Memorial Day is a day to remember (honor) those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for family and country. To honor those who chose to die in freedom rather than to live in bondage. Crosses have been placed to honor the many men and women who given their last breath so others could continue to enjoy our freedoms.

While we are reminded of the price of political freedom we enjoy in this county, the same is true religiously. The term memorial is used repeatedly in the scriptures. Humans are prone to forget; consequently, we need “things” to remind us.

There are many who took a stand against Satan and sin who paid dearly for making that choice. One such example is John the Baptist. He preached that King Herod was living in sin (Matthew 14 and Luke 3) “For John said to him, ‘It is not lawful for thee to have her.’” Because John preached God’s truth that day, it cost him his life. Nevertheless, Herod’s sin was exposed, and that embarrassed his wife Herodias

One of the first memorials recorded is in the Old Testament when God gave man the rainbow in Genesis_9:13-16 “I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.”

A New Testament memorial is the cross on Calvary which reminds us the price paid for sin. As a result, the cross has come to mark the grave of many a service man or woman who have fallen in battle. Some even wear a cross around their neck to remind them of the price Jesus paid for their sin. The Lord’s supper is the Christians’ memorial – that reminds us of the cost of our freedom from the bondage of sin. Yet some scoff at the thought of taking it every Lord’s Day saying over time it might become meaningless so we take it once a year or once a quarter.

How sad it is that that worshipping God and remembering the price Jesus paid for my sins would become meaningless. Sir Winston made a profound statement at the height of WWII when it looked like communism would take over the world,” never forget.” It is good to remember on this Memorial Day that our King died so we might live.

Bill Watkins