Luke 22: 7-13
I have just been contemplating this Scripture, beloved, which was before us on Lord’s day. I feel very challenged by what went through my mind and what I have to say. I was thinking of this matter of being prepared, to be prepared as we come together to remember our Lord Jesus Christ. The occasion is before us as we come to the latter part of the week, and we look forward to the time, and we are to be prepared as we come to the time of the Lord’s supper. We have been reminded us of the greatness of the One before us, our Lord Jesus Christ - how great He is! When we think of the One that we come to remember, how great He is. I feel challenged as I ask myself how much do I prepare for that great occasion, an occasion which has carried on right from this point we have read of onwards. We can think of what it was for these disciples, the ones who had been with the Lord, who had loved the Lord, who sought out His heart, who knew His heart; what it was for them the first time they came together to take the Supper. What it must have been for them; how they would have prepared - preparing themselves - for what might be before them. And yet what an answer it must have been as He manifested Himself to them! How wonderful! But I wonder how real it is in my life, how real is it to me every week as we come together? I think the Spirit would be speaking to us to help us, to promote in our hearts that it might still be the same as it was then, the brightness of it as we would be looking for Him.
And then it would be that, as we contemplate these things, as prepared in our time, we might think more of one day when He will come for all of us. Indeed, the time we enjoyed very much on the past weekend - the coming together to remember the Lord Jesus on the Lord’s day - that time might have been the last time that we were able to come together to remember Him. We often remind ourselves of it in the gospel; the preacher often tells us that it might be the last gospel preaching, but it might have been the last Lord’s supper. When we came together to remember that blessed One, that might have been the last time that we remembered Him. What a privilege it is to look for His coming for us. How wonderful! But we should be prepared day by day, not just prepared - as we may be left here - for that great occasion on the next Lord’s day, but that we might be prepared day by day to expect His coming, His coming for us - that time now nearer than when we believed. I feel it should be more and more before us. We should be more and more prepared for the time when He will come for all of us. What a time it will be, beloved, when we will see Him face to face, the greatness of that One we have known; but how wonderful that time when we can be those who enjoy His company for all eternity. But let us be prepared for it; let us be prepared for His coming.
May it be so, for His Name’s sake.
London
11th May 2010