And He took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." (Luke 22:19-20 ESV)
In the bread of Holy Communion we remember the body of Jesus, given up for us on the Cross. Jesus became one of us and died a sacrificial death to pay the debt He did not owe for us, who could not pay it. He made this great sacrifice out of deep, unconditional love for us, and in doing so, He makes it possible for us to be part of the Body of Christ - the Church.
In the cup we remember his blood, which Jesus shed for us. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Hebrews 9:22). The life of a creature is in its blood. And Jesus gave Life for life so we could be forgiven and set free from sin and death.
Jesus also frames His sacrifice here in terms of covenant. This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." The old covenant was the covenant of the Law. God binds Himself in covenant with His people in return for our obedience to His commands. The problem is that we do not keep His commands perfectly, and so we can never keep up our part of this great covenant. We can never be perfect, as He is perfect. We sin and fall short of the glory of God.
And so Jesus makes a new covenant with humanity. He sheds His blood for us. This new covenant is a covenant of grace through faith. All who receive the gift of His redemption and trust Jesus with our lives are covered by the blood of the new covenant. We are made part of the Body of Christ, the Church, by our faith in Jesus Christ and by our joyful consecration to the One who loved us first. By believing in Jesus, we become part of His Church universal and part of one another's lives.
One expression of being part of this new covenant is the covenant of church membership in a particular congregation. Church membership is a covenant with God and with one another in the congregation to be faithful to Christ together and to watch over one another in love. We mutually pledge to live out our faith as part of this particular community of faith. And we have the promise of God and the promises of the other members that they will pray for us and encourage us and walk with us on that journey.
Here are the vows of membership in the Global Methodist Church, and in the congregation I serve as Pastor, Grace Church:
Do you believe in God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit? I do
Do you confess Jesus Christ as Savior, put your whole trust in His grace, and promise to serve Him as your Lord? I do
Do you receive and profess the Christian faith as contained in the Scriptures? I do
Do you promise, according to the grace given you, to keep God's holy will and commandments and walk in the same all the days of your life as a faithful member of Christ's holy church? I do
Will you be loyal to Christ through Grace Global Methodist Church and do all in your power to strengthen its ministries through your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service and your witness as Christ's representative in this world? I will
These are bold declarations of our faith in Jesus. These vows are public commitment to honor Him with our living. By them we profess our faith in Christ and take our stand for Him with the other members of the congregation. We commit ourselves to the new covenant in a tangible way, and we receive the power of God to live in this covenant with Him and with one another.
With Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord, I will live in this covenant of membership in His church as long as I live. And by the way, physical death does not stop my living or break this covenant. I will be His and we will belong to one another for all eternity! Thanks be to God!
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