I am writing this e-newsletter preview of Sunday, August 26th’s sermon on Monday, August 20. There’s a lot about August 20 that gets my attention today. First, it is the 29th anniversary of our wedding – the hottest day in the history of Philadelphia! Today is also the 72nd anniversary of Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s address to the House of Commons in the aftermath of the first chapter of the Battle of Britain.
If you happened to watch the Olympic coverage from London you may remember the one-hour piece on the Battle of Britain narrated by 72-year-old Tom Brokaw. The feature was entitled “Our Finest Hour”, taken from a Churchill speech given in the House of Commons months before the battle. However, as we prepare to take a fresh look at Luke 22:14-20 this week, it’s not that May 15, 1940 speech that captures my attention, but the one given on August 20, 1940.
A few weeks ago I read a report of newspaperman, Rupert Davis, who interviewed General Ismay, Churchill’s chief military assistant. In the interview General Hastings Lionel “Pug” Ismay told of riding to Parliament with the Prime Minister that night. As they started out, Churchill turned to the General and said that he’d like to rehearse the speech in front of him. So he began to read it. But when he got near the end, he uttered a line that turned out to be the most famous line in the speech. Interestingly, the words he read in the car were quite different than the ones he uttered on the floor of the House of Commons later that night. It was the General’s remonstration that affected the change, and at the center of his remonstration was Jesus Christ. I’ll tell you all about it on Sunday.
This week is Communion Sunday at Hebron and we will focus on the Last Supper and the familiar words Jesus utters there. The problem with the familiarity of these words is that we often pass over them as if we know them. I would submit that these words of Jesus in verses 15 and 19 are rarely mined to the depth of their meaning. That’s what we will seek to do on Sunday in a message entitled, “Looking to Jesus.” We will find in the words of Jesus – the Desire, the Direction, and the Declaration of Jesus – all of which are reminders to us that our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. It is ever the work of the Holy Spirit to turn our eyes away from ourselves and on to Him. My prayer is that He will do just that this Sunday.
In preparation for Sunday you may wish to consider the following.
1. What was “Pug’s” objection to Churchill’s words in the car that night?
2. Why is Jesus so interested in eating this Passover meal with His disciples? Haven’t they eaten Passover’s before?
3. What is the depth of Jesus’ desire here?
4. What is different about this Passover meal?
5. What does Jesus mean when He says, “This is my body”?
6. How does knowing His meaning affect your discipleship?
7. What does Jesus mean when He says, “Do this in remembrance of me”?
8. How does our memory of all that happens around that table comport with God’s memory?
See you Sunday!
