On Monday, our nation marked Memorial Day. This day, formerly known as Decoration Day, was established so we never forget the ultimate sacrifice men and women in the military made for us. Monuments, memorials, and even parades are designed to help us remember not to ever forget.
I came across an image that captures this well. A businessman with his head bowed, placed his hand on a Memorial Wall. In the reflection you can see images of soldiers who have died, one with his hand up to meet his. I posted this picture on Monday and added this phrase, “Don’t ever forget to remember...and remember to not ever forget.”
Last week many of you rediscovered hope as we learned how God can restore what has been ruined. Our focus today is on another word that begins with “Re” – “Remember.” Here’s what I’m hoping we get: Don’t ever forget to remember what God has done for you.
The word “remember” means, “to recall, to mark, to set aside.” In the Bible, “remembering” is not just bringing something back to mind; it implies a change of behavior, so our lives line up with what we’ve been reminded of. Remembering is not a passive attitude; it’s a proactive activity which leads to action. We’re to ponder and then put into practice. We’re called to remember so we can recalibrate our lives according to what’s being remembered.
Michael Horton writes: “In our Western intellectual heritage, ‘remembering’ means ‘recollecting something that is no longer a present reality.’ Nothing could be further from a Jewish conception. For example, in [their practice], ‘remembering’ means participating here and now in certain defining events in the past and also in the future.’”
In this sense, to remember is “to embrace and own for ourselves.” The word “remember” is used over 200 times in the Bible, because we tend to forget God’s faithfulness while neglecting our faith. In short, we need reminders to remember because if we don’t, we’ll rebel.
One of the results of living in a fallen world is forgetfulness. That’s why God spends so much time encouraging us to remember. Here’s a brief selection of Scriptures.
• Deuteronomy 9:7: “Remember and do not forget how you provoked the LORD your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day you came out of the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the LORD.”
• Psalm 106:7: “They did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love, but rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea.”
• Ecclesiastes 12:1: “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth…”
• Lamentations 3:21: “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope.”
• 2 Timothy 2:8: “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel.”
• 2 Peter 1:12-13: “Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder.”
• 2 Peter 3:1-2: “…I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets…”
• Revelation 2:5: “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the works you did at first…”
Don’t ever forget to remember what God has done for you.
Going Way Back
The preeminent picture of redemption in the Old Testament is the exodus of Israel from Egypt, memorialized in the Passover meal. In Exodus 12, we learn about the roots of Passover. The head of the family was to take a lamb without blemish and slaughter it at twilight. Then, the blood was to be placed on the sides and tops of the doorframes. That same night the family ate a meal of roasted lamb, bitter herbs, and unleavened bread. They were to eat in haste and be ready to travel because God was about to unleash the 10th plague on the Egyptians by killing their firstborn. Only those who were under the blood of the lamb would be “passed over.”
After being freed from the Egyptians, God’s people enjoyed a covenantal relationship with the Almighty for hundreds of years. Passover became an annual memorial meal for the Israelites as seen in verse 25: “And when you come to the land that the LORD will give you, as He has promised, you shall keep this service.” This meal was designed as a yearly reminder of who – or whose – they were. One commentator said, “It’s not dry history to be learned but dynamic history to be lived. They participated in the meal because they were partakers in the reality of this redemption as Israelites.”
Don’t ever forget to remember what God has done for you.
Sadly, the Israelites did forget and became unfaithful. When we come to the prophet Jeremiah, we discover God’s plan always involved the inauguration of a new covenant according to Jeremiah 31:31: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah.”
The Savior’s Supper
Just as the Passover meal recalled God’s rescue of Israel from slavery, the Lord’s Supper reminds us of our rescue from slavery to sin.
The night before Jesus was crucified, He had a final memorial meal with His closest followers. This dinner was more than just a social gathering. It was rich in spiritual meaning with sweet symbolism going back to the first Passover (The following insights were gleaned from “The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary,” 1988).
To prepare the Passover itself, Peter and John would have taken a lamb to the priests to have it slaughtered. After the priests blew a threefold blast from their trumpets and collected the blood in gold and silver bowls, another priest would have splashed the blood upon the altar. While all this was going on, a hymn of praise was led by the Levites, with the lyrics of Psalms 113-118 filling the Temple.
After the priest returned their lamb, they roasted it over pomegranate wood. The 12 disciples gathered and took their places around the table in their best garments, joyful, and at rest. To express this idea the rabbis insisted that at least part of the feast should be partaken in a reclined position.
This explains Luke 22:14-16: “And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, ‘I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’” The phrase “earnestly desired” literally means, “I have desired with desire.” Jesus was set on celebrating this supper because He knew the deep meaning behind His final memorial meal. 1 Corinthians 5:7 says: “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”
Each element of the Passover meal had symbolic significance. The unleavened bread represented the haste with which Israel left Egypt. Bitter herbs reminded them of the tears of the Jewish slaves. A paste-like puree was prepared to look like clay to recall their forced labor. The Passover lamb helped them remember God’s merciful “passing-over” Israel and the wine symbolized the blood sprinkled on their doorposts.
It’s likely Jesus would have held up four different cups, each representing one of the “I will” phrases from Exodus 6:6-7.
1. “I will bring you out from under” (Cup of Sanctification).
2. “I will deliver you from slavery” (Cup of Plagues). They were not to drink this cup because the Savior drank the cup of wrath for us. However, to recall the ten plagues, ten drops of wine were poured on a plate during the meal.
3. “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm” (Cup of Redemption). This cup was to be filled to overflowing to represent God’s grace.
4. “I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God” (Cup of Gathering). This cup is to be drunk at the Second Coming.
The supper began with Jesus as the “host” pronouncing a benediction over the first cup. Then a table was brought in with the roasted lamb. Jesus would have taken some of the bitter herbs, dipped them in sauce, eaten some, and given them to the others. This is the background behind Matthew 26:23: “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me.”
Immediately after this, all the dishes were removed from the table and the second cup of wine would be filled. At this point it was customary for a son to ask: “How is this night distinguished from all other nights?” In response, as the host, Jesus would have recited the history of Israel, focusing on Abraham, their deliverance from Egypt, and the giving of the law. The dishes were then put back on the table and Jesus would have taken the symbols in succession, starting with the Passover lamb, then the bitter herbs, and the unleavened bread as He briefly explained the importance of each one.
Everything was going according to the Passover plan. The disciples knew the drill and could recite every word. But then, according to Luke 22:19, Jesus went off script: “And He took bread, and when he had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’” I imagine the disciples dropping their forks at this point (if they used them back then)!
As Jesus took the unleavened bread, he uttered words of thanks, broke it into pieces, and handed it out to His followers. This bread was a symbol for His body which was about to be broken, bruised, and battered for them. This must have stunned them!
Before they could fully recover from this shocking statement, we read in Luke 22:20: “And likewise the cup after they had eaten…” This was likely the third cup, commonly called the “cup of redemption.” Interestingly, in the Passover observance, this cup was set-aside for the anticipated Messiah!
The script for the supper was back on track and then, in the second half of verse 20, Jesus startled them again when he said, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” The cup represented His bloody death, which would inaugurate the new covenant, spoken of by the prophet Jeremiah. Biblical covenants were always ratified by blood.
Hebrews 9:15: “Therefore He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.”
Don’t miss the two uses of the phrase, “for you,” which is a term of substitution. Jesus gave His body in your place and shed His blood as your substitute, so you don’t have to shed yours. The phrase “do this” is a present imperative, meaning we’re to celebrate this supper and “keep on doing it.” I appreciate how one pastor framed it: “The Last Supper is the single, unrepeatable historical event that took place the night before Jesus’ crucifixion. The Lord’s Supper is that ordinance which is celebrated again and again when Christians gather in memory of Jesus’ death.”
Communion Correctives
Acts 20:7 tells us the early church celebrated the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week. As far as we know this memorial meal was celebrated with dignity and decorum (see Acts 2) until we get to the chaotic and confused church in Corinth. Please turn to 1 Corinthians 11 where we’re called to look in five different directions as we come to the Lord’s Supper. Let’s remember communion is for sinners in Corinth and sinners in the Quad Cities. We don’t want to approach this time in a cavalier, callous, or careless way.
Don’t ever forget to remember what God has done for you.
The words of Puritan John Flavel are helpful in distinguishing between two types of remembering: “A speculative remembrance is only to call to mind the history of such a person and his sufferings…an affectionate remembrance is when we so call Christ and His death to our minds as to feel the affectionate impressions thereof upon our hearts.” These five directions will help us approach communion with eagerness and expectancy, with rejoicing and reverence.
1. We recalibrate by looking upward (23). Paul received these directions from the Lord Himself, who is host of this memorial meal: “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you…” The words “received” and “delivered” are technical terms describing the accurate conveying of the exact words of our exalted Lord. Jesus is now seated at the right hand of God the Father, and we are to submit and surrender to Him, lining up under His Lordship.
Take some time to look up and recalibrate right now.
2. We remember by looking backward (23-25). We’re to remember from Jesus Himself: “…that the Lord Jesus on the night when He was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, He broke it, and said, ‘This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also He took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’” Twice in this passage we’re told to remember what Jesus did for us. The celebration of communion helps us remember what we tend to forget.
Since there is disagreement related to the Lord’s Supper among different denominations let me make two quick points.
• The bread and the cup serve as memorials of the Lord’s death; they don’t mystically become His body or blood.
• We are remembering His death, not repeating the sacrifice.
Take some time to look back and remember now.
3. We repent by looking inward (27-28). Examine your heart and repent from any sin the Spirit brings to mind: “Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” We’re not to approach the Lord’s Table in a trite manner.
Here are two questions to ask before taking communion:
• Am I saved? 2 Corinthians 13:5 says: “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? —unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” If you are not yet saved, the Lord’s Supper is not for you…yet.
• Am I surrendered? Psalm 32:5: “I acknowledged my sin to you, and did not cover up my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.” Examine your attitudes, your affections, and your actions and make sure you’re surrendered to Him.
Take some time to look inward and repent.
4. We reconcile by looking outward (28-29, 33-34). “Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself…so then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another -- if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home—so that when you come together it will not be for judgment.”
Communion is a time to make sure we’re living in union with those we’re in community with. Jesus has made us one, so we need to act accordingly. This is stated clearly in 1 Corinthians 10:17: “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” Communion is meant to be communal.
Take some time to look outward and be ready to reconcile.
5. We rejoice by looking forward (26). “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” We’re to look back and remember the cross and look forward to the crown. To “proclaim” means, “to announce publicly, to declare, publish, and perpetuate.” The bread and the cup tell the story of redemption and look ahead to the culmination of history. We eat and drink now in anticipation of a glorious banquet to come. Communion is like a spiritual appetizer for a future feast. We’re commanded to remember this meal perpetually.
Take some time to look forward and rejoice.
Directions for Opening Cup
We celebrate communion the first weekend of every month. For the past couple years, we’ve been using sealed cups you pick up at the beginning of the service but next month we’re going back to the passing of trays down the rows. We believe this will help create an environment for more reverence and rejoicing.
The bread we will use beginning next month will be gluten free and we’ll plan to still have some sealed cups in the middle of the tray until we use our inventory.
Can you take your cup now? Let’s engage our senses as we touch, smell, and taste.
1. Hold the cup with one hand and with the other find the clear tab and pull gently to remove the bread. The bread helps us remember who Jesus is. He is the Bread of Life and He gave His body for you.
2. Continue to hold the cup and pull the foil tab carefully to open the juice cup. This cup reminds us of what Jesus has done. As you taste the sweetness of the grape juice, remember the sweetness of having your sins forgiven.
