Jesus Christ's Last Will and Testament
by Aaron
Holy Thursday
Today we celebrate the Last Supper, the night in which Jesus Christ instituted the Lord's Supper. The apostles Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Paul all record this event. We do not celebrate it, however, simply to reenact what Jesus and the disciples did. We remember the Last Supper because after this regular meal Jesus did a rather extraordinary thing. He began to distribute the inheritance of his last will and testament.
Most bible translations render Jesus’ words this way:
“Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant [testament] which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” [Matthew 26:26-28]
The word “covenant” may also be fairly translated “testament”, as in Jesus’ last will and testament. Jesus knows Judas will betray him. He knows Peter, his most zealous follower, will deny him. Jesus is about to die so he is writing his will and passing out his inheritance, his very life, to the very people who are about to hand him over to his death.
Jesus is still distributing his inheritance, his life, his body and blood, to his betrayers. He still passes the bread and the cup to you and me.
You become Christ-like when Christ gives you his very flesh and blood in the Lord's Supper. In, with, and under the bread and wine Christ gives to you his heart and soul, his life and love, his Spirit and all the possessions of God the Father. And to whom does Christ distribute this inheritance? To sinners like you and me. Tomorrow as we look to the cross, we remember that Christ took our sinful death into himself and died. Today, before his death, we remember Christ wills that we should receive his life.
Today we celebrate the Last Supper, the night in which Jesus Christ instituted the Lord's Supper. The apostles Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Paul all record this event. We do not celebrate it, however, simply to reenact what Jesus and the disciples did. We remember the Last Supper because after this regular meal Jesus did a rather extraordinary thing. He began to distribute the inheritance of his last will and testament.
Most bible translations render Jesus’ words this way:
“Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant [testament] which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” [Matthew 26:26-28]
The word “covenant” may also be fairly translated “testament”, as in Jesus’ last will and testament. Jesus knows Judas will betray him. He knows Peter, his most zealous follower, will deny him. Jesus is about to die so he is writing his will and passing out his inheritance, his very life, to the very people who are about to hand him over to his death.
Jesus is still distributing his inheritance, his life, his body and blood, to his betrayers. He still passes the bread and the cup to you and me.
You become Christ-like when Christ gives you his very flesh and blood in the Lord's Supper. In, with, and under the bread and wine Christ gives to you his heart and soul, his life and love, his Spirit and all the possessions of God the Father. And to whom does Christ distribute this inheritance? To sinners like you and me. Tomorrow as we look to the cross, we remember that Christ took our sinful death into himself and died. Today, before his death, we remember Christ wills that we should receive his life.
Labels: Communion, Eucharist, Last Supper, Lord's Supper, Meal, Seder
posted by Aaron at 11:05 AM
2 Comments:
Go to www.choosejesusrightnow.com & click on BUMPER STICKERS.
thank you for your reflection.
Teaching First communion classes to 5th graders last year I asked what does covenant mean. Not a clue.
After we read about Noah and Abraham and Moses, all those covenants, I asked what they thought covenant means. "I think it means something like 'life'"
I plugged it in. "This is the new life in my blood." It actually works. This fifth grader adds an new layer of meaning to my Biblical studies.
Joel Xavier
Post a Comment
<< Home