Do This In Remembrance.
Luke 22:7-13NLT
A man was working in his backyard one day, when his neighbor began talking to him over the fence. He said, "Yeah, my wife and 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. Who was 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." He called over his shoulder, "Rose, what was the name of that speaker we heard yesterday?"
We humans often have a hard time remembering things. Maybe your memory has gotten so bad that you figure that within a few years you’ll be able to hide your 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; however, through the entire 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 Luke 22, verse 19, of the passage we’re about to read, Jesus said, "Do this in remembrance of Me."
The entire meal is a reminder of Him, and the two elements of the meal remind us of two important things about Him.
His body.
His blood.
The Passover was the most important festival on the Jewish calendar and was of crucial value to their nation. We must remember that the entire nation of Israel was being held as slaves in Egypt for over 400 years.
Passover was ordained by God hundreds of years prior to the life of Jesus.
As a devout Jew, Jesus observed Passover with His disciples each year in Jerusalem. On the night before He was crucified, He sent some of His disciples to make preparations for the Passover feast.
Jesus and His disciples followed the same rituals of hand-washing, ceremonial cups of wine, and unleavened bread, this symbolized each part of the historical fact of God’s deliverance and the mass exodus of Israel from Egypt.
* However, Jesus was about to make Passover— personal for every being. He proclaims His body and His blood represent an internal spiritual shift from works related salvation, to faith based salvation.
This I’m sure of—If Jesus is confessed and believed upon, salvation is always the result.
Luke 22: 7-13NLT Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.” 9 “Where do you want us to prepare it?” they asked him. 10 He replied, “As soon as you enter Jerusalem, a man carrying a pitcher of water will meet you. Follow him. At the house he enters, 11 say to the owner, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ 12 He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal.” 13 They went off to the city and found everything just as Jesus had said, and they prepared the Passover meal there.
What does Passover mean to you? Passover is fellowship with God. Passover, reminds us of our deliverance. Psalm 40, speaks of how God delivers from horrible-slimy-pits.
Passover gives believers reason to celebrate. When you partake of the, bread and juice, you remember.
Jesus states, “Do This In Remembrance of Me.”
We are to remember the blood applied to every Hebrew house, how God brought destruction upon every Egyptian home; however, the same Lord eyed the spotless lambs blood applied to every Hebrews door, and He passed over them!
Here’s complete truth: When He sees the blood, He passes…He blesses, He delivers, and He remembers.
Did the Hebrews deserve this mighty passover? By all means, no. However, God raised up a deliverer named Moses. In return, God kept His covenant through Abram.
Genesis 12:1-4aNIV The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. 2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”4a So Abram went, as the Lord had told him;
Abrahams covenant was very similar to yours, it was solely based upon faith.
Abraham refused to stagger at God’s promises: Romans 4:20-21NKJV He (Abraham), did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.
One day before Jesus’ crucifixion, and what is Jesus doing? —He’s hanging out with His 12 disciples.
One day from now, Jesus would be condemned, convicted, and crucified!
Luke 22:19-20NCV Then Jesus took some bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to the apostles, saying, “This is my body, which I am giving for you. Do this to remember me.” 20 In the same way, after supper, Jesus took the cup and said, “This cup is the new agreement that God makes with his people. This new agreement begins with my blood which is poured out for you.
This new agreement, or should I say, this new covenant, solidifies Jesus’ attachment to us-ward.
God loves mankind—It’s that simple. Jesus shares, Jesus serves, and Jesus saves!
Luke 22:19-20TM Taking bread, he blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, given for you. Eat it in my memory.” 20 He did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant written in my blood, blood poured out for you.
Notice, Jesus initiates everything. His meal with His disciples included, Roosted lamb, Unleavened bread, and Wine.
Jesus takes the bread, blessed it, and then He tears it apart.
However, instead of remembering the Israelites, Jesus expresses to His disciples to remember Me.
Every time you eat—remember.
Every time you drink—remember.
Every time you fellowship—remember.
Every time you praise and worship— remember.
Every times you grieve—remember.
Every time you have a bad attitude—remember.
Every time you’re sick—remember.
In the good and the bad—remember.
As a believer, when you break bread, remember Jesus. Isaiah 53:5GW He was wounded for our rebellious acts. He was crushed for our sins. He was punished so that we could have peace, and we received healing from his wounds.
Jesus was scourged by the Romans. Although scripture doesn’t tell us how many stripes Jesus received. In 2 Corinthians 11:24, Paul speaks of receiving “forty lashes less one.” —On 3 separate occasions.
It was believed that 40 stripes was death, so the Romans would beat Jesus and Paul, one stripe away from death.
Jesus took the bread, He blessed it, broke it, and gave it to His (disciples), friends.
Moses writes in, Exodus 23:25NKJV “So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you.
My only obligation is to serve God. And then God states, “I will bless your bread and water and remove sickness from your midst.”
Don’t we want our meals blessed, and our bodies healed?
1 Peter 2:24TM He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing.
“When you’re in sweet fellowship with Jesus, His wounds became your healing.” P.H
Every time you break bread remember. Remember Jesus, He did it all for you.
Eat in Jesus’ memorial—
Again, Luke 22:20TPT After supper was over, he lifted the cup again and said, “This cup is my blood of the new covenant I make with you, and it will be poured out soon for all of you.
By Jesus stating this, He was prophesying his future, as well as mankind.
Again, Luke 22:20b “This cup is my blood of the new covenant I make with you, and it will be poured out soon for all of you.
Jesus proclaims, His blood becomes the New Covenant—And New Covenant is all about Salvation. Relationship, Healing, Blessings, Prosperity etc.
The blood of Jesus took shame. His blood turned condemnation inside out and produced- salvation. P.H
The Apostles Paul writes in, Romans 10:11NKJV For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
“I proclaim over you that shame has lost its foothold, shame has turned believers to fame. He or she can lift their head on high, because Jesus is Lord! Shame has been defeated. P.H
The writer of Hebrews 10:19-20NLT And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.
Jesus’ flesh became your open veil. Presently, you may inter into His throne room of grace boldly at anytime, Hebrews 4:15-16.
Remember, remember how good He is; Remember, what He’s done for you!
Benediction.
