Remember our Savior
The other day I was wandering the halls of the St. Joseph Regional Medical Center with one of the youth of our church. Aside from seeing a whole bunch of bamboo walls and doors, there were two very important landmarks for us.
At one end of the building there was a memorial established for 9/11. If you haven’t seen it, you should. It is a fountain, with a screen that scrolls the names of the lives lost on that day. Next to the fountain wall is one of the last remaining pieces of the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
When we arrived at the 9/11 Memorial, I asked the young man if he remembers the event at all, and what he knew about it. He knew some information, but he didn’t remember the event itself. He only knew of what others had told him. I took the opportunity to share with him where I was, how old I was, and where I was at the time. I explained how it changed everything, and how people responded after the events. I talked to him about how important God became for the people of the U.S. who were startled at the acts of terrorism.
As we continued down the building we came across another memorial. We stopped by the statue of St. Joseph. I inquired of how much he knew about Joseph. He didn’t know much about him either. But I explained what made him such an incredible person. He could have legally divorced Mary because of the pregnancy, but he didn’t. And he would take care of Jesus as his earthly Father.
I don’t know if my message sunk in. We had other things on our mind, but hopefully it was a nice distraction for him.
I share this with you, because God frequently instructed his people to construct memorials after momentous events. When the Israelites cross the Jordan River and enter into the Promised Land, God tells his people to set up a memorial. Twelve Israelites, with representatives from the twelve tribes, were to use the stones from the dry riverbed that the Priest stood on while holding the Ark of the Covenant.
They were to do this, ”So that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the Israelites a memorial forever.” Joshua 4:6-7
The memorial was a reminder of the faithfulness and power of God to deliver his people. We celebrate a memorial every week as we gather together as a community of believers in Jesus Christ. We remember the work of Jesus Christ, his sacrifice on the cross and the resurrection. We do so with the Lord’s Supper. We remember the sacrifice of Christ, his body and blood, broken and shed for us. This month, we will celebrate on March 31, Easter, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We will commemorate and remember the work of God and be reminded again, much like the Israelites, that God is powerful and faithful to deliver his people. In a world ravaged with sin and heartache, we look to the Resurrection of Jesus with hope. His deliverance from death will be our own. We look to Jesus for life.
It is my hope that you will join us Easter Sunday, and encourage a friend to remember the death, burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ with you. Let’s join together on Easter, and remember our Savior.
God Bless!
Jordan Ickes, Minister
The other day I was wandering the halls of the St. Joseph Regional Medical Center with one of the youth of our church. Aside from seeing a whole bunch of bamboo walls and doors, there were two very important landmarks for us.
At one end of the building there was a memorial established for 9/11. If you haven’t seen it, you should. It is a fountain, with a screen that scrolls the names of the lives lost on that day. Next to the fountain wall is one of the last remaining pieces of the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
When we arrived at the 9/11 Memorial, I asked the young man if he remembers the event at all, and what he knew about it. He knew some information, but he didn’t remember the event itself. He only knew of what others had told him. I took the opportunity to share with him where I was, how old I was, and where I was at the time. I explained how it changed everything, and how people responded after the events. I talked to him about how important God became for the people of the U.S. who were startled at the acts of terrorism.
As we continued down the building we came across another memorial. We stopped by the statue of St. Joseph. I inquired of how much he knew about Joseph. He didn’t know much about him either. But I explained what made him such an incredible person. He could have legally divorced Mary because of the pregnancy, but he didn’t. And he would take care of Jesus as his earthly Father.
I don’t know if my message sunk in. We had other things on our mind, but hopefully it was a nice distraction for him.
I share this with you, because God frequently instructed his people to construct memorials after momentous events. When the Israelites cross the Jordan River and enter into the Promised Land, God tells his people to set up a memorial. Twelve Israelites, with representatives from the twelve tribes, were to use the stones from the dry riverbed that the Priest stood on while holding the Ark of the Covenant.
They were to do this, ”So that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the Israelites a memorial forever.” Joshua 4:6-7
The memorial was a reminder of the faithfulness and power of God to deliver his people. We celebrate a memorial every week as we gather together as a community of believers in Jesus Christ. We remember the work of Jesus Christ, his sacrifice on the cross and the resurrection. We do so with the Lord’s Supper. We remember the sacrifice of Christ, his body and blood, broken and shed for us. This month, we will celebrate on March 31, Easter, the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We will commemorate and remember the work of God and be reminded again, much like the Israelites, that God is powerful and faithful to deliver his people. In a world ravaged with sin and heartache, we look to the Resurrection of Jesus with hope. His deliverance from death will be our own. We look to Jesus for life.
It is my hope that you will join us Easter Sunday, and encourage a friend to remember the death, burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ with you. Let’s join together on Easter, and remember our Savior.
God Bless!
Jordan Ickes, Minister