1 Corinthians 11:23-25: For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 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.” (ESV)
God’s children have long struggled with forgetfulness (see Jeremiah 2:32). Understanding this tendency, God instructed the Israelites to observe the Passover to remember what He did for them when He led them out of Egyptian bondage (Exod. 12:14). In Matthew 26, Jesus and His disciples observed this Passover meal, and Jesus used this time to institute the Lord’s Supper, as a way of helping His disciples remember what He has done for us through His death.
The Lord’s Supper is a time to remember what Jesus did, why He did what He did, and what this means for us. It is a reminder of the new covenant God has made for us, which was sealed with the blood of Jesus (cf. 1 Cor. 11:25).
The Lord’s Supper is a proclamation to the world of our belief in Jesus’ sacrifice and our acceptance of the benefits His death has made possible (1 Cor. 11:26). It’s also a time of fellowship with brethren who’ve joined together in receiving the blessings Christ offers (cf. 1 Cor. 10:16-17).
The Corinthian brethren were warned in 1 Corinthians 11 about partaking of the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner (verses 27, 29). While none of us are deserving of what Christ has done for us, the manner in which we observe this memorial should be worthy in that it shows respect and understanding for that which the bread and cup represent. Partaking in an unworthy manner shows disrespect toward the body and blood of the Lord.
The cross of Christ is in many ways the central part of God’s plan to save us from sin. Jesus’ death paid the debt we cannot pay, and rescued His followers from spiritual destruction.
What He’s done for us should motivate us to surrender all to Him. No amount of obedience, though, takes away from our dependence on His blood to even have a chance to be forgiven of sin. His death is thus something to be mindful of in a general sense continuously.
More specifically, it’s something that we have great reason to remember when observing the memorial He’s established.
Acts 20:7 shows that disciples, on occasion, came together specifically for this purpose. We understand by this example that part of our purpose for coming together each first day of the week should be to partake of this great memorial. As we partake, may each of us do so in a worthy manner, doing this in remembrance of Him.
– Michael Hickox