HOLY WEDNESDAY ~ The 4th Day of the Ancient Week
[ Although we believe The LORD JESUS CHRIST was crucified on the 4th day of the Ancient Week ( i.e., Wednesday) and ate the Passover on Tuesday night, we observe the church Remembrance of Good Friday simply to stay in Fellowship with our Brothers and Sisters in CHRIST who remember His+ Crucifixion and Resurrection, in accordance with the Western Church Calendar. The important issue is to honor CHRIST JESUS, not the “calendar” day. ]
In the night in which Our LORD+ was betrayed, HE+ took bread in His+ sinless Hands, and when HE+ had given thanks, HE+ broke it . . .
And HE+ took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it,
and gave unto them, saying,
“THIS is My+ Body
Which is given for you:
this do in remembrance of ME+.”
LUKE 22:19
+ + +
I+ , I+, am the Living Bread which came down from Heaven: if any man eat of This Bread, he shall live for ever:
and the Bread
that I+ , I+ will give
is My+ Flesh,
which I+ , I+ will give
for the LIFE of the world.
JOHN 6:51
+ + +
This is what His+ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane accomplished: HE+ broke His+ own Body Himself+ in the act of breaking the Unleavened Bread with His+ own Hands.
Let’s read it again carefully:
HE+ took bread in His+ sinless Hands,
and when HE+ had given thanks,
HE+ broke it . . .
and gave unto them, saying,
“THIS is My+ Body
Which is given for you:
this do in remembrance of ME+.”
+ + +
The LORD JESUS CHRIST made good on His+ Word to His+ Heavenly FATHER in the Garden of Gethsemane,
--- after sweating great drops of blood
--- after asking The FATHER that This Cup would be removed from HIM+ .
But when That Cup was NOT removed . . .
Then, HE+ Himself+ took the Passover Bread in His+ own Hands and broke Himself +, putting in motion His+ own Crucifixion.
Minutes earlier, The LORD JESUS gave Judas Divine Permission to accomplish His+ betrayal.
JESUS answered, He it is, to whom I+ shall give a sop, when I+ have dipped it. And when HE+ had dipped the sop, HE+ gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. JOHN 13:26
And after the sop satan entered into him. Then said JESUS unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. JOHN 13:27
He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night. JOHN 13:30
[Commentaries point out that the SOP was dipped into a sauce, perhaps a dip made of beaten and crushed nuts and fruit juices.
The bread of the LORD’S Communion was not dipped into any sauce, as recorded in the Gospels.
It seems that although Judas ate of the Passover Meal along with the other Disciples, he did not partake of the Bread and Wine of The LORD’S Supper.
The LORD JESUS CHRIST was Master over His+ own flesh. HE+“learned obedience by the things which HE+ suffered.”
HE+ knew His+ FATHER’S Will and HE+ did it.
HE+ did it all for you . . . for me.
+ + +
Let us pray:
LORD JESUS CHRIST, thank YOU+ for choosing over and over again The FATHER’S Will. Thank YOU+ for agreeing with The FATHER’S Will, even though it meant Your+ agony and death.
O LORD JESUS, thank YOU+ for Your+ submission our Heavenly FATHER in the Garden and at the Passover Table.
By Your+ obedience to His+ Will, I have my sins washed away. By Your+ death, I have Life.
Help me to choose our FATHER’S WILL for my life, so that Your+ Life can be shared with others who are as dead in their sins as I was. Amen.
Worthy is THE LAMB+
Worthy is THE LAMB+ !
Worthy is THE LAMB+ that was slain !
