Remembrance Sunday

At the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month of 1918 the guns fell silent.  In their wake over 10,000,000 combatants, and a nearly equal number of civilians lay dead.  It is remembrance of these, the fallen, that this day, the Sunday nearest the anniversary date has been set aside.  This is right and fitting.

But might I suggest to you that today is remembrance day, because it is a Sunday? In the book of Exodus, God had laid down a commandment that His people, Israel, “remember the Sabbath Day, and keep it holy.”  This is one of the central mitzvots, and the fourth of the Ten Commandments.  But the events of the Passover in the beginning of the 3rd decade of the Common Era, had an impact which shook both Heaven and Earth.  Jesus of Nazareth was crucified, died, and was buried.  But on the third day (the Sunday) He arose from the grave, and ushered in a new covenant.

Because of this His people began to keep the Lord’s Day “holy.” “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread,” Luke records in Acts 20:7.  Paul expands on this, in I Corinthians 11:23-26, “The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵ In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶ For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes [italics mine].”

Jesus said, whenever you eat these symbols, do in “My memory.”  Each and every Lord’s day, is a remembrance Sunday!  We collectively come together to remember His sacrifice, in the bread and the “fruit of the vine.”

In Luke 24, Cleopas and his companion encounter the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus. The carry out a conversation with Him about the events of His own death, but throughout they do not recognise Him. Then in verse 28 and following,  “As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther.  But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.  When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them.  Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.   They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”  They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.”

The breaking of the bread in remembrance of Jesus is an opportunity for us to open our eyes to Him.  It is a time for us to focus on “Him crucified,” but more importantly on “He who is risen.”  Let us seek that focus, and make every Sunday, a “Son-day.”

Padre