Remembering Jesus

 I Corinthians 11:23-25 -"For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread; 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." Jesus was declaring His death here; His own death to His own will and to His own plans, to do His Father's will. We declare our own willingness to die when we pass the emblems in our Sunday morning meeting to our brothers and our sisters, openly declaring we have nothing against them. This price of redemption has been fully paid, and we are no longer our own. When we consider Jesus, who paid the price, I sometimes forget He has bought me, and I fail to commend Him that paid the ransom price for me.  Verse 25 tells that the New Testament is His blood. We have been sealed by His blood, and it's valid. We have the privilege each Sunday of renewing our covenant when we partake of the Emblems.

When do we examine our self? Is it in a meeting, or is it daily? Keep a short account. We can make all things right in a few hours, or in one moment. Don't wait to make things right.  Do it NOW.  In Exodus 12 we read of the first Passover. The yearling is the best time for a little lamb. Some sought for spots in Jesus but they found none. When the lamb was in the home, they had no fear that it would bite, scratch or kick them.  They weren't by the lamb because it was meek, pure and safe.  Everyone loved the lamb. It was hard for the little children to see that little lamb die. Jesus never resisted His death on the cross.

At the Passover Feast, the lamb was roast with fire, then it was eaten. That was like the righteousness of Christ.  When righteousness is fulfilled, persecution follows, but the result is glorious. The lamb was always eaten with unleavened bread, not with anything worldly or any leaven of the Pharisees. Many religious organizations have so many rules and regulations that their members carry around terrible burdens.

The lamb was all eaten, not just the good parts.  The head included the eyes, ears, mouth and words; the inwards are likened to the seat of all our affections; the heart, our feelings; the feet, our walk. Do we love the Lamb; do we love His mind, His words, His walk and His love?  We become what we feed upon. In that day, people wore loose garments which they wrapped around themselves during a sand storm.  Belts placed on a loose garment always had a purpose. Their feet were shod. When we partake of the emblems in a Sunday morning meeting, we have a purpose and we are going some-where. The feet being shod showed they were ready for the journey. They leaned upon the staff (God's Word, not our own understanding) when the going got rough. God's people didn't go out of their homes until morning. We, too, are on a journey, because our Bridegroom has not come.  We're under His protection, and we are waiting. No one was to go out from a house that had the blood sprinkled doorposts.  We know what happened to the Egyptians outside.  There was death, darkness, coldness, sorrow, remorse and those wishing they had believed. Inside the blood-sprinkled home was safety, security, hope of an everlasting life, warmth, fellowship with God, and with our brothers and sisters. Whenever there is a problem, send for the Lamb.  He will keep you under His protection.

 In Acts 4:16 ".....What shall we do to these men: for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it." A miracle was done but it spread no further. Peter and John were beaten and imprisoned nearly 2,000 years ago because men didn't want the Gospel to leave Jerusalem, but those men couldn't stop the furthering of the Gospel.  An earthquake released Paul and Silas from prison. How can men stop the Gospel? Who can stop the Spirit from leading His people? Who can stop His people from praying? Some even tried to stop Jesus from rising from the dead.

G. Pinkerton 1996 Happy, TX