Do this in Remembrance of Me...

January 23, 2017

Many of us grew up going to Sunday Church services passing the plate of crackers and grape juice down the pews. As a youngster, I never knew much more about this ritual other than it was done every 1st Sunday and we would recite the same Gospel verses in Luke each time. I personally can remember hearing that no one was supposed to partake in Communion with un-confessed sins and can recall nervously consuming it a time or two because I had misbehaved. But what is the significance of this mandate from the Savior? There are more point of views from Christian and Messianic circles than I care to mention here, but diligent examination of the Scriptures shows a principle revealed throughout the Book.

When Yehovah revealed Himself to Abram and commanded that he leave his family behind, Abram demonstrated his belief with obedience. Due to his faithful obedience, Yehovah moved forward with revealing His promises to him and initiated an everlasting covenant with Abram and a sacrifice takes place. Abraham's descendants knew of this covenant and the faithful remained hopeful of the promises. Once the Israelites and the mixed multitude were lead out of Egyptian bondage, Yehovah was moved to make an everlasting covenant with the people to walk holy as a nation; to be a Royal Priesthood before the nations of the earth. But no sooner had the people affirmed their willingness to obey Yehovah, they were quickly given over to the familiar worship of idols. Because of Abraham's obedience, Yehovah watched over his promises to him, but the condition for the people to remain in covenant with the Almighty was to keep his commandments.

These days obedience has become a 4-letter word in this "Age of Grace", but "works" always seems to follow faith. We demonstrate what we believe by what we do. So by breaking this everlasting covenant and not walking in the manner the Almighty has defined for us as "holy", we become a kingdom of sinners/lawbreakers promoting lawlessness. In reality many can't even accept the previous statement as being true for us post-Messiah believers, because tradition has separated us from the Creator's holy law by relegating the instructions given via Moses to a people "stuck in the past". However; Yeshua's blood of the new (some say renewed) covenant is for the remission of sins/transgression of the law so those who have been living in sin can be made clean and come into covenant with Him to be a part of the holy nation He is establishing. To walk in His law with an obedient heart; especially in light of the love He demonstrated to us in His Son.

In Luke 22:15-20, at Yeshua's last meal, prior to the Passover, He spoke to His disciples about desiring to eat the upcoming Passover, but would abstain until it is fulfilled in Yehovah's Kingdom. He instructs them to remember that His body was given for us and the new covenant, expressed in Jeremiah 31:31-34, in His blood was shed for us. This revelation, coupled with His ministry of repentance, was to prepare us to endure until the end so we can enter His kingdom to drink of the fruit of the vine with Him. This is genuine encouragement from the Messiah Himself. Remember what He did and why He did it - and it's understanding doesn't have to be some abstract concept above what He's given us to comprehend. So endure to the end Saints and know that we are heirs of the promises of the covenants if we have the testimony of Yeshua Messiah and remain obedient to His commandments --because now, it is written on our hearts.

Cassandra