Sermon - Maundy Thursday - The Words of Institution

“Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to His disciples saying: ‘Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.’

“In the same way also He took the cup after supper, gave thanks, and gave it to them saying: ‘Drink of it all of you; this cup is the New Testament in My blood, which is shed for you and for many, for the remission of sins. This do as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.'” 

Tonight we consider one of the most important, most blessed, most sacred gifts given to us by our Lord Jesus Christ.  The sacrament of Holy Communion.  This night, Thursday of Holy Week, marks the occasion on which Jesus ate the Last Supper with his disciples, a Passover meal.  And central to that meal was his institution of this holy sacrament. 

Let us consider, as a sermon text this evening, the very Words of Institution themselves. 

We learn first of all, that these are the words of Christ.  Many bibles highlight the words of Jesus in red, to give them special place.  While all of Holy Scripture is God’s word, we recognize the words of Jesus rise to another level of importance.  We even stand when we read the Gospel for each Sunday, out of respect for Christ and his words.

And if the words of Jesus are important, then all the more so these particular words of Jesus – the words of his last will and testament, as it were.  Not the technically last words he ever speaks, of course, but important because they are his last will and testament.  They are a solemn and sincere set of instructions given with special place and purpose.

He makes this speech at the high holiday of the Jewish festival year.  He makes it to his closest confidants, his inner circle.  And he says it in the last few moments of “normal” they would enjoy, before his passion begins, before everything goes south, before the betrayal, arrest, conviction, and crucifixion.

Now, in these last moments with Jesus, it’s, “pay attention fellas.  I’m setting these words before you – and I’m doing something new”.  He takes bread – one of the common elements of the meal.  In fact, a common element of any meal – the “staff of life” as it is sometimes called.  Probably something we would think of more like a cracker – an unleavened bread, in remembrance of the hasty Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.  There was no time to wait for the dough to rise.  They were leaving in a hurry.

Jesus, too, would soon be gone.  His exodus was also at hand, as he discussed with Moses and Elijah at Mt. Transfiguration.  He would depart from his disciples, depart from this life, depart from this world.  Of course he would rise again, but things would be quite different.  And eventually he would ascend into heaven – gone again, but still not really gone.  He is with us always, as he promises.

Nonetheless his physical body wouldn’t be seen.  It would appear that he would be gone.  And so perhaps it is in light of this that he gives the gift of his body in sacramental form.  Though he is gone from us in one way, he is now with us in another.  Though he seems afar off, in this meal, he is ever close at hand.  Truly present, for you.

He gave thanks.  Just as we give thanks for bread, and pray before our meals, Jesus recognizes the giver of all good things.  I’m sure it was his custom, too, as with the faithful of all times and places.

Thus, one of the names by which we call this meal, the Eucharist.  The meal of thanksgiving.  Our thanks hardly seems enough.  For here is far more than bread and wine.  Here Jesus gives us himself, for our forgiveness.  Here we receive the greatest gift, in a profound way.

This is my body.  Even the little word “is” has been the subject of debate.  Such a simple, profound statement of reality, and yet some doubt it, some twist it, some re-interpret it to mean “isn’t” instead of “is”.  They deny Jesus’ plain word that this bread is, in some way, shape, or form, his body.

What could be better than giving us his own body?  And if it’s anything less than that, then it’s certainly not as great a gift, is it?

The bread is broken.  Of course, the one loaf must be broken to provide a portion for many, in this case the 12.  But the body of Christ would also soon be broken on the cross.  Nonetheless, this is no mere symbol.  St. Paul teaches this bread we break is a participation in the body of Christ.  And Christ’s own plain words say, “this is.”

And it is given – for you.  There’s a lot in those little words, “for you”.  It’s given because you need it.  You, sinner, require saving, rescuing, redeeming, atonement.  You require a sacrifice.  And the body of Christ is given unto death, sacrificed on the altar of the cross, for this purpose.  To take your place under the awful load of sin.  To bear, in his body, the punishment we so richly deserve. 

And this bread, that is his body, is given for you – on your behalf, for your benefit.  It is not for the apostles alone, though, or only for the Jews.  It is for you – for all his people – all who call on his name and trust in his word.

And then he took the cup, and in the same way, gave it to them.  They recognized this same way – but a way that was different than all the other usual customs of the meal.  Jesus was doing something new.  He was establishing, instituting something for them.  A rite – words to say – and a ceremony – actions to perform.  But really, a sacrament, a holy thing, and more than that, a means of grace.  For with the giving of his blood he makes even clearer the purpose of this meal:  forgiveness.

Shed for you, and for many, for the remission (or forgiveness) of sins.  Shed for you, my dear 12, but for many – and really, for all.  Though not all benefit from this blood shed for sin – for not all believe – many would.  Though Jesus paid for all sins by his blood, some, through unbelief, reject such a gift.  So would go even Judas, one of the 12.  So it goes for many even today.

But for you and me and for all who trust Christ and his words, this blessed sacrament accomplishes just what it offers – the forgiveness of sins.  As Luther explained, the chief benefit of the Sacrament is the forgiveness of sins.  And where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.  That is to say, really, that where there is forgiveness, there we also find all other spiritual blessings in Christ.  Justification, redemption, rescue from death and the devil, holiness, strengthening of faith, and power to live the new life in Christ.

It is his blood, after all.  And blood means so much.  The life is in the blood.  When blood is shed – in violence – the effects of sin are so clear.  It all started when Cain shed Abel’s blood, and violence and bloodshed have hardly stopped since.  We, too, as sinners, have blood on our hands.  Bloodguilt.  We may not wield the sticks and stones, but the tongue and the heart are just as violent, just as guilty.

We need the cleansing blood of Christ.  And he sheds it for us, pours it out for us, not just at the cross.  He also puts it in the cup for us.  He doesn’t leave us to wonder if his death on the cross, on Calvary, long ago and far away, does it apply to me?  Was it for me? 

No.  He feeds you his body and blood, you personally, here and now. At the altar.  His forgiveness is not just somewhere out there, but it is located, “in, with, and under” as Luther would say, given with physical elements for us to touch and taste and eat and drink.

Finally, our Lord instructs us, “Do this in remembrance of me”.  Here, too, he speaks very intentionally.  Not lightly, as if to say, “remember me fondly.  I hope you think about me sometimes.  Don’t you forget about me, now.”

But the remembrance of him is deeper than that.  It draws us in to his promise, that we would ever hold on to and embrace his words.  It is a remembrance more of faith than of intellect, an ongoing exercise of clinging to his testament, and the gifts he provides in the meal, the gift of himself, and his forgiveness.

He says to us, “do this”.  And so we do.  It is a command, but also a gracious invitation.  It tells us what to do – but it is not our own doing, it is his.  He remains the host of the meal, he gives himself to us in the meal.  It is the Lord’s Supper, but it is his Supper for us.

Thanks be to God for this blessed Sacrament.  We receive it today in repentance and faith, in sober recognition of our sins, in joyful obedience to his words, and in the assurance that his promises are true, and they are for us.  For you.  Jesus - given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins.