Yesterday I experienced a moment of clarity that is all too rare. I was at chapel and participating in the Lord’s Supper. Some readers may know the Lord’s Supper as Communion or Breaking of Bread. Several months ago, on several occasions when I was not physically able to go to chapel, I experienced the Lord’s Supper alone at our kitchen table. It can be a powerful experience done corporately and, as I have discovered, enjoyed independently. When I was alone, I regularly turned to Luke 22 to read the story of the Last Supper. Yesterday morning, for some reason, I turned there as the loaf was being passed around and I read again the story of the Last Supper. When I came to the two verses directly related to taking the bread and the cup, it is like I had never read the verses before. One word jumped right of the page in both of the verses. Jesus is the speaker in verses 19 and 20 in the 22nd chapter of The Book of Luke.
19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."
20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.
I have always read the above two verses with a fairly clear understanding of what Jesus wants us to do and why. He wants us to remember his sacrifice on the cross and to specifically remember the breaking of His body and the shedding of His blood. What I have missed is the personalization embedded in the verses. His body is given “for you” and His blood is shed “for you”. Yesterday morning I internalized that, yes He came to earth, suffered and died for all mankind, including those believers sitting with me at the Lord’s Supper, but I also realized with flash of understanding like I have never felt before that he did it for me! His body was given for me. His blood was shed for me. I sat there in awe. Why would he do that for me? Why would he assure me the forgiveness of my past and continuing sins and welcome me to a life in eternity with Him? Why me?
I can’t understand it, but I can appreciate it and I do.
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How I love John 12:21 where certain Greeks inquire Sir, we would see Jesus. We experience this at the Lord's Table, no one who has this sincere desire is ever turned away. We come to give, but always take away so much more than we could ever offer.
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