DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME:
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.” 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. Luke 22:19 & 20
That was the scene in the upper room on that day 2000 years ago when Jesus invites the apostles to remember him…remember his body was given for them and remember his blood poured out for the new covenant …in remembrance of me, knowing He would be leaving them soon.
Webster’s dictionary gives us a definition of Remembrance as: “an act of recalling to mind or – a memory of a person, thing, or event”
Most of us have lost a friend or loved one in our lives and at some point we inevitably recall an event that reminds us of that person…in remembrance of them. Generally, at that time we remember a couple things that defined that person’s life…good or bad.
Some we remember by their virtues…”He was a generous man”….”she was so kind”…”that guy was a saint”…”she was so patient”….or perhaps bad virtues like “what a cheat”…”he was a bum” …”she was judgmental”…. And others by a hobby…”he was a biker”, “she was a great dancer”, “he was a fisherman”…and many we remember by their service or profession…a salesman…a policeman…a surgeon…a nurse….maybe even a pastor
So which traits should we remember of Jesus… when he said; “Do this in remembrance of me”?
I decided to make a list of the things the gospel of John had to say about who Jesus was, which is only one book of 66 books that make up the Bible.
This is how the Bible describes Jesus in the book of John:
The son of Mary, the son of Joseph of Nazarus, cousin of John the Baptist, a brother, a good friend, a carpenter, one from the family of David, Teacher, Rabbi, the good shepherd, and a man full of love. And those are where it would end for most of us if we were being remembered after our death.
But when remembering Jesus, these are the ones listed in John, that make Jesus different than any other person in the history of the world;
The one who could change water to wine, the Holy one from God, The one who could restore sight to the blind, The one who has shown us what God is like, the Profit, The Son of man, The bread that came down from heaven, The Holy One, The word that became human and lived among us, The light of the world, Protector from the evil one, The King of Israel, The one hated for no reason, The Way, The Truth, The Life, God’s Bread, The one who came down from heaven and gives life to the world, The healer, The one who raised his friend Lazarus from the dead, The forgiver of Adultery, The one who judges for the Father, The one who fed 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish, The Messiah, The one who harvests believers, The master, the one Samaritans called “Savior of the world”, The true vine, God’s only Son, Lamb of God, the One who washes feet and cleans men’s souls, The one the Father gave power over everything, The word, The one sent by the Father to save the world, King of the Jews, The tortured one, The one crucified that others might live, the one whose bones were not broken, the one who defeated death, the risen one, and As the apostle Thomas called him, “My Lord & My God”
No one, in the history of mankind can be remembered like that…not one person has ever come close to this…no one, ever – not Buddha, not Mohamed, not Confucius, not anyone, ever! That is why the Christian religion is like no other religion in the world. There is only one Son of God, and one way to our father in heaven, and that is through Jesus Christ alone.
So if you thinking right now, “I’d like to learn more about this fascinating man they called Jesus, or maybe you wish you could have been there to hang out with a guy like that….well, I have great news to share…..Jesus was all those things 2000 years ago, and He is still all those things for you and I today, because He is eternal and gave each person a way to know Himself intimately by accepting His free gift of salvation.
If you don’t know Jesus yet, know this, he loves you and want’s to be those things for you, and the best friend you will ever have!…He cares and loves you so much that he gave up his own life to save yours! If you haven’t been introduced, don’t hesitate to ask any solid Christian today about how you can receive the gift of God’s spirit living inside of you. … any one of us can get you really good tickets to meet with Him today! Don’t wait
Scott L