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When Jesus instituted the Supper, He told His disciples to continue to do thisEas a memorial of Him. The thisEis not only the eating and drinking, but the whole ritual, which includes the moment when the bread is broken. In making this part of the rite, Jesus was linking the Supper with the sacrificial meals of the OT. The Supper is not a repetition of the sacrifice of Jesus; JesusEsacrifice was once for all. But the actions of the Supper are reminiscent of the sacrifices of the OT, when an animal was brokenEand killed and then its blood poured out.
One reason Jesus included this sequence of breaking and blood-pouring was to serve as a memorial of His death. But the pattern is actually more deeply rooted in biblical history than that. This is not only the sequence of sacrifice; it is the sequence of creation. In the creation account, Yahweh the Creator takes hold of the world and breaks it up in order to form it anew. He tears water from water, and places a firmament in between; he tears water from water and dry land appears; he tears Adam open in order to make a woman, who is Adams glory. God moves the creation along by tearing it up and putting the pieces back in a new configuration.
This is the sequence that weve been exploring in the sermon this morning. God leads us to maturity by setting us up as priests, and then tearing down that world so that we might become kings. He places us as a ruler over a family or business, and then tears down that world so that we can mature into prophets.
Each week in worship, we are reminded of Gods pattern of creation and recreation. And not only reminded. Each week in worship, as we do this,Ewe are being reincorporated into that pattern, reincorporated into the history of Gods creation and recreation. And as a result, the pattern of breaking bread and pouring wine becomes the pattern of our lives.
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Monday, April 19, 2004 at 11:31 AM
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