thanksgiving

Giving Thanks

At the institution of the Lord’s Supper, as Jesus of Nazareth took the bread and the wine… we read that he “gave thanks” (Matt.26: 26-27; Luke 22:19-20).

Surely on this occasion Jesus did not give thanks for food supplied! For He was handling the symbols of His broken body and His shed blood. How we would like to know just what He said at this solemn moment; just what He gave thanks for! This we shall never know in this life, but there are some basic facts we do know.

Worship as Seen in Paul’s Epistles

Paul’s expansive view of the Christian life eliminates ‘worship’ as seen in the Old Testament under the Law, with its external rites of worship. Paul never once uses the word ‘worship’ in an external sense. But Paul speaks of thanksgiving, gospel sharing, walk in the spirit, and the sacrifice and offering of ourselves to the Lord.

Paul says all our lives should be an offering unto the Lord. Paul uses the terminology of a living sacrifice as pleasing to the Lord. Paul never speaks of ‘worship.’