‘In Remembrance of, ME’
The bread and cup. The Lord’s Supper. Communion.
It’s an invitation to pause and remember. As we hold the bread and cup in our hands, we remember your life, Jesus, coming to earth as a vulnerable baby who learned to feed himself, to walk, to talk, to cooperate with your parents out of obedience to your Heavenly Father. We remember you as a teenager, going to school to learn the Torah and working alongside your dad. We remember you, Jesus, as a 30-year-old man who invited other men and women to follow you, to learn from you, to be your students. To trust you.
We remember your teachings, your questions, your challenges to the religious people who did all the right things and yet were far from knowing God’s heart.
We remember your absolute trust in Father-God as you spoke out words of healing, lay hands on the sick, sent evil spirits away, multiplied food, welcomed the children—and as you spent time away in stillness to be with your heavenly Father.
We remember you, Jesus, gathering with your 12 disciples to celebrate Passover, knowing that one of your beloveds would hand you over to the leading priests. We remember you surrounded by men with clubs and swords to arrest you, yet your first concern was to heal the ear of “your enemy” which one of your own disciples had cut off. And then, we remember that you instructed Peter and the others to put down their swords.
We remember you deserted by your students who ran away, filled with greater fear for their own well-being than their loyalty and commitment to you, their rabbi. Their teacher. Their friend. We remember you, Jesus, enduring anguishing physical pain and unbearable grief as you took on sin and breathed your last breath: an act of perfect self-sacrificial love that caused gut-wrenching sorrow for some and a sense of a mighty victory for others.
We remember you, Jesus, our Saviour who conquered death. Broke the power of sin. The reason for our hope. We remember that you willingly, although costing everything, accomplished what we could not do for ourselves—making unity with God and one another possible. Reconciliation.
Our beautiful and powerful Saviour, as we take this bread and cup, we remember you and give thanks for the new covenant between God and his people. We accept your invitation to live like you as kingdom people.
Photo by Anuja Tilj on Unsplash
“This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
“This cup is the new covenant between God and his people- an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.”
Amen.