For Jesus and his followers, bread was the "staff of life"—the essence of food and nourishment to people in Jesus' culture in Jesus' day. Jesus had already taught his closest followers that he was the bread of life (John 6). Now, Jesus was providing these followers with a way to remember him, his life-giving place in their lives, and the sacrifice he was about to make for them. In addition, he was providing his followers with a way of understanding their role in the world—they were to be his bodily presence. When we take of the Lord's Supper on Sunday like the early followers of Jesus did, we do so to remember him and to commit to keep alive his ministry to the world as we pledge to be his Body. We must never take this meal for granted.