Whenever we have out-of-state guests, we try to go to San Antonio to show them the Alamo. Perhaps the best know phrase regarding the history of this fort is, “Remember the Alamo.” The fort sits today in the midst of a concrete jungle as a commemoration of that historic battle and in memory of those who fought and died there.
Today, we have learned to say, “Remember 9/11.” As a dark moment in our nation’s history, we don’t remember 9/11 in order to drudge up memories of that terrible event. Instead, we remember 9/11 in commemoration of those who lost lives and family members.
According to the New World Dictionary, to commemorate means “to preserve or honor the memory of.” As Christians, when we observe the Lord’s Supper we commemorate Christ; we remember and honor His name and His sacrifice for sin. The supper is a remembering of a specific event in the life of Christ. We preserve the memory of Christ and honor his name by remembering and reflecting upon what the bread and the fruit of the vine signify. Michael Green reminds us that every time we observe the Lord’s Supper we do so in remembrance of Him in . . .
We look up in adoration
Whenever we eat the Lord’s Supper we remember God’s mercy and grace as the loving Father sent His beloved Son to die on the cross for sin.
We look back in commemoration
Whenever we eat the Lord’s Supper we remember that Christ came into this world to save sinners. He lived a life without sin, yet He was rejected by His own, beaten and ultimately killed for our sake. Through His death, Jesus paid the penalty for sin and liberated those who trust in Him from the bondage of sin.
We look forward in anticipation
Whenever we eat the Lord’s Supper we are eating and drinking in anticipation of the great marriage supper of the Lamb, where a place has been reserved for all those who belong to Christ’s family.
We look outward in proclamation
Whenever we eat the Lord’s Supper our actions proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
We look inward in examination
Whenever we eat the Lord’s Supper we reflect upon our own lives, asking the Holy Spirit of God to expose our own sins, so that we might come into the presence of Christ with clean hands and pure hearts.
We look around in consideration
Whenever we eat the Lord’s Supper we are forced to look around at our brothers and sisters in Christ being reminded that we are sitting at the table as a family.
Next time you participate in the Lord’s Supper, I encourage you to examine your hearts as you sit together at the Lord’s table with God’s people in remembrance of Him.
