Memorials

This time of the year allows me to focus on those who have died while fighting to keep our country free.  They gave their all, they made the ultimate sacrifice – They Gave Their Life!  These men and women didn’t return to their families.  Many of them left spouses and children behind.  When I contemplate this it saddens me to see so many people who are not thankful for the sacrifice that has been made.  We have those who burn the flag and those who won’t stand for the National Anthem.  This is total disrespect.  Yes, they have the right to do these thing,  but the only reason they have this right is because of the men and women who have died and gave them that right.

I also think about those who have died while sharing the Gospel.  Many Godly men and women have gave their all, they too have made the ultimate sacrifice – They Gave Their Life!  Just as Christ made the ultimate sacrifice so that we all could be saved from hell.  His death has given us life.  His death has allowed us the choice of excepting Him as our Savior and following Him.  His death has given us Heaven if we choose!

There were memorials that were wrote about in the Bible.  These memorials where put in place so that we wouldn’t forget who God is and what He has done.  The Passover was used not to bring death but to show God’s Grace and Mercy along with the gift of Life.  The blood on the door post brought life when death was expected.  It gave mercy to those who believed what God said and obeyed Him.

There have been other memorials in scripture, such as:

To remember the manna God provided in the wilderness (Exodus 16:32)

When Joshua led the people into the Promised Land he placed a stone as a witness to keep them from denying God (Joshua 24:27).

I want to now talk about Communion.  I never really stopped to think about this being a memorial, but it is a very significant one.

Luke 22:14-20(KJV)

¹⁴ And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.

¹⁵ And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:

¹⁶ For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

¹⁷ And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:

¹⁸ For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.

¹⁹ And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.

²⁰ Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

Jesus instituted communion so we as Christians wouldn’t forget the sacrifice He had made.  The disciples didn’t fully understand at the time what Christ was doing.  If you stop and think about it can you imagine how they felt after the death and resurrection of Christ?  They had the message of communion personally explained to them.

By the Guidance of the Holy Spirit Paul told the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 11:23-25 to continue to do communion as a way to memorialize Christ’ sacrifice.    When we think about the elements used to partake of communion we have a picture of what Christ went through.  The bread represents His broken body and reminds us of the healing He has brought us.  The cup represents His shed blood and shows us that he is healing our inward man offering us salvation.

Memorial Day is celebrated once a year even though for some they remember the sacrifices of their loved ones daily.  The Biblical memorials all have different guidelines placed on them as to how often to remember them.  If we look at how often we are to do communion, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he comes.

We should partake of it often and always remember the death and resurrection of Christ when we do.  We can never take it for granted.  We are to remember why the bread and cup were gave to us.  It should remind us of the life we are now able to have in Christ.  Communion is most likely the most precious memorial there will ever be given.