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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."
Matthew 26:26 NLT
The Passover meal has been prepared at the home of someone who super naturally knew that Jesus and his disciples were going to turn up.
It seems like they're about to share the meal and after recently reminding the disciples that his death is imminent, Jesus drops the bomb that someone in the group will betray him, and then after letting everyone wonder if it's them, confirms it's Judas. 
And then he blesses the food, gives the bread that he has broken to each person, and says "take it, eat it, this is my body"!
No one is going to want to eat that bread.
There's going to be betrayal and it must have felt like each of them would be part of it. 
And yet here is Jesus, blessing this kai and giving it...the thing you don't want to be part of you're being invited into...the betrayal and death of Jesus.
Here we are thinking about Christmas, Jesus birth, and yet in that celebration, we are being invited into this story too, because it's all connected, joy and sorrow being held together at the same time.
The Big Story holds the hope that all the sorrow will one day be completely overwhelmed by Love, and all will be made new. 
This is the hope contained in Christmas.
#wordsofJesus #redletterBible 
#hope
#hopeishere
#Christmas 
#takethisbread

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