Matthew 28:1-2
[1]
Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary
Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. [2] And behold, there was a
great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and
rolled back the stone and sat on it
The events of those last few days
were burned deeply into the minds of the followers of Jesus. So significant
were they that the last week of Jesus’ life takes up almost half of the
Gospels. So why is it that we so easily forget? Why is it that this significant
death and resurrection so easily become just a corner of our lives to be remembered
on Sunday morning if we don’t have something better to do? But God knew how
fickle we are and so he set up a memorial. At the Last Supper Jesus instituted
the memorial of the Lord’s Supper, to do as often as we do it, in remembrance
of him. Before we talk about the significance of the resurrection, let us
remember the crucifixion.
At the Last Supper Jesus took the
bread, blessed it, broke it, and passed it to his disciples saying, “Take, eat.
This is my body.” As we eat the bread we are reminded that Jesus body was
beaten, a crown of thorns jammed down on his head. He was forced to carry the
very cross on which he would be nailed until he could no longer carry it. Eventually
he was nailed to it and lifted up for all the world to see and jeer. He did all
this without complaint. He encouraged us to eat this bread as often as we do it
to remember.
Jesus then took the cup, gave thanks for it and passed it to his disciples saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” The Old Testament Law taught that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. It is the shed blood of Jesus that guarantees our forgiveness. Isaiah 1:18 tells us, “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” It is the blood of Jesus that washes us clean and so we drink to remember.
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