Are We Missing It?

Here is a thought that has been nagging at the back of my mind for the past week.

In John 14:15 we read where Jesus said that if we love Him we will keep His commandments, and then in chapter 15 verse 9 He tells us to abide in His love. From this and the entire context of chapters 14-17 it seems obvious that it is the Lord’s plan for us to fall so deeply in love with Him that we obey His commandments.

So I must ask myself:

• How do I fall more deeply in love with the Lord Jesus? In the Old Testament we find the commandment to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Then we find this same commandment repeated in three of the four gospels, and Jesus said this is the greatest commandment of all.

Jesus then tells His disciples that the greatest love is to give one’s own life for his friends, and then He goes and demonstrates this very thing.

Remember that at this point Jesus has already told His disciples to remember His broken body and spilled blood every time they the break bread and drink the cup, and to do this until He returns.

That leads to these next questions:

• Could it just be that the very purpose of the Lord’s Table is to help us learn to love Jesus so deeply that we keep His commandments?
• Could it be that the key to loving Jesus, to abiding in Him, and thus to obeying His commandments is remembering His sacrifice for us?
• Could it be that we need to remember our Lord and His sacrifice more often so that we can fall more deeply in love with our Savior, to the point where we obey His commandments, abide in Him, have close fellowship with Him, have our prayers answered, experience a fruitful life, and thereby live the abundant and joyful life He promised us?
• Could it be that our desire to keep the Lord’s Table from becoming commonplace is actually hurting people and keeping them from falling deeply in love with the Savior and obeying Him?

Matthew 26:26-30 - While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. "But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom." After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Mark 14:22-26 - While they were eating, He took some bread, and after a blessing He broke it, and gave it to them, and said, "Take it; this is My body." And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, "This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. "Truly I say to you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God." After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Luke 22:17-20 - And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, "Take this and share it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes." 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." 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.

Acts 2:42 - They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

The breaking of bread is done with a frequency of “continually”, the same as devoting themselves to the apostles teaching, fellowship, and prayer.

Acts 2:46 - Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,

The breaking of bread is done “day by day”, and it was done in the context of sharing a meal.

Acts 20:7 - On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight.

On the first day of the week they were gathered for the purpose of breaking bread.

Acts 20:11 - When he had gone back up and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked with them a long while until daybreak, and then left.

It appears they broke bread and had eaten a meal.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 - For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes.