Have you ever stopped to wonder at the timing of when Jesus asked to celebrate the Passover with His disciples?

On the night He was betrayed, Jesus took the bread and gave thanks…

On the night He was betrayed…

The very night He was betrayed. A betrayal that would accelerate His path to the cross. A betrayal He knew was coming and would be followed by the desertion of His beloved disciples. THAT very night is the night He chose to introduce Communion to the twelve, and ultimately to us.

And what was the first thing He did on that night? Jesus took the bread…and gave thanks. Jesus picked up the unleavened bread, held it up for the disciples to see, and He gave thanks.

I used to think Jesus was giving thanks for the provision of food, the bread in His hand. Of course that is true, and is a remarkable posture of heart considering the suffering He knew was imminent.

What I now see is Jesus was also giving thanks for the cross. The bread He took and put before the disciples was soon to be His very own body. His body that would be beaten. His body that would bear the wrath of Almighty God, so His relationship with us could be restored. That is what He was giving thanks to the Father for – and doing so on the very night He was betrayed.

Lord, may we always remember the Cross was Your idea, Your plan, Your willing sacrifice to bring us back to Yourself.

If God is for us, who can be against us!

I Corinthians 11:23, Romans 8:31