耶稣受死以前，神的百姓每年在逾越节献一只羔羊做祭物，以提醒自己神曾把他们从埃及的奴役中领出来（出 12）。耶稣将祂的死定在逾越节的开始，那时神的百姓正在献上羔羊。这表明，耶稣的死是神为了把祂的百姓从罪的奴役中拯救出来而做出的一次永久献祭。现在我们藉着圣餐来纪念耶稣的牺牲，这是耶稣在受死前的那个晚上设立的。
我们称之为团契(communion)，主的晚餐 (Lord's Supper)，或圣餐礼 (Eucharist意思是“感恩”)。这是一种庆祝，但也是一种认罪，承认我们需要被赦免。马太强调了这一点，因为耶稣说祂的血乃是“... 流出来，使罪得赦。”
还要注意，是门徒们准备了那顿晚餐。他们聚在一起，准备食物，摆好桌子和餐具——就像我们今天的圣餐一样。
每当我们拿起饼和杯，我们都一起纪念，我们是需要耶稣为我们而死的罪人。我们需要摆好那张餐桌——我们需要祂的牺牲。但在主的晚餐中，我们的罪疚遇见了神救赎的恩典。我们吃喝的时候，就知道因着耶稣的牺牲，神的救恩胜过了我们的罪。
亲爱的耶稣，我为自己的罪感到愧疚。感谢你替我受死，使我罪得赦免。你的爱是毋庸置疑的。阿们。
马太福音 26:17-30
17除酵节的第一天，门徒来问耶稣说：“你吃逾越节的筵席，要我们在哪里给你预备？”
18耶稣说：“你们进城去，到某人那里，对他说：‘夫子说：我的时候快到了，我与门徒要在你家里守逾越节。’”
19门徒遵着耶稣所吩咐的，就去预备了逾越节的筵席。
20到了晚上，耶稣和十二个门徒坐席。
21正吃的时候，耶稣说：“我实在告诉你们：你们中间有一个人要卖我了。”
22他们就甚忧愁，一个一个地问他说：“主，是我吗？”
23耶稣回答说：“同我蘸手在盘子里的，就是他要卖我。
24人子必要去世，正如经上指着他所写的，但卖人子的人有祸了！那人不生在世上倒好。”
25卖耶稣的犹大问他说：“拉比，是我吗？”耶稣说：“你说的是。”
26他们吃的时候，耶稣拿起饼来，祝福，就掰开，递给门徒，说：“你们拿着吃，这是我的身体。”
27又拿起杯来，祝谢了，递给他们，说：“你们都喝这个，
28因为这是我立约的血，为多人流出来，使罪得赦。
29但我告诉你们：从今以后，我不再喝这葡萄汁，直到我在我父的国里同你们喝新的那日子。”
30他们唱了诗，就出来往橄榄山去。
"Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." - Matthew 26:27-28
Before Jesus died, God’s people sacrificed a lamb each year during the Feast of Passover to remind them that God brought them out of slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12). Jesus timed his death to take place at the beginning of Passover—when God’s people were sacrificing their lambs. This would show that Jesus’ death is the once-for-all sacrifice of God to save his people from their slavery to sin. Now we remember Jesus’ sacrifice by celebrating the Lord’s Supper, instituted by Jesus the night before he died.
We call this communion, the Lord’s Supper, or Eucharist (which means “thanksgiving”). It is a celebration, but it is also a confession that we need to be forgiven. Matthew highlights this point as Jesus says that his blood is “poured out . . . for the forgiveness of sins.”
Notice also that the disciples were the ones who prepared the meal. They gathered and prepared the food and set the table—as we also do for communion today.
Every time we take the bread and the cup, we remember together that we are sinners who needed Jesus to die for us. We had to set that table—we needed his sacrifice. But in the Lord’s Supper our guilt is met by the saving grace of God. And as we eat and drink, we are assured that God’s saving grace overcomes our guilt because of Jesus’ sacrifice.
Dear Jesus, I am sorry for my sins. Thank you for dying in my place so that I could be forgiven. Your love is unquestionable. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
