God's Profound Love - Micah 2:2-5

Welcome to Eat This Bread Drink This Cup

The communion meditation today is based on a passage of Scripture from the Old Testament, Micah 2:2-5. In this passage of Scripture, the prophet Micah foretells the birth of King Jesus. Today is a special day as we celebrate His birth and His death on the cross at the same time. God's profound love for us is powerfully on display. All Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation (NLT) and are used with permission.

As you listen to the episode today, my hope is that you will be encouraged from the time spent meditating on what Jesus has done for you. You are a special person; the one Jesus died to save! 

Transcript

Welcome to Eat This Bread Drink This Cup. The title of my communion meditation today is "God's Profound Love." I read from Micah 2:2-5 (NLT). All Scripture quotations from the New Living Translation (NLT) and are used with permission.

2 But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,

      are only a small village among all the people of Judah.

Yet a ruler of Israel,

      whose origins are in the distant past,

      will come from you on my behalf.

3 The people of Israel will be abandoned to their enemies

      until the woman in labor gives birth.

Then at last his fellow countrymen

      will return from exile to their own land.

4 And he will stand to lead his flock with the LORD’s strength,

      in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.

Then his people will live there undisturbed,

      for he will be highly honored around the world.

      5 And he will be the source of peace.

Today, the last Sunday before Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus as the assembled church. To the hearers of the Micah the prophet in the 700's BC and his later readers, this promise of God was very good news. This fulfilled promise caught nearly all of Judah by surprise, and it was only the visit of the wise men that prompted its discovery. Jesus subsequently disappeared into the fabric of society until John the Baptist formally recognized Him as the Son of God at His baptism about 30 years later. This little boy in a manger was born to be a King and inherit the throne of King David. That throne had been vacant since King Zedekiah was deposed by King Nebuchadnezzar and the exile of the Jews to Babylon. Jesus would be a King like no other, a shepherd who leads His flock with the LORD's strength in the majesty of the name of the LORD His God. Today, He is indeed honored around the world and by God; He sits at His right hand. He brings peace to those who honor Him as their King. For all these blessings to come to pass, the King freely offered His life, His blood, that He might rescue His flock from Satan and the kingdom of this world. Around the world, it is a special day today because we honor both His birth and His death. We remember the story of Christmas side-by-side with the story of the cross, both stories a demonstration of the profound love of God for His children. As we give gifts to one another, we are reminded of God's gift of Jesus to the world. As we partake of the bread and drink the wine from the cup, we remember His sacrifice, His love, for us. 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, we thank-you for Your profound love for us. You sent Your Son into the world to save us. Today, we celebrate His birth and picture in our minds a sweet little boy lying in a manger surrounded by loving parents, Mary and Joseph. We know, Abba, Father, that saving us meant He had to die in our place. We picture in our minds Jesus hanging on a cross as His mother, Mary, tearfully looks at her suffering son, her heart pierced by events. What a day of contrasts for us! As we partake of the bread and drink from the cup, we certainly remember our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and His love for us. In the name of Jesus, 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, "May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his 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, and I invite you to add my podcast to your favorites and be notified of new posts. 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!