An Important Engagement

James A. Garfield was President of the United States of America, taking office March 4, 1881. On his first Sunday in Washington after his inauguration, a member of the cabinet insisted that a meeting must be called to discuss a matter that threatened a national crisis. The President refused on the grounds of another appointment. The cabinet member then insisted that the national matter was of grave importance, and that Mr. Garfield should break his engagement, but Mr. Garfield refused to do so. Then the cabinet member remarked: "I would be interested to know with whom you have an engagement so important it cannot be broken." President Garfield replied: "I will be as frank as you are. My engagement is with the Lord, to meet Him at His house at His table at 10:00 tomorrow morning, and I shall be there."

Mr. Garfield recognized the importance of gathering around the Lord's Table with the saints. Why would such a seemingly unimportant asseembly be so important to him? What is so special about this simple service to God?

The Lord's Supper is a memorial

The setting is sombering. The Lord and His closest followers reclined at a table in an upper room in Jerusalem during the annual Passover feast. They were in the middle of the meal, and Jesus made an important statement: "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19). The Lord instructed His disciples to eat the bread in His memory. He also said that they were to drink the fruit of the vine in His memory also (Luke 22:20). This applies to every Christian today.

During the Lord's Supper, we remember Christ's ransom sacrifice given in behalf of all people (Matthew 20:28). During that time, we think about all of the fleshly pleasure He ignored, just to be able to die sinless (Hebrews 4:15). We remember His compassion, love, understanding, and genuine affection for others. We think and remember His willingness to obey God, so that we can have an eternal hope (Hebrews 5:8-9).

The Lord's Supper is a proclamation of the Lord's death

Paul stated, "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death (AE)until He comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26). The unleavened bread symbolizes Christ's body given for us, and the grape juice reminds of His shed blood. We understand, while eating the Lord's body, and drinking His blood, that we are making a proclamation: Jesus has died for me. During this memorial service, it is good to realize that if you had been the only sinful person to live, God would have still sent His Son (1 John 4:9). Christ died for all, and we should be ready to proclaim that message everywhere (Colossians 1:23).

The Lord's Supper will be taken until He comes again

Every time we eat the memorial supper, we show our anticipation of Christ's second coming (1 Corinthians 11:26; Titus 2:11-14). The Supper is a public proclamation of our faith in our Savior's unavoidable return to judge the world, and deliver the saints up to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:24). The Supper proclaims that so well: This bread and cup reminds me of the Savior and His sacrifice for me, therefore I will live for and love Him, and will anticipate His return to earth.

The bread and sup are symbols that will no longer be needed at the second coming. At that time, "Every eye will see Him" (Revelation 1:7). The symbols will then be obsolete, for we will have the real body and blood of Jesus.

Remembering Christ through eating the Lord's Supper is an engagement that we should never miss.