Jesus Gave Thanks
Posted by: biblenotes <biblenotes@...>
From: Martin Overfield
Date: Fri, 24 Nov 2000
Jesus Gave Thanks
"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it,
and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he
took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of
it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for
the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of
this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my
Father's kingdom." (Matthew 26:26-29)
The Broken Bread, the Bread of Heaven (Jesus), took to Himself the
breaking of His own body for us.
He gave thanks when he took the cup. Oh, think of the cup that He
willingly took! I speak of that bitter cup which brought about the shedding
of every drop of His precious blood. It was the very cup that He prayed
would pass from Him if it were possible to avoid it and still accomplish the
redemption of mankind. But, He still prayed, "Nevertheless, not my will but
thine be done." (Luke 22:42)
Yet, Christ gave thanks for this cup that represented the shedding of
His own blood. This is consistent with Hebrews 12:2, which states that
Jesus "for the joy that was set before him endured the cross". Oh, the joy
He had, not in the fact of the suffering itself, but in what was to result
from His death and resurrection! He was to bring "many sons unto glory"!
He therefore gave thanks for the great plan of God being accomplished.
He gave thanks for all the people who could and would be saved and
sanctified through Him, for all who would be brought back to Himself.
"For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things,
in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation
perfect through sufferings." (Hebrews 2:10)
When He further stated that He would "not drink henceforth of this
fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my
Father's
kingdom", He had His eye upon the future consummation of God's plan,
when all the children of God would be gathered together in one. I believe
He may very well have been referring to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
But, just think what a glorious time of thanksgiving that will be!
Jesus said in reference to this partaking of the bread and wine (grape
juice*), "This do in remembrance of me." There is coming a day when
the whole world shall see Him again, and everyone will see Him as He
rides upon that white horse to "judge and to make war" and "clothed with
a vesture dipped in blood"(Revelation 19:11, 13). Then we will remember,
and shall remember throughout eternity, that Christ is the "Lamb slain from
the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8).
If Christ could give thanks in the light of all the suffering that He
knew He would go through for us, how much more ought we to give
thanks to Him remembering His great, self-sacrificing love for us?
Yours In Christ,
Martin Overfield
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