DAY 32 of #100daysofJesus - The Lord's Supper

 

DAY 32 of #100daysofJesus

I mentioned the Lord's Supper in my previous post and want to discuss it a bit more today.

Jesus knew that evening would be His last opportunity to dine together with His apostles before His crucifixion. Knowing He would not physically remain with them, He wanted to leave them with a practice that would continue to connect them to Him and strengthen them in the trials that lay ahead. He instituted the Lord's Supper (or Sacrament) and commanded the apostles to continue the practice.

Interestingly, Jesus instituted the same practice during his ministry among the Nephites following his resurrection, as recorded in the Book of Mormon. From a timeline perspective, this may have only been about a week later. He similarly commanded the Nephites, "this shall ye always observe to do."

The Sacrament is important for many reasons.

First, it helps us remember Jesus.

Paul taught the Corinthian saints about the Last Supper, explaining that Jesus said, "Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me...This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me."

Second, it helps us reflect on our own discipleship.

Paul continues to the Corinthians, "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup."

Third, it helps us recommit ourselves to Jesus.

Jesus taught the Nephites that partaking of the sacrament "doth witness unto the Father that ye are willing to do that which I have commanded you."

Fourth, it sanctifies us to be worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost, a member of the Godhead.

Jesus twice repeated to the Nephites that by remembering Him in partaking of the Sacrament, they should "have his Spirit to be with [them]."

I look forward to the Sacrament each Sunday. I enjoy this time of quiet reflection and recommitment. It is a weekly opportunity to renew the covenants that I have made with God and to receive a witness that my sins are forgiven. I've had many personal, sacred experiences with the Sacrament.

The Sacrament is full of symbolism, and perhaps I'll touch more on that in a future post, but I want to share my favorite. When we partake of the bread and water, it is ingested into our own bodies. Since these represent the body and blood of Christ, we are symbolically bringing Christ into ourselves each week as we partake.

What happens to the food and drink that we ingest? It literally becomes a part of us as it's broken down in our bodies and shared among our cells.

May we follow Jesus' admonition to partake of the Lord's Supper often, and as we do so, may we more fully let Jesus become a part of us and our lives.