EASTER FOCUS: JESUS SAID, “DO THIS IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME!”

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IN REMEMBRANCE

Another Easter holiday is upon us, and many will celebrate the day through worship and feasting. Year after year we celebrate Easter in much the same way and then go back to our daily routine where the majesty of the Lord’s resurrection soon fades. Soon after the holiday people will come off their spiritual high and forget the reason for their joy. Many will return to lives filled with struggles with sin and guilt and they have no relief because they lack a proper understanding of biblical teachings and doctrines. They are stalled in the sanctification process and are not in union with Christ, (see the doctrine of sanctification in the salvation tab, and the post on Union with Christ). They could have and should have received proper teaching from faithful pastors who preach and teach the full Gospel of God, but times have changed.

There is a difference between this year’s Easter and last years. In fact, this difference has been continuing for decades as surveys on Christian beliefs have shown. Church membership has been declining and biblical illiteracy has been increasing. There has also been a liberalizing of many churches which no longer preach and teach scripture or biblical doctrines. As a result of these issues many people do not know the reason for Easter celebration or do not understand the significance of the event for their spiritual lives and therefore are unable to mature in the faith. It is then the duty of those faithful church pastors, teachers, and leaders to teach all those within their reach the true biblical message concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That includes this Christian ministry whose mission is to address biblical illiteracy and teach the doctrines of the faith. For those who need such instruction here is an excellent definition of the resurrection:

“The resurrection of Jesus Christ is that central moment in human history that serves as the foundational doctrine of Christianity. After having truly assumed human nature and submitted to an agonizing and shameful public death, the eternal Son of God was truly raised from the dead in his glorified physical body, no longer subject to decay and death. His resurrection validates his identity as the divine Son of God, demonstrates his irrevocable victory over death and the grave, and secures both the present salvation and future physical resurrection of believers.”

Lexham Survey of Theology
Copyright 2018 Lexham Press

As we enter the Easter celebration let us remember the significance of the date two-thousand years ago when our Lord suffered, died, and was resurrected for our salvation. Here are words of wisdom concerning the work of redemption:

“God the Father has “raised us up with [Christ] and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:6). Calvin said in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, “The Lord, by his ascension into heaven, has opened up the access to the heavenly kingdom, which Adam had shut.“

Lexham Survey of Theology
Copyright 2018 Lexham Press

THE LORDS COMMAND

In addition to the celebration of the Lord’s resurrection on Easter Sunday, we must also remember His death and crucifixion on Good Friday. It was His command to His disciples that the event be remembered and proclaimed throughout the ages until He returns, (Luke 22:19 and 1Cor.11:26). The words of His command were, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In light of this command, we conduct our worship with the proper respect and dignity due to any divine command. His command is also the reason for the institution of the Easter celebration and the Lord’s Supper. The breaking of His body and the shedding of His blood were the means by which our sins are forgiven. This event was prophesized by Jeremiah centuries before Christ, “For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more,” (Jer. 31:34).

The Apostle Paul instructs the church to proclaim the Lord’s death every time we celebrate His death and resurrection, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes,” (1Cor. 11:26). To proclaim is the activity of announcing something of extreme importance. This proclamation is the announcement to an unbelieving world that the death of Christ brings salvation to all those that believe in Him.

MERCY AND GRACE

This Easter let us recall the work of Christ on the cross and celebrate by reflecting on two of God’s gifts to us in His ministry of redemption, mercy and grace. Mercy is God’s act of compassion to forgive sinful and rebellious humanity by providing His son as a savior. His mercy is not an obligation, but it is His divine choice which extends from His love. His gift of mercy is a blessing that should be cherished and shared with others, believer, and non-believer. It is an expression of God’s command to love our neighbor. Grace is God’s activity in the life of the person to confront human rebellion and to bring forgiveness. Mercy and grace are gifts from God that we can and should consider and enjoy as part of the Easter celebration. These gifts bring eternal life and save us from eternal damnation. Much greater than Easter eggs and candy, these gifts and the saving ministry of Christ are true reasons for celebration. Let us therefore celebrate the day and proclaim the Lord’s death to an evil and rebellious world.

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“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”

1Cor. 11:26