“Remember Me”: The Profound Meaning Behind Christ’s Words at the Last Supper

In the final hours before His crucifixion, Jesus shared a meal with His disciples that would become known as the Last Supper.

During this moment, He uttered words that have echoed through centuries of Christian worship: “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).

So simple and so profound – and so severely misunderstood by the common religionist.

How easy it is to confuse what Christ is actually saying with what we want Him to say.

While these words might seem to call for a general remembrance of Christ, a closer examination reveals a much more specific and profound meaning.

The Context of Christ’s Command

To understand the full significance of Jesus’ words, we must consider their context:

1. The Passover Setting: The Last Supper took place during the Jewish Passover, a biblical feast commemorating God’s deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt.
   
2. The Impending Crucifixion: Jesus spoke these words on the eve of His death, fully aware of the sacrifice He was about to make. With that impending death in full view of our Savior, He spoke some of His last words.
   
3. The Symbols Used: Jesus chose bread and wine as tangible representations of His body and blood. Note that these were the only emblems used.

Why This Is Not About General Remembrance

While remembering Christ in all aspects of His life and ministry is important, the specific context of the Last Supper points to a more focused remembrance:

1. Explicit Connection to His Death: Jesus directly linked the bread and wine to His body and blood, saying, “This is my body given for you” and “This cup is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:19-20).
   
2. Paul’s Interpretation: In 1 Corinthians 11:26, Paul explains, “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” This clearly emphasizes the focus on Christ’s death.
   
3. The New Covenant: Jesus referred to the cup as “the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20), pointing to the sacrificial nature of His impending death.

These are the components of the Lord’s Supper that Christ wanted us to focus on. Notice how simple and concise these emblems and mediations are.

The Significance of Remembering Christ’s Death

Focusing on Christ’s death during the Lord’s Supper is crucial for several reasons:

1. Central to the Gospel: Christ’s death on the cross is the cornerstone of Christian faith. It is the means of our salvation (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Without the death of Christ, there is no Christianity.
   
2. Reminder of God’s Love: It serves as a reminder of the extent of God’s love for humanity (John 3:16). God loved the world so much that He was willing to save it even though this would require the death of Christ on the cross.
   
3. Call to Self-Examination: Remembering Christ’s sacrifice piques our mind and pushes us to examine our own lives and relationship with God (1 Corinthians 11:28).
   
4. Proclamation of Faith: Partaking in the Lord’s Supper is a public declaration of faith in Christ’s atoning work (1 Corinthians 11:26).

These are the components of faith that we focus on when remembering Christ.

Related Scriptures and Their Significance

To continue on this line, there are other scriptural references looking forward to the life and death of Christ. Even those passages stand to reflect the death of Christ – they focus on the savior.

1. Isaiah 53:5: “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
   
   This passage notes that Christ’s death was a sacrifice.
   
2. Hebrews 9:22: “In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
   
   This verse shows the necessity of Christ’s blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins.
   
3. Romans 5:8: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.“

Conclusion: A Focused Remembrance

When Jesus said, “Remember me” and “Do this in remembrance of me,” He was not calling for a general recollection of His life and teachings.

He didn’t want you to remember that He wore sandals, had to wash his feet or that He ate bread.

Instead, He was instituting a specific practice focused on His sacrificial death.

The Lord’s Supper exists as a somber and repeated (weekly) reminder of the price Christ paid for our redemption. That is what we are to remember.

If we want to honor Christs instructions regarding this event, we have to meditate on His death.