Read: Luke 22:14-23
Do this in remembrance of me. (v. 19)
There are some passages which are so familiar that we seem to stop reading them closely or stop listening to them with fresh hearing. This passage, when Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, may be one of them. Yet there’s so much in these verses that reveal the Savior’s heart towards his followers!
He sat with them at dinner, as he had done so many times before. But this meal was different—not only because it was the Passover meal, and he was hours away from fulfilling the role of the Passover lamb—“the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Jesus said to his disciples, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer” (Luke 22:15). This shows his love for his friends; he deeply desired to be with them that night. He looked forward to the day when they would eat together in the kingdom of God. He wanted them to remember his sacrifice on their behalf—his body and his blood, given for them. This is personal, and it’s hopeful. This is his memorial.
Jesus didn’t ask us to build a temple or a statue or the world’s largest crucifix in his memory—as meaningful as those things may be. He chose to be remembered by a simple meal, which could be celebrated anywhere and everywhere, by anyone who followed him. He hosts the meal; we receive the bread and the cup—and what they symbolize—and we remember him. This we do until he returns.
As you pray, remember your Savior and his sacrifice for you.
About the Author
Laura Sweet
Laura N. Sweet is a wife, mother, grandmother, and former Christian school teacher from Midland, Michigan. She writes devotional material for both adults and children, and her work has appeared in more than a dozen publications.
