“For I received from the Lord the teaching that I passed on to you: that the Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took a piece of bread, gave thanks to God, broke it, and said, "This is my body, which is for you. Do this in memory of Me." (1Corinthians 11:23-24)
This was at what is now known as the Lord’s Last Supper. When Jesus took the bread and broke it saying, “This is my body, which is for you...,” He was telling the disciples, my body will be broken for you. It will be tortured, flogged and torn for you. The disciples never really understood. They always thought on an earthly level. When Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to them, they still were thinking on earthly terms and not spiritually. “When they therefore were come together, they asked of Him, saying, Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6)
After that last supper, the prayer at the garden of Gethsemane and after He got arrested, Jesus suffered physically, mentally and emotionally. Right away, He was abandoned by everyone. The trial was not until early morning. He was imprisoned all night long and was taunted by the soldiers. In the morning Jesus faced His accusers who brought in false witnesses. Then He was bounced from Herod to Pilate back and forth until Pilate was swayed by the mob which was incited by the priests. Pilate ordered Him to be crucified and scourged. The scourging whip the Romans used had iron balls tied a few inches from the end of each leather thong on the whip. Sometimes, sharp sheep bones would be tied near the ends. The metal weights served to cause serious bruising, or contusions, and the leather of the thongs cut into the skin. The sheep bones were also made to deepen the lacerations into the skin. After only a few lashes, the depths of the cuts would reach into muscle tissue. It is said that the wounds that Jesus suffered with the scourging were cuts to the bone. The loss of blood extreme. The soldiers were so worried they would not be able to carry out the crucifixion orders because Jesus was so badly wounded, they were afraid He would die carrying the cross, so they got Simon of Cyrene to help Him.
The pain and suffering of Jesus were extreme on every level, from His head caused by the crown of thorns to His feet, from His back to the front. Some believe He was turned over and scourged across the front. There is biblically no mention of this. We cry out in pain from a paper cut. Can we even imagine the kind of pain Jesus suffered?
At the cross, we can imagine the pain of the nails on His hands and feet. This only allowed for shallow breaths. And add to that the humiliation of being naked on the cross before everyone. We usually see the crucifixions with Jesus covered by a cloth, but in reality, He was stripped naked. Yes, His body was broken for us. Isaiah the prophet prophesies about Jesus. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5) Peter repeats the prophesy to indicate that Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled. “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1Peter 2:24) We are healed and we were healed. It’s a done deal.
We take the Lord’s supper in remembrance of Jesus like He requested. It’s not that odd that He would request that we do it so we will remember His suffering. Just think about the past week. How many times did you remember His suffering? We need constant reminders that our salvation came at a great cost and sacrifice. When we’re frustrated, impatient, angry or any other fleshly, selfish whine, if we remember the Passion of Jesus, our measly selfishness will quickly be doused with shame. It was this exact that was the reason for the suffering of Jesus. Our reaction should be worship. He is worthy. In Revelation there is a book on the Throne, and no one is worthy to open it except the Lamb. “I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One Who sits on the throne; it was covered with writing on both sides and was sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel, who announced in a loud voice, "Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?" But there was no one in heaven or on earth or in the world below who could open the scroll and look inside it. I cried bitterly because no one could be found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside it. Then one of the elders said to me, "Don't cry. Look! The Lion from Judah's tribe, the great descendant of David, has won the victory, and He can break the seven seals and open the scroll." Then I saw a Lamb standing in the center of the throne, surrounded by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb appeared to have been killed. It had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God that have been sent through the whole earth. The Lamb went and took the scroll from the right hand of the One Who sits on the throne. As He did so, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each had a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God's people. They sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to break open its seals. For You were killed, and by Your sacrificial death You bought for God people from every tribe, language, nation, and race. You have made them a kingdom of priests to serve our God, and they shall rule on earth." (Revelation 5:1-10)
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