"Do This In Remembrance of Me"

On May 2, 2018 it will be exactly 41 years from the day that I, a former atheist, was baptized into Christ. There were three main reasons why I decided to follow Jesus and why I am still striving, as imperfectly as I do, to put his teachings into practice in my life:

First of all, I was drawn to Jesus by the authentic lives of love I witnessed among his followers in that Port Coquitlam group in 1977. John 13:34–35 reads, “A new commandment I give to you, so that you would love one another. Just as I loved you, so you would love another. In this all will know that you are my disciples if you have love among each other.” 41 years ago, as a 21 year-old who had been newly introduced to Christianity, I thought that those people must be true followers of Jesus.

Secondly, I was inspired by Jesus' simple challenge to follow HIM. At that time I knew that was what being a Christian was all about – loyalty to him alone, loyalty to him personally. I wasn’t called to join an organization, become part of a denomination, but to simply and only be his disciple. I was baptized into Christ. It was to him that I committed my life-long devotion. Mark 1:17–18 reads, "And Jesus said to them, 'Follow me and I will make you fish for people.' And immediately they left their nets and followed him."

But the main reason I asked Roy (who shared the good news with me), "When can I be baptized?" was that I was totally astonished and amazed by the words, actions and character of Jesus. I had grown up with a very different image of Jesus than the one I had been reading about in the Gospel accounts. I decided that if any person was and is the One and Only Son of God, surely Jesus was and is. Mark 15:39 reads, “Now when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, ‘Truly this man was God’s Son!’”

Prior to his death, Jesus instituted a ritual Christians call “the communion” or “the Lord’s Supper” in which Jesus said his disciples were to remember him. 1 Corinthians 11:24–25 reads, "This is my bothy that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me...This cup is the new covenant in my blood. do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me." 

On Saturday April 21, 2018 there was a memorial for my dear friend, Scott. There were hundreds of people there, all of whom had been impacted by his life and his words. The focus of those attending the memorial was not on the weather, or sports or politics or even about how their weeks had gone. Nor did many sit in silence and in their own little worlds. Rather they remembered Scott by sharing their memories of him and what were the things that Scott said and did that so impacted their lives and caused them all to love and respect him so much.That’s what people do at times of memorial – they remember the person. That's what the communion/Lord's Supper is supposed to be all about -- remembering Jesus.

The Gospel accounts record that one of the most consistent responses that people had to Jesus was amazement! They were amazed or astonished by his word, his actions and his character. If, indeed, he was and is the Son of God, that only makes sense, because there has never been anyone like Jesus. I believe one of the ways Christians can remember Jesus by means of the communion is to remind each other how amazing, how absolutely and utterly astonishing, Jesus was and is.

Normally when Christians eat the bread an drink the cup in a "church" setting, they do so very privately, in silent reflection or prayer. Maybe they sing a song or listen as someone plays or sings a song. But I would like to suggest a different approach might better fulfill the purpose of remembering Jesus. What about this? As we share in the communion think about what it is about Jesus – his words, his actions and his character – that astonishes and amazes each one of us, and thus why we were drawn to him in the first place and continue to follow him today. As we pass and share the bread, which reminds us that God became flesh and lived among us, and the fruit of the vine, which reminds us that God in the flesh died on the cross to save us from our sins, why not share with some people around us, what it is we remember about Jesus that has most amazed and astonished this past week.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians that the reason Christian are to do whatever they do when they assemble together is to "build up" the church (the "called out ones"). Let's not keep our remembrances of Jesus' amazing life and deeds to ourselves when we participate in future communions, but let us share those thoughts and thus "spur one another on to love and good deeds" by reflecting together on the awesomeness of the one we confess as "Lord."

Here are some passages from the Gospel of Mark to help spur on your remembrance:

Mark 1:27. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”

Mark 2:12. And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Mark 10:32. They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid.

Mark 12:17. Jesus said to them, “Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him.

Mark 15:4-5.Pilate asked him again, “Have you no answer? See how many charges they bring against you.” But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.