We gathered again in the upper room where we had celebrated the Passover on that last night before our Lord was crucified. This had been a very exciting year. It began with the greatest tragedy we had ever experienced. That led to the most thrilling event in history. Jesus was raised from the dead! Everything in us and everything in the world was changed by those events. The church in Jerusalem continues to multiply despite severe opposition. However, most of us are being sent by the Spirit to other places. Some have gone beyond the borders of Israel. Jesus told us many times what he concluded as He ascended into the heavens. By the Spirit we are to take the good news to all the earth.
Jesus gave us what we are calling His supper at the Passover. He told us to remember Him with the Supper as we had kept the Passover. We have begun to celebrate it in our love feasts. But this is the first Passover after the cross. And we thought it was appropriate to celebrate it in the upper room where Jesus first gave us this wonderful reminder.
I began by saying, “We have gathered here tonight to remember that last supper with our Lord. We welcome you ladies and family members, the mother, sisters and brothers of our Lord, and of course, Matthias who has taken the place of Judas.” Peter then set the bread and the cup of wine before us.
He began by holding up the bread and saying, “Jesus said, ‘This is my body given for you.’”
Then I said, “I think all of you remember when Jesus fed the multitude the first time on the far side of the sea. Some men who thought food for our stomachs was what Jesus came to give said to Him, ‘Moses gave us bread from heaven as a sign in the wilderness.’ Jesus answered, ‘Moses did not give you the bread from Heaven. My Father gives you the true heavenly bread. The bread of life is the one the Father has sent to give life to the world. Truly, truly, I tell you, I am the bread of life given for the life of the world. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness and died. Whoever eats this bread will never die. Whoever believes in me has eternal life. And I will raise him up on the last day.’
‘The bread that I give for the life of the world is my flesh. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.’ When we take this bread and drink this cup we remind ourselves that we are nourished to eternal life through the sacrifice of Jesus. We feed on His flesh and drink His blood. He said, ‘My flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. The one who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me. And I abide in that person. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.’”
Then Peter took the cup saying, “Jesus said, ‘This is my blood given for you.’” He passed the cup among us and we showed our faith in Him as we took the supper together. Finally Peter said, “Jesus said, ‘For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.’”
This story is drawn from words spoken in John 6:35-59.
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