"Do this in remembrance of Me"

Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 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.” Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you." (Luke 22: 17-20)

Today in church we had communion with the Lord, also known as the Lord’s Supper. As I was listening to the pastor read from scripture, I began to pray to God and asked Him to forgive me of my sins (I was specific, but that’s between me and God.). I asked the Lord to search my heart, and thanked Him for dying on the Cross for me. I then took of the bread and drank of the fruit of the vine.

What does this sacred church ordinance mean to a believer? I took the following from the Nelson Study Bible:
The Lord’s Supper was designed:
1. To commemorate the death of Christ: “This do in remembrance of me.”

2. To signify, seal, and apply to believers all the benefits of the new covenant. In this ordinance Christ ratifies his promises to his people, and they on their part solemnly consecrate themselves to him and to his entire service.

3. To be a badge of the Christian profession.

4. To indicate and to promote the communion of believers with Christ.

5. To represent the mutual communion of believers with each other. The elements used to represent Christ’s body and blood are bread and wine.

Let us see what the Word of God reveals to us regarding this verse:

When Jesus said, “I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” Our Lord is talking about His second coming and the marriage supper of the Lamb. (Rev. 19:9) Oh, what a glorious occasion that will be when our Lord comes and we will be His forever and ever and He will be our Lord of Lords, King of Kings. Lord Jesus Come!

Then our Lord took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, gave it to His disciples and said, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” The bread of the Lord’s Supper represents His body which He offered on behalf of His disciples. (1 Cor 10:4).

When our Lord Jesus said, "...do this in remembrance..." Jesus instituted a new meal which is not only a memorial of His death, but also a fellowship meal of unity. It is a proclamation and a symbol of the believers’ anticipation of Jesus’ return, when all God’s promises will be fulfilled (1 Cor. 10:16, 17; 11:23–26).

Then when our Lord Jesus said, "This cup is the new covenant...", He was telling us that the wine, of the Lord’s Supper, depicts the giving of life, a sacrifice of blood, which inaugurates the new covenant for those who respond to His offer of salvation (Heb. 8:8, 13; 9:11–28). This is the strongest substitutionary image in the Gospel of Luke: Jesus died on the Cross in our place and for our sins (Acts 20:28).

Now when our Lord Jesus said, "...in My blood, which is shed for you.", there are some Christians who interpret "My blood" metaphorically, meaning that the contents of this cup represented Jesus’ blood that would be shed for our sins. However, there are others who give this statement a more literal interpretation. I personally believe that our Lord Jesus was speaking metaphorically. Our Lord Jesus shed his blood when He died on the cross in the place of many sinners from every nation. He paid the price for all of their sins. Now the good news is that all of those who believe in Him will receive eternal life.

Father God, I will always remember, when I take of the bread and drink of the fruit of the vine, the sacrifice that Your Son, Jesus Christ, made for me. Thank you Lord Jesus for taking the wrath of God which was meant for me and dying on the Cross for my sins.