Welcome to Eat This Bread Drink This Cup. The title of my meditation today is "Jedidiah." I read from 2 Samuel 12: 24-25 (NLT). Scripture quotations today are taken from the New Living Translation (NLT) and the English Standard Version (ESV). Each quotation is identified by its source; both are used with permission.
24 Then David comforted Bathsheba, his wife, and slept with her. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and David named him Solomon. The LORD loved the child 25 and sent word through Nathan the prophet that they should name him Jedidiah (which means “beloved of the LORD”), as the LORD had commanded.
The life of King David is filled with triumph and tragedy. The account of David and Bathsheba is probably the low watermark in the life of King David. In a short span of time, he broke the sixth, seventh, and tenth commandments. God forgave him these sins; however, there were lasting consequences for him, his family, and the Israelites. Yet, despite these dark days and without prejudice for past sins, God brought forth goodness in the form of a son, Solomon, the second son of David and Bathsheba. While Solomon was given his name by David on the eighth day, the day of his circumcision, God, because of His love for the child, sent word by Nathan the prophet that he should be named, Jedidiah, or "Beloved of the Lord." Hopefully, the special circumstances of his name and the relationship God had with him would silence the lingering whispers from the crowd about the sins of his parents! We might be tempted to covet his name and Solomon's relationship with God, but there is no need! In Christ, you already are the beloved of God. To affirm that you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, endears you to God. You are His beloved. Again, God brought forth goodness in the form of a son, Jesus, and without prejudice for the sins of humanity, He offered His Son that the sins of many might be forgiven. In Jude 1:1-2 (ESV), Jude writes, "To those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ: May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you." This affirming relationship with God should be a source of strength for us as we live each day. As we assemble to partake of the bread and drink from the cup, let us remember our Lord's sacrifice for us. He died that we might also be called, Jedidiah, beloved of the Lord. Let us pray.
Abba, Father. Today we bless and set aside this bread and the fruit of the vine in this cup to remember Your Son, Jesus. We know that the bread represents His body that was nailed to the cross, and the fruit of the vine represents His blood that He shed for us. As we pour out the wine from the cup, we are reminded of how Jesus poured out His own blood that our sins might be forgiven. Thank-you, Abba, Father. How special it is that we are Your beloved! We acknowledge that our special status has nothing to do with our works, but comes instead through our faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As we assemble to partake of the bread and drink from the cup, we remember the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus, Your Jedidiah. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Today, Jesus invites you to partake of His supper. I read from Matthew 26: 26-28 (NLT).
26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” Let us partake of the bread.
27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many." Let us partake of the cup.
And the assembly of believers said, "Amen!"
Until next time, from Numbers 6: 24-26 (NLT), "May the LORD bless you and protect you. May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you. May the LORD show you his favor and give you his peace."
Artist's Note: If you have questions about the Lord's Supper, I invite you to visit my website, https://eatthisbreaddrinkthiscup.com, for a brief overview. The Eat This Bread Drink This Cup podcast is listed in most podcast directories, and I invite you to add my podcast to your favorites and be notified of new posts. There is a written transcript that accompanies each podcast, and you are free to use the transcript in accordance with US copyright law. My prayer is that you will benefit personally from this time with Jesus and encourage others to observe the Lord's Supper. In these trying times, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus!