For most Christians, communion is a familiar and comforting ritual. We share a cup and a loaf of bread and we wonder about how these common things can draw us closer to Christ.

Jesus’ disciples in the upper room had a completely different reaction. They couldn’t understand why Jesus kept saying He was going away – after all, He was the Messiah and He had just arrived in Jerusalem, so they all expected Him to seize power from the Romans at any moment. But as each day went by, they began to wonder if He would ever make a move. Maybe, in spite of all the miracles He had done, He really wasn’t the Son of David they’d been expecting after all.

And so when Jesus announced that one of them would betray Him, instead of pointing fingers, accusing each other, each one instead wondered aloud if he would be the one. Maybe, given their wavering faith, they all knew they were capable of abandoning Jesus. And in fact, later that night, all of them would run off and leave Him at the moment He allowed Himself to be arrested. They just couldn’t see how Jesus could be the Messiah and still surrender to the mob.

And Jesus knew they would all leave Him. He knew Judas would betray Him. He had known all that when He called them to be His disciples, just as He knew where they would meet a certain stranger in the city who would invite them to celebrate the Passover in his house. And yet He invited them to eat with Him. He gave them the bread and the cup, not because they were worthy, but because He loved them. And that very night He would give Himself up for those who abandoned Him, He would lay down His life for those who didn’t believe in Him.

That’s the true meaning of the bread and the cup – that Jesus Himself was the Passover lamb, sacrificed so that God would forgive sinners. Jesus shed the blood of the covenant precisely because everyone has broken the covenant God has made with us. Even though He knows everything we’ve ever done, Jesus took the penalty all our sins deserve. And He invites sinners like us to take Him into ourselves, to become one with Him so that we might share in His death to the power of sin and in His resurrection life, a life in which we are free to worship and serve the God Who gave up everything for us.

Today, let’s stick with Jesus, no matter what comes our way. Let’s trust Him enough to let Him life His life through us.

Matthew 26:17-29 (ESV)

17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?”
18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.'”
19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.
20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve.
21 And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”
22 And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?”
23 He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me.
24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”Jeuss
25 Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”
26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”
27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you,
28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”