Tag Archives: communion

Did Jesus condone cannibalism? (John 6:43-51), February 6, 2017

Today’s Podcast

Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
Cannibalism is one of the most taboo practices throughout the civilized world. We revolt at even the thought of the action. What would you do if Jesus hinted at the practice when He talked to you? That’s just what some of those around Him were thinking one day.
Scripture
1. John 6:43-51
2. Jesus: Stop grumbling under your breaths. If the Father who sent Me does not draw you, then there’s no way you can come to Me. But I will resurrect everyone who does come on the last day. Among the prophets, it’s written, “Everyone will be taught of God.” So everyone who has heard and learned from the Father finds Me. No one has seen the Father, except the One sent from God. He has seen the Father. I am telling you the truth: the one who accepts these things has eternal life. I am the bread that gives life. Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and they died as you know. But there is another bread that comes from heaven; if you eat this bread, you will not die. I am the living bread that has come down from heaven to rescue those who eat it. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever. The bread that I will give breathes life into the cosmos. This bread is My flesh.
Devotional
1. If you studied much history about the settlement of the west, you’ve heard of the Donner Party. George Donner led 89 pioneers out of Springfield, Illinois in April 1846 on their way to California. They took a new, supposedly shorter route scouted by a guide that led them into some pretty treacherous terrain. The party became trapped in the high Sierra Mountains in late October due to heavy snowfall and the legends of the day continue that the party survived only by resorting to cannibalism. They finally arrived in California the next year.
2. Why bring up the Donner Party?
  1. We still remember their means of survival 160 years later.
  2. We view cannibalism as a most heinous crime
  3. Jeffrey Dahmer, Peter Bryan, Ed Gein (serial killer which inspired the character for Silence of the Lamb
  4. Wikipedia 50 reports between April 2000 and August 2016, 28 since 2010
  5. We’re revolted by the thought
3. Imagine the reaction when Jesus gave these words, “Anyone who eats this bread will live forever. The bread that I will give breathes life into the cosmos. This bread is my flesh.
  1. Sounded like cannibalism to those who heard His message on the surface
  2. Without listening to all He had to say and trusting Him, His message caused revolt
  3. The world hated His message when they thought He talked to eating His flesh
  4. How would you react?
4. We live on this side of the cross and understand the symbolism Jesus shared with those who heard His words that day. We understand He gave Himself for us and we partake in the remembrance of Jesus’ death through the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, Communion, the Eucharist, whatever name you choose to call that special remembrance of God’s sacrifice for us. Can you understand why the world, without faith, hates us? Can you begin to see why non-believers revolt at the mention of Jesus’ name?
  1. Never condoned the practice of cannibalism
  2. Must understand He wants us to consume Him, the word, God’s message, the reason for His coming, devour everything He brings to us
  3. Become a spiritual cannibal
5. Until we believe that Jesus’ words are true and draw close to Him in faith, we will not enjoy the life eternal He promises. Until we begin to consume Him in every part of our life, we cannot enjoy all He has in store for us.
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

An important memento (Luke 22:16-22), January 5, 2016

Today’s Podcast

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Thanks for joining me today for “A Little Walk with God.” I’m your host Richard Agee.
We use a lot of things to help us remember important events in our lives. Jesus’ words today gives us an important memento to help us do just that.
Scripture
1. Luke 22:16-22
2. Jesus: It has been My deep desire to eat this Passover meal with you before My suffering begins. Know this: I will not eat another Passover meal until its meaning is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

He took a cup of wine and gave thanks for it.

Jesus: Take this; share it among yourselves. Know this: I will not drink another sip of wine until the kingdom of God has arrived in fullness.

Then He took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and shared it with them.

Jesus: This is My body, My body given for you. Do this to remember Me.

And similarly, after the meal had been eaten, He took the cup.

Jesus: This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant, made in My blood. But even now, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on this table. As it has been determined, the Son of Man, that firstfruit of a new generation of humanity, must be betrayed, but how pitiful it will be for the person who betrays Him.

Devotional
1. Time to think back about last year
  1. successes
  2. failures
  3. goals left undone
  4. happy memories
  5. sad memories
2. Establish tokens or mementos to remember those events
  1. Ticket stubs
  2. Photos
  3. Souvenir
3. Last Supper is the memento Jesus gave us to always remember the event that established the means for our salvation – His sacrifice on the cross
  1. Penalty for sin
    1. Eternal death
    2. Separation from God
    3. Blackness of isolation
  2. We all sin
  3. Jesus paid that penalty for us
  4. Institution of memento to remind us of the price He paid for us; gift He gives
4. In 2017, your church will no doubt participate in the Lord’s Supper, Communion, the Eucharist, whatever name you call this sacrament several times in 2017.
  1. Remember why Jesus gave us this memento
  2. Remember the suffering He endured for your sins
  3. Remember the blood He shed in payment as the penalty you should pay
  4. Remember the death He experienced so you can have life eternal with Him
  5. It’s not just a ritual we go through, let it truly touch your life each time you share
If you want to learn more about my church, you can find us at SAF.church. If you like the devotional, share it with someone. If you don’t, tell me. I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow for “A Little Walk with God.”

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.

My body and blood (Matthew 26:26-29) June 20, 2016

Today’s Podcast

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Today’s Bible reading plan:

Read it in a year – Leviticus 4-6

see the whole year’s plan [here](http://www.bible-reading.com/bible-plan.pdf)

Today’s Devotional

Matthew 26:26-29
Jesus: Take this and eat; it is My body.
And then He took the cup of wine, He made a blessing over it, and He passed it around the table.
Jesus: Take this and drink, all of you: this is My blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. But I tell you: I will not drink of the fruit of the vine again until I am with you once more, drinking in the kingdom of My Father.

What do Jesus’ words mean for us today?

So, I have to ask, how many times have you gone to church, heard the words, and just gone through the motions of taking communion? If you’re like most people, you get into the routine and far too often, the Lord’s Supper become just another ritual instead of a remembrance of His sacrifice for us. So how do we keep it from become routine? How can we make sure we focus on the importance of the symbols the bread and drink that we share together represent and not the action of eating and drinking?

It’s so easy to do. I have to admit that even as a minister, I have been guilty of getting busy with responsibilities, thinking about the next part of the service, and going through the motions. Reciting the words, but not focusing on their personal meaning for me. I wanted to make sure I got the ritual right and didn’t think as much as I should have about what the ritual really meant. Terrible for a minister to do that, huh? But we’re all guilty, whether in the pulpit or the pew, we sometimes let our minds wander and forget just how important this sacred moment really is.

How do we stay focused in the moment? Think about what you’re doing. Don’t let your mind wander. Satan will do his best to distract you with everything he can to take your mind away from the sacrifice Jesus made for us and the symbols of His broken body and shed blood He pointed out to us in this simple act of sharing bread and drink together. Whether your tradition uses wine or grape juice, communion wafers or bread, doesn’t matter so much as remembering the what each of these mean as symbols of Jesus’ personal sacrifice for the redemption of your individual sins.

When we stop and just think about that symbol, bread for His body, drink for His blood, it should cause us to pause and recall the sacrifice He made. I’m not sure we can fully understand what that sacrifice was really like. Many of you have probably seen the movie “The Passion” as I did several years ago and got just a glimpse of what that week was like for Jesus. But seeing His suffering on the screen doesn’t do justice to what the experience was like for Him. We saw Hollywood’s portrayal of the scourging, the crown of thorns pushed down on His head, the beam of the cross lashed to Him as He struggled up the road to Calvary. We experienced some of the sights those in Jerusalem might have seen on those days.

But we have no idea the pain, the humiliation, the cruel punishment inflicted by the Romans, the excruciating agony of the cross. Most of us have no reference points from which to begin to compare the suffering Jesus endured as He faced death as the penalty He paid for us. But from that movie, from studies you might have made of Passion week, from medical reports you’ve heard about crucifixion, when you see the bread in your hand, remember the brutality Jesus endured for you. All that should have been mine and yours as payment for our disobedience to God. As you see the juice in the cup, think about the blood He lost as He felt the whip across His back, crown of thorns on His head, the spear in His side. That blood was shed for my sins and yours so that we would not have to pay with our blood for the sins we commit.

Is it easy to let your mind wander to what’s for lunch as communion is being served? Yes. Is it easy to think of the ballgame starting in a few hours? Yes. Is it easy to think about what will happen at work this week? Yes. But if we try, we can also focus on the bread, a symbol for His body, broken for us. We can focus on the cup filled with the fruit of the vine, a symbol of His blood, shed for us. His sacrifice ushered in a new covenant. One in which we can have a personal relationship with the creator. He promised that if we ask, He will live not just with us, but in us, to help us be the person He created us to be.

Next time you come to the Lord’s table, stop, think about the bread and the wine. What does it mean for you? Really think about it. Don’t let go of the beauty of the moment as you share this special moment with others.

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
In accordance with the requirements for FTC full disclosure, I may have affiliate relationships with some or all of the producers of the items mentioned in this post who may provide a small commission to me when purchased through this site.