Receive Jesus

• Third Sunday after Pentecost

Matthew 26:17-30 and Isaiah 61

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• Last week: discipleship is heartfelt action to benefit those with less power.
Before that: perseverance, even if the mountains should fall and the hills turn to dust. God demonstrates his love in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Not even the sinful torturous murder of his son will block God.
Somehow the Last Supper is connected,
somehow Passover is connected,
and somehow forgiveness of sins happens.

Indeed, even from before Jesus was born,
forgiveness was the goal.
Matthew 1:21: You will name him Jesus
because he will save people from their sins.
The name Jesus means “God saves”.

• Two images to focus on for Last Supper.
What happens in the eucharist,
both then and now, is not reducible to words.

• Take and eat, this is my body. This is the body of me.
In Aramaic there’s no word for “body.” … You may hear Jesus saying this is my being, my identity, my self, this is who I am. Consume the essence of me.

Like the Psalms that speak of God’s word being sweeter than honey, take the Living Word in.

Like Jesus in the gospel of John 4:34, my food is to do the will of the one who sent me. Action. Let me live in you.

• This is my blood of the covenant poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Recalls blood covenants from the OT, Abraham and Moses.
God blessed Abraham with promise of land and people and blessing,
and sacredly swore by his own self that it would come to pass. Covenant.

Covenant of Moses, life is in the blood, blood covered the debt of sin, instituted temporarily in Exodus, until such time as God would take debt on himself, and the covenant bond between God and people would be sealed. As earlier, not even sinful torturous murder of his son will block God. Instead, God goes to all lengths to draw us back to him.

• That’s how Jesus lived. How we are to live.
To receive communion is to participate in the saving work of God,
to say Yes I receive the gift of God’s blessing
and Yes I do and will live the gift.
Thank you, God. I am yours.

• Hymn 618 Let Us Break Bread Together

Matthew 26:17-30        (Common English Bible)

17 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover meal?”

18 He replied, “Go into the city, to a certain man, and say, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near. I’m going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.” ’” 19 The disciples did just as Jesus instructed them. They prepared the Passover.

20 That evening he took his place at the table with the twelve disciples. 21 As they were eating he said, “I assure you that one of you will betray me.” 22 Deeply saddened, each one said to him, “I’m not the one, am I, Lord?”

23 He replied, “The one who will betray me is the one who dips his hand with me into this bowl. 24 The Son of Man goes to his death just as it is written about him. But how terrible it is for that person who betrays the Son of Man! It would have been better for him if he had never been born.”

25 Now Judas, who would betray him, replied, “I’m not the one, am I, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “You have said it.”

26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take and eat. This is my body.” 27 He took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from this, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many so that their sins may be forgiven. 29 I tell you, I won’t drink the fruit of the vine again until that day when I drink it in a new way with you in my Father’s kingdom.” 30 Then, after singing songs of praise, they went to the Mount of Olives.  X

Isaiah 61        (Common English Bible)

61 The Lord God’s spirit is upon me,
    because the Lord has anointed me.
He has sent me
    to bring good news to the poor,
    to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim release for captives,
        and liberation for prisoners,
2     to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
        and a day of vindication for our God,
    to comfort all who mourn,
3     to provide for Zion’s mourners,
    to give them a crown in place of ashes,
    oil of joy in place of mourning,
    a mantle of praise in place of discouragement.
They will be called Oaks of Righteousness,
    planted by the Lord to glorify himself.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins;
    they will restore formerly deserted places;
    they will renew ruined cities,
    places deserted in generations past.

5 Foreigners will stay and shepherd your sheep,
    and strangers will be your farmers and vinedressers.
6 You will be called The Priests of the Lord;
    Ministers of Our God, they will say about you.
You will feed on the wealth of nations,
    and fatten yourself on their riches.
7 Instead of shame, their portion will be double;
    instead of disgrace, they will rejoice over their share.
They will possess a double portion in their land;
    everlasting joy will be theirs.
8 I, the Lord, love justice;
    I hate robbery and dishonesty.
I will faithfully give them their wage,
    and make with them an enduring covenant.
9 Their offspring will be known among the nations,
    and their descendants among the peoples.
All who see them will recognize
    that they are a people blessed by the Lord.

10 I surely rejoice in the Lord;
    my heart is joyful because of my God,
    because he has clothed me with clothes of victory,
    wrapped me in a robe of righteousness
    like a bridegroom in a priestly crown,
    and like a bride adorned in jewelry.
11 As the earth puts out its growth,
    and as a garden grows its seeds,
    so the Lord God will grow righteousness and praise before all the nations.   X