“This is My Body Which is Given For You”

“And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying,“This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”” ²⁰ “And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.”

– The Gospel of Luke 22:19-20

 

What grace under pressure the Son of God exhibits!  Try to imagine the love, dedication, and focus required of Jesus to utter these words, “This is My body which is given for you.”

Facing His own death in a matter of hours and with every human emotion under the control of His sinless humanity, Jesus says, “This is My body which is given for you.”

Jesus had desired to be with the disciples (v15) to share a Passover meal in a way no one seemed to understand then and still so few do today.  Jesus displayed in a visual lesson His redemptive love, saying, “This is My body which is given for you.”

With that piece of broken bread in His hand Jesus gave thanks to the Father for the death He was about to suffer for us, knowing full well that, “This is My body which is given for you.”

Placing the very emblem of His suffering before the eyes of His disciples, Jesus says, “This is My body which is given for you.”

Do we understand the reality of the picture Jesus drew for us on that night in which He was betrayed?  He was about to accomplish a death that would settle the debt of sin charged against His people.  And so, He says, “This is My body which is given for you.”

Do we understand the provision made for us when Jesus said, “This is My body which is given for you”?

A provision of righteousness we do not have, a provision of sustaining grace which we daily stand in need of, a provision of nurturing love, a provision of infinite forgiveness, a provision of eternal union and communion.  Are you prepared in heart, mind and body this week to hear once again those ancient words of amazing love, “This is My body which is for you”?