Maundy Thursday

Text: Hebrews 10:22, Luke 22:19
Rev. Kenneth W. Wieting

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Do this in remembrance of me”. Jesus didn’t mean “don’t forget Me altogether when you do what I command.” Do this in remembrance of me. Nor did He merely mean, “contemplate what I once did for you in the past” – “retain the information in your mind of how I once shed my blood for you.”

The modern word “remember” has that primary meaning of mental effort to recall someone in the past who is absent at the moment. Understanding Jesus’ words in this way, however, would make Holy Communion a memorial service that was our work. It would then be viewed as a double work of man - doing something and remembering the right person while doing it. Millions in Protestant Christianity view the Lord’s Supper in this way – a symbolic action that is our doing – a deed we need to occasionally satisfy to fulfill a command of God.

But, Dear Christians, the Lord’s Supper is not something that we do! It is the Lord’s Supper for His Church, not the supper of Christians performed for the Lord. Luther taught repeatedly that remembrance does not consist of meditating on Jesus’ suffering with which some have sought to serve God as with a good work.

Do this in remembrance of me. Jesus did not mean put on a play recalling what happened in the Upper Room. Passion plays are major events and can be entertaining and emotional and educational. At this time of year Christian television broadcasts offer dramatic reenactments of the Last Supper. But none of that is what Jesus meant when He said Do this in remembrance of me.

In truth, He meant something that is quite well captured by the writer of Hebrews. As we heard, We have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus…through his flesh…“let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…” Dear Christians, there is great comfort and joy in understanding the fullness of what Jesus meant when He said, Do this in remembrance of me. The heart of what He meant is that at His Table we are to receive in faith His body given and His blood shed for us. At His Table we enter the holiest place, that is, the place where God is present on earth for us, to serve us with forgiveness, life and salvation.

Do this in remembrance of me – that is, do this believing that what you receive into your mouth is My holy body to eat and My holy blood to drink. Do this in remembrance of me – that is do this believing that I am here in the flesh to forgive your sins just as I have promised. Jeremiah spoke of My new covenant in this way, “For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more.” The New Testament in My blood is a Holy Mystery. Do this in remembrance of Me – that is, do it in faith for My words make this meal a miracle of love, heavenly food for you on earth.

And He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you.” Jesus used real bread – unleavened bread – the Matzah stipulated for use for Passover. Of the bread he said, This is my body. “Is” (estin in Greek) means is. There is no word present that could possibly be translated as symbolizes or represents. There is no indication that the words of Christ are picture language. This is my body, which is given for you. The giving of His body with the bread is just as real as the giving of His body into death on the cross. Do this in remembrance of me, that is do this believing what my words give to you.

And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “this cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” Jesus used real wine, not tomato juice or pomegranate juice or grape juice. Because water was somewhat scarce and often polluted in biblical times, wine was used much more extensively than it is today. It was used as medicine (II Sam 16;2; I Tim 5:23; Luke 10:34). It was present in joyful abundance at feasts such as Passover.

The rubrics (operational directions) at Passover called for four cups of wine. It appears to be the third cup of wine – the cup of blessing over which Jesus said, this cup…is the new covenant in my blood. The one who said at creation, “let there be light” and there was light, now says “this cup…is the new covenant in my blood.” The giving of His blood with the wine is just as real as the shedding of His blood on the cross. Do this in remembrance of me, that is do this believing what my words give to you here.

Only in this meal does Jesus identify the bread as His very body and the wine (the contents of the cup) as His very blood. Only this meal does Jesus direct His disciples to repeat. Only this meal is the climax of His earthly life and public ministry – it is His last will and testament – given in holy love for His Church only hours before his sacrificial death. Only this meal is a miracle greater than Jesus feeding 5000 from a few fish and loaves. Only this meal has connection to what He said after that miracle, “My flesh is food indeed” and “My blood is drink indeed” (John 6:35).

It is His body and His blood that your mouth receives in this gift tonight, whether you believe it or not. That is, the very same body of Jesus given on the cross, buried and raised the third day and the very same blood that poured from His pierced limbs and side on Good Friday is received by both the worthy and unworthy. Our faith does not make it happen. God’s Word makes it happen.

But it is our faith that receives the forgiveness of sins that is given with this heavenly food. And that, beloved, is what Jesus is holding before us when He says, Do this in remembrance of me. This is the Lord’s Supper for us. As Luther said, the Lord not only instituted it, but also prepares it and gives it himself, and is himself cook, butler, food and drink.

As Jesus and His disciples ate the Passover in the upper room, similar celebrations were being held all over Jerusalem. Normally only one division of priests was on duty but at Passover all 24 divisions were in attendance. Generally there was a 3-fold trumpet blast by the Levites. Some priests then sang the Hallel (Psalm 114-118) and others slaughtered the animals. Bucket after bucket after bucked of blood was poured out in the temple.

But on this day a new thing was taking place. On this day He who led Israel out of Egypt, He who instituted the first Passover, took over the Passover. No longer would the blood of thousands of Passover lambs point to God’s rescue and release because God’s rescue and release was here in the flesh. Now the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world was about to accomplish a once-for-all sacrifice for the sins of the world. Soon He would go out with His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane – also singing the Hallel. Soon Judas would betray Him with a kiss. Soon He would be flogged and driven through with spikes and lifted up to die. The blood that He shed on Calvary was not to be smeared on doorposts. Rather, concerning His blood given with wine in Holy Communion He now commands, “Drink of it all of you for the forgiveness of sins.”

That’s why Jesus comes into your midst this evening and each week in the Divine Service. He prepares a miracle in earthly time and space. As He comes He still says to us sinners, “do this in remembrance of me.” That is, do this believing that I am here in the flesh to forgive you exactly as I have promised. Do this in remembrance of me, that is, do this believing that my sacrificial death on the cross finished your redemption and that what you receive into your mouth is my holy body to eat and my holy blood to drink. Do this in remembrance of me, that is, do this knowing that I am here as your Bridegroom to unite myself with you in holy love preparing you for the eternal wedding feast in heaven. Or as the writer of Hebrews reveals, We have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus…through His flesh…”let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…” Amen.