Don’t forget to remember

How you remember things? Some people use mnemonics like “ROY G. BIV” for the colors of the rainbow. Or in sheet music, “Every good boy deserves fruit” for the treble lines and “FACE” for the treble spaces. And “Good burritos don’t fall apart” for the bass lines and “All cows eat grass” for the bass spaces. Or “Eddy ate dynamite, good bye Eddy” for the strings of a guitar. Or “All stations to central” or “All students take care” or “Add sugar to coffee” for the signs of trigonometric functions.

The Israelites had a routine of six days and work and one day rest, which was given by God in the ten commandments. On six days they were occupied with the business of life. This was when they worked hard for their food, water and shelter. But there was no work on the seventh (Sabbath) day. What was the reason for this? From the passages in the Bible about the Sabbath we learn the following.

“For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day” (Ex. 20:11NIV). It was to remind them that there is a God who followed the same pattern when He created the universe.

“This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the Lord, who makes you holy” (Ex. 31:13). It was to remind them of God’s covenant with Israel, which promised blessing for obeying the laws of Moses.

And “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm” (Dt. 5:15). It was to remind them that God had rescued them from slavery in Egypt.

The Sabbath day reminded the Israelites that there is a God, and it wasn’t them. It was God who created the universe, who made them His people and who rescued them from slavery. They were a privileged people with a powerful God.

What is the purpose and reason for the Lord’s Supper, which we celebrate every Sunday at our church. From the passages in the Bible about the Lord’s Supper we learn the following.

We take the bread and the wine “in remembrance of me [Jesus]” (1 Cor. 11:24-25). The bread represents His body given for us (Lk. 22:19) and the cup of wine represents God’s new covenant with us (Lk. 22:20). They are mnemonics to us. By ingesting them collectively, we are proclaiming the Lord’s death (1 Cor. 11:26).

The Lord’s Supper reminds us that there is a God, and it isn’t us. We are not masters of our destiny. We can’t rescue ourselves from our sinfulness. Instead, Jesus as the Son of God gave up His life so that our sins can be forgiven. He rescued us from a Godless future and gave us a new covenant, which promises eternal blessing for those who confess their sin and turn around to follow Him. God is the ultimate rescuer. Christ’s death and resurrection is the turning point in our destiny. We are a privileged people with a powerful God.

So don’t forget to remember Him!

Prayer

Father God today we pause from our busy lives to remember your power in the creation and in the cross. We remember what Jesus has done for us. Through His death we can be His people and be rescued from the consequences of our sinfulness. We also remember that you keep close watch over our lives and promise your presence when we feel overwhelmed and alone. In Christ’s name, Amen.