And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. - Luke 22:19, 20
I get so excited when I see the "green screen". What can I say? I love trailers! All that hope and promise of what's to come at no expense to me....which is key because 9 times out of 10 the actual film disappoints. Thus a responsible movie lover's first job is to be an educated trailer junkie. After all what is the use of seeing a bad movie? These days with time and money at a premium who wants to waste both watching a movie that doesn't entertain or edify (hopefully both)?
So once a week I visit a trailer site online and watch trailers for upcoming films. Once in a blue moon I see a movie that looks so special that it seems sure to leave me more compassionate, empathetic and grateful. These are the films I anticipate seeing. The trailer has sparked my interest and my anticipation.
During this Holy Week I've been considering the way Jesus literally gave His disciples a preview of what was to come during The Last Supper.
Jesus showed His disciples the greatest trailer ever in an upper room only hours before he was handed over to the Roman authorities and ultimately, crucified. During His last passover dinner, after washing His disciples feet, He likened the wine to His blood and the bread to His body and in effect once again offered the disciples the chance to eat his flesh and drink his blood.
He'd talked like this some time earlier and in doing so lost some of His following. In one of His biggest public appearances, just after feeding 5000, Christ drove many of His Jewish disciples (with their insanely strict cleanliness laws) away from Him after saying....
“I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever.” - John 6:53-58
But the true meal was yet to be prepared. It was not until Good Friday that the bread was broken and the wine was poured out.
Only The Gospel of John mentions that one disciple, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was near enough to see Christ's crucifixion.
In one of the most striking portions in Mel Gibson's The Passion of The Christ one of Christ's disciples "puts 2 and 2 together" so to speak and understands the connection between the preview and the real thing.
In one of only a couple of transitions from the nearly completely linear telling of The Passion, Gibson interposes scenes from The Last Supper and the disciple watching Christ literally "broken and poured out" on the cross of Calvary.
In the film there was this beautiful "Ah ha" look on the disciple's face indicating that he understood that Jesus' words and actions had reached a painfully perfect culmination on Golgotha. When all the others had left Him in His darkest hours, He was still "about His Father's business" preparing the meal that Christians forever and always will feast on.
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ - Romans 5:1
As we feed on His truth, love and atoning work His presence envelopes our selfish wills and we become full of Him. But like my one-year-old, Blythe, we have to learn how to eat what has been provided. When Blythe spits out her food we have to help her to try to eat again. In a like manner our Lord is patient with us and steadfastly pursues our hearts that we might with increasing clarity bare resemblance to His Son and consequently, bring glory to Him. The bread of life (John 6:35) is Christ and His offer stands. There is always room at His table.
The heart of sanctification is the life which feeds on justification.
- G. C. Berkouwer
Paul called Jesus the first born among many brethren (Rom. 8:29). In a sense His entire life was a trailer for the life that He would live out in the years to come in every heart submitted to Him. As we celebrate the resurrection this Sunday I pray that we'll continue to walk in the newness of life that only His Spirit alone brings about within us!
He Has Risen Indeed!
Blessings,
Matt
* Tyler Men's Gathering - 7am Wednesday AM The Obedience Option - Chapters 10-12
2 American Center, 5th Floor (Ritcheson Law Firm)
NEXT MONDAY - New Men's Lunch @ Dakota's in Tyler, TX - Mondays @ 12pm - Keller's Kings Cross is the first book!!!! Make plans to be there! Chapter 2 next monday!
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