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Touchable Hope
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by
Phil Ware
Beyond
Bread and Wine
“While they were
still talking about [the resurrection appearances of Jesus to Peter, John, and
the disciples on the road to Emmaus], Jesus himself stood among them and said
to them, ‘Peace be with you.’
“They were startled
and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, ‘Why are you
troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet.
It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you
see I have.’
“When he had said
this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe
it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, ‘Do you have anything here to
eat?’
“They gave him a
piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence” - (Luke 24:36-43).
I love the phrase, "they
still did not believe it because of joy and amazement"!
The Lord's apostles had lost so much on the
night Jesus was betrayed and the day that he was crucified.
Hope was gone. Dreams were gone.
Their understanding of Jesus' might,
identity, and authority was gone.
The three years of their lives invested in
following Jesus appeared to be wasted.
Their future with Jesus was crushed under the
weight of despair.
Their solidarity as a group was shattered by
Judas' betrayal, Peter's denials, and their universal abandonment of Jesus in
his hours of need.
Now that Jesus appeared to be alive, we
understand why they were so full of joy that they couldn't believe.
It was too good to be true. They had to be
imagining all of this. But they weren't!
On the Sunday night of Jesus' resurrection,
the Lord joined his disciples around a table — maybe even the same table they
had used a few days earlier for the Last Supper.
In their disbelief for joy and amazement, Jesus
made clear to them that he was not a figment of their imagination.
He gave his disciples tangible proof that he
was alive.
He gave them touchable proof that their hope
for the future was now brighter than ever.
The Supper is a blessing for believers in
many ways.
We connect with a long heritage of believers
from all over the world who have remembered Jesus on the day of his
resurrection for centuries.
We proclaim that we believe he is coming
again.
We share in this simple meal together as
fellow believers and members of Jesus' one Body.
While the bread and wine we share are simple,
in the moment of our shared grace they become something beyond bread and wine
for us.
If we allow them, the bread and wine are
touchable and tasteable hope.
They are our tangible reminders that Jesus
died for our sins and rose for our salvation. Even more, Jesus joins us as we
share his meal together (Luke
22:16).
Prayer for the Bread:
O Lord Jesus, thank
you for your incarnation — for sharing our moral flesh to give us back immortal
hope. As we take this bread, it is more than bread for us.
We touch it and are
reminded of you being with us in human flesh.
We break it and are
reminded of your sacrifice for us.
We taste it and know
that you have given us new life that is good.
And as we touch,
break, and taste this bread, we rejoice that you used the gift of food to show
that you were truly raised from death. Thank you for all the grace given us in
this bread. Amen.
Prayer for the Cup:
Father, you are
gracious and holy. Your grace sent Jesus to conquer sin, death, and hell for
us.
Thank you for such
mercy and love. In the powerful name of Jesus, we offer you our thanks and
praise. Amen.
Beyond Bread and Wine is offered in answer
to requests from those who celebrate The Supper in their small groups,
missional communities, and church groups on a regular basis.
Over the next several years, we will add
reflections every few weeks so that they can eventually be sent out every
Saturday.
We believe that "as often as"
we share this time with other believers, we deepen our connection to our Lord
and prepare ourselves to live for others as Jesus did.
We hope these reflections broaden and deepen
your approach to The Supper and reflect the many facets of the Lord's grace.
As we eat this bread and drink this cup,
let's remember Jesus as we wait expectantly for his coming again!
Phil
Ware has authored 11 years of daily devotionals, including VerseoftheDay.com,
read by 500,000 people a day. He works with churches in transition with Interim
Ministry Partners and for the past 21+ years, he has been editor and president
of HEARTLIGHT Magazine, author of VerseoftheDay.com, God's
Holy
Fire (on the Holy Spirit), and aYearwithJesus.com. Phil has also authored four
books, daily devotionals on each of the four gospels. (Visit the Author's
Website)
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