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“... To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (Revelation 1:5–6, ESV)
Declare what Jesus does to you: Jesus loves me! Jesus frees me from sin! Jesus makes me a priest in his kingdom! Part of the responsibility of the Levitical priesthood was to sacrifice a two-year-old lamb, morning and evening every day. (Ex 29:38-39) Every morning they carried a lamb to the altar. It's throat was slit, and its blood was poured out upon and around the altar. Every evening that act was repeated. The priests’ duty was to steward the lamb’s blood. How well are you stewarding the blood of the Lamb? How well are you staying connected to the Lamb that was slain yet lives? How are you responding to the blood of Jesus poured out for you daily? God, awaken our hearts to our first Love. We do not want to approach your heavenly altar with familiar hearts. Let us never lose sight of the love that gave it all for us. Father, teach us to steward the blood of your dear Son. May that blood always be precious in our sight. May our hearts be moved with worship and great praise as we consider the blood of Jesus given for us!
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“Then he told them, “I have longed with passion and desire to eat this Passover lamb with you before I endure my sufferings.” (Luke 22:15, TPT)
I love the fire in His eyes for us! It is heart-stirring! Hear Jesus’ words to His disciples, “I have longed with passion and desire to eat this Passover lamb with you.” The longing denotes ‘violent movement.’ It refers to that which is moved or moves. Like water that comes to a boil or rushes down a mountain, Jesus describes His heart for His disciples. Picture the face of Jesus as you prepare to receive communion today. Do you see the passion and desire that He has for you? Do you see His willingness to lay down His life for you? The heart of Jesus moves for these men who were with Him. Men like Peter, Judas, John the beloved, and you and I! He knew they were weak, frail, failing men, but He loved them to the full extent. This is how He continues to love us, with a passion that moves Him. I come to Him in weakness, He comes to me in strength! I give Him my sin, He gives me His righteousness. I come with my head bowed, and He comes as the lifter of my head. Don’t miss the intensity of how Jesus moved for you! There were no second thoughts, no reconsiderations. He loves us! "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13, ESV)
I think familiarity is one of the greatest threats to our walk with God. Familiarity is often where accidents occur, relationships break down, and value is lost. I do not want to ever become so familiar with the love of Christ that I forget His significance to me, or I take for granted His love. You are receiving communion because you have been 'born again!' More than that, you are now considered a friend of God. Let that thought sink in for a moment, friend of God. Jesus stands among His friends at the last supper and says to them, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." He was letting them know the extent of His love and willingness to die for them. That willingness to die for others was for His friends and the whole world. It is a tragedy that so many belittle what Jesus has done for us, but maybe it is an even greater tragedy to be familiar with His love and go through the motions of loving Him. "Jesus, awaken my heart to your love. I do not want to be numb to your presence or your love. Take away my familiarity with you." As you receive communion today, take time to think that Jesus laid down His life for you because He loved you as one loves a friend. "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh." (John 6:51, ESV)
As you hold the bread in your hand today, remember what Jesus said at the Passover dinner when He took the bread, gave thanks for it, and handed it out. "This is my body given for you. As often as you eat of it, do it in remembrance of me." He declared that He was the living bread! Living Bread is the kind of bread that has life in it. Not just any old kind of life, but a life that can never be destroyed, suppressed, or held back...it was eternal life! If one would eat this bread, then he too would live forever! Jesus also declared that He would give His life in exchange for us to have access to His life. He would die so that we might live eternally. His body was given by the Father for us. He willingly gave His life that we might live! Yes! By faith in Him, we have the life that only the Bread of Heaven can give. This life that can never be destroyed, suppressed, or held back is eternal life! Jesus is saying, "I am that bread! Whoever will believe in me will not perish but have everlasting life." As you receive the Bread of Heaven today, acknowledge the life of God in you. Acknowledge that you have eternal life! Give thanks! "But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2:13, ESV)
"I have been brought near to God through the blood of Jesus Christ!" Now that is a reason to remember and celebrate! As you prepare to receive communion today, remember that it is the blood of Jesus that allows you to draw near. Take a moment to remember you were far away. There is a story in Luke, chapter 16, about a rich man and Lazarus. Both men die. But only one is brought close to God. The other is close enough to see and hear—yet is separated by a great chasm. You, too, were once separated from God by a great divide and unable to cross over. But thanks be to God for sending His Son across the chasm to redeem us. It is His blood and faith in that blood that allows us to draw near to God. The prodigal was once far away. The lost sheep was once far away. The lost coin was once far away. But you have been brought near to God through the blood of Jesus Christ because He wanted you near! Who or what can now separate you from the love of God? Or maybe it is better to say—Who or what can now make you far away from God? Nothing! He left heaven to be near us…He became sin so that we could become righteous to be near us. Declare with me, "I have been brought near through the blood of Jesus Christ!" “...without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins.” (Hebrews 9:22, ESV)
For the believer, these words carry so much significance. We know that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all our sins. We also understand that, but for Jesus, we were bound for a devil’s hell. It was what we had earned in life. The blood of Jesus made all the difference for us when we believed! Songs like Nothing But The Blood by Robert Lowry, are always sung in remembrance and celebration of what the Son of God has done for us. “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus; What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Oh! Precious is the flow That makes me white as snow; No other fount I know, Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” The blood of Jesus applied by faith to my heart makes all the difference. The blood of Jesus causes me to set my eyes upon Him and his finished work at Calvary. Oh, that all eyes would be set upon Jesus for now and all eternity! “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.” (Isaiah 1:18, ESV) He who has been forgiven much loves much. As you remember what you have been freed from, remember the One who set you free! |
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