It seems that no matter what the purpose may be for any of our national holidays, as time passes, the original intent of the event becomes less important to some, and the three-day weekend becomes more significant. Such is true with Memorial Day. The holiday was originally called Decoration Day because it’s a time for decorating the graves of those who died in service for our country with flowers and flags. Over time, the designation Memorial Day became more common. It began shortly after the end of the Civil War, around 1868, and after World War I observances were changed to honor the dead in all American wars, starting with the American Revolution.
There will be ceremonies and proclamations on each Memorial Day, the flag will be flown at half-staff from sunrise until noon, “taps” will be played and families will recall the sacrifices made by their loved ones. Others, however, will have no memory of such things, and they will engage in work, cookouts, parties, shopping and a host of other activities, all made possible by those who have served our country.
Unfortunately, this same attitude can be present in the Lord’s church. Every Lord’s Day there is to be a remembrance of the death of our Savior, the sacrifice our Lord made on our behalf, so that we could have life in Him. What a sobering thought it is to remember how Jesus left the glory of Heaven to become flesh and blood (Philippians 2:7), to be tempted in all ways as we are, yet to remain without sin (Hebrews 4:15), and then to die a cruel and a humiliating death on the cross (Philippians 2:8). We partake of the Lord’s Supper to remember this and to be renewed in the life His death calls us to live. “For in that He died, He died to sin once for all; but in that He lives, He lives to God. So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:10-11).
Do we remember the death of Christ, what that death offers us and what we are to be in Him through His death? Or, is the Lord’s Day just another day? Does the sacrifice of Christ impact our lives, or do we just go through the motions? Is the Lord’s Day a day of remembrance and renewal, or is it just part of the weekend?
It’s sad when a nation forgets those who offered themselves for its freedom; it’s sadder still when Christians forget Jesus who offered His life for our spiritual freedom. We ought not to reflect sin but rather our Savior. Perhaps, we need to ask ourselves what Paul asked the church in Rome; “What should we say then? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:1). We should remember the sacrifice of Christ so we can live for Christ and live like Christ. Do we? Do we think about it? Do we give conscious thought and attention to our Lord’s sacrifice for us? Or, after being immersed, do we feel that, in the end, no matter how we live, God will save us by His grace? Not according to the words of Scripture. We should live for God, not for ourselves (1 Peter 4:2). Christ is to be what life is all about (Colossians 3:4). We are to be imitators of God in Christ (Ephesians 5:1). Are we? Do you remember? “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead…” (2 Timothy 2:8).
