Why Did Jesus Give Thanks?

 (A Communion Table Talk)

There is a small detail in the story of the Last Supper that we might easily read past without giving it much thought. It is a detail that seems ordinary enough, but when we stop to consider it, we discover something remarkable about Jesus.

Matthew 26:26–27 tells us that Jesus took the bread, gave thanks, and broke it. Then He took the cup and gave thanks before giving it to His disciples.

Jesus gave thanks.

Now, that probably doesn't sound unusual to us. We give thanks when we eat. We bow our heads and thank God for His blessings. It is something Christians have done for generations. But think about the circumstances surrounding that meal.

Jesus knew what was coming. He knew Judas was going to betray Him. He knew Peter would deny knowing Him. He knew His other disciples would scatter. He knew that within hours He would be arrested, mocked, beaten, and led away to die on a cross. And knowing all of that . . . Jesus gave thanks.

I wonder how many of us would find it easy to give thanks if we knew what the next twenty-four hours would bring. If we knew that tomorrow would bring betrayal, humiliation, suffering, and death, would thanksgiving come naturally to us? 

Probably not . . . Most of us find it easier to give thanks when things are going well. We are thankful when our families are healthy, our bills are paid, our problems are manageable, and life seems to be moving in the right direction. But when trouble comes, our prayers can quickly change from thanksgiving to questions.

Why is this happening? How am I going to get through this? Where is God in all of this?

Those are honest questions, and Scripture does not tell us to pretend that suffering doesn't hurt. 

Even Jesus, in the garden of Gethsemane, prayed that the cup might pass from Him.

But Jesus also trusted His Father. He was willing to submit to the Father's will, even when that meant enduring the cross.

And perhaps that is the first thing we can learn from His thanksgiving that night.

Jesus did not have to see pleasant circumstances to trust in the goodness of His Father. His gratitude was not based on the absence of suffering. It was rooted in His relationship with God and His confidence in the Father's purpose.

There is a difference between thanking God because everything is going the way we want and thanking God because we know He is faithful, even when we don't understand everything that is happening.

That brings us to the table before us.

When we look at this bread and this cup, we are reminded of the suffering Jesus was about to endure. The bread reminds us of His body, given for us. The cup reminds us of His blood, poured out for the forgiveness of sins.

But we should also remember that Jesus knew His sacrifice had a purpose.

He was not walking toward the cross without knowing why He was going there. He had come to do the Father's will. Through His death, God would provide the way for sinners to be reconciled to Him.

Jesus knew the suffering was real, but He also knew that suffering would not have the final word.

The cross would be followed by the resurrection.

And because Jesus lives, we have hope that reaches beyond our present circumstances and even beyond the grave.

That is why we can give thanks as we come to this table. We are not thankful because suffering is pleasant or because every question in life has an answer we can understand. We are thankful because God has acted through Jesus Christ to accomplish what we could never accomplish for ourselves.

We have forgiveness through Him. We have the opportunity to be reconciled to God. We have the promise of resurrection and the hope of eternal life.

Those blessings do not disappear when life becomes difficult.

So perhaps, as we prepare to partake of these emblems, we should each ask ourselves a question:  Can I give thanks to God even when I cannot see what He is doing in my life?

It is easy to thank God for blessings we can hold in our hands. It takes a deeper faith to trust Him when all we can hold on to is His promise.

Jesus gave thanks on the night before the cross. He did not yet stand outside the empty tomb, but He trusted the Father whose purpose would be accomplished through His death and resurrection.

As we gather around this table, we have the advantage of knowing how the story unfolded. We know that the tomb was empty. We know that death did not defeat Jesus. And we know that through Him, God has opened the way for us to have life.

So let us remember the suffering, but let us not stop there. Let us remember the sacrifice, but let us also remember the hope that sacrifice provides.

And as we take the bread and the cup, may our hearts be filled with the same kind of trust that makes thanksgiving possible even in the darkest hour.

We may not understand everything God allows in our lives, but we know what He has done for us through Jesus Christ.

And for that, regardless of what else is happening in our lives, we have every reason to give thanks.

The Sinner's Prayer: An Easier Way to Salvation?

There is something appealing about the idea of the Sinner's Prayer. Someone hears the gospel, recognizes that he or she is a sinner, believes in Jesus, and sincerely prays for forgiveness and salvation. It is simple, personal, and seemingly uncomplicated. In a world where people can communicate with one another across great distances with a computer or telephone, it is easy to understand why this approach has become so popular.

Think about it for a moment. Someone watches a sermon online, reads a Bible lesson on a website, or has a conversation about Jesus through social media. That person becomes convinced of the need for salvation. With the Sinner's Prayer, the response can happen immediately. No need to find a congregation, locate someone to assist with baptism, or arrange a meeting. The person simply prays, and the decision is made.

I can certainly appreciate the appeal of that simplicity. In fact, I wish salvation could be communicated and received as easily as clicking a button. But that raises an important question:  Is our desire to make salvation convenient ever allowed to influence how we understand what God has instructed us to do?

The Sinner's Prayer, as a prescribed means of receiving salvation, is a relatively recent development in Christian history. Although people have prayed for mercy and forgiveness throughout biblical history, the standardized practice familiar to many Christians today developed primarily during the twentieth century. Yet when we turn to the New Testament and examine the accounts of people responding to the gospel, we find something interesting. We do not find the apostles instructing unbelievers to repeat a prayer to receive salvation.

Instead, we find people being taught to believe in Jesus, repent of their sins, confess their faith, and be baptized.

Consider the people who heard Peter preach on Pentecost. When they realized they were guilty of rejecting the Messiah, they asked, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter did not give them a prayer to repeat. He told them to repent and be baptized (Acts 2:37-38).

When Philip preached Jesus to the Ethiopian official, the man's response was to be baptized (Acts 8:35-38). When Saul of Tarsus came to believe in Jesus, Ananias told him, "And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name" (Acts 22:16, NIV). Even the Philippian jailer, who asked what he must do to be saved, was taught the gospel and baptized that very night (Acts 16:30-34).

There is a common thread running through these accounts. People did not simply acknowledge their need for salvation; they responded to the gospel in the way the apostles instructed.

And here is where our modern conveniences create an interesting challenge. A person can hear about Jesus through a computer, develop faith through online Bible studies, and communicate with Christians thousands of miles away. But baptism requires something more than a digital connection. Someone must physically be present to assist with the baptism. It requires a personal encounter.

Perhaps that seems inconvenient in today's world, but should it really surprise us? Christianity has always involved more than the exchange of information. Jesus calls us into a relationship with Him and into a life shared with His people. The gospel is something we hear and believe, but it is also something to which we respond.

I don't believe we should make salvation unnecessarily difficult. We should do everything we reasonably can to help people hear the gospel and respond to it. If someone comes to believe in Jesus through an online conversation, we should be just as interested in helping that person obey the gospel as we would be if that person were sitting beside us in a church building. Technology can help us take the message of Jesus almost anywhere. It simply cannot change the message itself.

There is an important lesson here. We must be careful not to confuse making the gospel accessible with changing what the gospel asks of us. A convenient response is not necessarily the response God has prescribed.

I like the thought behind the Sinner's Prayer. I appreciate the desire to make it easy for someone to turn to God. But I would rather help someone take the next step God has actually revealed than offer an easier alternative that I cannot find demonstrated in the New Testament.

After all, our goal should not be to make salvation fit conveniently into our modern world. Our goal should be to help people come to God on His terms, trusting that His wisdom is better than our own.

Loved Like a Bride

A Communion Table Talk:

On June 28, a very important day came and went…  At least, it was important to my wife and me. On that day, we celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary.

I don’t mention that to put the spotlight on us—or to make anyone wonder how she has managed to put up with me for nearly three decades! I mention it because our anniversary got me thinking about something that is easy to talk about but sometimes difficult to truly understand:  love.

More specifically, I’ve been thinking about the way the Bible describes the relationship between Christ and His people. Scripture uses a remarkable picture. The church is described as the bride of Christ.

Have you ever watched a groom see his bride for the first time on their wedding day? For just a moment, everything else seems to disappear. He isn’t thinking about whether the flowers are perfect or whether the decorations are just right. He isn’t worried about whether the music started on time. He’s looking at one person.

And if you watch closely, you can almost see it on his face—joy, gratitude, affection, love.

The Sabbath, Sunday, and the Rest We Find in Christ

Few biblical subjects create as much confusion as the Sabbath. Should Christians observe it today? If not, why do so many Christians worship on Sunday? And is Sunday somehow the Christian version of the Old Testament Sabbath?

The best place to begin is not with tradition, history, or what we have always heard. It is with Scripture.

Genesis tells us that God rested on the seventh day after completing His work of creation. But while Genesis records God's rest and the sanctifying of the seventh day, it does not record a command for Adam, Noah, Abraham, or the other patriarchs to observe a weekly Sabbath. The Sabbath becomes a covenant command when God establishes Israel as His covenant people.

The Sabbath was a meaningful part of that covenant. It reminded Israel that God was their Creator and their Redeemer. Deuteronomy connects the Sabbath specifically with their deliverance from Egyptian slavery, while Exodus calls it a sign between God and Israel.

So the Sabbath was not simply a day off. It was a covenant reminder:  We belong to God. He created us, He redeemed us, and He has called us to Himself.

That raises an obvious question:  If Jesus kept the Sabbath, shouldn't Christians keep it too?

Christ Jesus or Jesus Christ? Does the Order Matter?

 As you read through the New Testament, you may notice something interesting. Sometimes a writer refers to "Jesus Christ," while at other times he writes "Christ Jesus." Is there a difference, or are the two expressions simply interchangeable?

The answer is both yes and no.

The first thing to understand is that "Christ" is not Jesus' last name. It is a title. The Greek word “Christos” means "Anointed One," or "Messiah." Jesus is His personal name, while Christ describes His God-given role as the promised Savior and King foretold throughout the Old Testament.

When a writer in the New Testament says "Jesus Christ," his emphasis is often on identifying Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Messiah. It is something like saying, "Jesus is the Christ." This concept was the central message of the apostles' preaching.

One of the apostles, Peter, expressed this truth when he declared, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16). And again, the Apostle John told his writers that he wrote his Gospel "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God" (John 20:31).

Now, on the other hand, the expression "Christ Jesus" often places the title first, then draws attention to Jesus' exalted position as the Messiah before mentioning His personal name. This word order appears especially often in the writings of the Apostle Paul.

The Boys Jesus Never Grew Up With

In Matthew's account of Herod's massacre we see one of the darkest moments in the story of Jesus’ birth. We often pass over it quickly, eager to move on from the manger to the ministry of Jesus. But, I think Matthew records the event for a reason.

"When Herod saw that he was deceived by the wise men, he was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under..." 

(Matthew 2:16)

Think about it for a moment. What that event meant.

If Jesus later returned to Bethlehem as a child, He may have found something hauntingly different from what most children experience. The boys who would likely have been His playmates—the children who might have raced with Him through the streets, climbed the hillsides, or learned trades alongside Him—were gone. Herod's soldiers had taken them.

When Desire Meets Discipleship

I think one of the more confusing ideas in our culture today is the belief that if someone is “born” with a certain desire or inclination, then that desire should automatically be accepted and embraced without question.

The reasoning usually goes something like this:  “If this is natural for me… then it must be right for me.”

And if anyone suggests restraint, self-control, or moral boundaries, that person is often viewed as hateful or uncaring.

But when you really stop and think about it, that idea falls apart pretty quickly.

The truth is, every one of us is born with tendencies we are not supposed to simply give ourselves over to. We all have weaknesses. We all have desires that pull us in wrong directions. That is part of being human in a fallen world.

One person may naturally struggle with anger. Another with pride. Another with selfishness. Someone else may battle greed, jealousy, lust, dishonesty, or addiction.

The Bible never teaches that every natural desire is good simply because it feels natural.

Not All Bubbles Rise the Same: Strength That Helps Others Grow

The next time you are near an aquarium, don’t watch the fish, pay attention to the bubbles. I’m convinced you will notice something simple and surprisingly meaningful, but something you’ve never taken the time to think about. All the bubbles rise—but not all in the same way. 

Some bubbles are large and move quickly, almost effortlessly. Others are small and drift around on their way upward at a little slower rate. Some rise in a straight line, while others slide along the glass. And every now and then, a bubble gets caught on a plant or decoration, pausing for a time before finally continuing upward.

When you think about it, that’s a lot like the Christian life.

All believers are moving toward Christ, but not at the same pace or in the same way. Some Christians appear strong, steady, and confident. Others struggle. Some hesitate. A few get “stuck” along the way. And that raises an important question:  What should strong Christians do with the weaknesses of others?

The Bible’s answer is both clear and challenging:  help them rise.

When Our Past Gains Weight

I recently learned that German culture has an interesting word that sounds funny to Americans—Kummerspeck. It comes from Germany, and it literally means “grief bacon.” 

The word describes the weight someone might gain during a season of sorrow. Often, when grief settles into our hearts, it shows up in our habits, energy levels, and even on our bathroom scales.

That word reminds us of an important truth:  what we carry inside eventually shows up somewhere.

The same thing can happen to us spiritually.

What Does a Bread Machine Teach Us About Worship?

I enjoy using my bread machine. There’s something quietly satisfying about pouring in the ingredients, closing the lid, and letting it do its work. A little flour, some water, sugar, a packet of yeast—and before long, the whole loaf begins to change. That small amount of yeast works its way through everything. You don’t see it happening, but there is no way you can miss the results.

That experience has helped me think more carefully about a conversation I had with a friend who said it didn’t really matter whether the bread used in Communion was leavened or not. On one level, I understand the sentiment. God cares about the heart, not the recipe. But Scripture also shows us that God teaches through symbols—and when it comes to leaven, the Bible is remarkably consistent. And—if you’ve ever watched yeast do its work in making bread, that consistency starts to make a lot of sense.

Forgiveness is the Sweetest Word in the World

You know, sometimes the best ideas for sermons don’t arrive while you’re staring at a blank page—they sneak up on you in the middle of someone else’s sermon. That’s what happened to me last week while listening to my brother-in-law preach. He said something simple, almost in passing, but it hit me like a hymnbook falling off the back of a pew:  “Forgiveness is the sweetest word in the world.”

Now, I’m not usually one to steal material… but I am willing to borrow it aggressively, so . . . 

Why Baptism Is Necessary According to Scripture

Baptism has been a subject of a lot of discussion among sincere believers. Some see it as simply a symbol of faith, while others understand it as being an essential part of responding to the gospel. But have you ever asked, “What does Scripture actually teach?”