1 Corinthians 11:24 (KJV) “And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.”

The car had one of those “remembrance” or “in memory of” messages on its back window. We’ve all seen these messages. Every time I see these displays I have mixed emotions. I’m sad that a life – usually a young life – has ended, yet I’m also pleased that someone remembers the recently departed. Obviously such a person made a deep impact on life itself, else why would he or she be memorialized in such a way?

We remember our loved ones in a number of ways. We visit their graves, and periodically put flowers on or near the headstone. We make dedications to our local Church, or to some Godly organization like the Gideons. We remember our loved ones fondly, especially during that time we call Homecoming. We look at their pictures and remember back to the time they were among us, enriching our lives.

Just before Jesus Christ went to the Cross of Calvary He instituted a “remembrance” that His Church follows to this day.

Jesus took bread and beverage from the table. He broke the break and asked that we continue to do this “in memory” of His sacrifice – a symbol of His suffering for us. The beverage shared from a common cup emphasized that each believer who took of that Table was sustained – not by their own works – but because of what Jesus did for us all. Practically anyone can eat or drink, so the symbolism of that Table emphasizes that we who believe have neither earned nor deserved what Jesus did for us. Jesus drank from the bitter cup of sin so we could be forgiven before God our Father. He took part in our Hell so we could take part in His Heaven. Can’t you hear the anguish in His voice as He prayed ” … O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:39) Jesus’ sacrifice was not accidental, but it was the deliberate and undeserved act of a Friend for those He wanted to save. Because His action was selfless and undeserved, the memorial of the Table is much more special than a message on a car window. The Lord’s Table reminds us that all who believe in Him, though they are no longer with us, are nonetheless in the arms of our Risen Savior just beyond the veil of life. The remembrance of the Table promises us that we do not need to hopelessly grieve over the loss of a loved one. We are reminded that “He is not here, He is risen just as He said” (Matthew 28:6) – and that our loved ones are also with Him in that great by and by. When I see a memorial on the back window of a car, I hope that the one to whom it is dedicated was a believer who had accepted Jesus as Savior. I also hope that the driver of the car, and all who see that moving memorial, would turn to Him believing while there is yet time. In a few years that car with the message in its rear window will be sent to some junkyard, but the soul that submits itself to God in Christ shall never die (John 11:26). You have His Table – and His Word – to remind you of that immortal truth.

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Sunday services 8:30 am, 11 am, 6 pm