Devotional: Daniel Montalvo

Scripture : And when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. – 1 Corinthians 11:24-26.

Remember and proclaim. The very essence of the song by Andrew Peterson stems from this verse. When Christ first did this, He was around a table and with those whom He had spent His earthly ministry with. They were together before the Lamb was going to be crucified. The Lamb that was going to be pierced for our transgressions, Isaiah 53:5; hung on a tree to be considered a curse, Deut. 21:22-23; laid in a borrowed tomb a guilty man, Isaiah 53:9. But praise be to the Father, that is NOT where the story of the Messiah ends! After three days, the Son of God walked out of the tomb, claiming victory over sin and death! He is ALIVE! His body was broken, and his blood was spilt for our sins. He took and drank the full cup of wrath for us! Therefore, He says that His body is the bread and His blood the wine. Broken and spilt for our behalf. This is what we proclaim.

​This proclamation is not just a story, but it is the Story of how God bought back His people by giving His Son for our behalf. The Passover was celebrated as the time when the angel of death passed over the Israelites during the 10 plagues of Egypt. The people of Israel covered their doorways with the blood of a lamb. For those who believe in Christ, the blood of the Lamb of God covers our sin. This is the good news that we proclaim. That Christ came to die on a tree and to be resurrected after the 3rd day. We proclaim this truth to our friends and family who have not trusted in Christ, so that they might believe this good news. We proclaim this truth to our brothers and sisters. We tell this to the brother and sister who have backslidden as a plea for them to walk with Christ again. We proclaim this to the brother and sister who the jaws of despair have clamped onto them, whether illness, isolation, depression, loss of a loved one, whatever it may be, we tell it to them to remember the goodness of the Father. We proclaim to our brothers and sisters who got the promotion, who are finally expecting their first child, who got accepted into their dream school, so they might go to the Father with thanksgiving and praise. We proclaim this to ourselves so we might look to the Father and remember where we were before He saved us. To remember, what He has done to show us His love.

​We do not just proclaim this glorious truth, but we remember. We remember this in many ways. As Christ commanded, we remember what happened to Him when we participate at the Lord’s Table. The bread being crushed between our teeth just as His body was crushed for our sin. We remember and proclaim this when we do this. We also remember and proclaim when we gather together as a church, as a family. Right now, in April 2020, we can’t gather and proclaim the goodness of the Father. This is painful. Our hearts longing to see our bothers and sisters, not just because we love one another because of Christ, but so that we can remember His promises and proclaim the Gospel as we gather. And this is what we do for Easter. We celebrate His resurrection and the victory He’s given to those who believe in Him. We remember and proclaim Him.

Reflection Questions:

Why is it important for us to remember the Gospel of Jesus?

Have you reached out to a brother or sister during this time to remind them of the Gospel?

Who have you proclaimed this glorious news to this week?

Have you trusted in the complete work of Christ for salvation? If not, why?

Beloved, do you make it a priority to gather among the family of Christ every Sunday?

How do you remember and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus to unbelievers, believers, and yourself?