On Palm Sunday, the crowds welcomed him in adoration. Those in power watched nervously as they made their presence known. The religious leaders watched from the shadows and plotted in jealousy.
A week later the crowds were gone. Some had scattered to hide. The religious leaders had moved their pawns and pieces until they thought they had Jesus trapped. Checkmate. There would be no miraculous escape for him this time. Those in power had showed their hand. No other authority would be tolerated except for Caesar.
However, in a quiet upper room, Jesus took all of this in stride. None of this seemed to catch him by surprise. It was as if it were all a part of some bigger plan. He acts with a quiet confidence in the face of impossible odds. He sits down for a final Passover meal with his disciples. He says strange things, things they can’t quite comprehend. He acts as if his life isn’t about to be taken, but it is about to be given. He talks as if this isn’t the end, but only the beginning. They partake of the bread and the cup, but instead of looking back, they look ahead.
This is my body,
which is given for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.
This cup that is poured out for you
is the new covenant in my blood.
When we partake of communion, we welcome Jesus as king into our own hearts. We hail him as king of our lives. When we partake of the bread and the cup, we do exactly as Jesus instructed his disciples on the night of the Passover before his crucifixion. We break bread in remembrance of him. We drink from the cup because it was his blood that was poured out for the forgiveness of our sins.