that was instituted by the shedding of My blood that purchased and freed you from sins slavery. Remember that I have kept no record of wrongs against you because the record was sealed at the cross in My blood. Remember that your debt has been completely canceled, forever. Remember that God remembers your sins no more, because He remembers My perfect offering for you. Remember that your sins have been removed from you as far as the east is from the west. Remember that you have participated in My death and resurrection by faith, and therefore live free and forgiven even when you stumble and fall.
1 Corinthians 10:16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?
Dear friends, what a joy it is to “remember” the truth of the gospel, the body given for you and the blood that was poured out for you. May we continue to share this good news with our students, family members, and friends. That our identity is rooted at the cross in blood, and our new life is found in the empty tomb. Some may have forgotten just what it is we are to remember and it is our privilege to remind them and ourselves of the good news!
Remember, This is my body given for you; This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
