April 15, 2019 - In Remembrance

Come to the Table

Come to the table and savor the sight
The wine and the bread that was broken
And all have been welcomed to come if they might
Accept as their own these two tokens

The bread is His body, the wine is the blood
And the one who provides them is true
He freely offers, we freely receive
To accept and believe Him is all we must do

Come to the table and taste of the glory
And savor the sorrow, He's dying tomorrow
The hand that is breaking the bread
Soon will be broken

And here at the table, sit those who have loved you
One is a traitor and one will deny
But He's lived his life for them all
And for all be crucified

Come to the table He's prepared for you
The bread of forgiveness, the wine of release
Come to the table and sit down beside Him
The Savior wants you to join in the feast

Come to the table and see in His eyes
The love that the Father has spoken
And know you are welcome, whatever your crime
For every commandment you've broken

For He's come to love you and not to condemn
And He offers a pardon of peace
If you'll come to the table, you'll feel in your heart
The greatest forgiveness, the greatest release

Songwriters: Michael J. Card / Niles Iles Borop

Come to the Table lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc

In Remembrance

Mark 14.12-26

Over the next two days we will consider some aspects of the Passover supper that Jesus ate with His disciples. Chronologically speaking, they will be out of order, but that is okay. Have you ever wondered what it was like in that room on that night? Because we live in the cinematic era, we can take artistic liberty in our reading of a passage like Mark 14 and come up with many scenarios: a heavy and somber evening, the awkwardness of being called out, the joy of being in Jesus’ presence, or even just another symbolic religious meal that they had done many times.

I tend to think it was much of the latter. Time and time again the disciples of our Lord proved that they didn’t really get it when Jesus spoke of His impending death and the realization of the Kingdom. Why was this any different? Perhaps the entry into Jerusalem we considered yesterday would give them a clue. Maybe the lengthy discussion about someone betraying Jesus gave them some idea that it was different this time around. Certainly, now that Jesus was giving them the bread and the wine and referring to them as His broken body and His spilled blood the disciples would see the beauty of what was unfolding before them! But, the next few hours would show that they didn’t quite get it.

Look at those sitting around His table that night: Judas, Peter, Thomas, and a few others we cannot remember their names. Right now, He has invited us to sit at His table, where He has offered His body and His blood. Us, who like Judas have betrayed faithfulness to Him. Us, who like Peter have denied His lordship. Peter may not have handed Jesus over to death, but his denial is no less than that of Judas…so are we the same. Us, who like Thomas have doubted Him.

Jesus knew this would be true, yet He still offers for us to recline with Him around the table. He invites us into the most intimate of settings to build a relationship based on faith with us. He still presents His broken body and shed blood for us. Our times of taking the Lord’s Supper are “In Remembrance” of this self giving act of our Savior.

Sit at His table today and celebrate. Don’t celebrate yourself, for that is the pride He gave His life to take from you. Celebrate His generous and genuine love. Celebrate that He has given you and me a place at His table today. Take the bread and take the wine and rejoice that His brokenness has brought us peace.

Pray: Father, that You would offer me a place at Your table is beyond comprehension. Lord Jesus, please do not let me stain Your loving offer by leaning on my own ability to sit at this table. As I rejoice in Your offer, help me to share this joy with others who have not taken their seat at Your glorious table.