When the Hour had Come

"When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, 'With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God'" (Luke 22:14-16).

"The hour had come" (v. 14a). It was time for Jesus to fulfill the purpose for which He had been born. It was time for Jesus to suffer and die for our forgiveness. The time of the cross had arrived.

As they ate the Passover meal together, at the appropriate time, Jesus "took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me'" (v. 19). "Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you'" (v. 20).

With those words, Jesus instituted for us the celebration of the Lord's Supper, often referred to as Communion. It is a service of remembrance—remembering what Jesus did for us that very next day. Every time we partake of the bread together we remember Christ's body that was given, or sacrificed for us. We remember how His body was broken for us on the cross.

Every time we partake of the cup, the fruit of the vine, we remember Christ's blood that was shed on the cross for our forgiveness. Only through the shed blood of Christ is there remission of sin. As the writer of Hebrews said, "And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

Christ's blood shed on the cross is the only way. If Jesus had not shed His blood and died on the cross, there would be no forgiveness and we would still be lost in sin. Not only that, but without Jesus' death on the cross, there would be no resurrection the first day of the week and there would be no salvation; there would be no eternal life in heaven.

That is the importance of the Lord's Supper (Communion). Every time we partake of it, we are reminded of what Jesus did for us. So, remember and be thankful. Amen.