Christ Gave Thanks

While they were still eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to His disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in My Father’s kingdom.” Mathew 26:26-29

Whether from here or from one of the other gospels, these verses have been familiar to me from a young age. Every week I hear them spoken by the pastor just before communion, and I’ve read them many times as I’ve worked my way through the gospels. In all reality, I’ve nearly memorized them without even thinking about it. However, with that kind of familiarity comes a numbness, a near immunity to the weight of what is said here. It wasn’t until just recently that I caught anew some of the significance as I heard the words read aloud by another speaker.

…Jesus took the bread, gave thanks and broke it…He took the cup, gave thanks and offered it…

Similar passages are found in three other places throughout the New Testament, and all of them say that Jesus took the bread, gave thanks and broke it; that He took the wine, gave thanks, and offered it.

Think about that. Jesus knew this was no ordinary Passover being celebrated in the same way as every other for the past thousand years since the angel of the Lord spared the Israelites because of the blood of the pure lamb. This could not have been your ordinary “come, Lord Jesus, be our guest” prayer of thanksgiving. He knew better than anyone that this celebration was a profound symbol of what He would suffer in just a matter of hours—that the breaking of bread and the drinking of wine meant mangled flesh and shed blood—but He deliberately gave thanks. Why?

As Jesus was hanging on the cross in agony, one of the criminals taunted and insulted Him, but the other spoke to Him in sincerity, saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

Jesus answered Him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise.”

For the salvation of a criminal, He gave thanks.

“Righteous Father, though the world does not know You, I know You, and they know that You have sent Me. I have made You known to them, and will continue to make You known in order that the love You have for Me may be in them and that I Myself may be in them.” (John 17:25-26)

For His own relationship with the Father, He gave thanks.

For His future relationship with us, He gave thanks.

“Here are My mother and brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3)

For His adopted family, He gave thanks.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in Me. In My Father’s house there are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3)

Looking forward to eternal fellowship with us, He gave thanks and broke the bread and offered the wine.

Out of love, He gave thanks and, for the joy set before Him, let His flesh be torn and His blood be shed so that He could bring us into eternity.

How much more do we now have to be thankful for?

©2009 Rebekah U.