And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke [it], and gave [it] to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 23 Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave [it] to them, and they all drank from it. 24 And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. 25 “Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” 26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

– Mark 14:22-26 (NKJV)

The pastor stood up before the congregation and he asked a question that changed my world forever! I didn’t feel the earth move, but I knew it was a special moment…. It was the moment at our wedding where the pastor said, “who gives this woman to be married to this man?” and my wife’s father put her hands in mine. In that brief moment, we left our families and became our own family.

On one level it was a pretty normal day and nothing much really changed. But on another level, everything changed. When Jesus is speaking to the disciples they are celebrating a Passover meal where they remember how God delivered the Israelites from the Egyptians. There was a lamb who was killed. Blood was put over the door post. The angel of death passed over… It was a regular holiday filled with meaning for folks then (and now), but Jesus changed something.

When it got to the end with a bit of bread and wine he told the disciples that these two elements now represented his body and blood.* Something fundamental was changing. Jesus would give his life so that we could receive eternal life.

We now take these elements on a regular basis to remember what Jesus has done. This celebration has meaning because Jesus did something meaningful. We don’t always see it or feel it at the moment, but for those who genuinely have put their trust in Christ as Lord and Savior, when ever they partake of these elements, they are remembering that their world has changed. It is through Jesus’ sacrifice that we are welcomed into the family of God.

I love celebrating the Lord’s supper because as we come to the moments where we receive the elements we are saying that our relationship with God has changed. We are no longer separated from God, but we have been adopted into the family of God. We gather at the family table and celebrate the meal that God has provided for all who have received him into their hearts.

Father, We love you and want to grow in knowledge of you and your word. We thank you for the cross. We thank you for the Lord’s Supper and the meaning that is packed into it. We are grateful to be part of your family. Thank you for saving us from our sins. Our hope is in you! Give us discernment as we apply your word to our lives. In Jesus Name, Amen.

*(part of the reason I believe that these are symbols and do not become the literal blood and body of Christ is because Jesus is the one handing them out to the disciples. It’s apparent in a regular reading of the text that these things don’t become his body, but are symbolic).