This Do In Remembrance of Me

In Luke 22:19&20 we read the very familiar passage, And he took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

And so we remember the Lord every Sunday morning in our worship around these elements. This morning, I would like to remember our Lord by way of Genesis 18. We know the chapter where the Lord (Jehovah) appeared to Abraham on His way to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. They had gone too far. Their sin was VERY grievous.

OUR nation has gone too far.

But Abraham asked God, “If there be 50 righteous within the city, will you destroy the righteous with the wicked?” God said He would not, if He found fifty righteous people. Abraham continued, “What about if 40? No... or 30? No... 20? No... 10? God would not have destroyed Sodom for the sake of even ONE righteous person. Guess what... there was one righteous person in Sodom... LOT! As 2 Peter 2 says,
God delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked, (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds).
So what did God do? He took Lot and his family out of Sodom and then utterly destroyed it. So too will the righteous be taken out of this nation, and then will come God’s wrath.

Now let us compare and meditate on what God did with Jesus.
For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, Isaiah 9:6.
A child was born... but the Son was given. Given meaning any and all of the following: to bestow, grant, ascribe (or impute), consecrate, dedicate, deliver up, to be given up, be provided. Surely, He was the most righteous man who ever lived. He was “given” to Israel in fulfillment of prophecies concerning the Messiah and King, but certainly given for the whole world, John 3:16.
He was rejected! Was there ever a more grievous sin?
"The weight and degree of God’s judgment is more significant on those who have heard the Truth and rejected it."

The account in Matt. 10 tells us,  Jesus sent the twelve out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, preaching “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. 14 And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!

Jesus gave them the very power He possessed including the power of preaching and sent them to Israel only. He said, “If they reject you, it will be worse for them in the day of judgement than it was for Sodom and Gomorrah. Israel not only rejected the Son of God, their Messiah, their King... but they crucified Him!



Given what God had done to Sodom and Gomorrah because their sin was so grievous, He might have (after resurrecting His Son) utterly destroyed Israel and maybe the whole world at that point. But He didn’t. He spared Israel (like Lot) and poured out His judgement and wrath on Jesus... like on Sodom.

I think of the flood when imagining God’s wrath on Jesus. The world thinks 40 days and 40 nights of rain caused the flood. No, that wasn’t it. The fountains of the deep were broken up and the windows of heaven were opened, Gen. 7:11. That kind of devastating wrath was poured out on Jesus instead of Israel... or us.

So as I remember Jesus, it cannot be only with nostalgic regret or sorrow or guilt. That would be selfish. I have to bring myself first to the level of humility (as a worm) and then, as He raises me up, worship Him, (i.e., revere, adore, esteem, love, and glorify) the selfless Savior, the Mighty God, the Prince of Peace, Who is my Life, Col. 3:4. the Lover of my soul saved by grace. No one else would die for my soul!

Rom. 5 says, But God commends His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Amen.