Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.’”
NL Daily Devotion for Thursday, April 1, 2021
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
Main Idea: Jesus’ journey was rocky and rough. He prepared his disciples the best he could for what was coming next.
Jesus knows how to throw a party! Even before they entered Jerusalem, he had apparently made arrangements for their Passover feast. When the disciples entered the city to get ready for the celebration, they found the man who had already prepared a room with appropriate furnishings and the makings of a feast. The Passover celebration was already their most important ritual. Jesus was about to make it even more meaningful.
Jesus knew his presence in Jerusalem would stir the religious leaders to arrest, torture, and kill him. Here, among his closest friends, he turned a ritual of liberation from slavery into a ritual of liberation from anything that could separate people from God. They would not yet understand it, but this final meal and Jesus’ words would give them an entirely new reason to celebrate.
His words were a mystery, and still are today. “This is my body… This is my blood.” These words, now cited in Christianity’s rite of Holy Communion, signify the wholeness of Jesus’ sacrifice. Jesus gave everything—body, blood, and life itself—for humanity. His actions forged a new covenant between God and humanity—one that could never be broken by people or by God.
As with many great acts of sacrifice and service, this one came with betrayal and pain. Jesus could sense that his demise would come, not at the hands of strangers, but of one of his closest friends. Whether Judas betrayed Jesus as an act of faith or as an act of cowardice, we may never know. (This has been highly debated among theologians.) We do know that Judas’ betrayal of Jesus was an important catalyst in the events of the next three days. Rarely is a life journey smooth and straight. Most of the time it is rough, ugly, and dangerous. But Jesus was ready for whatever was coming next. He prepared his disciples the best he could, and then he stepped out in faith to serve God ultimately.
