By Stuart Powell
As we prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, I’d like you to think about the emblems of this memorial. Each of you hold a small piece of bread and a small cup filled with a drink. Let’s take a moment to think backwards to the origins of each emblem.
The main ingredient in the bread is wheat. Months ago, that bread in your hand was a collection of grain maturing in a field of wheat. There are messages in the origins of that wheat. Through the wind and the rain, the shocks of grain held on, depending on the roots that God designed to nourish them until they were mature. Then like Jesus on the night he was betrayed, the grain was torn from the field, threshed, ground, kneaded, and put over the fire. Through a long series of different events, you pick up that bread with your own hand. Don’t forget the origin of that bread.
The liquid in the cup followed a similar journey as the wheat. For years a vine was cultivated. Its branches where trimmed and tied up. For weeks the grapes weren’t even noticeable behind the leaves that covered the vine. There are messages in the origins of that juice. Like Jesus on the day of his crucifixion, the fruit was cut from the vine, pressed, and strained before it went through the pasteurizing fire. Through a long series of different events, you pick up that cup with your own hand. Don’t forget the origin of that cup before you held it in your hand.
The origins of the celebration of the Lord’s Supper were summed up by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (New International Version):
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.”
This part of our worship was initiated by Jesus’ own hands and mouth. As we partake, let’s remember his death as God’s atonement for our sins.
Stuart Powell lives outside of Terre Haute, Indiana, where he serves with the North Side Christian Church.
0 Comments