Dear SS( Sincere seeker): 
Today is our national memorial day, Whom are we trying to remember? Those who have sacrificed their lives for us, for our country, right? But do we know all their names? Perhaps no. Maybe we don't pay attention to them at all, we just enjoy to have a Memorial long weekend?
"This Memorial Day, we should, if nothing else, thank the Lord for those who laid their lives on the line for us. We enjoy the freedom we enjoy because they shed their blood for us — reminiscent of the freedom the Christian enjoys because the Savior shed His blood for us at Calvary."
Let's have a loud "Amen" to what he said.
As I reflect on our recent discussions about " This Do, in remembrance of Me" inscribed in the communion table in the front podium of the church of last concert we attended. Indeed this ancient English style of this inscription greatly puzzled you. However, if you check 1 Cor.11:23-25 then obviously, It means the same as" (Do this (ye), in remembrance of Me." So this is what Jesus asked His disciples to do in remembrance of Him, on the night He was going to be betrayed by Judas.
King James version
1 Cor. 11:23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
1 Cor. 11:23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
As I shared with you before, it is very odd and strange to celebrate and remember Jesus' death all the time and not celebrate His birthday( His birthday seems not so important, only once a year in Christmas season not to mention that some Christians don't celebrate at all.Though we definitely should remember Jesus' death since He has died for all mankind.)
There are at least 2 reasons I can think of:
1. Because of Jesus' resurrection, therefore we do His memorial often since He died for all our sins and has brought our salvation( so we can drink the cup of eternal salvation instead of the cup of God's wrath.)
2.Jesus didn't command Christians to celebrate His earthly birthday, because He is God the Son, He pre-existed in eternity past as Trinity God. ( I AM Who I AM) Jesus' preexistence is totally different and unique in human history. And Christians are looking forward to His 2nd coming soon. ( click the link below for more about Jesus' pre-existence)
Furthermore, because of His resurrection, the most shameful symbol of Cross has become the most glorious symbol, do you realize that??
Let us think a little bit deeper!
So, can you imagine, King Louis XVI's descendants have put out many replicas of guillotines in front of their houses, inside their houses, or on top of their roof in memorial of the beheaded ancestor King Louis XVI? Of course not, unless they are out of their minds, right? ( note: further readings have horrified me to realize that the French were so fascinated by the guillotine executions that they became public entertainments and children's toys later on. Nevertheless, there is still no way that King Louis XVI's descendants would use the replicas of guillotines around their houses,around their necks...etc. in memory of King Louis XVI.)
I am saying the above crazy stuff to illustrate how odd and irrational that the shameful terrible symbol of unfair execution of Jesus has been put everywhere in churches, on the rooftops of churches, or even as necklaces...etc. And the memorial of Jesus' death which took away the Cup of God's wrath and give us the Cup of eternal salvation, is done Sunday after Sundays.( Some churches do it every week and Catholics can have Mass everyday I think. some churches do the Communion every month）
The only reason, Christians are doing this often is because Jesus asked His disciples to do so and also because of Jesus' resurrection and triumph over death, that the cross and symbols of His body and blood have become a celebration instead.( of course, also it is the time to repent to not bring shame to God's name) Christians are definitely looking forward to Jesus' 2nd coming soon. Recently, Communist China are so against the crosses that they want to remove them from churches' rooftops and demolish them; in ISIS' craziness, they have executed many Christians on crosses again.( They all demonstrate so much hatred towards the cross.)
I am trying to say originally the "cross" should be the worst kind of symbol but because Jesus has risen from death and has accomplished God's plan of redeeming the mankind through the crucifixion, so the cross has become a glorious symbol now.
If Jesus died and never rose again, if Jesus hasn't offered us the cup of eternal salvation to drink, then the cross should remain the worst kind of symbol, but since Jesus has risen from death, He has overcome the power of death forever, the cross has become a triumphant symbol of God's sacrificial love. ( This is the same logic behind " Good " Friday, all because of Jesus' resurrection.)
I am trying to ask you to look at this odd practice of Christians to realize Jesus' resurrection has to be true, otherwise, perhaps His disciples would remember Him as long as they lived, but then Jesus' movement ( Messiah's movement or even if you like to think it as a political movement) would die out, nobody would remember Jesus any more, just as many false messiahs died and their followers dispersed and those movements disappeared from Jewish history pretty soon.
On the contrary, Jesus is still living today and when we repent and accept Him as our Savior, we still can experience the indwelling Holy Spirit, that made the cross and communions meaningful even today.
Do you realize that without Jesus' resurrection, there won't be any Christianity at all? And His resurrection is unique and the many reliable eyewitnesses had sacrificed their precious lives to testify Jesus really is God! The persecutions of early Christians had testified their firm belief in a living God, not man made or man promoted god.
In one word, Jesus is God the Son and is our resurrected Savior who has eternal life Himself; only He can guarantee our eternal life, since He has overcome death and thus has demonstrated His resurrected power. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, the Life, only through Him we can have eternal life.
p.s. Christians don't worship the cross at all.( They are not supposed to worship even angels, let alone the cross.) The cross shouldn't become an idol at all. The cross only serves to remind us the unfathomable love of God because God the Son, Jesus has died for us on the cross. He has paid for all our sins on it. So the cross serves to remind us to be thankful to God's great sacrificial love and reminds us to repent and not doing things to bring shame to God's name...etc.
( Click the link below to find more about King James version English style)
( ...compare the language used around 1611 from Shakespeare's plays and from Chaucer's " Canterbury Tales" and found out its style is not the spoken English at that time.
In fact, it can even be said that the English of the King James Version is not the English of the 17th century, nor of any century. It is an English that is unique, for it is Biblical English-an English formed by the Hebrew and Greek of the Bible. It is Biblical English because the translators were more interested in being faithful to the originals than in making their translation in the street language of the day, as do translators today...)
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