1 Corinthians: 24-25, 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 He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.Here Paul is showing us how Jesus broke the bread with His apostles and reminds us to follow this commandment till Jesus’ coming. This is the perfect example for the New Covenant church to carry out breaking of bread. We should do it with the same spirit and attitude of Jesus Christ.
First of all, Jesus gave thanks so we also have to break bread by giving thanks; with a thankful heart to God and all our brothers and sisters. Jesus told us to do it in remembrance of Him. There are so many things we can remember about Him. But let us remember the most important things while breaking the bread.
Galatians 2: 20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
The first thing we have to remember is “Jesus, who loved me and gave Himself up for me”. With our own righteousness, no one is worthy to participate in this love feast but “faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” made us worthy to participate. Even though Jesus died for the sins all mankind, we should have a personal claim like Paul and that reality will drag us more towards Jesus.
When we come to break the bread let us remember that Jesus died for me while I was helpless, ungodly and a sinner (Rom 5:6-8). This shows us how much God loved us.
Romans 8: 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh.
As a sinner we should be condemned; but Jesus came in “the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh”. Jesus was condemned for my sin in His flesh so that I can live without condemnation in Christ Jesus.
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”.(2 Cor. 5:21). For three hours on the cross, God made Jesus to be sin on our behalf. Let us take this act of God personally for us when we are coming to this table.
Gal. 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us–for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”
We all were born under curse and lived under curse but out of love towards us, Jesus became a curse for us so that we will be redeemed from curse.
Holy Spirit portrays the crucified Jesus in front of eyes (Gal. 3:1) so that we can live by faith in Him.
Eph. 5: 25-27 Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
The second thing we should remember is Jesus gave himself up for the church –His bride- So that Church should be completely holy and suitable for the bride groom- Jesus Christ. So when we are participating in the Lord’s Table we should remember what Jesus did for the church and have the same attitude towards our brothers and sisters. Jesus Christ is going to come back to collect His bride only and not an individual believer.
John 13:1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
The third thing we should remember is that Jesus’s love towards us is very unconditional. Jesus loved us when we were helpless, ungodly and sinners and continues to love us even when we are making mistakes in our life and that is what brought us to this love feast. So we should have the same attitude towards our brothers and sisters. On the last day of His life on the earth Jesus was washing the feet of His disciples and asking His disciples to follow His example.
Let us remember this Jesus while eating the bread and drinking the cup.
Let us make sure that we are doing it in a worthy manner by examining ourselves, judging ourselves and discerning the body rightly (1 Cor. 11: 27-29).
May God bless all of us to eat the bread and drink the cup in remembrance of our Lord Jesus Christ.
