It is good to see you tonight
and it's a wonderful privilege that we have to be able to meet
together. Let's take our Bibles and turn
to Matthew chapter 26. Matthew 26. Let's begin reading in the 26th
verse of Matthew 26. For this is my blood of the New
Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit
of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my
Father's kingdom." And when they had sung a hymn, they went out
into the Mount of Olives. Our Father, how we thank You this evening
for this time to be able to meet together. And Lord, as we come this evening
to partake of the Lord's Supper, we ask You, bless this time to
our understanding and our heart and our comfort. And may it be
to your honor and glory. And we ask these things for Christ's
sake. Amen. The Lord's Supper is a feast
of remembrance. The Lord said in Luke 22, 19,
this do in remembrance of me. Now, if you're here tonight and you
can remember, if you have a heart, a new heart that remembers that
can recollect, that can be brought back to memory concerning Him. You are a blessed
person. There are untold millions that don't remember, have no heart of remembrance. spiritual recollection of the Lord Jesus Christ and
God's mercy to me, which by nature is not even possible
for me to do, is the foundation of my hope that I can remember
Him, know Him, Think of Him. In this passage that we just
read, I'd like to, for just a very few minutes, consider four things
that we remember about the Lord. Here's the first one. I'm going
to read verses 26 and 27 again. And as they were eating, Jesus
took bread and blessed it and break it and gave it to the disciples
and said, Take, eat. This is my body. And he took
the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying, Drink ye all
of it. Now here's the first thing that
I remember, and you that believe,
you do too. We remember that He was there. He was there. We remember His
presence. He sat in their presence. He
spoke in their presence. He gave thanks for the bread
in their presence. He was actually there. John said
in 1 John 1, verses 1 to 4, that which was from the beginning,
now let me tell you what I truly believe that means. It means
in the beginning of creation. How do you go back to the beginning
of eternity? There is no beginning. In the
beginning, when all things were made, and I'll make good, I pray
on this in our study in Proverbs, for this evening in the beginning. You know it had to be a beginning.
A beginning of what? A beginning when all these things
were created, when things were brought into being, when there
was not just the Lord Himself. That which was from the beginning,
which we've heard, which we've seen with our eyes, which we
have looked upon, our hands have handled of the Word of life.
For the life was manifested, and we have seen it. And bear
witness and show unto you that eternal life which was with the
Father and was manifested unto us. That which we have seen and
heard, declare we unto you, Ye also may have fellowship with
us. And truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His
Son, Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto
you, that your joy may be full." We remember that the Lord Himself
was manifested in the flesh. Now you think of The wonderful
glory of that because the scripture says we are partakers of flesh
and blood. He also himself likewise took
part of the same. Hebrews 2.16 says, For verily
he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him
the seed of Abraham. Not the seed of Adam. He didn't
say that. Abraham. He took on him the seed of the
promise to the promised ones. We remember that he was made
flesh. Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in
the flesh. Here's the second thing we remember.
We remember he who is the provision. We needed something. We need
something now. Look in verse 26 again. They
were eating. Jesus took bread and blessed
it and break it and gave it to the disciples and says, Take,
eat. This is my body. And He took the cup and gave
thanks and gave it to them saying, Drink ye all of it, for this
is My blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the
remission of sins." The provision is Himself. Flesh and blood send against
God. Romans 5, 19 says, For as by
one man's disobedience many were made sinners. Therefore, flesh and blood must
obey God for there to be reconciliation. Flesh and blood. So by the obedience of one shall
many be made righteous. Hebrews 10, 4 and 5 said, It
is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take
away sins. Therefore, when He cometh into
the world, He saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not,
but a body hast thou prepared Me." Consider His presence and consider
His provision. This is my body. This is my blood.
Symbols, you know that. It wasn't that that piece of
bread became His body symbol. Here's the third thing we remember.
Remember His willingness, His obedience. Verse 28 says, For this is my blood of the New
Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." The willingness of Christ to
die as the substitute, the willingness of Christ to die as the substitute
of His people set forth His obedience to the Father. He was obedient. John 10. John chapter 10. Now this is what the Lord said. John 10, 17 and 18. Therefore doth My Father love
Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from Me. But I lay it down of Myself.
I have power to lay it down. I have power to take it again.
This commandment have I received of My Father. The Lord Himself said in John
4.34, Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of
Him that sent Me and to finish His work. Remember, Remember His presence. The Word
made flesh. Remember the provision. This is my body. This is my blood. Remember the willingness. I lay
down my life for the sheep. Whenever Samuel was speaking
to Saul concerning obedience, 1 Samuel 15, 22. And Samuel said,
Have the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as in obeying the voice of the Lord. Behold, to obey is better
than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion
is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity
and idolatry. Obedience. God's people remember
Him who is the obedient servant. And then fourthly, lastly, we remember His promise. Verse 29. Matthew 26, But I say unto you,
I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine until
that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom."
Now listen, there's many questions I know that may arise about the
exactness and the fullness and the completeness of that verse
of Scripture. But there's one thing that is
sure. He promised something. in that
verse of Scripture, and it was this, that His people is going
to be with Him in glory. John 17, 24 says, Father, I will
that they also whom Thou hast given Me be with Me where I am,
that they may behold My glory which Thou hast given Me, for
Thou lovest Me before the foundation of the world. Time wouldn't allow us, I know,
to consider all of the passages of Scripture that speaks of the
surety of our eternal presence with Him. But that fact that
we'll be with Him settles the heart of God's people. In Hebrews 2.13, the Lord speaking. The Lord Jesus speaking to the
Father. That's what these words mean right here. And again, I
will put my trust in Him. That's the Lord Jesus speaking
to the Father. And again, behold, I and the
children which God hath given me. The promise that where He
is, there we may be also. I found an article and I want
to read it to you. It says, The river of death has
been a terror to many. Yea, the thoughts of it have
frightened me, but now in Christ I stand easy. I am going to see
that head which was crowned with thorns and that face which was
spit upon for me. I go where I shall live by sight
and be with Him whose company is my delight. I have loved to
hear my Lord spoken of. Now I am going to see Him. I have seen the print of His
shoe upon the earth. Now I am going to sit at His
feet. I have read His Word. Now I am going to hear His voice. I have beheld His world, beautiful
though with sin. Now I am going to dwell in His
heaven where sin can never enter." John Bunyan. God's people. think upon with anticipation. There is a cause of our nature,
a cause we were created to live forever. There is a part of us
that thinks about and is fearful when
it comes to that thought of dying. But we know this, there is sitting
upon the throne of God one who partook of flesh and blood. And upon the throne of God there
is Him in whose breast beats the heart. of flesh and blood, the man,
Christ Jesus, God Almighty in flesh and blood. And we will see Him. Bunyan said,
I have seen His footprint and I will sit at His feet. Now that
thought settles the heart of God's people. Tonight we've come
to remember Him, to remember His presence and His provision
and His willingness to lay down His life for us and His promise. He said, I'm not going to leave
you. I'm not going to forsake you. Tonight as we remember Him,
may the Lord be pleased to grant that Spirit of settled remembrance
and thankfulness for Christ's sake. Amen.