Remembering is important, but it is not the final goal. Jesus wanted us to remember his loving sacrifice, so he established an easily replicated method of remembrance. This simple memorial points back to the amazing sacrifice of Jesus to free us from our sins.
It is important to be reminded of the high price of our sin. It is important to remember the astounding grace of God. It is important to reflect on why Jesus died. The Bible explains in a variety of ways why Jesus went to the cross.
Christ suffered and died . . .
“¢ to become a ransom for many (Mark
“¢ for the forgiveness of our sins (Matthew 26:28).
“¢ to make us holy and blameless before God (Colossians
“¢ to rescue us from the present evil age (Galatians 1:4).
“¢ to reconcile us to God (Romans
“¢ to free us from the bondage of sin (Revelation 1:5, 6).
In other words, Jesus died in our place because we as sinners could not save ourselves. His goal was to restore us to an intimate relationship with God the Father.
It is important to remember, but remembering is not enough. The Lord”s Supper is not merely about the past and Jesus” future return. This time of remembrance ties together the past and the future, and calls us to an abundant life in the here and now.
Some other reasons the Bible says Jesus died vividly remind us of the importance of our active response to his sacrifice. They call for resolve and renewal.
Christ suffered and died . . .
“¢ so we might die to sin and live for righteousness (1 Peter
“¢ so we might follow in his steps (1 Peter
“¢ to enable us to live for Christ instead of for ourselves (2 Corinthians
“¢ to give marriage a deeper love and richness (Ephesians
“¢ to create disciples who are passionate for good works (Titus
“¢ to secure our resurrection from the dead (Romans 6:5;
The momentous things we remember at the Lord”s table call us to a new resolve. Communion is a time for new beginnings as we allow the blood of Jesus to continue its restoration work in us.
Are you living like Jesus died for you?
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