One would think if someone was saved out of a horrific scenario, that they would not need reminders. But, there are times where we can even forget the best things in our lives. This is why God wants us to be constantly reminded of certain things.
For the Israelites, it was their exit out of Egypt. In Exodus 12 we read about how God had given the 10 plagues to free them from the Pharoah. He provided a way of their escape by giving them a passover lamb. While throngs of first born young adult males were slaughtered by the death angel, the Israelites had a way of escape, a deliverance.
You would think this would be something that they would not easily forget. But we are humans and we forget things, even good things. So God set up a passover celebration which was to be done yearly.
This would be done for millenia. In fact, in Matthew 26:17 we see the disciples going to Jesus asking him where they will celebrate the passover. Some 1,500 years had passed, and they still felt it important to celebrate God’s deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptians. It was created so that those who had never experienced it would hear of God’s goodness.
In the same way, thousands of years later we celebrate communion weekly. This is a weekly reminder to us that Christ has died on the cross for our sins. While that event happened some 2,000 years ago, hundreds of millions of believers in Christ still go through this practice weekly so that they do not forget God’s goodness to us in sending His Son Jesus to die for our sins.
But we are humans and we forget things, even good things.
In Matthew 26 we see that Jesus transitions us from the passover meal to the communion service. Jesus and the disciples are celebrating the passover. Jesus takes the bread and cup and points them to His upcoming sacrifice (see Matthew 26:26-28). This is why the apostle Paul says that Jesus is “our Passover lamb (I Corinthians 4:6-8).”
The reason that we need to be reminded of God’s goodness is that we easily forget. This is one reason Scripture has us celebrate communion weekly. We need that weekly reminder that God is gracious, forgiving, loving, kind, and that He redeems His people.
Think About It
Do you celebrate communion regularly?
Do you take the time to remind yourself of the deliverance from your sins?
Thanks for taking time to read this Maddening Theology post. If you enjoyed this content you can find Pastor Tim’s sermons at www.cornerstoneforestcity.org. You can also join us at 520 Marion St. Browndale, PA 18421 on Sundays at 10 AM. To make following the blog easier you can also register. You can also join us on Facebook at Cornerstone Forest City. Also, don’t forget to download our APP on iTunes or Googleplay.