THE TABLE OF THE LORD "IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME" Jesus Himself directs our thinking on this matter. He does not say "remember the church." He does not say "remember your sins." He does not say "remember your need." I have heard many appeals to our memory at the table of the Lord. Many of them have had nothing whatsoever to do with the Lord Jesus Christ. The word of the Lord is unmistakably clear. "This is My body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19). "And when He had given thanks, He brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is My body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of Me. After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in My blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me" (1 Cor 11:24-25). It is difficult to conceive of any greater clarity being possible. -- Tomorrow:
"Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils" -- 1 Corinthians 10:21
Remembering Christ is not merely recalling things He did while He walked among men. It is not the recollection of what He did for you yesterday, as wonderful as that may be! The remembrance of His commandments is not even the point! Those who spend this time pondering where they should be with Jesus, how far they have come, and what more they should do, have not fulfilled the words of the Lord Jesus.
To remember Jesus is to reflect upon what He accomplished with His body and blood. He affected the reconciliation of the world (2 Cor 5:18-20), the removal of sin (Heb 9:26), and the blotting out of our indebtedness to God (Col 2:14)! He destroyed the devil (Heb 2:14) and plundered principalities and powers (Col 2:15), clearing the way for us to come the Father through Him. These are the things that should dominate our thinking at His table -- and it is HIS table.
There is a reason why our memories are to be focused at His table. There is sanctifying power in the recollection of the Gospel. Paul affirms that remembering that Gospel will save us (1 Cor 15:1-2). There are times when it is proper to remember our failings and our progress. At other times, the remembrance of holy brethren with whom we have journeyed brings great profit to us. But at the table of the Lord, our memories yield the greatest harvest when they are filled with the Person and accomplishments of the Lord Jesus Christ. "This do," He admonishes us, "in remembrance of Me." Many a soul has plummeted into the pit of despair and moral failure because they have failed to remember Christ! See to it that you are not such a one.
There is nothing about Jesus that is morose or debilitating. He died for us "while we were yet sinners," and He did so because He "loved" us (Rom 5:8; Gal 2:20). He was "made a curse for us" (Gal 3:10-13), thereby confirming the Father's fervent desire to save us. He was "made sin" for us that we might "be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor 5:21). It is not possible to dwell upon these things without tasting of "the powers of the world to come" (Heb 6:5).
You already know how heaven feels about the salvational accomplishments of Jesus. His sufferings resulted in Divine satisfaction (Isa 53:11). The Father Himself is blessed by the work of His Son (1 Tim 1:11). Heaven sees the Lamb as the One that has "prevailed," and can now open to humanity the glories of God's "eternal purpose" (Rev 5:5). The Holy Spirit convinces those subjected to the Christ's Gospel, of righteousness, because the victorious Jesus has ascended to the Father (John 16:8-11). It would be a travesty for our Savior to be so readily remembered in heaven, yet forgotten upon earth by the very ones for Whom He died. "This do in remembrance of Me!"
There is never a hint that anyone else is to be remembered! When Jesus spoke of remembering, He shined the light on Himself. Only He is worthy of consistent and energetic remembrance! Only the memory of Him will provide the incentive we need to save ourselves from an "untoward generation" (Acts 2:40).
Whatever promotes the memory of Jesus is in order at the table of the Lord. Whatever competes with that memory, or makes it more difficult, is out of order at the table. God's people need to be insistent in this matter. If their teachers and preachers lead their minds in other directions, they need to be challenged to come back to the words of the Savior. The words and other accompaniments that surround this table should be conducive to the recollection of Jesus Christ--Who He is, and what He has done.
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus I thank You for an established place and time where our memories can focus upon Jesus with unusual and sanctifying power.