The New Covenant In My Blood

Luke 22:19-20 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you."

I have discovered something about writing that most professional writers know and I did not. There is a thing called writers block. You hit a point where righting is no longer fun or productive. When you try to "power through" the block, it is miserable and so are the words you put down on paper ( or on the screen). There are times when you need to stop forcing the writing, take a break and regroup. Some folks hit that point quicker or more frequently than others. We are all unique. And when you have given the block time to pass, writing is once again a joy. You remember why you started writing in the first place. I suspect the same holds true in most creative endeavors.

The Season of Lent can serve as a reminder of the full weight of our sin and the price paid for that sin. We celebrate Lent to help us remember the gravity of our lives and how we chose to live our life. Without the reminder of Lent, my thought is we would become very complacent in our lifestyle and possibly our faith. We can easily take for granted the grace we fully rely on for our salvation. From Ash Wednesday through Good Friday the scriptures we read in church services and the messages we hear preached are focused on helping to remember the sacrifice on the cross. Jesus, Son of God, full member of the Holy Trinity died a very painful death for our sake. He did not seek glory, He did seek to serve and did so with the full measure of His life. Without Lent, we may forget “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." Lent is also a time of renew of the spirit.

But Lent comes around once a year so we frail humans need a more constant reminder. And that is why we remember Christ in Holy Communion. The words of Jesus “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me," and "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you" become very tangible. The bread and the wine in with and under the words of Christ point us towards Christ. He is there in that bread and wine. We know this to be so, because he has told us it is so. The reminder of the sacrifice, and the new covenant that came with that sacrifice are brought forth for us to hold onto. When we forget how much it cost, or how much we are loved, the not-so-subtle reminders are right in front of us at the communion rail. If your regular worship service is missing the element of communion you are really missing something. The blood of Christ was poured out on the cross and in communion, we remember that act of sacrifice, love, and the gift of salvation we received. Friends of the Risen Savior, I pray that you will take the time to cherish the experience of communion during this season of Lent. Remember, Christ is really there for you.

PRAYER: Father, we thank You for the gift of Holy Communion. To opportunity to remember in a tangible way Your Son, His sacrifice, and our salvation all rolled up into one is a blessing. Help to experience this often and through Your Holy Spirit to fully grasp the length, width, and breadth of Your love. We ask this in the strong name of Jesus Christ, Amen.