By David Baker

"And it came to pass, when all the nation were clean passed over the Jordan, that Jehovah spake unto Joshua, saying, Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, and command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of the Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and carry them over with you, and lay them down in the lodging-place, where ye shall lodge this night. Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: and Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of Jehovah your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel; that this may be a sign among you, that, when your children ask in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? then ye shall say unto them, Because the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah; when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever" (Josh. 4:1-7).

We celebrate this weekend one of the most hallowed of American holidays – Memorial Day. It is the day we have set aside to remember those who gave so much, sometimes as much as their own lives, so that we might be free. Without their sacrifice, I would not be able to print this bulletin, and if I were to manage somehow to get it out illegally, it would be illegal for you to possess and read it. The terrors of warfare are real, and many of those who go to war don’t come back from it. And they go knowing ….

It is important to keep in memory important events and people. It helps us to keep our perspective, and to know what we owe. Appreciation grows out of remembering, and so in order to remember, we erect monuments. Joshua, at God’s instruction, erected a monument of stones in the Jordan River bed so the people would remember that God parted the waters of the Jordan before the ark of the covenant so the people could cross over on dry land. Those who read the book of Joshua could go down the river and see the actual spot, and know that it was not a fable because there were the rocks.

Throughout the ages God has given his people monuments, tokens of remembrance, so they might remember the important things. In the New Testament, we have no monuments to the birth of Christ, nor to any of the miracles that he performed, save the testimony of the eyewitnesses, the apostles. We are to remember these things, but our minds are to be focused on Jesus in his death on the cross. It is to this fact that we are given a memorial. It is not a statue or a day, but a feast. We eat unleavened bread and drink of the fruit of the vine together as Jesus instructed the disciples in the gospels. "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it; and he gave to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took a cup, and gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many unto remission of sins. But I say unto you, I shall not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom (Matt. 26:26-29).

The apostle Paul addresses the purpose of the Lord’s Supper as he reminds us of what Jesus said in Luke 22:19. He wrote to the Corinthian church, "For I received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which he was betrayed took bread; and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, This is my body, which is for you: this do in remembrance of me. In like manner also the cup, after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood: this do, as often as ye drink it, in remembrance of me" (1 Cor. 11:23-25).

The Lord’s Supper then is a monument, a memorial service. To keep his suffering on the cross ever before us, we have every first day of the week enjoined upon us through example. "And upon the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul discoursed with them, intending to depart on the morrow; and prolonged his speech until midnight" (Acts 20:7).

The purpose of the Lord’s Supper suggests an attitude of quiet reverence. I am impressed that on Memorial Day, at ballgames, parades, picnics and other activities, participants observe a moment of silence. That moment is not only to honor those who are lost to war, but to think about their sacrifice.

The Lord’s memorial supper is for the purpose of honoring him, and for the purpose of remembering and thinking. The bread and the grape juice are emblems of his body and blood, they are intended appropriately to remind us of the grisly death he died. A moment of silence in order to honor and show respect is little to ask. God expects Christians not only to partake of the emblems, but to participate in the memorial. "For he that eateth and drinketh, eateth and drinketh judgment unto himself, if he discern not the body" (1 Cor. 11:29).

I remember growing up and being told that we should behave during the supper as we would at a funeral. Those who waited on the table were reminded that this was to be done with the kind of quiet dignity that it deserves. The Lord is aware of all the distractions of wiggly babies, and others who whisper and pass notes or make out a check for the contribution during this time. But if there is a holy time for us as Christians, this is it. It is a time for the quiet reflection that it demands and is commanded by God.

The memorial feast of Jesus is at once somber and joyous. We remember that in his death he suffered so much. But we also remember in the supper why he suffered. As the song so richly expresses, "He love me so." It is in the cross of Jesus that we have our redemption, the remission of our sins.

We celebrate Memorial Day. The Lord’s Supper is a celebration as well as a solemn memorial. That does not call for loud or disrespectful behavior, but it does call upon us to rejoice in the event. Am I glad that Jesus died on the cross? I am not glad that he had to, but I am glad that he did, for it is in that death I have my hope, not only for cleansing, but for a victory over death at the end of time.

Today, being the first day of the week, is a day of great joy for the redeemed. Let us rejoice in the Lord this day and always.