Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Today, we will close out this week of focusing on burdens, by honoring the One who bore the full weight of our burden of sin. 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

The prophet Isaiah paints the comprehensive and gruesome picture of the sin burden that Jesus bore on our behalf, in Isaiah 53:4‭-‬10 (ERV)…
The fact is, it was our suffering he took on himself; he bore our pain. But we thought that God was punishing him, that God was beating him for something he did. But he was being punished for what we did. He was crushed because of our guilt. He took the punishment we deserved, and this brought us peace. We were healed because of his pain. We had all wandered away like sheep. We had gone our own way. And yet the Lord put all our guilt on him. He was treated badly, but he never protested. He said nothing, like a lamb being led away to be killed. He was like a sheep that makes no sound as its wool is being cut off. He never opened his mouth to defend himself. He was taken away by force and judged unfairly. The people of his time did not even notice that he was killed. But he was put to death for the sins of his people. He had done no wrong to anyone. He had never even told a lie. But he was buried among the wicked. His tomb was with the rich. But the Lord was pleased with this humble servant who suffered such pain. Even after giving himself as an offering for sin, he will see his descendants and enjoy a long life. He will succeed in doing what the Lord wanted.

Consider…
Holy Communion is one of the ordinances universally observed by all Christians. It’s a somber time of reflection and gratitude, honoring Jesus for dying so that we could live. However, I wonder if we fully understand or appreciate what Jesus did for us.

First, let’s look at the origin of communion, which can be found in Exodus 12:11‭-‬14 (NLT)…
“These are your instructions for eating this meal: Be fully dressed, wear your sandals, and carry your walking stick in your hand. Eat the meal with urgency, for this is the Lord’s Passover. On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the Lord! But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt. “This is a day to remember. Each year, from generation to generation, you must celebrate it as a special festival to the Lord. This is a law for all time.

As you read through the passage did you see the declaration that “this is the Lord’s Passover”? Or did you notice the scripture ended with, “This is a day to remember. Each year, from generation to generation, you must celebrate it as a special festival to the Lord.”

This points out the first thing we need to better understand is, Jesus is Lord, and the Passover is about Him and the corresponding celebration of it should be to Him. As we take communion, we should always remember Jesus!

With that backdrop, let’s fast forward to Luke 22:14‭-‬16 (ERV), where the scene was set for the first communion…
The time came for them to eat the Passover meal. Jesus and the apostles were together at the table. Jesus said to them, “I wanted very much to eat this Passover meal with you before I die. I will never eat another Passover meal until it is given its full meaning in God’s kingdom.”

Jesus made reference to the Passover because He would become the innocent sacrificial lamb whose blood sprinkled on the doorposts of our hearts. His blood tells God to pass over the souls of all who believe in Him on the final judgement day. He also told us to eat the unleavened bread in remembrance of the Lamb that would cause God’s judgement of sin to pass over us. Side note, leaven represents sin in the Bible, thus the unleavened bread that Jesus broke and referred to as representing His body, is also an acknowledgment of His sinlessness. Exodus 12:7‭-‬8 (ERV) provides the correlating instructions given by Moses at the original Passover…
You must collect the blood from these animals and put it on the top and sides of the doorframe of every house where the people eat this meal. “On this night you must roast the lamb and eat all the meat. You must also eat bitter herbs and bread made without yeast.

This helps us see that the Passover we read about in Exodus is actually a type and shadow of the final Passover that God will fulfill, for anyone who covers themselves in Jesus’, the Lamb of God, blood.

With this historical connection, let’s read Jesus’ words, which we recite when taking communion…
Then he took some bread and thanked God for it. He broke off some pieces, gave them to the apostles and said, “This bread is my body that I am giving for you. Eat this to remember me.” In the same way, after supper, Jesus took the cup of wine and said, “This wine represents the new agreement from God to his people. It will begin when my blood is poured out for you.” – Luke 22:19-20 ERV

As I read that, I also hear Jesus saying, “I am the bread of life.”, in
John 6:48 NASB1995

Notice Jesus also said the wine represents the NEW agreement. This new agreement is detailed in Hebrews 8:8‭-‬13 (ERV)…
But God found something wrong with the people. He said, “The time is coming, says the Lord, when I will give a new agreement to the people of Israel and to the people of Judah. It will not be like the agreement that I gave to their fathers. That is the agreement I gave when I took them by the hand and led them out of Egypt. They did not continue following the agreement I gave them, and I turned away from them, says the Lord. This is the new agreement I will give the people of Israel. I will give this agreement in the future, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write my laws on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. Never again will anyone have to teach their neighbors or their family to know the Lord. All people—the greatest and the least important—will know me. And I will forgive the wrongs they have done, and I will not remember their sins.” Jeremiah 31:31-34 God called this a new agreement, so he has made the first agreement old. And anything that is old and useless is ready to disappear.

So when Jesus died for us, He was God’s blood signature on the new agreement that let’s us know Him for ourselves. No longer do we need other people (priests) to seek, or speak to, God on our behalf, because through Jesus we can know, and speak to, God for ourselves. Let that marinate…

When we take communion, it’s important to not only see Jesus on the Cross, but appreciate the full weight of sin He bore according to today’s scripture from Isaiah. He endured God’s full redress to give us full access to our Heavenly Father. Does that give you an enhanced appreciation of the significance of the sin burden that Jesus bore for you and I?

Perhaps Philippians 2:6‭-‬8 (NLT) can further enhance our appreciation…
Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Jesus bore the burden of giving up His divine privileges in exchange for a criminal’s death. This was never more evident than in Matthew 27:46‭, ‬50‭-‬52 (NLT)…
At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead.

Jesus experienced the burden of disconnection from His Father, so that we could be reconnected through Him. And, while the scripture says godly men and women were literally raised from the dead when Jesus died, Ephesians 2:3‭-‬6 (NLT) explains…
All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else. But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.

Appreciate, Christ bearing our burden of sin included His divinity disconnection, which was the cost for our divine reconnection.

Romans 5:6‭-‬11 (NLT) explains it this way…
When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Christ was done wrong so we could be made right. Do you see that?

Our final encouragement, as we honor Jesus, our sin burden bearer, is to appreciate Him for being our inspiration to bear whatever burdens God allows. Hebrews 12:2‭-‬3 (ERV) says…
We must never stop looking to Jesus. He is the leader of our faith, and he is the one who makes our faith complete. He suffered death on a cross. But he accepted the shame of the cross as if it were nothing because of the joy he could see waiting for him. And now he is sitting at the right side of God’s throne. Think about Jesus. He patiently endured the angry insults that sinful people were shouting at him. Think about him so that you won’t get discouraged and stop trying.

Jesus bore the full weight of our burden of sin (it’s penalty and power), for us to be made right, and to be inspired to do right like Him.

I pray this helps us better appreciate our Lord and Savior, who bore the burden of the full unbearable weight of our sin. Prayerfully, this helps us truly honor Jesus, by remembering ALL He endured for us, when we partake of His Holy communion.

Today’s song is…
Communion Song
https://youtu.be/xoBkh_CaeHI?si=yNCgfeFCv7RWq7DO

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)