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"In Remembrance of Me"
(4th in the series of expositions on Communion delivered on Aug 15, 1978)
The true meaning of Communion is a close walk with God. In 1 Cor 11:24-25 it reads: "This is my body. Do this in remembrance of me." Some people think that 'Do this in remembrance of me' is some sort of funeral meal: to have a meal to someone who died a long time ago. This kind of funeral meal is practiced throughout the time of the Greeks and the Romans, but not among the Jews. In the Bible, the Lord didn't mean to say this phrase with the purpose of having a funeral meal. The funeral meal is a Greek idea to remember someone, not related to Hebrew tradition nor the Bible.
The Passover meal is a remembrance meal in the sense not of the past event, but of the fact that God has brought salvation to the Israelites to which they are living in freedom from Egypt. This idea of remembrance of the deliverance is illustrated in Exo 12:14, 13:3-9. When we come to the Communion, we are remembering the salvation which Jesus has brought for us in the past, which we are enjoying now. Therefore, 'Do this in remembrance of me' is to remind us of the cost and the expression of love involved in Jesus by saving us from sin. In this aspect of the richness, it is to remember the cost that Christ paid and not to fall into sin again. So stand fast with the freedom in Christ.
The word 'to remember' is constantly used in the NT as well as in the OT, not referring to something in the past but always pointing to the reality - now. The same word is used in Heb 10:3: "but in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin year after year." It is a reminder in the present sense. The Lord Jesus said also that every time we gather at the table at Communion, we should remember that we also are sinners and are ever depending upon His mercy for our salvation. So look back and call upon the Lord's mercy and forgiveness, for we are still in the process of being delivered from sin, which is always present in us.
The word 'remembrance' also has the meaning of keeping something - the mind to do it. This is the more common use of the word in the NT, e.g. 2:10: "...remember the poor...". To remember them is to keep them in mind that we remember to help them, to do what we ought to do to them. 2 Tim 2:8 reads: "Remember Jesus Christ...". Paul was reminding Timothy in the sense of keeping Christ constantly in his mind, throughout the day. The mind easily wanders away and it is hard to keep conscious of the Lord in such a way that the consciousness of the Lord will motivate you throughout the day, so that you can remain as a good soldier of Christ. In Heb 13:7 it reads: "Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith." -- keep them in mind.
'Remember' is constantly used in the present not in the past. In Heb 13:3, it reads: "Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them; and those who are ill-treated, since you also are in the body." Keep them in mind so that you can intercede and pray for them. 'Remember in prayer' is in the present tense; e.g. in Phil 1:3, Rom 1:9, 2 Tim 1:3, etc. All these have to do with prayer. It has to do with our consciousness towards certain people and events.
To bring Christ in our mind is also the work of the Holy Spirit - "the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." (Jn 14:26).
In Acts 10:4: "...your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God." Again in Acts 10:31 it says: "Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God." Prayer and alms were given to those who were in need by Cornelius, and God remembered all his deeds. It is not that Cornelius himself or another person remembers but it is God. These are the two things which are memorials to God. Compared to Lev 24:7: "pure frankincense... go with the bread as a memorial portion to be offered by fire to the Lord." Frankincense is the same as incense which is the prayer of the saints (Rev 5:8). As we come and partake this bread at the Communion, we should offer ourselves in our prayer to God as a plea for His mercy. This is not the virtue of our merits, not His merits, but it is the 'remembrance of Him' that made everything available for us.
Every time when we take up the cup and the bread, we offer up the pure frankincense of our prayer. The sacrifices are eaten by the priest in the OT and we, who are the priests in the NT (1 Pet 2:9) offer the sacrifices to God and also partake of the bread. Every time when we partake the Communion, the body and the blood of Christ is our appeal to God for a clear conscience and forgiveness, not because of anything that we have done but of the remembrance of the things that He has done for us - His body and His blood. We should rather be like the thief dying on the cross, saying: "Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingly power (Gk. kingdom)". So, when we come to the Communion, we are really saying: 'Lord, remember me, not because of what I have done but that I remember what You, the Son of God, has done, Your body and blood. Make my offering as the plea before God, ever reminding God.'
A further expression of 'remembrance' is stated beautifully in Isa 62:6-7. Let us also put the Lord in remembrance and give Him no rest, until He establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth.
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Communion Series:
- Worship
- A Sharing in the Body of Christ
- God's Expression of Love to Us
- Pressing toward the Mark of the High Calling
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