BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS

Time with Jesus - Tuesday, 26 June 2012

Hi all,

Today our meditation is all about the breaking of bread and often referred to as Holy Communion. We are told to “Do this in remembrance of Me! Do we do that? When? Where? Who with? Perhaps we should!

Blessings

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give		Time with Jesus – Tuesday, 26 June 2012			Matt 10:8 Freely you received, Freely give
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	INTRODUCTION		DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES	BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS
It was the evening before the crucifixion. Within 24 hours He would have laid down His life. He was having what would probably be His final meal before surrendering His body to be “thrashed, bashed and trashed.” From there He would go on to be crucified. All this would take place on the same day as the last supper. He was speaking to and comforting His disciples, telling them He was going on a journey but would come back later. The fact that He was comforting them is a miracle. If it had been me, I would have been the one to need comforting. In fact I would have stood up and run away to Galilee as fast as I could go. But Jesus was not panicking. He was introducing a simple method by which His disciples should remember Him. The casualness of the event was remarkable. It was the custom in those days for the lowest slave in the household to wash the feet of those who entered. The person with the lowest status in the group was the youngest disciple, John. But he didn’t do it. This ceremony was not a religious practice. It was done for the sake of all who would partake of the meal. In those days men didn‘t sit round tables to eat. They sat reclining on the floor. This means that their feet were more or less under the nose of one of those they sat next to. The feet would be very smelly after walking for the day. That’s why a slave washed them. No one volunteered so Jesus took the place of the lowest slave and washed all their feet Himself. He didn’t need to wash their hands. They would do it themselves for practical and religious reasons. Practically, they did so because they ate with their hands. So everyone would have clean feet and clean hands for the meal. Traditionally, they would be “seated” in the circle in order of their age. Thus John would have been on one side of Jesus and Judas Iscariot on the other. Before they ate, He took a piece of bread. Unleavened bread because it was what God had instructed the Israelites to eat before they left Egypt. He took the loaf of unleavened bread, broke it and distributed among them. We are told, 24 He gave thanks to God for it. Then He broke it in pieces and said, "This is My body, which is given for you. Do this to remember Me."1 Corinthians 11:24 NLT There was no religious fanfare, no trumpets’ no dancing girls and no men in weird clothes dressed up to look like women. It was very simple and casual. After they had eaten and Judas had left, Jesus took the cup of wine. Many say the cup was the special “Messiah” cup placed before the people and only to be drunk by Messiah. It’s possible but not certain. So now they had all eaten and we are told, 25 In the same way, He took the cup of wine after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant between God and His people--an agreement confirmed with My blood. Do this to remember Me as often as you drink it."1 Corinthians 11:25 NLT. Once again there was no religious fanfare, no trumpets’ no dancing girls and no men in weird clothes dressed up to look like women. It was very simple and casual. His instructions were to do it whenever you want in remembrance of Him. All very simple and casual. So why has it become clouded and crowed out with ritual? He certainly didn’t do that. So why do we? Phyllida and I have begun to do this each day at home. Just the two of us unless there are guests or visitors. It’s done very simply. All we do is remember our Lord. Sometimes we forget. But He doesn’t seem to mind. Praise the Lord! Jim & Phyllida Strickland			42 GOD kept watch all night, watching over the Israelites as he brought them out of Egypt. Because GOD kept watch, all Israel for all generations will honour GOD by keeping watch this night--a watch night. Exodus 12:42 MSG 23 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord Himself. On the night when He was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread 24 gave thanks to God for it. Then He broke it in pieces and said, "This is My body, which is given for you. Do this to remember Me." 25 In the same way, He took the cup of wine after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant between God and His people-an agreement confirmed with My blood. Do this to remember Me as often as you drink it." 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 NLT 41 He walked away, about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 "Father, if You are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine." 43 Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened Him. 44 He prayed more fervently, and He was in such agony of spirit that His sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood. Luke 22:41-44 NLT 14 It was now about noon on the day of preparation for the Passover. And Pilate said to the people, "Look, here is your king!" John 19:14 NLT 16 Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus away. 17 Carrying the cross by Himself, He went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). 18 There they nailed Him to the cross. Two others were crucified with Him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. John 19:16-18 NLT 7 Get rid of the old "yeast" by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. 8 So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 NLT	All I have to promise you is blood and sweat and tears. Winston Churchill said it to the British as their fears, Of enemy invasion was very, very real! He said it so the British could be people made of steel. Did he understand it? He knew that it would cost. He had to make a statement; the war could soon be lost. But Churchill never wavered. He spoke of victory, Even though to many, the words were fantasy. The families of Jacob were oppressed and merely slaves. The thought of finding freedom; only just the brave, Thought that it could happen. Then Moses came along; And proved the God of Israel was infinitely strong. The Israelites won freedom in the face of massive odds. In ways that could be demonstrated came to them from God. Both these men had passion; they knew they had to win They battled with their “Pharaohs”; not once did they cave in. They both went through a “baptism” of blood and tears and sweat But theirs was only “child’s-play”. The one whom Jesus met, Was the archangel Lucifer who’d fallen in his pride, Along with all the others who had taken Satan’s side. There within a garden, Jesus knew He had to win, This battle with the devil and the crushing power of sin. It couldn’t be avoided; Jesus had to take him on; And thrash him so completely that all his power was gone. He didn’t want to do it. And yet, His Father’s will, Was what He Knew He had to do and He kept praying ‘til, His blood and sweat were mingled with the teardrops on His face. He knew this was the moment and was the proper place, For Him to be the sacrifice. His blood would be poured out. His body bent and broken, so there could be no doubt, That all had been accomplished. There was no other way, For Him to beat the enemy on that Passover day. We know the things that happened; that He was crucified. “It’s finished” are the final words he said before He died. And at that very instant the New Covenant was cut. Satan could do nothing except go off his nut. The Ram of God was sacrificed and down throughout the years, God’s people could remember the blood and sweat and tears. He wants us to remember Him whenever we break bread. And every time we drink the wine, remember what He said He said “This is my body; It’s broken just for you. Drink the wine My people. It’s all you have to do.” His stripes now heal our body. His blood cleanses our sin. His body has been broken and we may enter in. Wickedness and evil can now be put aside. In truth and in sincerity, we’re now our Master’s bride. Jim Strickland – Written 26th June 2012