The Bread and the Cup
1 Corinthians 11:23b-25 (niv)
The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 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.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
There is a meaningful connection between the Passover and Jesus’s imminent crucifixion. In Exodus, the Israelites were saved from oppression at the hands of Pharaoh. Now, here at their celebration of Passover, the disciples didn’t quite know how Jesus was about to overshadow the effect of Passover by saving the entirety of the world with one final, sacrificial act.
I can’t imagine what it would be like to be one of the twelve in this situation. You’ve given up everything, totally devoted yourself to this man you believe to be the Messiah. You’re all in. You’ve seen the miracles, and you see the light at the end of the tunnel of oppression. You see how Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecies and you can see yourself taking part in his new kingdom.
And yet.
He says he has to die. As a disciple, this is where you’d be tested. Is this man really who he says he is? He’s raised other people from the grave, but what about himself? Can he really be the Son of God? If so, why does he have to die?
Having the Bible, we have the luxury of knowing the whole story. It’s easy for us to buy in, to see the end of the road and believe. But as a disciple at the Last Supper, I’m not sure I would be in the mood for eating.
It is very purposeful that the last thing Jesus shares with the twelve disciples is food. They were his family, his closest friends. He knows their world is about to be turned upside down, and sharing a meal may have offered some semblance of peace and normality. This last, intimate meal comes at a time when the savior is torn but resolute, at war and at peace. He knows what has to happen. He is determined to fulfill his purpose and create a path for the forgiveness of sins once and for all.
But he is not going to leave his disciples without hope.
After the Passover meal, Christ offered them bread and wine - what would eventually become known as the “Lord’s Supper.” In breaking the bread, Jesus symbolized how his body would soon be beaten and broken. In offering up the wine, he likened it to his own blood, which he would freely offer for the forgiveness of sins. He would use the elements to highlight the establishment of a new covenant and, thereby, give the disciples the gift they would need to get them through the next several days: focus.
Upon Jesus’s death, the blood price for mankind’s sin would be paid, and we would, for the first time, have a direct route to forgiveness and fellowship with God the Father. People would need the disciples. Peter would have to step up as the one Jesus chose to lead this body of believers that would become the Church. The disciples would not be able to focus on mourning. Their primary focus would have to be preaching hope: that in offering up his perfect life, Jesus paid the price so that we all may have the opportunity to be forgiven, to be seen as righteous, and to be adopted into the family of God.
So this is our focus when we participate in the Lord’s Supper. We are remembering his broken body. We are mourning the blood spilled because, according to the law, it should be our blood. But in the midst of remembrance, we can’t forsake celebration. We have the opportunity to celebrate the new covenant we have through Jesus. We get to celebrate that his perfect sacrifice fulfilled the law forever. We get to look beyond the 613 Old Testament laws to find the two commandments that Jesus told us encompasses them all:
Matthew 22:37-40 (niv)
“‘… Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
How are you loving God? How are you loving your neighbor? Take time today to ask God to help you reset your focus in these areas to help your life honor Christ’s sacrifice this season.
Over the next few weeks, you can find reflections here at vineyardrichmond.com. Use them to prompt yourself to focus on your faith in a fresh way. Each week we will consider a different theme as we build up to the resurrection event. On Mondays, we will draw your attention to a biblical focus on a character in the gospel accounts. On Wednesdays, we will reflect personally on how that theme affects our spiritual lives. On Fridays, we will focus outwardly as we consider how God is inviting us to engage the world around us for his kingdom. If what you are learning is meaningful to you, click one of the share buttons at the top of these posts to share it with your friends. Let this be a time of personal reflection and careful examination of our own hearts and minds.