What Does Jesus’ Command “Do This in Remembrance of Me” Require of Us? — A Daily Devotional on Luke 22:19

“And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’” — Luke 22:19

The Historical Setting of the Lord’s Evening Meal

Luke 22:19 records words spoken by Jesus on Nisan 14, 33 C.E., the very night He would be arrested and executed the following afternoon. The setting was the Passover meal, instituted in 1446 B.C.E. on the night of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt (Exod. 12:1–14). Jesus gathered with His apostles in Jerusalem to observe that divinely commanded memorial. Yet on that night, He introduced something new—something that would replace the Passover for His followers under the new covenant.

The Passover commemorated Jehovah’s deliverance of Israel through the blood of the lamb placed on the doorposts. The Lord’s Evening Meal, instituted by Christ, commemorates a greater deliverance—redemption from sin through His own sacrificial death. As Paul later wrote, “For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed” (1 Cor. 5:7). This was not allegory or symbolism detached from reality; it was the historical fulfillment of God’s redemptive purpose through the atoning sacrifice of His Son.

“This Is My Body”: The Meaning of the Bread

When Jesus said, “This is my body, which is given for you,” He was not teaching that the bread literally became His flesh. Scripture consistently presents the bread as symbolic. Paul writes, “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Cor. 10:17). The bread represents Christ’s physical body offered up in death.

Isaiah 53:5 foretold this substitutionary sacrifice centuries earlier: “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities.” Jesus’ body was “given for you.” The language is personal and direct. His sacrifice was not a vague moral example. It was a deliberate, substitutionary act. He gave His life in place of ours. Peter affirms this reality: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree” (1 Pet. 2:24).

This giving was voluntary. Jesus had earlier declared, “I lay down my life for the sheep… No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord” (John 10:15, 18). The bread in the memorial reminds us that our salvation rests entirely on His atoning sacrifice, not on human merit or religious ritual.

“Do This in Remembrance of Me”: A Command, Not a Suggestion

Jesus did not frame His words as an optional spiritual exercise. He issued a command: “Do this.” The verb is imperative. Obedience is required. Paul later repeated the instruction, stating, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Cor. 11:26).

The memorial is not a mystical re-sacrifice of Christ. Hebrews 10:10 declares, “We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” His sacrifice was complete and never to be repeated. The Lord’s Evening Meal is a remembrance—a proclamation—of what was finished on the cross.

Remembrance in Scripture is not mere mental recall. It is active, covenantal acknowledgment. When Jehovah “remembered” Noah (Gen. 8:1), He acted in faithfulness to His promise. In the same way, when Christians “remember” Christ’s sacrifice, they reaffirm their covenant relationship with Him and their ongoing participation in the benefits of His ransom.

The New Covenant and Those Who Partake

Luke’s account continues in verse 20, where Jesus speaks of “the new covenant in my blood.” This covenant, foretold in Jeremiah 31:31–34, would involve forgiveness of sins and a direct relationship with God based on Christ’s atoning sacrifice. Those in this covenant would be sanctified as holy ones, set apart for Jehovah’s purpose.

Scripture indicates that a select number are taken into the new covenant to rule with Christ in His heavenly kingdom (Luke 22:28–30; Rev. 5:9–10; 14:1–3). They partake of the bread and cup as participants in that covenant. The vast majority of the righteous, however, place their faith in Christ’s sacrifice for everlasting life on earth under His millennial reign (Matt. 5:5; Rev. 21:3–4). All faithful believers benefit from the ransom, though not all are in the same role within God’s arrangement.

The memorial, therefore, is not an empty ceremony. It is a profound acknowledgment of Christ’s sacrificial death and the covenantal framework established through His blood.

Self-Examination and Worthy Conduct

Paul gives solemn instruction regarding participation in 1 Corinthians 11:27–29. He warns that anyone who eats and drinks “in an unworthy manner” is guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. This does not mean sinless perfection is required. Rather, it demands sincere faith, repentance, and an understanding of the sacred meaning of the observance.

The believer must examine himself. Are we living in harmony with Christ’s sacrifice? Are we pursuing holiness, resisting the Devil, and walking according to the Spirit-inspired Word? Ephesians 4:1 urges Christians to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” Remembrance is inseparable from obedience.

Proclaiming the Lord’s Death Until He Comes

The memorial looks backward to Calvary and forward to Christ’s return. Paul states that we proclaim His death “until he comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). This aligns with premillennial expectation. Jesus will return before His thousand-year reign (Rev. 20:4–6). His coming will vindicate Jehovah’s sovereignty, defeat Satan, and bring the blessings of the kingdom to earth.

Every observance of the Lord’s Evening Meal is a declaration that we believe in the historical death, bodily resurrection, and promised return of Jesus Christ. It is an act of loyalty in a world that rejects His authority. It is also an act of evangelism, reminding observers that salvation comes only through His shed blood (Acts 4:12).

A Daily Remembrance Beyond the Annual Observance

While the memorial itself is observed at its appointed time, the spirit of remembrance is daily. Jesus’ words call us to continual reflection on what His sacrifice cost and what it accomplished. Romans 12:1 urges believers to present their bodies as a living sacrifice in response to His mercy.

Remembrance shapes conduct. It deepens gratitude. It strengthens resolve against sin and against the schemes of the Devil (Eph. 6:11). It anchors our hope in the resurrection, for Christ’s death guarantees the re-creation of those who sleep in death (John 5:28–29; 1 Cor. 15:22–23). Eternal life is not inherent in man; it is a gift granted through Christ’s redemptive work (Rom. 6:23).

To “do this in remembrance of me” is to live consciously under the shadow of the cross and in the light of the coming kingdom. It is to acknowledge that our forgiveness, our hope, and our future rest entirely upon the body given and the blood poured out for us.

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