With Profound Thankfulness

Taking the Lord’s Supper with Profound Thankfulness – 11:24

The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it.

Thankfulness is not an explicit command. All the accounts indicate a thanksgiving or blessing. Paul notes that. Perhaps you’ve heard the Lord’s Supper called “The Eucharist” and wondered why. Eucharist means “give thanks” and is the Greek word found here. Profound thankfulness in the Lord’s Supper is evident in the early church. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. Acts 2:46-47

I recently read a quote by George Carlin, Those who dance are considered insane by those who can’t hear the music. A casual observer at the Lord’s Supper should ask, what are these people so happy about? They can’t hear the spiritual music. Thankfulness and gladness shows that we hear it. We get it. We get that God treated Jesus on the Cross like he was us. Were it not for Christ, God’s wrath would crush us and do so for all eternity. Just think for a moment, what if? What if Jesus had not died? What if he was still dead? What if his death wasn’t efficacious for us? What if it simply wasn’t true?

We would be condemned by God for eternity. We would be in serious trouble. But discovering that the gospel is true and available to me would be the happiest day of my life. That’s what the Lord’s Supper refreshes in our hearts. In a way, every time I take the bread and the cup it’s like getting saved all over again. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying it is that. But like a wedding anniversary rekindles memories of the wedding day joy, the Lord’s Supper ought to rekindle salvation, joy, and gladness. In taking it, I am reaffirming again what I affirmed by faith in the first place – Christ is my Savior and Lord.[1] It is to sing inwardly, my hope is still built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. The Lord’s Supper needs to be reverent for sure but I wonder if we are missing an element of celebration? I think sometimes after partaking we should just burst out with applause or sing the most jamming song we know.

[1] Frank Viola, Reimagining the Church, p. 77.

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