When Hugh Latimer was preaching one day in the presence of King Henry VIII, he reports that he said to himself, “Latimer! Latimer! Remember that the king is here; be careful what you say.” Then he said to himself, “Latimer! Latimer! Remember that the King of kings is here; be careful what you do not say.” Hugh Latimer remembered crucial truths about God’s presence, God’s holiness, and God’s love that encouraged an unflinching faithfulness to God. These truths sharpened his view and led him to fear failing God more than he feared offending men. (Source: Unknown)
What do you remember about your Lord? It is crucial for the believer not to lose sight of God’s gift of salvation.
Background:
Each of the gospels record the last supper. Matthew 26:24-25, Mark 14:18-21, Luke 22:21-23 and John 13:21-30. The gospel of John takes a different direction than the rest of the gospels. In the gospel of John, chapter 13, Jesus washes the apostles’ feet and gives the command to love one another. He then follows in chapters 14-16 with comforting them and speaking of the coming of the Holy Spirit. In John 17 the Lord prays…this is called by some His Farewell Prayer or His Highly Priestly Prayer.
The last supper took place at the end of the week after Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. At that time, Jesus shared a meal with the apostles shortly before he would be arrested. It was during this meal that Jesus declares one of them will betray him (and then Judas is identified) and he also gives Peter a crushing blow of truth – Peter would deny even knowing Jesus before the next morning.
It is with all this context that the Lord makes this statement: “This do in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19-22) What ought we to remember?
Remember what Jesus did
Eph. 1:7. In past super bowls, there are some plays that stand out to some people. In fact, they will never forget them. They will talk about them with other football enthusiasts and often bring them up in casual conversation. Plays like the Giants vs. Patriots in the super bowl…the Giants were down…the end of the game was in sight…and Eli Manning throws a prayer for 32 yards to a no name wide receiver and he catches the ball by pressing it against the back of his helmet while fighting off a defender and falling backwards through the air. The Giants went from 4th and 20 to 1st and 10, only to score the game changing touchdown in the next few plays.
What did the Lord do for you? He shed His blood for for…every human being! Why is this significant?
…because judgment must be given for sin. Hebrews 9:22, “without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins.”
…because every one of us deserves that judgment because we are all sinners! Eccl. 7:20, “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.”
…because I am accountable for MY sin. I cannot rest on my parents, or children, or church to save me! I cannot blame another for my choices…and I will not be able to talk my way out of blame I deserve. Ez. 18:20, “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.”
…because all of us are in the same situation! You or I may not have committed murder, but we have sinned. Our sin does not look like someone else’s sin…but it is still sin. It is my sin that puts me in the same category as the entire human race: “sinner.” Rms. 5:12, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”
…because we are all under the death penalty! Lev. 17:11, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” Rms. 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death….” Rev. 21:8, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Our sin – MY SIN – puts me in a horrifying position. I am guilty and deserving of judgment. We are all under the death penalty! There is no escape of judgment without the shedding of blood...the rendering up of a life to God instead of our own is the only escape from eternal judgment!
…because Jesus, the Son of God, shed His blood for me in my desperate condition…He died for me! Matt. 20:28, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
King of my life, I crown Thee now,
Thine shall the glory be;
Lest I forget Thy thorn-crowned brow,
Lead me to Calvary.
Lest I forget Gethsemane,
Lest I forget Thine agony;
Lest I forget Thy love for me,
Lead me to Calvary.
May we remember what the Lord did with even more clarity, humility, and excitement. May we not lose the life-changing impact of His action for us!