Week 4 | Day 4 | The Table is Set

Command:

Remember me. Luke 22:19 (NIV)

Read:

Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you.” Matthew 26:26-27 (NIV)

Reflect:

Meals with friends are always special because they help me appreciate them more and receive strength from their presence. 

Jesus often shared meals with people to introduce the good news of his kingdom, and this time he greatly anticipated the Passover meal with his disciples. They would gather to remember how God had delivered his people from a life of slavery in Egypt, using unleavened bread and wine. During this meal there was also an element of the expectation of salvation by the Messiah. The disciples expected Jesus, as the Rabi in the group, to recite the prescribed words at different parts of the meal. But Jesus departed from the script to reveal what Passover had foreshadowed: He would be the Passover Lamb to be sacrificed for their sins. In doing so, Jesus came to fulfill all the hopes of Israel and all of humanity.

React:

Even though Jesus has never been physically present in the bread and the wine, his spiritual presence in this act is available for us today in a way that is not anywhere else. He has set the table. Will you accept his invitation to his table?

Pray:

Jesus, I accept your sacrifice for the forgiveness of my sins and a new life. I look forward to enjoying a feast with you in your new kingdom. Until then, I accept your invitation to remember you at your table as you prescribed. I love you.