“How’s Your Memory?” Mark 14:12-26; 2nd Lent; 2nd of 7 in “All for You” series; The Promise; 3-12-06; Darryl Bell
How is your memory? I heard of an older couple that was having some trouble remembering so they took a memory course together. A few months later the husband was out work-ing in his garden when a neighbor stopped by and began to talk to him about the memory course. “What was the name of the instructor?” The husband paused, then asked, “What is the name of that real pretty flower that smells so nice but has thorns?” “You mean a rose?” the neighbor answered. “Yeah that’s it. Hey Rose, what’s the name of that guy who taught us the memory course?”
We could all probably use a little help with memory from time to time; especially when it comes to remembering what Je-sus has done for us.
This is the second in our “All for You” series, recalling all Jesus did for you in those last few days of his earthly life. We’re studying the last three chapters of Mark’s gospel. Today it’s the story of the first Lord’s Supper. Remembering Jesus in the Lord’s Supper, we share in his death and his life.
It is the beginning of the Passover Festival, the day the lambs are slaughtered and roasted. As pilgrims in Jerusalem with no home of their own, the disciples ask Jesus where they should go to prepare the meal. It appears that he has already made arrangements. He sends Peter and John into the city and tells them to follow a man carrying a water jar. He is easy to identify because normally women carried water jars. The man takes them to an upper room where they prepare. Homeowners in Jerusalem were obligated to make available any space they had for pilgrims to eat the Passover. So the disciples get the lamb, take it to the Temple to be slaughtered, put it on a spit to roast, assemble the other food, and are ready when the Lord and the other disciples arrive.
As they come to the table though, there is a heavy at-mosphere permeating the room. Jesus says, One of you will be-tray me—one who is eating with me. This is unthinkable. They can’t believe it. Dipping bread and eating together was a way of saying, “I am your friend and I will not hurt you.” Eating together was a sign of peace and trust and brotherhood. How could any-one eat with Jesus and then betray him? It was unthinkable. One after another they keep saying, It isn’t I, is it?
Jesus didn’t reveal any more. He just said, It is one of the Twelve, one who dips bread into the bowl with me. In essence Jesus was letting Judas know that he was onto his conspiracy and in that way gave him one last chance to turn from this path he had chosen. But Judas didn’t tip his hand at all.
We tend to condemn Judas and wonder, “How could he?” But if he, one of the Twelve who had spent so much time with Jesus, could do this, how much more susceptible are we? Let’s pray that God will protect us from such treason.
Jesus then linked the Passover meal to his own impend-ing suffering and death. The Passover lamb was killed to re-deem the people from slavery and death. And we call Jesus the Lamb of God, because he was killed to redeem humanity from slavery to sin and death. He said, This bread is my body, and he broke it. It was a prediction that his own body would be broken. He would suffer and die for the sin of the world.
Then Jesus took the cup of wine, gave thanks, and gave it to them to drink. And he said, This is my blood of the cove-nant, which is poured out for many. I can imagine the disciples choking. “What is he saying? Drink his blood?” The Jews had a strong aversion to ingesting any blood. Genesis 9:4 forbade consuming it. The Law said the life of the flesh is in the blood. The blood of sacrificial animals was poured out to atone for sin. Blood inaugurated and sealed a covenant. Jesus is saying he is the ultimate sacrifice, and his death is a covenant-making event.
He says, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.
We refer to this event as the Lord’s Supper, or the Last Supper, or Holy Communion, or the Eucharist. It is one of the most solemn and significant acts we do as Christians. That is true partly because of the way it ties us to Jesus and helps us experience the meaning of his death for us. This morning I want to focus on three significant aspects of the Lord’s Supper for us today.
First ,it is a memorial. I’ve never been there, but I’ve read moving accounts of people who visit the Vietnam War Memorial, the Wall, in Washington DC. Reading name after name of those who laid down their lives for our nation moves people to tears. The wall is a memorial. It reminds us of the sacrifices made for us. And the Lord’s Supper is also a memorial, a reminder of what Jesus has done.
What do you do to remember? How do you remember loved ones who have died? How do you remember birthdays and anniversaries? How do you remember special events in the life of your family? Sometimes we will get out the old slide pro-jector and slides and look at pictures of family vacations and holidays and the kids when they were little. What traditions do you have for remembering? Would some of you share some of those right now? How do you remember special people and events in your family?…
Those are memorials, and Communion is a memorial too. The earliest record we have of the Lord’s Supper is what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians. There he reports that Jesus said, Do this in remembrance of me. Remember me. Remember Jesus’ gift as the Passover Lamb. Remember how he laid down his life in order to set us free and give us life. Remember the betrayal, the arrest, the trial. Remember the crown of thorns, the whipping, the mockery. Remember carrying the cross. Remember the nails, the blood, the torn flesh, the agony. Remember the cry, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Remember his final breath, his rest in the grave, and his amazing resurrection. Do this in remembrance of me.
Roger Rose tells this story: When he was a boy more than 60 years ago, his young brother was fatally injured in a tragic accident. A dirt road ran alongside their house, and only on rare occasions would there be a car on it. But one day as his brother was crossing on his bike, a car came roaring over the hill, and he was run over and killed. Mr. Rose said, “Later, when my dad picked up the mangled, twisted bike, I heard him sob out loud for the first time in my life! He carried it to the barn and placed it in a spot we seldom used. Father’s terrible sorrow eased with the passing of time, but for many years whenever he saw that bike, tears began streaming down his face. Since then I have often prayed, ‘Lord, keep the memory of your death that fresh in me! Every time I partake of your memorial supper, let my heart be stirred as if it occurred only yesterday. Never let the communion service become a mere formality, but always a ten-der and touching experience.’”
The Lord’s Supper is a memorial.
Second, it represents participation with Jesus in what he went through. 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? (1 Co-rinthians 10:16) Through Communion we identify with Jesus. We are identified with him in his death and his resurrection. His death became ours. And his resurrection is ours as well. Ro-mans 6 says, Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised as he was. Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ …For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also share his new life. (Romans 6:5-8 NLT)
When we identify with Jesus by faith, we die at the cross. Our old, sinful nature is put to death, and we receive new life here and now.
To appreciate this we need to understand the Jews’ con-cept of the Passover. The Passover was not just a historic me-mento of God’s deliverance. It made God’s deliverance from Egypt a present reality for each generation. It celebrates “what God did for me, not just my ancestors.” It’s like every person who ever celebrates Passover was there in Egypt the first time. So it is with the Lord’s Supper. Jesus’ death and presence are a living reality for us. You are there.
A.M. Hunter says, “’Remembering,’ in the biblical idiom, is not to entertain a pallid idea of a past event in one’s mind, but to make the event present again so that it controls the will and becomes potent in our lives for good or ill” (quoted in David Garland, The NIV Application Commentary: Mark, p. 534). The Communion is a means of participating with Jesus in his death and resurrection now. “Jesus, I’m with you. I’m standing at the cross with you. I’m hanging on the cross with you. I’m coming out of the tomb. I’m with you. You’re with me.” Communion is participation.
Third, and finally, Communion means anticipation. It re-calls what Jesus has done for us in the past as a memorial. It functions in the present as we participate in his death and resur-rection. And it also looks to the future in anticipation. Jesus said, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God. He’s looking forward to the consummation of his work. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11, and we repeat in our communion liturgy, “Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” “You proclaim the Lord’s death” looks backwards. “Until he comes” looks to the future. We stand between Christ’s work in the past and his future return. We drink in anticipation of his return in glory. It’s a word of hope. It’s a word of promise. He hasn’t abandoned us. He’s coming again. History is going someplace. God is in charge. The victory over sin and death and the devil will be complete. Communion is not just a solemn reminder of Christ’s awful death. It is also a joyful celebration of his victory and his pending return.
The Lord’s Supper is a memorial of Christ’s death for us in the past. It is our present participation in Jesus’ death and resurrection. And it is anticipation of hope and future glory.
When our son, Bryce, was very young and learning to talk, he made some comment that surprised his mother that he would know. She asked him, “How did you remember that?” He replied, “I guess I just have a good rememberation.” For us, Communion is rememberation, participation, and anticipation.
Jesus comes to us right now, here, today, to touch our deepest needs. He forgives. Guilt and shame are gone. He gives us meaning, a reason to live. He brings healing. He con-nects us with God. We stand at the cross this morning just as if we were there 2000 years ago. Jesus died; and our old nature dies. Jesus was raised; we receive new life. The same power that raised Jesus is now in us. And we affirm that in the Holy Communion. Remembering Jesus in the Lord’s Supper, we share in his death and in his life.
