Holy Thursday: The Covenant of Life
“And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”
~ Luke 22:17-20
Most Christians regularly participate in the Lord’s Table at their church every Sunday, taking part in the bread and the cup in remembrance of Jesus’ death on the cross. It was thousands of years ago tonight, when Jesus led his disciples in this action of remembrance. At this Last Supper, Jesus promised his disciples, and all of us, a new covenant: by the sacrificed body and blood of Him, God’s people will be freed from the chains of sin and granted eternal life. We can see here the perfect plan God had to rescue us through his firstborn and only Son, Jesus. God sent Jesus to suffer, knowing His Son must die on the cross and endure ridicule and pain, in order for us to be saved. Yet, Jesus took the cross for us.
Week after week, we go through the motions of breaking the bread and taking the cup, however it’s hard to truly grasp the magnitude of this action, of God’s love for us. May we go through this Holy Week remembering the grace, mercy, and love our God has given us and say a simple prayer of “Thank you, Jesus”.
Dorothy Zhang is a sophomore in Barnard College majoring in Computer Science.