Welcome to Eat This Bread Drink This Cup. The title of my meditation today is "Keep Watch! Be Ready!" I read from Matthew 24: 32-44 (NLT). All quotations are from the New Living Translation (NLT) and are used with permission.
32 “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation(j) will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.
36 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself.(k) Only the Father knows.
37 “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. 38 In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. 39 People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.
40 “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.
42 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. 43 Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. 44 You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.
This past Friday there was a Magnitude 5.7 earthquake near Pāhala, Hawaii. While I was composing this meditation on Saturday morning, there was another Magnitude 2.6 earthquake in the same area. I was unaware of both of them. While we may not have a fig tree to watch, we do have earthquakes. They are like seconds on the countdown clock until Jesus returns. In response to these events, Jesus says, "So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected." In this passage of Scripture, Jesus describes folks enjoying banquets and parties and weddings, working in the field, and grinding flour at the mill. All of these activities are legitimate; some are even honorable; however, they were no substitute to being a "faithful, sensible servant" of the Master. We are reminded of this when we read about those swept away by the flood in Noah's day, and the ones who will be left behind when the Son of Man returns. Just as Jesus is the One who will return, He is the One who first came. He came to deliver the good news of the gospel. He sacrificed Himself for our sins that He might deliver us from death. He did not come to condemn us; He came to save us! As we assemble this morning, we look back at what Jesus has done and look forward to what He will do in the future when He returns for us. He is our source of confidence on that day. Keep watch! Be ready! Let us pray.
Abba, Father. Today we bless and set aside this bread and the fruit of the vine in this cup to remember Your Son, Jesus. We know that the bread represents His body that was nailed to the cross, and the fruit of the vine represents His blood that He shed for us. As we pour out the wine from the cup, we are reminded of how Jesus poured out His own blood that our sins might be forgiven. Abba, Father, thank-you for showing us our future, and the challenges we will face. Even now, we see and hear about some of the things Jesus told us to expect, and we realize His return is closer now than it has ever been. Thank-you, Abba, Father, that Jesus is our confidence on that day. Give us strength each day to keep watch and be ready for His return. As we partake of the bread and drink from the cup, we remember Your Son, Jesus, and the suffering and death He experienced for us that He might be our Savior. Just as much as we look forward to His return, we are grateful for what He has done for us. In His name I pray. Amen.
Today, Jesus invites you to partake of His supper. I read from Matthew 26: 26-28 (NLT).
26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” Let us partake of the bread.
27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many." Let us partake of the cup.
And the assembly of believers said, "Amen!"
Until next time, from Numbers 6: 24-26, "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace."
Artist's Note: If you have questions about the Lord's Supper, I invite you to visit my website, https://eatthisbreaddrinkthiscup.com, for a brief overview. The Eat This Bread Drink This Cup podcast is listed in most podcast directories. The benefit of creating an account in one of the directory apps, like Apple Podcasts, Spotify or iHeart, is that you can add this podcast to your favorites and be notified of new posts. I do not receive compensation of any kind when you download and listen to my podcast. Please note there is a written transcript that accompanies each podcast, and you are free to use the transcript in accordance with US copyright law. My prayer is that you will benefit personally from this time with Jesus and encourage others to observe the Lord's Supper. In these trying times, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus!