Remember

I have many special memories of Easter Sunday growing up.  Mom usually had Easter baskets waiting by our bedside full of grass, colorful candy eggs and always a chocolate rabbit.  Often I would promptly bite the rabbit's head off.  As a child I went to many sunrise services with my dad.  The services were held by local churches and we enjoyed beautiful sunrises and sometimes endured unpleasant weather conditions.  Usually the group was small but there was a wonderful spirit of expectancy. What I remember most was the anticipation of the sun rising as we sang different songs about our Lord arising from the grave. Often the air was brisk and we eagerly awaited the first warmth of the sun. 

"Low in the grave He lay, Jesus my Savior

Waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!

Up from the grave He arose, with a mighty triumph or His foes

He a rose a victor from the dark domain 

And He lives forever with His saints to reign

He arose, He arose, hallelujah, Christ arose!"

 In my child-like faith I thought about the women who went to the tomb and how they must have felt. There was always a glorious feeling as the light began to peek over the horizon. Then there was the reading of the scriptures and the sense of the miraculous event that we were remembering.

Remember: To keep in mind for consideration.  

Often God asks us to remember. The word is in the Bible 144 times.  He established the feasts of Israel to bring to remembrance what He had done and what He was promising to do through covenant with the children of Israel.  They were to perpetually observe them so they would not forget.  Passover is the feast they are now observing.  It is in celebration of how God brought them out of the bondage of slavery to Egypt.  It was a mighty deliverance!  In the observation of the feast they were reminded of their enslavement and the heavy burdens they had endured.  Also were the plagues that came upon Egypt from God's judgment.  The Israelites' were protected from the plagues, including the death of the first born.  The night the last plague came, they observed the Passover meal inside their dwellings, having put the blood of the sacrificial lamb on their doorpost. They had very specific instructions on how to observe the Passover meal.  The death angel "passed over" their dwelling when he saw the blood. They were to have their clothes on and their bags packed that night, for the next day they would make a hasty retreat from Egypt.  If you haven't familiarized yourself with the feast of Passover there are wonderful revelations there that point to Yeshua (Jesus) as the Messiah. 

Jesus observed the feasts as commanded by Father God.  In the account in Luke of the last Passover observed by Jesus with his disciples, we can see the passion he felt the night before His crucifixion. 

" Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover Lamb had to be slain. And when the hour came, Jesus reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. And He said to them, I have earnestly and intensely desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I say to you from now on I shall eat it no more until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.  And He took a cup and when He had given thanks, He said, Take this and divide it among yourselves; For I say to you that from now on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine at all until the kingdom of God comes. Then He took a loaf of bread and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them saying, This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me. And in like manner, He took the cup after supper, saying, this cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you."
 Amplified Bible Luke 22:7, 14-20.

Jesus revealed himself as The Passover Lamb!  The disciples did not see it yet but the observance of Passover was to point to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  Jesus fulfilled the Feast of Passover.  He delivered us from the powers of darkness into His glorious light!  We came out of the bondage of sin and death into life abundant and everlasting.  Oh, Hallelujah!  And He started the observance of the New Covenant as the precious Lamb of God.  The blood sacrifices of animals could not cover our sin, they were to point to the ultimate provision sent by a loving Father.  

As we observe the Communion in partaking of the body and blood of Christ, Jesus asks us to do it in remembrance of Him until He comes.
 I Corinthians 11:26  

So what are we to remember? We remember what he provided through His great suffering, how He delivers us from sin and death when we accept this provision. Psalms 103:1-5  "Bless the Lord O my soul; And all that is within me bless His holy name! Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all His benefits: who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."   The blood was shed for us, the body was broken for us.  Also, we are to remember our love for each other.  "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread."
 I Corinthians 10: 16, 17.

Yet there is another thing we are to remember. It is His return, when we will partake of the marriage supper of the Lamb!  "Then he said to me : Write: Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!" Revelation 19:9.

This morning at 1:30 am, I was outside in my winter coat observing the phenomena known as the Blood Moon.  Gradually the moon lost its bright light and a dusky reddish appearance came over it.  The Bible talks about it happening in the last days.  There are going to be three more appearing in the next several months.  I'm not sure about the implications but there is much speculation among Biblical scholars.  The one thing I do know is Jesus is coming back for His bride, the church.  We need to be ready.

Yes, we remember the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world.  For God so loved....He gave! Has your name been written in the Lamb's book of Life?  You can receive this gift of God.  Pray: " Heavenly Father, I receive your forgiveness for my sin as brought through the precious blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. Wash me in that blood.  I need eternal life through your Son.  Come into my life Lord Jesus. I give my life to you.  Thank You for the gift of salvation. Amen"

"I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives its light, and the Lamb is its lamp.  The nations will walk by its light , and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life".
 Revelation 21:22-27.

Have a glorious Resurrection Sunday!

Candy Kloxin