The Lord told his disciples to
remember his death by the partaking of bread and wine in remembrance
of him. Any aspect of this observance
which would turn a man's eyes towards anything but the remembrance
of his death is a product of the flesh and
not the spirit. In order to properly remember
his death, we must first consider the one who died. Jesus Christ
is the eternal Son of God, who thought it not robbery to be
equal with God, and is the fullness of the Godhead bodily. He took
upon himself a mortal body of flesh and blood, and was tempted
in all points like as we are, yet was perfect in his obedience
to his Father. and the holy law of God, being
without sin. In this sinless and incorruptible
state, he did become sin for his elect bride as her substitute,
imputing her sin to himself and his righteousness unto her. In order to remember his death,
we must secondly consider the death which he died. His death
was not imagined, incomplete, or somehow anything less than
the exact death which all flesh must experience. He underwent
excruciating pain in his mortal body, but more importantly, he
experienced his greatest suffering in his mind and soul as he wrestled
with the darkness and condemnation of the sin which was laid upon
him. In those three days and nights in which he resided in
the tomb, his body was absolutely dead. He was without mortal life
of any sort. Yet far more deadly than his
simple cessation of bodily functions, he was cut off from the very
presence of the Father, in whom was his delight, and did make
his soul an offering for sin. In order to properly remember
his death, we must consider, thirdly, the reason that he died. There are three reasons that
come to mind. The first is his purpose, the
second is his love, and the third is the awfulness of sin. God
does all things according to His purpose, and nothing occurs
in heaven or earth which does not exactly fulfill that purpose. God does not have contingency
plans which are dependent on what any part of His creation
does. Rather, He directs all things
to occur according to that ordained purpose. The death of Jesus Christ
was according to that same purpose as we read in the book of Acts.
Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God, ye have taken him by wicked hands, have crucified and slain. Jesus Christ did undertake the
redemption of his elect bride because he loved her with an
everlasting love. But God commendeth his love toward
us and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. In order to magnify both the
glory of His grace and the unwavering justice of His law, it pleased
God to put Christ to death on the account of that sin, which
belonged to His bride whom He loved with an everlasting love.
God will by no means clear the guilty, nor at all acquit the
wicked, and He has decreed that the soul that sinneth shall die.
Therefore, it is because of the sin of his elect that Jesus Christ
went to Calvary's cross and endured the shame which was rightly due
to each one of them. He would magnify his hatred of
sin and his immutable justice in the suffering of Christ on
the account of the sin of his people, that he might be just
and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. We remember
his death and weep that our sin caused his pain. We remember
his death and rejoice, because he has by it demonstrated his
love for his elect, believing remnant, and has removed all
condemnation from them. We remember his death with gladness,
since he has triumphed over death in his resurrection, which is
the harbinger of that resurrection which awaits all who sleep in
him. This resurrection is the very basis of our hope, and we
are encouraged as we consider the temporary nature of this
remembrance with bread and wine, for it is only until He comes.