By Stuart Powell
In John 13-16, Jesus prepared his disciples for their next big step in following him. They had left their familyโs trade and their parentsโ house. They spent years listening to their rabbi speak and were astonished by his authority over weather, diseases, and demons. But what came next shook their faith in God and in him. They witnessed the heart-breaking evil of this sinful world that Jesus came to face and conquer.
To help prepare his disciples, Jesus spoke these words to them: โDonโt let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in meโ (John 14:1, New Living Translation).
The phrase โIn God We Trustโ is on the face of every U.S. coin and dollar bill. That simple phrase makes a life-changing claim. Trusting involves placing a high level of confidence in something or someone else.
We trust in many things every day. We trust the sun to rise in the morning. We trust the brakes will stop our vehicles. Jesusโ first disciples trusted him with their lives and their futures. Jesus spoke into their hearts before fear flooded their minds. When we say, โIn God We Trust,โ we proclaim confidence in our creator.
During the time of Communion, Iโm asking you, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, to declare your trust in him. Before we eat and drink of the bread and the cup, I ask you to repeat out loud these five statements about your trust in Jesus.
I trust that Jesus is God.
I trust Jesus became a man.
I trust Jesus died for our sins.
I trust Jesus rose from the dead.
I trust Jesus is coming again.
The bread is a reminder that Jesusโ human body was offered up for our forgiveness. The cup is a reminder that Jesusโ blood was poured out to wash us clean from sin. Eat and drink in trust.
Stuart Powell lives outside of Terre Haute, Indiana, where he serves with the North Side Christian Church.
Author: Christian Standard
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