Jesus tells His disciples, “And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after the supper, he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you’” (Luke 22:19-20).
From these words of Jesus, the Lord is telling us to remember Him. Since this is true, what does it mean to remember Jesus in everything we do?
The Lord’s Supper
Before we can understand this passage of Scripture, we need to understand the surrounding context. Luke 22:19-20 is referring to the Lord’s Supper, also known as Communion and Eucharist. Therefore, Jesus is telling us to remember Him when we take part in the Lord’s Supper.
Churches have different schedules for giving the Lord’s Supper. Some churches do it every week, while others do it a few times a year. Whether your church partakes in the Lord’s Supper each Sunday or a few times a year, it is an important part of the Christian walk.
When Jesus says, “Do this in remembrance of me,” He is referring to when we eat the bread and drink the wine of Communion. The bread refers to the body of Christ, and the wine refers to His blood.
The Lord is using this allegorical language to relate to the truth that He was giving up His body for our sins and we are washed by His blood.
By taking in Communion, we are remembering what Jesus has done for us. He died for our sins and shed His blood on the cross in order for us to have forgiveness and eternal life through His Name.
Different denominations have various views surrounding the Lord’s Supper. There are some who believe in the allegorical meaning, which is the meaning Jesus tells us; however, there are others who believe the bread and wine in Communion are the literal body and blood of Christ.
Despite different denominations having varying views on the Lord’s Supper, it is important for all believers to partake in this event of remembering the Lord and what He has done for us.
Sadly, it can be easy for us to forget all the blessings we have in Christ when we undergo hard times, yet Communion can help point us back to Christ and refresh our hearts.
Remembering Jesus in Everything
While Luke 22:19-20 is referring to the Lord’s Supper, we can also apply it to mean we need to remember Jesus in everything we do. In everything we do throughout the day, we need to keep our hearts and minds focused on Christ.
Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
As this passage of Scripture tells us, we need to fix our eyes on Jesus, who is the pioneer and perfecter of faith. It can be hard to set our minds on Christ due to all the daily struggles of life.
Even though it is hard, it is not impossible. It will take intention and time on our part, yet the end result will be worth it. Try to challenge yourself to keep your eyes focused on Christ throughout the day and to reflect on Him each hour.
We need to strive to keep our minds focused on Christ because when times do get difficult, we are going to be able to work through our problems better because our thoughts are focused on Him.
Throughout our days, we have the choice to remember Jesus and place our focus on Him, or we have the choice to allow worries, stress, and the things of the world to dominate our minds. If we allow worries, stress, and the things of the world to dominate our minds, we will find that we won’t be in a good place.
We will be deep in sin, lost in our sinful ways, and stunted in our Christian growth. However, if we choose to remember Jesus throughout our days and place our focus on Him, our days will be full of love, peace, and joy from the Lord.
How Does This Apply to Us Today?
Remembering Jesus in everything we do means literally that we need to remember Jesus in everything we do. Even though this passage refers to the Lord’s Supper, we can also use it to refer to how we need to remember Jesus in everything we do.
From the bites we eat at a meal to the drink we consume while we are eating, we need to remember Jesus. If we can remember Jesus in these little things, we will be able to remember Jesus in the bigger things, such as experiencing a job loss, a family member leaving the faith, or struggling with mental illness.
When we actively choose to remember Jesus in everything we do, we will be able to keep ourselves in a better mental state, and we will be more hopeful for the day ahead. Bad times will come and may cause us problems, yet we can always return our thoughts back to Jesus.
The more we remember Jesus in everything we do, the more our minds and hearts will become trained as second nature to think of Jesus rather than the worries, stress, and the things of the world.
It will be difficult at times, but with practice, it will become easier to focus on Jesus first before your mind starts going somewhere else.
In everything we do, we need to remember the Lord. From the very first breath we take in the morning to the time we close our eyes at night, we need to remember Jesus in everything we do. Practicing thankfulness can help us thank Jesus and remember Him for everything in our lives.
We can praise and thank Jesus for a new day, a rainstorm in the middle of a drought, or freshwater. These might sound like little things or things we take for granted, but they are true blessings, and by thanking Jesus for them, we are remembering Him for everything in our lives.
Challenge yourself to try to remember Jesus in everything you do this upcoming week and see if it puts you in a better mental place. It will also most likely deepen your relationship with God and help your growth in Him too.
God wants us to be in a personal relationship with Him and to thank Him throughout our days. We don’t need to take anything for granted because we are not even promised tomorrow.
Remember Jesus in the little things and strive to thank Him for each one. In this way, once the bigger things happen, you will be able to remember Him and thank Him even if the outcome isn’t what you had thought it would be.
We can all trust Jesus in every area of our life, and through this, we need to remember Him. Jesus has done so much for us and continues to intercede on our behalf.
We never need to become indifferent to Jesus’ support, love, and finished work on the cross because it will impair our walk with Him. Rather than mindlessly forgetting Him, we need to remember Him in everything we do and bring glory to His name through praise and thanksgiving.
For further reading:
What Did Jesus Mean by ‘I Am the Vine; You Are the Branches’?
What Did Jesus Mean by 'Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me'?
Why Did Jesus Say, 'Remain in Me, As I Also Remain in You'?
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