Remembering Why

Warm weather months bring family gatherings and ballgames and cookouts and patriotic celebrations. Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day…spring and summer fairly explode with red, white, and blue.

Amid all the fun, flags, fanfare, and fireworks, it is easy to forget why we celebrate these special days. The hot dogs and parades serve a purpose beyond mere pleasure and amusement. They remind us of who we are by reminding us of the people and events that have made us who we are. Memorials are important to the people of God, too.

On the tenth day of the first month the people went up from the Jordan and camped at Gilgal on the eastern border of Jericho. And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. He said to the Israelites, “In the future when your descendants ask their parents, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The Lord your God did to the Jordan what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the Lord is powerful and so that you might always fear the Lord your God.” (Joshua 4:19-24 NIV)

The Lord had instructed them to set up this memorial so that future generations could remember and celebrate what the Lord had done for them. In the remembering, the Lord is glorified. The world learns “that the hand of the Lord is powerful,” giving them reason to turn to Him in repentance. God’s people are reminded of his greatness and His goodness, “so that you might always fear the Lord your God.” Such an understanding of God’s nature and character brings both humility before the Almighty God and the confidence of knowing that the Almighty God is on your side.

The stones themselves were of no particular value, but they were made special by the purpose they were given. They were a reminder of the reason that Israel was a unique and extraordinary nation: they were chosen and established by God. The Lord ordained numerous ceremonies, festivals, and memorials to help His people remember the things that mattered most so that they would not forget the Lord or their identity as His people. At various times, the nation would continue the rituals and celebrations but neglect the reasons for them. Every time that happened, they wandered from their God and the blessings He longed to give them. Because they lost the meaning of the celebrations and practices that set them apart from other nations, they were unable to enjoy the fullness of what it meant to belong to God. They cherished the traditions, but they missed the meaning that made the traditions matter.

As you celebrate this Memorial Day, remember that the cookouts and flags are to remind us of those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of our nation and to honor them. When you attend the Flag Day parade this June with all the accompanying festivities, remember that it celebrates the flag that represents the shared values and aspirations of the nation for which it stands. Let the “oohs and aahs” of the Fourth of  July fireworks remind you of the War for Independence and the price that was paid for our freedom. If we forget what these celebrations mean, we’ve missed the whole point.

Of infinitely greater worth, however, is the meaning of the church’s great commemoration, which we at Real Life often refer to as the Remembrance Celebration. Whether you know it by this name or another (The Lord’s Supper, the Eucharist, Holy Communion, etc.), its significance is much greater than the name. The elements themselves are of no particular value; they are made special (consecrated as holy) by the purpose they are given. They represent the broken body and shed blood of our precious Lord Jesus Christ who gave Himself in our place, to die for our sins. Every time we participate in this sacred ceremony, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes (1 Corinthians 11:26). The memorial’s purpose is for God’s people to remember the terrible price Jesus paid for our freedom and to celebrate God’s great love that saved us by this amazing grace. If we forget what this celebration means, we’ve missed absolutely everything.

Let us all remember the significance and purpose of our holiday celebrations, but let us remember with much greater zeal the unspeakable significance and redeeming purpose of what we celebrate every time we eat the bread and cup of remembrance. It is the true memorial of the greatest sacrifice of all.