Reminders
"This is My body which is given for you; do this in rememberance of Me." Luke 22:19b
Have you ever noticed how many times God uses different events, rituals or traditions to remind us of what he has done or who he is? Here in this passage in Luke, it is a reference to the Lord's Supper. The Lord never says how often we should observe the Lord's Supper, but what he does say is that "as often as" the church observes this that it is to be a reminder of who Jesus is and what He has done. It is to be a reminder of his sacrifice and the fact that he shed his blood.
I think the Lord does this because he realizes that we so often get busy, even busy doing good things, that we need constant reminding. We need help remembering who we are in Christ and the good news that the gospel does present. We need reminding, so that we are not just known as christians for what we are against, but why it is called "good news" in the first place. We have a tendency to get off center, focused on other things, even sometimes completely forgetting who we are in Christ. I know that I am like that more often than I care to admit.
Many of the festivals and events of the Old Testament were used also as reminder. Sometimes memorials were set up in special places where God had delivered his people. These reminders are important, particularly in difficult times when it doesn't appear that God is answering our prayers to remind ourselves to hold fast and to have faith. One incident that I can think of is in Joshua 4:6 Joshua says, "Let this be a sign among you; so that when your children ask later, What do these stones mean to you?" Then you shall say to them "Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, when we crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off." So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.""
So, God was using this opportunity not just to remind the immediate generation, but also those in the future. He wanted them to know that God is a God who delivers, who is able to answer, who redeems, who cares. So many times when we look at the harshness of life, it might be tempting to think that God does not care. When we see a child who has been abused or the evil in the world or hear about a terrible injustice. But, God gives us reminders. Most of all, He gives us the cross, a reminder to us all that God loves and cares for each one of us.
What reminders do you have in your life? What reminds you that God loves you? When you look back, what reminds you that God answers prayers?
Have you ever noticed how many times God uses different events, rituals or traditions to remind us of what he has done or who he is? Here in this passage in Luke, it is a reference to the Lord's Supper. The Lord never says how often we should observe the Lord's Supper, but what he does say is that "as often as" the church observes this that it is to be a reminder of who Jesus is and what He has done. It is to be a reminder of his sacrifice and the fact that he shed his blood.
I think the Lord does this because he realizes that we so often get busy, even busy doing good things, that we need constant reminding. We need help remembering who we are in Christ and the good news that the gospel does present. We need reminding, so that we are not just known as christians for what we are against, but why it is called "good news" in the first place. We have a tendency to get off center, focused on other things, even sometimes completely forgetting who we are in Christ. I know that I am like that more often than I care to admit.
Many of the festivals and events of the Old Testament were used also as reminder. Sometimes memorials were set up in special places where God had delivered his people. These reminders are important, particularly in difficult times when it doesn't appear that God is answering our prayers to remind ourselves to hold fast and to have faith. One incident that I can think of is in Joshua 4:6 Joshua says, "Let this be a sign among you; so that when your children ask later, What do these stones mean to you?" Then you shall say to them "Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, when we crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off." So these stones shall become a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.""
So, God was using this opportunity not just to remind the immediate generation, but also those in the future. He wanted them to know that God is a God who delivers, who is able to answer, who redeems, who cares. So many times when we look at the harshness of life, it might be tempting to think that God does not care. When we see a child who has been abused or the evil in the world or hear about a terrible injustice. But, God gives us reminders. Most of all, He gives us the cross, a reminder to us all that God loves and cares for each one of us.
What reminders do you have in your life? What reminds you that God loves you? When you look back, what reminds you that God answers prayers?
