OH, VICTORY IN JESUS,-MY SAVIOUR FOREVER
HE SOUGHT ME -AND HE BOUGHT ME WITH HIS REDEEMING BLOOD HE LOVED ME-ERE I KNEW HIM AND ALL MY LOVE-IS DUE HIM HE PLUNGED ME TO VICTORY BENEATH THE-CLEANSING BLOOD That time honored chorus speaks volumes. Notice it does not say victory FOR Jesus; rather victory IN Jesus. It was not Jesus who needed a victory. It was not Jesus who had a sin problem. It was not Jesus who was powerless against death. It was not Jesus who was helplessly separated from God…..but God loved the world so much He gave His only begotten Son to accomplish what we could not; conquer sin and death; restoring man’s relationship with God. We can be victorious in Jesus because the Victory was for us; a profound expression of a God’s undying love for His children. When we come together for holy communion; we reflect on Christ’s life and what it means to us as individuals and what it means to us as a body. Today we celebrate His glorious resurrection; evidence that He was all that he said He was. That he is able to save. That he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. That he is Love. That He is the Word. That he is the Light. That he is the Good Shepherd,...Our King, Our Priest, Our God, and Our Salvation! With communion we recognize that Victory was not free; it came at a price. Jesus willingly suffered unspeakable humiliation and pain on the Cross. It cost a body broken and innocent blood to be poured out for the redemption of sins. We remember His broken body with the bread. We remember the His Blood poured out for us with the cup. By doing this we proclaim his death and claim Victory In Jesus. At the end of today’s service; Pastor Gears will deliver an invitation to all here today. This invitation is over 2000 years old and issued directly from Jesus Himself. Jesus said “Believe in me, Jesus Said “Follow me”, Jesus said “ Remain in Me.” to some he might be saying “Return to Me” This is how we can all claim Victory in Jesus. Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for Your Victorious Son who suffered, died on the cross and rose three days later. Amen
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This week we recognize the events leading up to our Lord’s death and resurrection.There are many man-made traditions in today’s Christian Church; but communion is not one of them. This holy institution was initiated by Jesus himself during the Passover, Seder meal; just hours before his crucifixion. This was a God ordained ceremonial meal comprised of symbolic food used to commemorate the deliverance of God’s people from Egypt. Using these symbolic foods; Jesus revealed that God would once again deliver his people; but instead of from physical bondage and slavery it would be from spiritual bondage and the slavery of sin.
In a Seder, a cloth bag with separate compartments holds three sheets of matzoh, or unleavened bread. The middle matzoh is removed and split. One half is broken and distributed; the other is wrapped in a napkin, hidden, and bought back after it is found. Breaking the bread, Jesus said, “Take, eat; this is My body”. In Scripture, leaven symbolizes sin, so bread without yeast represents a holy God. In the divided bag, matzohs are unified yet distinct—a picture of the Trinity. The middle bread signifies the Son, who left His Father’s side to dwell among us and was broken for mankind, wrapped in a burial cloth, hidden in a tomb, and resurrected. Wine, the other symbol Jesus highlighted, is poured four times at a Seder. It is believed that it is the the third cup—known as the cup of redemption that He called “My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins” These emblems have existed within the Seder meal for hundreds of years just waiting for Christ to reveal them to his followers. Once revealed; he instructed us to continue to share in these emblems in remembrance of Him and we call this communion; we call this the Lord’s Supper. So, today as we approach the Lord’s table entering into this most holy of weeks; let us reflect on his perfect, sinless body that he allowed to be broken for us and His redeeming blood that he willfully poured out for our salvation. |