Memorial Day — Celebrated Weekly

Richard Thetford

Tomorrow, May 30th is “Memorial Day,” a time when our nation pauses to reflect on the thousands of military men and women that have given their lives for our country so that we can continue to enjoy our freedom without molestation. These men and women paid the ultimate price as they sacrificed their lives so that you and I and our children might have a better place to live. We can certainly understand their sacrifice knowing that when they died, they would not enjoy the blessings and freedom that they gave to us. We should be very thankful to each one of these individuals that loved and respected our country to the point of death! But in the giving of their lives, this country sets aside only one day per year called “Memorial Day” to remember their lives that were sacrificed for this country.

The Memorial of Jesus

As Christians we have the opportunity to observe “Memorial Day” in a spiritual sense when we observe the Lord's Supper EVERY first day of the week. The disciples left us a clear example of this in Acts 20:7 “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread....” We are required to “remember” Jesus Christ as we understand that he paid the greatest price of all in that while we were yet sinners He died for us (Rom 5:8). He died so that you and I can have the freedom of everlasting life with Him. We remember Jesus in the emblems that we partake of each and every week. The unleavened bread which represents His body that was broken on the cross for us and the fruit of the vine which represents His blood that was shed for us that we can have forgiveness of our sins. Jesus said that when we partake of these emblems that we are to do so “in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).

The Greatest Sacrifice of All

When we remember our men and women once a year on “Memorial Day” that have given their life for this country, we are remembering their sacrifice and the life they gave for us. When we remember our Lord Jesus Christ each “Memorial Day” (first day of the week), we think of His great sacrifice for us. But we remember not just His death, but His RESURRECTION! If Jesus would have simply died and never risen, then His death would have been in vain. But oh what a precious memory it is to know that He AROSE! And it was through that resurrection that we can have life (John 3:16). As we remember our Lord Jesus on the first day of every week we can remember that He suffered and died for us, but more importantly, that He was risen on the third day, overcoming death, so we too might also live. This remembrance of Jesus is sad in that He had to die for sinners but it was also joyous in that He loved us, even to the point of death. Now as we remember His resurrection, gaining new life, that we too might have new life in Christ. The apostle Paul said it very plainly when he wrote "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:3-11). What a wonderful thing it is as Christians to have the opportunity to have “Memorial Day” EVERY WEEK, as we remember the greatest sacrifice of all!