The Lord's Supper

Text

"... Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples. . . . Then he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them...." —Mark 14:22-23

Bible Reading

MARK 14:22-25

Devotional

God's grace comes to us through his Word. If we believe it, we receive it. It is possible for God's Word to bring grace into our lives, for the Word comes with the power of God's Spirit. God's Spirit brings to our hearts that which we hear with our ears.

As a further favor, our God strengthens our faith through the Lord's Supper. Here he assures us of his grace in a very direct manner. When we receive a piece of the bread, Christ says that he has given his body for us. He wants us to eat that bread and believe that he so loved us that he died for us. Then we must drink the wine or grape juice. Thus we do not only hear, we can even taste that God has forgiven our sins because Jesus shed his blood for us.

We must believe that this has happened for us, once for all. We don't have to pay for our sins, and we will not be punished for our sins. That has happened. It does not happen in the Lord's Supper. The Lord's Supper assures us that it has happened once for all on Golgotha. We remember, we believe, and we rejoice.

Something is also happening during the supper. We eat a piece of bread, and we drink a sip of wine or grape juice. It's a sort of a meal. Ordinarily we eat foods and drink fluids in order to live and to do our work. But now Jesus is feeding us with himself. His power comes to us through his Spirit. He makes us strong so that we can live and do the work to which he has called us.

When we observe the Lord's Supper, we look back and remember Gol gotha. We look up and see the living Lord who is now giving us all we need. We look around at all the other sinners Christ has saved and given us as brothers and sisters. And we look forward because the Lord wants us to believe that our communion with him is forever, and that he is pre paring an even greater feast.

REFLECTIONS

How does the Lord's Supper strengthen your faith?

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I can't say much more about this except that remembering the Lord's Supper serves a great purpose in my life. It not only is a time that I feel ought to be revered and remembered but it brings us back to where our sins were forgiven and where Jesus bore the wrath of God in our place. Had Jesus not died, we would have had to, but there is no way we can atone for our own sins! Praise God for the sacrifice.

The last paragraph is my answer to the reflection question: "When we observe the Lord's Supper, we look back and remember Gol gotha. We look up and see the living Lord who is now giving us all we need. We look around at all the other sinners Christ has saved and given us as brothers and sisters. And we look forward because the Lord wants us to believe that our communion with him is forever, and that he is pre paring an even greater feast." Amen!