And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you… before I suffer…”
I like mashed potatoes. I also like gravy, sweet potato casserole, sausage stuffing, and of course, turkey. But I’m not crazy about those foods – they’re certainly not in my top ten list of Most Favorite Foods on the Planet.
And yet our annual Thanksgiving feast is, hands down, the best meal of the year! The preparation, the anticipation, the general atmospheric mixture of family, succulent aromas and football – it all culminates to a memorable day of overeating and relational happiness.
There’s just something special about a meal with friends. It is no surprise to me that the Passover was memorialized and celebrated with a meal. Jesus continues this tradition, with an extension, a fulfillment of the Passover through His own sinless sacrifice. In a remarkable way He memorialized something that had not yet happened, nor was fully understood at that time.
And He sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it."And they said to Him, "Where do You want us to prepare it?"
And He said to them, "Behold, when you have entered the city, a man will meet you, carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house that he enters. And you shall say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher says to you, "Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?"' And he will show you a large, furnished, upper room; prepare it there."
And they departed and found everything just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.
(Luke 22:8-13)
Once again I wonder about Jesus’ thoughts. The weight of His task, the finality of this particular meal, the incredible love for those at the table – even for Judas… how difficult this must have been.
And yet, what better way to say goodbye! What better way to institute a memorial, than through the fellowship of disciples, of brothers and sisters in Christ!
Challenge #28: Share a meal together with your loved ones. Share the communion. Partake in the Lord’s Supper with several other people, together remembering the love of our Savior. Mourn His suffering. Contemplate His love. Rejoice in our Salvation. But don’t do it alone.
NOTE: The Burnt Hickory Youth Ministry will meet at the Partain House this Wednesday night to worship and partake in the Lord’s Supper. Though the traditional Holy Week day for Communion is on Thursday, I did not want to miss the opportunity for us to partake of it together.
Thursday’s Challenge #29: THE KISS
I feel I must second Lauren's :)
ReplyDeleteSo... :)
And i must third it :)
ReplyDeleteDylon
ReplyDeleteI had a Lords supper thing with my family
Dylon, mom and I had the Lord's supper together tonight.
ReplyDeleteBreezy
I did this challenge tonight at Church with you all, must I say, Lovely.
ReplyDeleteI did this tonight with everyone....I will never forget it.
ReplyDeleteBlake
it was sosososo good. definitely unforgettable.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of a recent trip to "Explorations in Antiquity" in LaGrange, Ga. During our tour, we were served lunch in an authentic Jewish home's dining room including all the traditional foods, decor, and atmosphere. I must say, I definitely experienced the Last Supper as I never could have imagined before. Quite interesting and a life experience that I highly recommend for anyone interested in the first century lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteI love eating with family and friends, and I especially love communion as part of a meal, in true first century fashion.!
ReplyDeleteJD, I enjoyed your summary of Christ's life. Having communion with our youth was very special and I'm thankful for the opportunity to participate.
ReplyDelete~Natalie
Anonymous said... I loved the challenge
ReplyDeleteFaith
Faith
I did this tonight at church, and it was great, but I think that the greatest time that I have ever taken communion with many other people was one year at Impact. It was Sunday morning, and they showed a video about Jesus and how he gave up his life for ME. It really made me think a lot and become truly aware that there is a God and that he loves me very much and it just made me think a lot about things I had never thought about...ever. I still remember that day, and I don't think I will ever forget it.
ReplyDeletei did this at church on wednesday:)
ReplyDeleteJesus Juice and Matzos!
ReplyDeleteEVERY time I drink grape juice (even if it is in a Juicy Juice box), I remember our Lord. EVERY time I see Matzos (even just passing the aisle at the grocery store), I remember our Lord.
From the Passover meal in the NT, to Sunday mornings in the Church of Christ, I am thankful for this object lesson that Jesus used.
This is one I will continue to pass on until He comes.... and I love remembering with YOU!
Aww...I would have liked doing communion with y'all...
ReplyDeleteMaybe I can do it with roxy and drink a tiny bit of grape juice and substitute matzo for fancy crackers.
To the post from lauren:
Fifths are the best! :)
Oops. that was Darby Franks.
ReplyDeleteCommunion is always a special time each week. Some communion times that I remember well are when we were on vacation or a youth trip and shared communion outside around a campfire or near a lake, on the back porch of a cottage or in a hotel room or even in the car when we were traveling. It is a special time that I do not want to miss each week.
ReplyDelete