1 Corinthians 11:23 – 26 The Lord Jesus, on the night 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, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
The Lord’s supper is one of the hallmarks of the Christian tradition. But for those outside the church, it sounds downright gruesome! Eating Christ’s body? Drinking His blood? What kind of barbarians would do such a thing?
Yet, that is exactly what Jesus asked us to do. No, we’re not cannibals. We are simply remembering what our Savior did for us. The Lord’s supper is more than just a tradition. It is the symbol of the high price that was paid for each one of us.
Just as we break bread, Christ’s body was broken. He was nailed to a cross in perhaps the most brutal execution Rome had to offer. He is God; He could have called down a thousand warrior-angels to fight for Him. But He didn’t. There was a price to be paid for our sin, and it was a price none of us could afford. So He paid it for us.
Christ’s blood spilled out from His broken body, and washed over that rough, splintery cross. And as it poured out, the price was paid. The debt was forgiven. The sacrifice was finished.
Exactly what was He paying for?
Our sins – anything that we’ve done that is offensive to God. Romans 6:23 tells us that the wages, or the cost of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through a relationship with God Himself.
That’s one expensive gift.
If we had paid the price for ourselves, that would have been the end. Only Christ had the power to pay that price, and then overcome death to live again!
Broken bread – a broken body. Red wine – red blood.
He paid much too high a price for us to ever forget.
Lord, I remember. Thank You for what You did.
I remember.
Amen
Halelujah!
“Jesus paid it all. All to Him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. HE washed it white as snow.”
Jean
That’s a beautiful hymn with a beautiful message, Jean.
I remember too. I like the words of this one:
‘Why should I gain from His reward
I cannot give an answer,
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom’
That’s beautiful too, Jackie. I don’t know if I’ve heard that one.