Jesus was completely committed to the Kingdom of God. So much so that he was going to sacrifice his life for it. For in sacrificing his life, Jesus would be saying to all those who were denying God by their anti-neighbourly behaviour, that this was just not good enough. And in sacrificing his life, Jesus would be opening up a new start and a new future to all those who would be prepared to receive God’s forgiveness. Those who are prepared to receive God’s forgiveness become participants in bringing about God’s Kingdom, that is, a clear and practical witness to the fact that God’s ways are best. This is us ... well, this can be us!
So, we are here to remind ourselves that this is who we are now ... followers of Jesus. Jesus knew well that human beings, even the best intentioned ones, are forgetful, and so instituted this ceremony so that we would often be caused to remember where our salvation, and our freedom from sin, derives from. We are to have this fixed in our mind ... our memory ‘gripped’ by Jesus’ sacrifice. We thus form a firm solidarity with Jesus in his service of humanity, and regularly reaffirm this publicly.
Jesus took the traditional Jewish Passover and transformed it with new meaning. [As an aside, the Passover had four cups of wine served, two before and two after the meal; hence Luke’s reference to an earlier cup.] The traditional Passover feast remembered that time when God preserved faithful Israelites from death in Egypt and brought them out safely toward the ‘promised land’. Now this “cup” of the “new covenant” represents what Jesus has done for all people of all times in terms of transforming their lives ... “a deliverance of the profoundest kind, from sin and death into eternal life” (M Wilcock). If we would just take up this “cup” and say ‘yes’ to Jesus, in effect saying ... ‘we accept, Jesus, what you have done for us (and for all humanity), and in taking up this “cup” we acknowledge that we are joining together with like-minded people to help bring forth God’s Kingdom ... acknowledging that this “cup” is a “cup” of sacrifice and service to others’. It is in this light that we are most thankful and completely awe-struck! This is a fresh start for tired old religion.
We take this “bread” and this “cup” together committing to a concern for those around us who God is yet reaching out to in his compassion and love. We believe in Jesus, we have absolute faith in God (despite some of the circumstances around us), and know that God’s Spirit is gently moving. Indeed, the resurrected Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit in whom we live in peace, hope and purpose ... and also in power, as we are prayerful and courageous in connecting with our local community. Let us remember – this is who we are ... followers of the Jesus’ way!! So let us indeed be thankful for what the broken body of Jesus means for us; then let us commit afresh to participate in the “new covenant” in [Jesus’] blood”.
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