“While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to His disciples, saying, ‘Take and eat; this is My body.'” — Matthew 26:26
Thankfully Loved
The verse Matthew 26:26 is commonly read during communion at various churches, but have you ever thought more about the part that says Jesus “gave thanks”? As believers, we may think of saying grace before meals as pretty common, but that’s not the only meaning here. Jesus was thanking His Father for the opportunity to break the bread with His disciples, and if you follow the metaphor, the bread represented His body broken and bruised in death on the cross.
Take a second to let that soak in. Hours before Jesus was to suffer a brutal death at the hands of Roman centurions, He was thanking God for what was going to take place. What? As crazy as that may sound, it’s true. Jesus knew He was in for some pain, but He also knew that the people He had walked among were helpless without a permanent sacrifice for their sins. It was worth His pain for their eternal salvation.
I think we gloss over that too many times. Today, marvel and bathe in the total love shown for you by the Savior, who thanked God for the opportunity to take our place on the cross. Amazing love!
— Teresa Young
If you would like to submit a reader devotional, please email all submissions to jason@sportsspectrum.com.
