Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

Heb 10: 19-22Heb 10: 19-22
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
Encouragement and Warning ¹⁹ My friends, the blood of Jesus gives us courage to enter the most holy place ²⁰ by a new way that leads to life! And this way takes us through the curtain that is Christ himself. ²¹ We have a great high priest who is in charge of God's house. ²² ; . So let's come near God with pure hearts and a confidence that comes from having faith. Let's keep our hearts pure, our consciences free from evil, and our bodies washed with clean water.

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What is Sacrifice?  Webster’s dictionary gives these definitions:

• An act of offering to a deity something precious; especially : the killing of a victim on an altar
• Something offered in sacrifice
• a: destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else b: something given up or lost

Exactly!  The act of offering to a deity…GOD, something precious…ourselves. With sincere hearts, with complete surrender, we gave our lives to Him at the time of our prayer for salvation. We were, as it says in Heb 10:22Heb 10:22
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
22 ; . So let's come near God with pure hearts and a confidence that comes from having faith. Let's keep our hearts pure, our consciences free from evil, and our bodies washed with clean water.

WP-Bible plugin “sprinkled clean from an evil conscience. Following that, we gave our bodies to be ‘washed with pure water” in the act of Baptism. Those activities of a new believer were not the end of it. More was expected of us.

Heb 10: 23 goes on to say that we should ‘hold fast’  (tightly, firmly) to the hope, without wavering.  Hmmm… without wavering.

What does that mean?  Does it mean that we can run and cling to the hem of Christ’s garment when we want something, when we need Him to do something for us?  Does it mean we can return to our old ways and run back and forth to Jesus with a prayer of repentance when we get into trouble?  NO! “Without wavering” means that we must walk in His footsteps, moment by moment. That means seeking God’s will, and yielding to it, regardless of how uncomfortable it may seem at the time. It means that we must surrender our own thoughts and trust in His.

Sacrificial living won’t always feel good. When you  give up something that you are used to doing, however unhealthy it might be, it’s not easy to do. God’s Word tells us that man’s thoughts are not His thoughts and our ways are not His ways.  Sacrificing anything is contrary to man’s selfish nature.

It takes practice to let go of old things and to begin new methods of living. Consider physical exercise. It causes muscles to ache.  However, the more we use those muscles, the stronger they get and the more natural it is to use them. Likewise, exercising these new spiritual muscles may cause moments of pain, but, the more we use those muscles, the stronger they get and the more natural it is to use them. Think of it as ‘growing pains’.  Our sacrificial living is healthier, and it produces growth. Do you see the pattern emerging? Our faithfulness in the practice of giving to and for the Lord, results in our strength, and growth in spiritual things. The more grow, the more we want to please Him.  The more faithful we are, the more He can use us in accomplishing His work.

We are to encourage one another in this vein. When it’s ‘hard’ to run that race set before us, let us call out, first to our Coach Jesus for strength, and then to the other team players, our brothers and sisters in Christ who will be our cheerleaders. We all need a friendly smile, a helping hand, a pat on the back sometimes. We all need a little scolding, too, at times and help in finding our direction. Each of us needs a little nudge, at times, to do our work with a cheerful heart.  Let us pray for one another and encourage one another to ‘keep up the good work’ as we attempt to develop new patterns of sacrificial living.

I brought a rock back  from the cold waters of Loch Ness, Scotland. It reminds me of my childhood fascination with the legendary monster. I brought a rock back  from Nairobi, Kenya. It came from a desolate, dusty lot where my new friend’s church was being constructed. It reminds me to pray for this young church with very limited resources as they try to complete their building.

Rocks have always served as reminders or memorials. They span the ages of time. Ancient petroglyphs, cairns, Stonehenge and Mt. Rushmore all bore significance to their creators. Some meanings have been lost while others are still honored.

While in Savannah, Georgia I made it a point to visit one of the oldest cemeteries. It houses a very large number of Jewish graves. I am fascinated by the Jewish custom of leaving a small stone on the grave of a loved one. Jews do not typically place flowers at grave sites. Instead, they often place little stones on the grave or headstone. The origin of the custom is uncertain but is usually explained as a symbolic act that indicates someone has come to visit and the deceased has not been forgotten. I think it may have deeper roots however.

In ancient times a pile of stones was used as a marker. Two times in particular would be very familiar to Jewish people who know their own history.

In the book of Joshua we read about the Israelites preparation to cross the Jordan river into the Promised Land. Moses had died and Joshua was the new leader. God commanded them to march toward the Jordan River behind the priests who were carrying the ark of the covenant. As soon as the priests’ feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing and piled up in a heap a great distance away. The Jordan was at flood stage by the way which just adds all the more to the miracle. And one last thing, the riverbed was bone dry as they crossed, not even the least bit muddy. What a God!

God commanded Joshua to choose 12 men, one from each tribe, to take up 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan. They carried these stones to their camp and set them down. Joshua then set them up as a memorial and reminder of God’s miracle and faithfulness.

In the distant future, the children and the children’s children would pass this heap of stones and inquire about them. They would be told the story and learn of God’s faithfulness and provision for His people.

In the near future the Israelites would think about the power of this mighty God as they would face a multitude of enemies. The crossing of the Jordan on dry land was above all a sign that the living God was among them and would drive out all other nations from the land promised ages ago to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Many years later, when God rescued the Israelites from the Philistines, Samuel set a stone up as a memorial once again to God’s help and deliverance.

I’m thinking that this isn’t such a bad idea for us today. We can draw much strength for out present struggles if we take time to remember God’s presence and help during past crises. Why not take time to set up a memorial of some type that will serve as a reminder of past victories through Christ? This will in turn spur us on by giving us the confidence and strength to press on. Not to mention the stories you can pass down to your children when they ask the meaning behind this memorial.

We have spoken the words with our mouths and we have believed in our hearts, that Jesus Christ is Lord.  We have entered into a relationship…with Jesus.  We have followed His example and we have been baptized, signifying our death to the old ways,  the burying our sins, and our resurrection into a new life.  Now what?

We want to know Him, to know more about Him. We begin to read, to learn from, to take root in His Word. We realize what His instructions are, and we make an effort to obey His commandments. One of those commandments is to remember Him in the partaking of the Lord’s Supper. In Luke 22:19Luke 22:19
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
19 Jesus took some bread in his hands and gave thanks for it. He broke the bread and handed it to his apostles. Then he said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Eat this as a way of remembering me!”

WP-Bible plugin,  Jesus took break and gave thanks for it. He passed it to the disciples, saying “Take, eat, for this is my body, broken for you. This do in remembrance of me.”

Just as we wash our hands before we sit down to eat a meal, we need to examine our lives and be sure that we ask forgiveness for anything that stands between Jesus and ourselves. We need to know that we are cleansed of any known or unknown sin before we partake in the body and blood of Christ at the Communion table. No longer is it necessary for us make atonement for our sin by slaying a lamb as a sacrifice.  Jesus, the Spotless Lamb of God, did it all for us at the Cross.   We have been reborn into a new covenant with God!  I believe that when we join together in the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, we are gathering around a family table.  We have been made blood relatives, in the true sense of the word, by the blood Jesus shed at Calvary. . It is solemn time of unity each  of us who believe. It is a time of reflecting, remembering, the sacrificial act of our Brother and Lord. It is an intimate time that believers share together in Christ.

The scriptures say that he who eats the bread or drinks the cup in an  unworthy manner is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. (1Cor 11:27)   We believers, also, must be sure that we are partaking with the correct examination of our selves, for the Word tells us that ” he eats and drinks judgment unto himself if he has not judged his body rightly.”  1 Cor 11: 281 Cor 11: 28
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
28 That's why you must examine the way you eat and drink.

WP-Bible plugin. When we come to the table of the Lord’s Supper, let us come, with no sin, no grudges against another, no unfinished business with the Lord. We are united by His blood, by His Spirit…one with God. Let us live the oneness that we have together as family members.

Today, thank God for the shed blood of Jesus, that ushered in a new relationship between God and sinners:

And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, for this is my blood, which seals the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out to forgive the sins of many.”

Matthew 26:27-28Matthew 26:27-28
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
27 Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He then gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this and drink it. ²⁸ a ; b This is my blood, and with it God makes his agreement with you. It will be poured out, so that many people will have their sins forgiven.

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And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And he said to them, “This is my blood, poured out for many, sealing the covenant between God and his people.”

Mark 14:23-24Mark 14:23-24
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
23 Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He gave it to his disciples, and they all drank some. ²⁴ a ; b Then he said, “This is my blood, which is poured out for many people, and with it God makes his agreement.

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After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This wine is the token of God’s new covenant to save you – an agreement sealed with the blood I will pour out for you.”

Luke 22:20Luke 22:20
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
20 After the meal he took another cup of wine in his hands. Then he said, “This is my blood. It is poured out for you, and with it God makes his new agreement.

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Many were amazed when they saw him – beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know he was a person.* In a world sanitized of violence and blood – hating to be reminded of all it signifies – the cup that carried the wine reminds us of the punishment our savior endured. God in the flesh, the true image of God, man as God intended him to be, was marred beyond recognition. Do you see the poetry, the irony in it? That Satan could not stand to see God reflected in the man Jesus? That his every intention to destroy that image resulted in God’s complete victory over sin?

I recently read a book on Communion where the author declared her belief that we focus too much on the blood, too much on the sacrifice, too much on the payment for sin in the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. Quite to the contrary, I left that work more aware of how important it is to take Jesus’ words to heart. He recognized the importance of his blood! It was costly. He received more than just an unjust beating; he was deprived of justice and experienced the humiliation of a criminal’s death at the hands of a violent and unyielding people: He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. From prison and trial they led him away to his death. But who among the people realized  that he was dying for their sins – that he was suffering their punishment?*

Jesus offers the cup to remind us – his followers – that he willingly died to ratify the new relationship between us and God. He bore the penalty for us, so that we could stand in the presence of a holy God. And not just stand; we can bow, worship, praise – all without fear of rejection or condemnation. We are his inheritance, his reward. But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and fill him with grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have a multitude of children, many heirs. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s plan will prosper in his hands. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of what he has experienced, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.*

Rejoice! Jesus has redeemed us! Now let us walk in the righteousness we have been given. Let us honor the sacrifice and the price Jesus’ paid by giving our lives in return. This is his call to discipleship; it is not a lighthearted and effortless faith, rather a total physical and spiritual response to the great gift of God.

* Isaiah 52:14; 53:7-8, 10-12Isaiah 52:14; 53:7-8, 10-12
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
14 Many were horrified at what happened to him. b him: One ancient translation; Hebrew “you.” But everyone who saw him was even more horrified because he suffered until he no longer looked human. c human: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse ¹⁴. ⁷ . . He was painfully abused, but he did not complain. He was silent like a lamb being led to the butcher, as quiet as a sheep having its wool cut off. ⁸ He was condemned to death without a fair trial. Who could have imagined what would happen to him? His life was taken away because of the sinful things my people f my people: Or “his people.” had done. ¹⁰ The Lord decided his servant would suffer as a sacrifice to take away the sin and guilt of others. Now the servant will live to see his own descendants. h The Lord... descendants: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text. He did everything the Lord had planned. ¹¹ By suffering, the servant will learn the true meaning of obeying the Lord. Although he is innocent, he will take the punishment for the sins of others, so that many of them will no longer be guilty. ¹² The Lord will reward him with honor and power for sacrificing his life. Others thought he was a sinner, but he suffered for our sins and asked God to forgive us.

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While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”

Matthew 26:26Matthew 26:26
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
The Lord's Supper ²⁶ During the meal Jesus took some bread in his hands. He blessed the bread and broke it. Then he gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this and eat it. This is my body.”

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Every time I hold the bread in my hand when I’m taking communion, I reflect upon the suffering that Jesus physically endured for me in His human body.  That piece of bread lying in the palm of my hand reminds me of the nails that pierced His skin, the thorns that ripped through His brow, and the spear that pierced His side.  I’m reminded of the open wounds on His back from the lashes He received from the soldier’s whips and the torturer’s “cat of nine-tails.”

This piece of bread is a symbol.  It is an edible reminder of the punishment that Jesus bore for me.  My sins, my disobedience, my short falls of God’s standard, my pride, my jealousy, my depravity, my selfishness…all the things that should have sentenced me to the cross, were absorbed by the body of my Savior instead.  He was rejected, He was mocked and beaten and bruised.  He was killed in my place.  This piece of bread symbolizes that.

The bread also reminds me of my Redeemer’s great love for me, because the body that this bread represents was willingly laid down for me.  Jesus gave Himself as a voluntary substitute for me.  His body wasn’t abused and taken against His will…He lovingly offered it of His own free will. I am humbled beyond words every time I stare into my hand and reflect upon the kind of love that piece of bread represents. Who can understand and comprehend such love? Thank You, Jesus, for the sacrifice You made for me.  I owe my life to you.

Jesus instructed us that we are to continue remembering the sacrifice He made through the observance of communion until He returns and we celebrate with Him in heaven.  The scars that still remain in Jesus’ hands, feet, and side are a reminder of His love for us and the redemption that He purchased for us, as is the bread that we receive when we partake of communion.  May we never take for granted the price that Jesus paid for us, and may we humbly thank Him each time we “do this in remembrance” of Him.