The Last Supper, Leonardo da Vinci

All four Gospels in the New Testament give us a portrait of The Last Supper. We all know that it doesn't match the above painting. da Vinci gave us one of the most beautiful of scenes, including Jesus, His twelve disciples, the bread and wine, but there's no way to show the tension - nor the fact that this was only the close of day. There was much more to happen that night.

This coming Sunday, Palm Sunday, our congregation will participate in a rembrance of this event. We will think of the Gospel messages, but the word's will come from a scene described by Paul:

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, 
That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 

And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, 

Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 

After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, 

This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 

For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 

But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 

For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. (1 Corinthians 11:23-29 KJV)

The carriage returns are mine - these verses aren't displayed in this manner - in order for you to give careful thought to why this event is remembered, even celebrated. Paul encompassed what took more to write in each of the Gospels. If you'd like to read each of them:

Matthew 26:26-29

Mark 14:17-25

Luke 22:14-23

John 13:1-2

Each one is a bit different. John is the most different. He does not write of the bread and wine. He includes the washing of feet, then follows with chapters of Jesus' words to the disciples. 

Were the story to end here, or at Jesus' burial, we would not be holding a remembrance of His explanation of this wine and bread. However, the following Sunday, there is a celebration of His resurrection, thus it is important that we remember who died, and why.

This remembrance is important to Jesus' followers. It speaks of the reason for His life. For one to take it "unworthily," be very cautious. My 1968 copy of the Amplified New Testament delves into what verses 28-29 mean:

"Let a man [thoroughly] examine himself, and [only] when he has done so shouild he eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discriminating and recognizing with due appreciation that [it is Christ's] body, eats and drinks a sentence - a verdict of juidgment - upon himself"

While I do not believe in transubstantiation, I do believe I should have cleared my mind, my spirit, and my soul of anything that separates me from closeness to God. I must not allow discord, dissatisfaction, dislike that has been with, in, or around me distract me from full participation in remembering that Jesus died painfully. Fully a man, feeling all that we would feel were we placed in the same position, and doing it of His own free will - for me. For you. For anyone who believes He lived knowing this was coming, and never created a different ending.

As much as I love John 3:16, I also love:

Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (1 John 3:16 KJV)

That's why I remember the Lord's Supper.