Meditation

03/11/2022

“Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.” (John 21:13)

Although Jesus gave the disciples bread and fish that He had prepared over fie beside the sea, the words echo the language of the Lord’s Supper. Even further, they recall the commentary of Jesus upon he feeding of the 5,000 in chapter 6, when He said that they must “eat his flesh and drink his blood” to have eternal life. While not an explicit observance of the Lord’s Supper, these meals provide a background for understanding that just as Jesus was providing physical food and drink for their sustenance, He was, more importantly, providing spiritual food and drink for their souls by His death and resurrection.

PRAYER FOR THE DAY:

Precious Abba, today we recognize the Lord’s Supper from the four accounts, and the content of each that gives us a clear perspective of what was being taken place and by whom. Let us take this moment, to pause to not simply read the words of this prayer, but to listen to what they are saying, and as they apply the same way to the Gospel accounts of the Last Supper in a new way. Amen

THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade the presence of God. The world is crowed with Him. He walks everywhere incognito” (C.S. Lewis)

KNOWING GOD:

“Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.” (Luke 24:35)

Cleopas and the other unnamed disciple encountered the resurrected Christ along the road to Emmaus, but didn’t recognize Jesus until He broke the bread during a meal. The action reminded them and calls to our mind the Last Supper. Luke taught, through this event, that in the Lord’s Supper Christian disciples recognized the presence of their Lord. We can be sure of this because “breaking bread” is Luke’s regular term for the Lord’s supper

I AM:

“Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. They wee delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over. On the first day of the ‘Feast of Unleavened Bread,’ when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, ‘Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?’ So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, ‘Go into the city and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. Say to the owner of the house he enters; ‘The teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will eat show you a large upper room, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.’ The disciples left, went into the city and found things just s Jesus had told them,. So they prepared the Passover. When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, ‘I tell you the truth one of you will betray me—-one who is eating with me.’ They were saddened and one by one they said to him, ‘Surely not I?’ ‘It is one of the Twelve,’ he replied, one who dips bread into the bowl with me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.’ While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, ‘Take it’ this is my body.’ Then he took the cup gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it. ‘This my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,’ he said to them. ‘I tell you the truth, I will not drink against of the fruit of he vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.’ When thy had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” (Matthew 26:17-30)

Mark was almost exactly the same words as Matthew in his account of the Lord’s Supper. In his description of the preparation for the Supper, Mark has several distinctive details found also in Luke 22:1-30: a man carrying a jar of water, a large upper room furnished and ready, a location in the city. For this and other reasons, such as the gathering of the early Christians at the house of John Mark (Acts 12:12), many scholars believe the Last Supper was held in the home of Mark. Mark may have been an eyewitness to some of the details to he gives in his own Gospel.

2ND THOUGHT OF THE DAY:

“They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts. Praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:42-46)

One of the continuing activities of the early Christians was the “breaking of bread” from home to home, accompanied by the apostles teaching, fellowship, and prayers. Sometimes the phrase “breaking of bread” may refer to the Lord’s Supper because it is in the context of worship, prayer, and praise to God. Although they seem to have observed the “breaking of bread” frequently, there is no command anywhere in the Bible that specifies how often for Supper should be observed. The only indirect reference is in Jesus’ phrase “whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” The emphasis is always upon the proper observance and meaning, not upon the frequency.

In all of these account, there are many similarities, but different perspectives are emphasized, though at time subtly. This does not mean it was lesser in presenting, but important for each one perspective to be revealed in their particular account.