SHARING A MEMORIAL MEAL 8 12
- Luke 22:14-22
A man was working in his backyard one day, when his neighbor began talking to him over the fence. He said, “Yeah. I went to one of those seminars yesterday, you know, where they teach you ways to improve your memory and such.” His neighbor commented, “Really. What was the name of the speaker?” The man answered, “Ah, ah, what’s the name of that flower that smells so good and has thorns?” “You mean a rose?” Yeah, that’s it. Rose, what was the name of that speaker we heard yesterday?
We humans often have a hard time remembering things. My memory has gotten so bad I figure that within a few years I’ll be able to hide my own Easter eggs.
The Lord knows how short our memories are, so throughout the Bible we find Him reminding us of things again and again, and even doing things to help us remember. We have memorial offerings, writings, and tassels. There are rainbows, books, and stacked stones. Jesus used parables and items around Him in those parables, to help people remember what He taught; but in the whole Bible there is no reminder more important or significant than the one He established the night before His crucifixion. It is Communion, the Lord’s Supper, our Memorial Meal. In verse 19 of the passage we just read, Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” The whole meal is a reminder of Him, and the two elements of the meal remind us of two important things about Him.
I. THE BREAD REMINDS US OF THE COST OF SIN
The first item of our memorial meal is the bread. In verse 19, Jesus says, “This is My Body which is given for you.”
- Isaiah 53:1-7
> Isaiah 53:5-6 But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds. 6 We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished Him for the iniquity of us all.
Why did Jesus die? Why did He undergo the suffering and all that He endured while here on earth? He did so because there is a thing called sin and sin has a price. Then He gave us a memorial meal to remember that.
The bread reminds us of the cost of sin.
This past week many across our country were surprised by the turn out at Chick-fil-a. I imagine that the majority of you have seen the pictures. Someone sent me a post that showed 45 different pictures of Chick-fil-a restaurants this past Wednesday. There were pictures of lines of cars wrapped around blocks, of people lined up outside the doors of the restaurants; all trying to get in and show their support for the company because the owner said he supported traditional marriage and some folks wanted to boycott.
I didn’t go Wednesday, but went Thursday to the store in Orange City and the cars still stretched onto Saxon Blvd.
Since then, the news media and social networks have had a great deal to say about what took place that day. I had some folks try to take me to task for my stand and for my beliefs. There are several things we need to take away from this however, regardless of people’s opinions and in spite of what may be popular at the time.
We need to remember that there is such a thing as right and wrong. Look it wasn’t for no reason that Jesus came to earth and endured all of the stuff He went through.
Jesus is the Creator of the Universe and of all there is. He is the Son of God. He is the One the angels sing praises to. This Jesus walked to hallowed halls of heaven. This Jesus left the ease, the glory and splendor of heaven; and came to earth, not because He wanted to take a trip. Not because He wanted to get out of the palace and slum for a while. Not because He was lonely and wanted to make some new friends. Jesus left heaven and all that entails; He left the very place we all hope to reach one day because there is such a thing as sin. There is such a thing as right and wrong.
-1 Corinthians 6:9-10,
Yes, homosexuality is wrong. It is a sin. The Bible makes that perfectly clear, regardless of what people claim, regardless of what they say, feel think, or anything else. It is wrong and it is a sin. But that is not the only sin the Bible mentions.
- Romans 1:28-32
Before we get too proud, let’s admit that we can often see ourselves mentioned in these very same lists. Yes, homosexuality is a sin, or acting upon that temptation is a sin; but so is lying, and many of our politicians do that every day. Sadly, so do many of our business folks. So is gluttony. So is gossip. So is adultery. So is pride. Listen, we better never reach the point where we think we are better than other folks, simply because we are not guilty of their particular sin.
Jesus reserved His toughest criticism for the religious people who thought their feet didn’t stink.
And while we’re on the subject, just because I disagree with you or tell you that what you are doing is wrong, does not mean that I hate you. I often disagree with Drew or will tell him that something he believes or is doing is wrong, but that doesn’t mean I hate him. Jesus told the woman caught in adultery to quit what she was doing and He didn’t hate her. He told the man who loved money to sell all he had, and Jesus didn’t hate him.
There is a right and wrong. There is such a thing as sin. And sin has a terrible price. On earth, it keeps us from being and accomplishing what God intended. It causes sickness. It destroys homes and families. It wrecks marriages. It causes us to get into such debt that we can barely breath. It keeps us from receiving God’s guidance and blessings. Eventually, it separates us from God for all eternity.
Jesus says, “When you eat this bread, remember what I endured for you. Remember the pain, humiliation and shame I endured for you.”
The bread reminds us of the cost of sin.
II. THE DRINK REMINDS US OF GOD’S FORGIVENESS AND LOVE
> Luke 22:20 In the same way He also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant [established by] My blood; it is shed for you.
The drink reminds us of God’s forgiveness and love.
The Bible says, “Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.”
Yes, we have all sinned and sin has a terrible price. Because of sin we pay a price and so did our Savior. But, the drink reminds us of God’s forgiveness.
Jesus came and shed His blood so that we might be forgiven. So that we might be clean and new and start all over again.
After listing a number of sins we read earlier in
1 Corinthians 6, Paul writes in verse 11 -
> 1 Corinthians 6:11 Some of you were like this; but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
You were washed and sanctified and justified. Justified. Interesting word. Spiritually it means that it is just as if I had never sinned.
The drink reminds us of God’s forgiveness, made available to us through Jesus Christ.
You can be made whole and clean through Jesus Christ. I don’t care who you’ve hurt, how long you’ve run, or what you have done; God will forgive you and wipe your slate clean.
The drink also reminds us of God’s love.
> John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Why did Jesus come? It wasn’t for kicks or because He needed something. Jesus came and died because God loves you.
Because He and His Father love you. Tell someone, “God loves you.”
God loves you in spite of what you have done.
> Romans 5:8 But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us!
Someone said this past week that the only difference between those going to Chick-fil-a, and those boycotting was their kind of sin. That’s not true. There are 2 great differences between those 2 groups.
1. How they regard their sins - One group admits their sin, is sorry for it, has repented and has asked God to forgive their sins. The other group denies what they are doing is sin, and makes excuses for it instead.
2. Their ultimate destination – The second major difference is their ultimate destination. One group will get to spend eternity with God, while the second will be eternally separated from God.
This leads us to the third item this meal reminds us of – We must be going.
III. WE MUST BE GOING
Jesus has us share this meal to remember Him. We remember the cost of our sin. We remember God’s forgiveness and love, and we also remember Christ’s willingness to go.
Jesus was willing to come and endure all He endured, all the things this meal reminds us of, because of His love. He told us that we must also be willing to go.
We need to love those people we stood against Wednesday. We can’t hate them anymore than God hates us because of our sins. We must love the homosexuals. We must love the dishonest politicians pandering to get votes. We must love those who slander and despitefully use us.
These folks are not the enemy. We are not fighting a physical battle against flesh and blood. We are fighting a spiritual battle.
> Ephesians 6:12 For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens.
These people are trapped in their sins. They are blinded by the Devil and his henchmen. They are deaf to the things of God. We must pray for them. We must love them. We must continue to demonstrate to them and the world that the love of Jesus Christ extends to them as well.
Yesterday, Drew learned a lesson about Great Stuff, the spray foam insulation. He discovered that if you get it on you, that almost nothing will take it off. Some of these folks feel the same way about the things they have done and the lives they have lived, so they are bitter and defensive.
By God, if He can love and save us in spite of the things we have done, then He can love and save them as well. If He can cleanse us, then He can cleanse them.
This meal reminds us that sin has a high cost. It reminds us of God’s love and forgiveness. It also reminds us that Jesus was willing to go and that we have a responsibility to go as well.
*** Lord’s Supper.
