Day 25. (1 Cor 11:23-26)

23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.


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The last words struck me:  "proclaim the Lord's death..." because I had just heard a talk by the late John Stott in which he touched on this.  Celebrating Easter - the time when Jesus was killed in an ignominious manner - as the most 'important event in the Christian calendar' (the 6pm news on Good Friday often puts it this way) seems bizarre.  It's unique to Christianity - our religious leader died (seemingly) in his prime, early on in his ministry, having written nothing down.  So much potential for greatness, apparently cut short.

Moses died at 120, Mohammed at 62, Confucius at 72 and Buddha at 80, surrounded by their disciples after 'successful' missions.  Jesus, in contrast died in his early 30's, "repudiated by his nation, deserted by his Father and forsaken by his disciples" (Stott).  Yet in John 12:27 Jesus says his death is the very reason he came into the world.  It was the culmination, not an end.  

The popular idea that all religions are pretty much the same is shown up as nonsense.  Christ stands alone; for many reasons such as those mentioned, but also because he will return.  We must "proclaim the Lord's death until he comes".  

Lord help us stand fast and proclaim as St. Paul has implored.  Amen.

(Lauren)