Luke 22:19-20. A New Agreement to be remembered! 20/3/08
(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." {20} In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
Here in this Last Supper Jesus instigates something that is of vital and lasting importance for his people. There he began something that was never to be taken lightly, for it connects us to that which is of vital importance to us all. Here is something that all who truly claim to be Christian, will take part in; and in fact are commanded to take part in. Here in the Lord's Supper there is the binding of a New Covenant – a new agreement that lasts for all time. Here our God has something of special significance and importance for us all.
Here then we have something that is to be taken seriously, for the whole basis of our ongoing relationship with the Lord is found in the Lord's Supper. To neglect it and the meaning of what is happening in it, is to do so to our own peril. I believe that one of the reasons why we struggle so much in our Christian life is because we fail to understand and come to grips with what is involved here. We far to often treat it simply as something we have to do if we are a Christian; giving very little more thought than that to it.
Paul in his letter to the Corinthians, states that this is one of the reason why some in that church were suffering illnesses and death. Because they failed to take seriously what the Lard's Supper is all about. To take lightly this meal, is to take Christ and his death on the cross for our sins lightly. To take part only when it suits us is to indicate that Christ and our relationship to him is not all that important. The results of this is readily seen as life goes on. Also the way some Christians relate to each other is a denial of all that Lord's Table is and represents. There seems to be little understanding of the fact that we are joined to Christ and each other in this special meal.
By way of example: in a marriage if one was to ignore your partners physical and emotional needs; and in fact went looking elsewhere for your satisfaction, it puts that marriage in a very shaky position. To take each others needs lightly, is to take your partner lightly. If the relationship is strained, how much doesn't that play on the mind - affecting one’s thinking, energy level and even one’s health. Yet a healthy life together where each thinks highly of the other and seeks what is best for them, is a good indication that the marriage is going well.
In many ways our attitude toward our Lord and the Lord's Supper that he enacted, indicates something of how important this relationship is to us. Our willingness to take seriously what is taking place here at the Table is an indication of the health of our relationship to our Lord. How often we want to join with our Lord and receive what he has for us, is an indication as how vital we see him as a part of our Christians life. Surely he and what he has to give us is basic to our ongoing existence; basic to our relationship with our Lord and each other.
Here we need to firstly remember, that the Last Supper is tied very closely to the crucifixion of our Lord. Thursday evening is followed by Good Friday. At the cross Jesus gave his body and shed his blood for the forgiveness of our sins. This was and is a central part of the new covenant that God was establishing here with his people. Here God is setting up and enacting a new agreement whereby we are and can be assured that we are God's people through the forgiveness of sins. The old covenant of Law - do this and you will live has been superseded. Now it is the death of Christ that is the start and centre of a whole new relationship with God.
In this agreement, God binds himself to his people – you and me. Here Christ begins this relationship by erasing all our sin from us, so that nothing stands in the way of us being in the presence of God now and in eternity. Really what he is saying is, now that Jesus has died on the cross, nothing at all stands in the way of any of us being children of God. It is not determined by who we are or what we have or have not done. It is simply that through Jesus death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins, God throwing open the door, that all may come in. He desires to be the Lord of all and bind himself to all believe. Christ's body and blood being the seal of that agreement with each of us individually..
Now through God's Word and the Sacraments all of this is made available to us. The Scriptures tell us of our sinful state and what Christ has done to rectify the situation. Baptism brings us into this relationship. Holy Communion continues and restates that covenant relationship. When we come to the Lord's Table and receive that very body and blood which Jesus shed on the cross, we are have that agreement being restated again and again. In a very real way we are formally joined to God and his family. By going forward we receiving the great gifts of Christ: first and foremost his very body and blood so that we are assured that all our sin is forgiven. So having forgiveness of sins we also are assured of salvation and eternal life. But as we receive Jesus Christ at the Table we are also assured that he thereby goes with us as we live out our lives every day. So we are strengthened in our relationship to Christ and also our love for one another.
At the Last Supper the Lord commanded his followers to "do this in remembrance of me.” This command stresses the importance he places on it for us. He knows we need to continually be reminded of this covenant which assures us that we are forgiven for all our sin. There he binds us in our personal relationship with our Lord and each other. Every time we come forward we are reminded in a very real way of the Covenant that Christ made with his church. He re-establishes that agreement for us personally; sealing it with his blood. In a sense we taken right back and joined with those first disciples in that Last Meal with Jesus and with the whole Easter event; and with all Christians past, present and future. So again we are able to come back from the Altar quite sure that nothing stands in the way of us being a part of God's family now and forever. We are reminded that our Lord has done everything for us.
We can again then, be quite sure that we are in a very special relationship with God and our fellow believers. We are bound to Christ. We are at one with him. Sharing everything with each other. And of course this also affects our relationship with our fellow believers. We now are prepared to love one another as we are loved by our Lord. We will forgive one another and we will seek to do what is best for the other.
All this and much more is involved in this new covenant that was established by the Lord Jesus Christ on the night he was betrayed. As we come forward to the Lord's Table we are a part that covenant; receiving everything he has to give. So the Lord’s Supper is so very important to the Christian life. In fact it is vital to the wellbeing of our ongoing relationship with our Lord.
So come forward often and receive the benefits of our Lord Jesus’ death. Continue to be a part of this new covenant that our Lord is making with us. There at the Lord’s Table be joined to the whole Easter event; being joined to Jesus’ death and all the great blessings that flow from it. This is the new covenant that we so very much need to have and be a part of, because of its great importance to our ongoing relationship with the Lord Jesus. In coming forward and receiving his very body and blood which seals this agreement, may you be truly blessed in every way. And you will, for he is the only Lord to whom belongs all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.
Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba
(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." {20} In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
Here in this Last Supper Jesus instigates something that is of vital and lasting importance for his people. There he began something that was never to be taken lightly, for it connects us to that which is of vital importance to us all. Here is something that all who truly claim to be Christian, will take part in; and in fact are commanded to take part in. Here in the Lord's Supper there is the binding of a New Covenant – a new agreement that lasts for all time. Here our God has something of special significance and importance for us all.
Here then we have something that is to be taken seriously, for the whole basis of our ongoing relationship with the Lord is found in the Lord's Supper. To neglect it and the meaning of what is happening in it, is to do so to our own peril. I believe that one of the reasons why we struggle so much in our Christian life is because we fail to understand and come to grips with what is involved here. We far to often treat it simply as something we have to do if we are a Christian; giving very little more thought than that to it.
Paul in his letter to the Corinthians, states that this is one of the reason why some in that church were suffering illnesses and death. Because they failed to take seriously what the Lard's Supper is all about. To take lightly this meal, is to take Christ and his death on the cross for our sins lightly. To take part only when it suits us is to indicate that Christ and our relationship to him is not all that important. The results of this is readily seen as life goes on. Also the way some Christians relate to each other is a denial of all that Lord's Table is and represents. There seems to be little understanding of the fact that we are joined to Christ and each other in this special meal.
By way of example: in a marriage if one was to ignore your partners physical and emotional needs; and in fact went looking elsewhere for your satisfaction, it puts that marriage in a very shaky position. To take each others needs lightly, is to take your partner lightly. If the relationship is strained, how much doesn't that play on the mind - affecting one’s thinking, energy level and even one’s health. Yet a healthy life together where each thinks highly of the other and seeks what is best for them, is a good indication that the marriage is going well.
In many ways our attitude toward our Lord and the Lord's Supper that he enacted, indicates something of how important this relationship is to us. Our willingness to take seriously what is taking place here at the Table is an indication of the health of our relationship to our Lord. How often we want to join with our Lord and receive what he has for us, is an indication as how vital we see him as a part of our Christians life. Surely he and what he has to give us is basic to our ongoing existence; basic to our relationship with our Lord and each other.
Here we need to firstly remember, that the Last Supper is tied very closely to the crucifixion of our Lord. Thursday evening is followed by Good Friday. At the cross Jesus gave his body and shed his blood for the forgiveness of our sins. This was and is a central part of the new covenant that God was establishing here with his people. Here God is setting up and enacting a new agreement whereby we are and can be assured that we are God's people through the forgiveness of sins. The old covenant of Law - do this and you will live has been superseded. Now it is the death of Christ that is the start and centre of a whole new relationship with God.
In this agreement, God binds himself to his people – you and me. Here Christ begins this relationship by erasing all our sin from us, so that nothing stands in the way of us being in the presence of God now and in eternity. Really what he is saying is, now that Jesus has died on the cross, nothing at all stands in the way of any of us being children of God. It is not determined by who we are or what we have or have not done. It is simply that through Jesus death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins, God throwing open the door, that all may come in. He desires to be the Lord of all and bind himself to all believe. Christ's body and blood being the seal of that agreement with each of us individually..
Now through God's Word and the Sacraments all of this is made available to us. The Scriptures tell us of our sinful state and what Christ has done to rectify the situation. Baptism brings us into this relationship. Holy Communion continues and restates that covenant relationship. When we come to the Lord's Table and receive that very body and blood which Jesus shed on the cross, we are have that agreement being restated again and again. In a very real way we are formally joined to God and his family. By going forward we receiving the great gifts of Christ: first and foremost his very body and blood so that we are assured that all our sin is forgiven. So having forgiveness of sins we also are assured of salvation and eternal life. But as we receive Jesus Christ at the Table we are also assured that he thereby goes with us as we live out our lives every day. So we are strengthened in our relationship to Christ and also our love for one another.
At the Last Supper the Lord commanded his followers to "do this in remembrance of me.” This command stresses the importance he places on it for us. He knows we need to continually be reminded of this covenant which assures us that we are forgiven for all our sin. There he binds us in our personal relationship with our Lord and each other. Every time we come forward we are reminded in a very real way of the Covenant that Christ made with his church. He re-establishes that agreement for us personally; sealing it with his blood. In a sense we taken right back and joined with those first disciples in that Last Meal with Jesus and with the whole Easter event; and with all Christians past, present and future. So again we are able to come back from the Altar quite sure that nothing stands in the way of us being a part of God's family now and forever. We are reminded that our Lord has done everything for us.
We can again then, be quite sure that we are in a very special relationship with God and our fellow believers. We are bound to Christ. We are at one with him. Sharing everything with each other. And of course this also affects our relationship with our fellow believers. We now are prepared to love one another as we are loved by our Lord. We will forgive one another and we will seek to do what is best for the other.
All this and much more is involved in this new covenant that was established by the Lord Jesus Christ on the night he was betrayed. As we come forward to the Lord's Table we are a part that covenant; receiving everything he has to give. So the Lord’s Supper is so very important to the Christian life. In fact it is vital to the wellbeing of our ongoing relationship with our Lord.
So come forward often and receive the benefits of our Lord Jesus’ death. Continue to be a part of this new covenant that our Lord is making with us. There at the Lord’s Table be joined to the whole Easter event; being joined to Jesus’ death and all the great blessings that flow from it. This is the new covenant that we so very much need to have and be a part of, because of its great importance to our ongoing relationship with the Lord Jesus. In coming forward and receiving his very body and blood which seals this agreement, may you be truly blessed in every way. And you will, for he is the only Lord to whom belongs all glory and honour, now and always. AMEN.
Pastor Roger Atze
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Toowoomba
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