As we come to the Word of the Lord together this Lord’s Day, we are looking at what the Scriptures have to say about experiencing the Communion Table of the Lord. We are bidden to do this and as often as we do, to do so in remembrance of Jesus. That is more than a call to give mere mental assent to a ritual brothers and sisters. It is a call to grasp and to be gripped by who Jesus is and what He did to purchase our salvation! The bread and the cup (fruit of the vine) represent the very life of the Jesus the Son of God sacrificed, poured out for the forgiveness of us all! As we partake of the bread and the cup, we are called to hold deeply in our hearts the truth all that these emblems represent: 1) The Bread we take represents Jesus’ broken body, which in effect bears our sins, guilt, and shame, all that was in us that made it impossible for us to live in fellowship with God, was in His body as He died for us on the cross. 2) The Cup that we drink represents Jesus’ blood that was shed for us, blood that was pure and perfect, that of a sacrificial Lamb, and that has the power to cleanse our sins and all of our unrighteousness. The Scriptures clearly teach us that Jesus Bore our Sins in His body on the cross to remove our sins from us. He shed His precious blood to Cleanse our hearts, souls, mind, and even guilty consciences. He Offered Himself in our place, the righteous for the unrighteous, thus making it possible for the forgiveness the Father God had in His heart to grant to us, to become a living reality for us all. Our part is to repent of our sin and to believe we have been forgiven in Christ Jesus our Lord. --Acts 13:38 “Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.” --Ephesians 1:7-8 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.” --I John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” PRAYER: Lord Jesus I come before You now and confess that You alone are the living God, You alone are worthy of all honor and praise for You set aside Your heavenly glory and came into this world as a man, to redeem lost sinners from the curse of the law, and I praise You that I am included in Your gracious forgiveness. Thank You that You willingly offered up Your body to be the sacrifice for my sin. Thank You that Your body was broken for me, and that Your precious blood was shed to pay the full price for all my many sins – and not for me only but all who would trust in Your name. Lord, I kneel before You in humble submission, as I partake of the bread and cup - and I do this in remembrance of You. AMEN!
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