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REMEMBER THE GOSPEL: Reflections on the Lord’s Supper from 1 Corinthians 11:23-26

I just finished listening to Leighann Marquiss share her family’s story (God’s story) of their son, Ryan.  What a great God we serve!  Leighann said, “…During this time, I realized that God doesn’t only love me to get me to heaven – God loves me today, where I am. ”  This reminded me again of the power of the Gospel to impact us in our everyday life, no matter the situation.

Two times in 1 Cor. 11:23-26, Jesus tells his disciples, “Do this in remembrance of me.” What, specifically, does Jesus want us to remember in the partaking of communion?  For many years, I thought He wanted me to reflect on and remember His suffering and death.  While true, this is not the complete answer.  Jesus didn’t just say “this is my body” but “this is my body which is for you; do this in remembrance of me”.  Jesus is not just saying “remember my death,” but “remember my death, which is for you.”   In short, He is saying remember the Gospel.  Likewise, in reference to His shed blood,  He didn’t tell us to just remember His shed blood, but to remember His shed blood and what it accomplished, the New Covenant.  In short, He is saying remember what I have done for you – remember the Gospel.

We could spend an eternity reflecting on the depths of the Gospel and I trust we will, but for the sake of my fingers (and the fact that dinner is just about ready), let me highlight a few truths of the Gospel.  We who have placed our trust in Christ, are:

• Loved by God (always)
• Forgiven (always)
• Righteous in His sight (always)
• Cared for by Him (always)
• The apple of His eye (always)
• Never abandoned by Him (never)
• Never away from His presence (never)
• His children (always)
• Brothers/sisters of the Lord (always)
• Indwelt/empowered by the Spirit of God (always)

This is good news.  Scratch that – this is great news. Often times, we (myself included) fall woefully short in seeing and believing the Gospel for our daily lives.  The result is that we do not experience the power of the Gospel on a daily basis. Yes, we see the relevance of Christ’s death on the cross for our salvation and our future departure from this world, but what about the time in between?  Twice in four verses, the Lord tells his disciples, remember the Gospel, remember what I have done for you.  Just as the Gospel impacted Leighann where she “was”, the power of the Gospel can and will impact us where “we are” right now.

Remember and believe the Gospel.