Be Ready - Matthew 24:36-44

Welcome to Eat This Bread Drink This Cup

The communion meditation today is based on a passage of Scripture from the New Testament, Matthew 24:36-44. In this passage of Scripture, Jesus warns us not to be so consumed by the affairs of this life that we forget about being ready for His return. As we meet around this table, we remember His wounds; His blood that He shed for us; His love; His open arms; His resurrected life; His promise to return; His desire for us to be ready. All Scripture quotations are from the New International Version (NIV) 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 "Be Ready." I read from Matthew 24:36-44 (NIV). All Scripture quotations are from the New International Version and are used with permission.

36 "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. 42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."

In Revelation 22:12-13, Jesus says, "Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." There are many respects in which our Lord Jesus is the first and the last; it is wonderful to meditate upon them. One first is Jesus' birth; one last is His second coming. I find it interesting how Jesus described human activities at His coming: working in the field; grinding with a hand mill; looking after a house; eating and drinking; marrying and giving in marriage. All of these activities are part of daily living. Jesus' statement was not just a warning to sinners, but a reminder to everyone. These human activities will continue but what is most important today is for us to be ready for His coming. We are capable. We can take care of business and be ready at the same time! As certain as Jesus died on a cross and was resurrected to life by the Father, so is His second coming. Jesus is again at the ready waiting for the Lord's command to return. I have often thought of what I would like to be doing if I am alive when He returns. One of those daydreams is to be here with you, my brothers and sisters, partaking of the bread and drinking from the cup, remembering my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I would say to Him, "You know, I was just thinking about You, and here You are. Thank-you, Lord Jesus, for coming back for me." How wonderful it is that our lives are bundled together with Him and with each other, and we can meet around this table to remember our Lord Jesus! We remember His wounds; His blood that He shed for us; His love; His open arms; His resurrected life; His promise to return; His desire for us to 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 sending Jesus into the world to save us from our sins. Thank-you for His plain talk telling us to we need be ready for His return. As we assemble around the table today, may we again appreciate the seriousness of our sins and the price Your Son paid for our redemption. As Your disciples, give us strength to remain steadfast in our faith until He comes to take us home. 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 (NIV), “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward 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, 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!