In Remembrance of Me

“‘And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’  In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’”
(1 Corinthians 11:24-25, ESV)


If you have small children, as you regularly gather on the Lord’s Day with the church you may hear lots of questions about what we do when we come together. Then, on Sundays when the church observes the Lord’s Supper, you get specific questions: “Daddy, what are they doing? Mommy, what is the Lord’s Supper? That’s not much of a supper, is it? Why do you eat the cracker and drink the juice? Why can’t I have some crackers and juice?” Rather than roll your eyes, take advantage of these inquisitive years to teach your children about the Lord’s Supper.

Well, beginning in January, we began observing the Lord’s Supper every week. Now you may be wondering what we’re doing and why? Let me begin with a story. Some time ago, we took one of our daughters to her first semester of college out of state. On the Sunday we were there, we visited a church in an effort to try to help our daughter find a church. A few minutes into the service, a man and woman sat next to us. She was completely engaged in the singing and the sermon. The gentleman, not so much. That’s when it all came together for me. If worship is a right whole-person response to all God has revealed himself to be for us in Christ, then we respond to God in worship with more than just singing songs and listening to a sermon. That’s what this particular church offered. To be sure, we seek to sing the word, read the word, hear the word, pray the word, and listen to the word preached. And on occasions, we even get to see the word pictured in baptism and the Lord’s Supper. But I realized at that moment that we should be presenting the gospel in as many ways as God has commanded on a more regular basis: reading, hearing, singing, praying, preaching, baptism, the Lord’s Supper.

One of the advantages of observing the Lord’s Supper weekly is that it clearly marks out who is a Christian and who is not. Now, every week, we are able to remind unbelievers that they are on the outside looking in, but we would rejoice if they repented of their sins, were baptized, and joined us at the Lord’s table. We are also able to encourage one another every week as we come to the Lord’s table.

What are we doing when we observe the Lord’s Supper? We commemorate the Lord’s death until he comes. The New World Dictionary defines the word commemorate as, “to preserve or honor the memory of.” As Christians, when we observe the Lord’s Supper we remember Christ and his costly sacrifice. We preserve his memory and honor his name by remembering and reflecting upon what the bread and the fruit of the vine signify. Every time we observe the Lord’s Supper we do so in remembrance of Him as . . .

We look up in adoration. Whenever we eat the Lord’s Supper we remember God’s mercy and grace as the loving Father sent His beloved Son to die on the cross for sin.

We look back in commemoration. 
Whenever we eat the Lord’s Supper we remember that Christ came into this world to save sinners. He lived a life without sin, yet He was rejected by His own, beaten and ultimately killed for our sake. Through His death, Jesus paid the penalty for sin and liberated those who trust in Him from the bondage of sin.

We look forward in anticipation. Whenever we eat the Lord’s Supper we are eating and drinking in anticipation of the great marriage supper of the Lamb, at which a place has been reserved for all those who belong to Christ’s family.

We look outward in proclamation. Whenever we eat the Lord’s Supper our actions proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

We look inward in examination.
Whenever we eat the Lord’s Supper we reflect upon our own lives, asking the Holy Spirit of God to expose our own sins, so that we might come into the presence of Christ with clean hands and pure hearts.

We look around in consideration. Whenever we eat the Lord’s Supper we are forced to look around at our brothers and sisters in Christ being reminded that we are sitting at the table as a family.

Each Sunday morning, we will participate in the Lord’s Supper during our worship gatherings in order to commemorate Jesus’ death. I encourage you to examine your hearts as we sit together at the Lord’s table in remembrance of Him. And come prepared to celebrate the salvation God has accomplished for us in Christ.

Love,

Pastor Juan

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