Remember Jesus!

In their record of the Last Supper, Matthew and Mark seem to focus on the events of that meal.  Paul, in 1 Corinthians 11 and - likely from Paul, Luke in his Gospel - focus on the continuing relevance of these events for the church.  Only in Luke and Paul do we find the exhortation, “Do this in remembrance of me” with the bread and then also with the wine.  In this farewell, Jesus commands his disciples in every age to remember His works and His words, and gives them an ordinance by which to do this.  In the Lord’s final interaction with His disciples in Luke 24, He opens their eyes to see Him in the sacrament and opens their minds to hear Him in the Scriptures.  In these farewells, Jesus calls His disciples to remember Him in His works as presented in the sacrament and to remember Him in His words as presented in the Scriptures.  The point is this: remember the works and words of Jesus by devoting yourself to the Scriptures and the sacraments.

We can see two witnesses to the events of the Last Supper in Matthew and Mark, and two witnesses to the meaning of these events in Luke and Paul with John as a third witness to the meaning in chapters 14-16 of his Gospel.  When we briefly consider the farewells of others in the Scriptures, we find insights that enrich our understanding and appreciation of the Lord’s Supper.  We will see that these witnesses fall together in pairs as well.

Jacob’s farewell is found in Genesis 48 where he calls his sons to remember and believe his testimony to what the Lord has done with him, and with Abraham and Isaac before him.  That is, the Lord brought Jacob’s family out of a pagan stronghold and blessed them in the promised land even though they were merely sojourners.  He then called them to remember and hope in the Lord’s promise to bring them back to the promised land, this time to take possession of it.  In sum, Jacob calls his sons to remember the Lord, believing the testimony to His works and confidently trusting the promises of His words.  Joseph reiterated these things in chapter 50.  Note that Jacob and Joseph commanded their family to remember the Lord’s works and words.  Jesus commands us to remember His works and words.  Jesus is the Lord!

In his song in Deuteronomy 32, Moses reminded Israel of the Lord’s redemptive acts and warned them of their coming unfaithfulness and its consequences.  But he then also reminded them of the Lord’s faithfulness to restore them from discipline.  Moses exhorted them to trust God because of His mighty works, to expect God to be faithful to His promises to bless obedience and curse disobedience, and also to restore them from His discipline.  Joshua imitated Moses in these things in his farewell in Joshua 23 & 24.  Moses and Joshua said, remember the Lord.  Jesus said, remember Me.  Jesus is the Lord!

In 1 Samuel 12, Samuel gives his farewell address to Israel.  He declares his credibility in word and work as a prophet of God.  He then reminds Israel of God’s saving works for them through Jacob, Moses and Aaron, and the Judges.  He reminds them that God will continue to be faithful to His promise to bless obedience and discipline disobedience and, even then, not to abandon His disobedient people, all for the sake of His own Name.  David gave the same reminders to Solomon in 1 Kings 2.  Samuel and David said, remember the Lord.  Jesus says, remember Me.  Jesus is the Lord!

In Acts 20, Paul bids farewell to the Ephesian Elders.  Like Samuel, he declares the credibility of his life and ministry as an apostle.  He reminds them of His teaching and preaching which centered on the gracious work of God in Jesus Christ.  This ministry calls them to “repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ”.  He warns them of coming apostasy and commends them to the word of God by which they will be sustained.  In summary, Paul calls them to remember the Lord’s works to which he testified and to remember the Lord’s words that he taught them faithfully in an extended visit.  In his farewell to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4, Paul charges Timothy to preach the word faithfully and with perseverance.  He warns him of coming apostacy when God’s people will lose patience with sound teaching and earnest preaching, but assures Timothy of God’s faithfulness to sustain His people through such difficult times.

In 2 Peter (1:12-15; 3:1,2), Peter anticipates his imminent death and stirs up his readers by reminding them of the Lord’s works and words about which Peter spoke and wrote to them.  This was so that they would remember these things after he was gone.  He also warns about false words and evil works that will occur after his departure and assures them that the Lord will rescue the godly from these things.

In their farewells, both Paul and Peter called their readers to remember the Lord.  Jesus said, remember Me.  Jesus is the Lord!

My own departure is coming soon though I don’t know how soon and you may have to see my face again.  But let me also say to you that I am innocent of your blood and I cleaned up any offences that I am aware of.  I urge you to remember the Scriptures that I taught you and the Gospel that I preached to you.  I urge you to remember the Gospel I signified to you in the sacraments.  Remember my prayers for you and with you and my counsels to you.  Beware of the devil’s assaults that will continue to come in their seasons and trust God to sustain and deliver you through everything into His eternal peace.  I say to you, remember the Lord Jesus, His works and His words.  Jesus commands you to remember Him.  Jesus is the Lord!

In Hebrews 13:7, we are commanded to “Remember (our) leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God” and to “Consider the outcome of their way of life and (to) imitate their faith.”  But the simple and supreme thing we are to remember about our leaders is that they said – in word and deed and in sum and substance -  “Remember Jesus” even as Jesus said, “Remember Me”.  Jesus is the Lord!

And so we come full circle to the Lord’s farewell in the institution of the Lord’s Supper at the Last Supper.  There are a number of lessons we should take to heart, all rooted in His command to remember Him.

We are to remember His broken body.  It was in His body that He obeyed perfectly, securing eternal life.  His body was broken on the cross so that, by faith in Him, we would possess and enjoy His perfect righteousness and His eternal life.

We are to remember His shed blood.  It was by this that He secured for His people the forgiveness of sin and escape from eternal death and hell.  It is by this that the eternal covenant was secured between the sovereign God and His chosen people.  It is by this that His people are assured of blessings in obedience, fatherly discipline in disobedience and full and final deliverance in the end.  This covenant is new because the ceremonial law is fulfilled and ended.  This covenant is new also because the moral law is fulfilled and established even deeper into the thoughts of the mind and the intentions of the heart. 

Considering the Lord’s farewell in the context of other farewells, we can hear His declaration of innocence like Samuel and Paul that was articulated by Pilate, one of the criminals crucified with him, the centurion at the cross and even Judas.  We can also hear an echo - from Moses, Joshua, Paul and Peter - warning of assaults and apostacies to come with the assurance of the Lord’s abundant grace to save His people through them.  Jesus Himself warned of these things in His apocalyptic preaching as recorded in the Gospels and in The Revelation of John of course.

In every place and at every time but especially in the Lord’s Supper, remember Jesus.  Remember Jesus! Remember Jesus! Remember Jesus!

Kit Swartz Pastor-Teacher Emeritus The Reformed Presbyterian Church Oswego, NY