"Do This in Remembrance of Me"

Remembrance is an important aspect of The Chosen Elect. As believers we are encouraged and strengthened by remembering the faith and deeds of those who have gone before us. Ours is an ancient faith, we remember the promises of God’s word. So our confidence is built in trusting God and living in His truth. There are several places in Scripture where we are encouraged to remember, such as Ex. 20:8-11; The Sabbath is Commanded. The command from Jesus, spoken on the night He was betrayed, stands out from the rest. This remembrance continues to be a cornerstone of our faith.

The Origin of Remembrance and Its Fulfillment

Luke 22:19-20 "And He took bread; and after giving thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is My body, which is given for you. This do in the remembrance of Me.' In like manner also, He took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the New Covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.' "

Old Testament statues were for fulfilling God’s promises to His people, while providing a view of what is to come. Jesus had the authority to establish a New Covenant, changing the focus to the Lord's Supper. Jesus fulfilled the meaning of Passover. He became the Passover Lamb for all humanity; if they repent and become a begotten "Child of God." His blood covers the sins of all who repent and forsake the path of evil sin of the world. O.T. need for a human priest to atone for the sins of the people ended. Christ took up the role of our Savior, Brother, Lord of Lords and King of Kings, and our High Priest. We go through Him and every time we invoke His name when we approach the throne of the Almighty God. John 14:13-14. "And whatever you shall ask in My name, this will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." Read Hebrews 5:5-10. Christ is our High Priest.

The Passover and Days of Unleavened had been observed annually since Moses led Israel out of Egypt. This was a pivotal event in the formation of God’s people as a nation. After having been enslaved in Egypt for centuries, this represented the night that their tormentors were punished and the Israelites were freed from slavery according to God’s promise of restoration.

Exodus 12:12-14 "For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. And the blood shall be a sign to you upon the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you. And the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be a memorial to you. And you shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it a feast as a law forever."

The Israelites had observed this meal every year in order to remember God’s fulfillment of His promise. By reenactment of fleeing Egypt. Jesus takes this concept to its completion as He reveals that He is the true fulfillment of the Passover. Jesus, observed, what God has done while simultaneously revealing what God is doing and will do. As the blood of the lamb covered the door posts, the blood of Jesus covers our sins. Jesus added a spiritual meaning to it. As Israel remembered freedom from physical slavery, it is the sacrifice of Jesus that frees us from spiritual slavery.

1 Cor. 11:23-26 Paul said "For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; And after giving thanks, He broke it and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body, which is being broken for you. This do in the remembrance of Me.' In like manner, He also took the cup after He had supped, saying, 'This is the cup of the New Covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in the remembrance of Me.' For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you solemnly proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes." Paul clearly says that Jesus told him what went on in the Upper Room. Paul says Christ focused on two symbols, the bread and the cup during the first Lord's Supper. Jesus took the bread, and when he had broken it, made it available to all the remaining eleven disciples (Judas having gone out).

Gal. 1:1, verses. 11 & 12 This was the earliest description of the Lord's Table when it was instituted in the Upper Room coming from none other than the lips of Jesus Himself. Read 1 Cor. 15:1-10.

The way we partake of the Lord's Supper is through doing what the Church has done for centuries: observing the meal together, prayerfully, and thoughtfully. John 6:56 Jesus said: "The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood is dwelling in Me, and I in him." These words caused many to turn away from Him, but we can now see He was referring to the symbolic spiritual fulfillment of the Passover via His life, sacrifice, and resurrection. When we observe The Lord's Supper, we declare that we are Christ's and God's.

What does the righteousness of Jesus Christ and His life, and God's laws really means to you? Will your life reflect your decision to choose right against wrong, to choose good, not evil? Or will you succumb under pressure and be tempted into worldly pursuits.

Paul dealt with troubles at Corinth because new converts coming out of the Roman world had of works of the flesh. He showed them how their behavior, at the Table of the Lord, was dishonorable. They came to the Lord's Table with a wrong attitude and spirit; forming destructive cliques within the church.

1 Cor. 11:17-19 "Now in giving these instructions I do not praise you, since you come together not for the better but for the worse. For first of all, when you come together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and in part I believe it. For there must also be factions among you, that those who are approved may be recognized among you."

Paul reference was in view of the agape, the feast of love of sharing that grew out of the early church. See: Acts 2:42-47. The Corinthians were treating the Lord's Supper like a common meal get together.

1 Cor. 11:18-19, Paul reminds them it is not wrong to have differences in a church: "...There must indeed be factions, among you..." He is not surprised at that. Everybody does not have the same point of view, background, training or upbringing. There are bound to be points of view that are different, and that is normal. It allows those, who are mature, with greater clarity through the Holy Spirit, to guide newer members. Paul said differences of opinion and thoughts ought to be aired freely.

1 Cor. 11:20-22: "Therefore, when you assemble together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating, everyone takes his own supper first; now on the one hand, someone goes hungry; but on the other hand, another becomes drunken. WHAT! Don't you have houses for eating and drinking? Or do you despise the church of God, and put to shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I do not praise you!"

Sharing the Lord's Supper was a proper thing to do, but in Corinth it was spoiled by divisions among them. Paul describes the harm that was coming from these attitudes. "When you get together for your weekly potluck dinners, you cannot call that the Lord's Supper, because it is not the same thing.

The Lord's Supper is an expression of the unity of the church. It is not wrong to have church meals together. That is a good thing. But if you are not going to have a concern and care for those who are hungry and poor, You might as well stay home and eat and drink there. When we come to the Lord's Supper; take the bread, break it and pass it among ourselves, we are reminding ourselves that Jesus is our life: He is the One by whom we live. Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ, yet I live. Indeed, it is no longer I; but Christ lives in me. For the life that I am now living in the flesh, I live by faith—that very faith of the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me."

The Lord’s Supper - New Covenant Symbolism

1 Cor. 11:20-34, Paul criticized the church because of their selfish conduct and obvious lack of moderation:] "(20) 'When you gather in the same place, it is not to eat the Lord's Supper. (21) Because as you eat, each of you rushes to eat his own supper, and one person goes hungry while another gets drunk. (22) You have homes in which to eat and drink, don't you? Or do you despise God's church and humiliate those who have nothing? What should I say to you? Should I praise you? I will not praise you for this! (23) For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you-how the Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took a loaf of bread, (24) gave thanks for it, and broke it in pieces, saying, 'This represents my body that is for you. As often as you do this, do it in memory of me.' (25) He did the same with the cup after the supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood. As often as you drink from it, keep doing this in memory of me.' (26) For as often as you eat this bread and drink from this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. (27) Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks from the cup in an unworthy manner (or attitude) will be held responsible for the Lord's body and blood. (28) A person must examine himself and then eat the bread and drink from the cup. (29) For the one who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. (30) That's why so many of you are weak and sick and a considerable number are dying. (31) But if we judged ourselves correctly, we would not be judged. (32) Now, while we are being judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined lest we be condemned along with the world. (33) Therefore, my brothers, when you gather to eat, wait for each other. (34) If anyone is hungry, he should eat at home, so that when you gather it may not bring judgment on you. And when I come I will give instructions concerning the other matters."

John 13: 1-17, "Now before the Passover Festival, Jesus realized that His hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. (2) By supper time, the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray him. (3) Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was returning to God."

-1- (Jesus) (4) "Got up from the table, removed His outer robe, and took a towel and fastened it around His waist. (5) Then He poured some water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to dry them with the towel that was tied around His waist. (6) Then He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, 'Lord, are you going to wash my feet?' (7) Jesus answered him, 'You do not realize now what I am doing, but later on you will understand.' (8) Peter said to him, 'You must never wash my feet!' Jesus answered him, 'Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.' (9) Simon Peter said to him, 'Lord, not just my feet, but my hands and my head as well!' (10) Jesus told him, 'The person who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is entirely clean. And you men are clean, though not all of you.' (11) For He knew who was going to betray Him. That's why He said, 'Not all of you are clean.' (12) When He had washed their feet and put on His outer robe, He sat down again and said to them, 'Do you realize what I have done to you? (13) You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you are right because that is what I am. (14) So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you must also wash one another's feet. (15) For I have given you an example, so that you may do as I have done to you. (16) Truly, truly I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, and a messenger is not greater than the one who sent him. (17) If you understand these things, how blessed you are if you put them into practice!' "

Matthew 26:26-34,

-2- "(26) While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread and blessed it. Then He broke it in pieces and handed it to the disciples, saying, 'Take this and eat it. This is My body [the broken bread represents the broken body of Christ].' "

-3- (27) "Then He took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. (28) For this is [represents the blood] My blood of the new covenant that is being poured out for many people for the forgiveness of sins. (29) I tell you, I will never again drink the product of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.' "

-4- (30) "After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

[Will you deny Christ when persecution happens:] (31) Then Jesus said to them, 'All of you will turn against me this very night. For it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' (32) However, after I have been raised, I will go to Galilee ahead of you.' (33) But Peter said to him, 'Even if everyone else turns against you, I certainly won't!' (34) Jesus said to him, 'Truly I tell you, this very night, before a rooster crows, you will deny me three times.' "

Passover 2013 – New Testament Symbolism “©” 2013 Ekklesia Church of God – New Covenant Saints

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