It's Not Church Snacks

Luke 22:19

And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

Have you ever tied a string around your finger to help you remember something?

String doesn’t usually help me remember anything. I write notes to myself. There must be details in the notes to help me get where I need to be when I need to be there. I use the alarm on my phone to help me stop doing something and move to the next thing.

What helps you remember things?

Jesus knows we sometimes need help remembering things. When he was about to change all our lives forever by going to the cross to pay for our sins, he did something to help us remember the moment. He celebrated Passover with his disciples in a special way. He took the long-held tradition of Passover and made it a memory-jogger. He linked the taking of the bread and the cup to the whole reason for doing it in the first place.

Passover started with Moses right before they were given freedom. The first Passover was held just before Moses led his people out of slavery on the journey to the Promised Land, their new home.

Jesus was about to buy our freedom with his blood. He led us out of our slavery to sin on the journey to our Promised Land and new home, Heaven.

He said that the bread and wine were to remind us of his body and blood. It’s almost like he said to use the bread and wine as a string around our finger to remind us that he has paid for our freedom. If you show up at a movie theater with a free ticket in your hand, you don’t have to pay for the ticket someone gave you. It was already paid for. Don’t ask the theater manager if you can earn your seat in the theater when you have a ticket in your hand. Just use the ticket. Walk in and enjoy the theater.

Jesus doesn’t want us to try to pay for our own freedom. Our freedom is already paid for. We can’t buy salvation. We’ve already been given our ticket. We’re supposed to use it. Live like we’ve been given freedom.

I don’t think any of the disciples at the Last Supper understood fully what they were hearing when Jesus changed the rules. Jesus told them about a new covenant in his blood. But they learned more about it as time went by. It must have been like one of those infomercials that shout, “But wait, there’s more!”

Because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, we can live free from slavery to sin. But wait, there’s more. We can also have a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. But wait, there’s more. We can also receive healing and wisdom and guidance. But wait, there’s more.

There’s so much more. 

The next time you eat bread and drink wine, will you remember the body and blood of Jesus? Will you remember to shake off the lies of the devil and live in your blood-bought freedom?

I hope you will. Stick around and seek God with me.