Easter – A season of special memories

1 Corinthians 11:23-25, “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. [26]For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.”

Easter is a very special time. It’s the greatest true story in human history. It is unique and marks out Christianity from every other religion because of the very special events that characterize it: the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of the Saviour and Redeemer.

Easter is one of my favourite seasons. For me, it is always a season of deep introspection leading to unreserved gratitude to the Almighty God. The death and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is one very inspiring story of not only the resilience of man’s spirit, the greatest comeback in human history but of the pure love of God. It is not only the story of the triumph of will over emotions, the triumph of good over evil, the triumph of life over death, but most importantly, it is the story of a just God sacrificing His own Son to fulfil the demands of justice on the sinner. The pure Son of God shedding His pure blood to atone for the wickedness, depravity and decadence of man! The Righteous God becoming a man to pay for sins He didn’t commit. We ought all to be very grateful for this love and grace.

It is so important that we should remember it all the time. The Lord Himself memorialized it by instituting the Holy Communion.

• How I’m making brisk business from garlic – 17-yr-old trader
• How to make money from palm oil – Miller

The Lord wants us to remember His death and resurrection; He wants us to remember the ultimate sacrifice He made for our redemption. It is not everything we remember. Some things are just too ordinary and routine to be memorable.

We remember things that are memorable, things that are unique, favourable, painful, pleasurable, regrettable (‘Had I known’!). Satan remembers the death and resurrection of Jesus and regrets. If they had known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. We also remember turning points.

Taking the Holy Communion is not a mere religious exercise but a deep spiritual engagement with enormous benefits to the communicant.

So What Does The Lord Want Us To Remember?

1. The Purpose of His death. Redemption of mankind.
2. The Price. 1Corinthians 6:20 says, “For ye are bought with a price…” It is the price of unconditional love. The price paid for our redemption is huge; it took the sacrifice of the Son of God in a very gruesome manner, possibly the worst form of crucifixion. The high price tells us the value God places on you and His passion for the salvation of mankind. It means everything to Him and it should mean everything to us. It means someone believes you are worth dying for. Stop allowing people to treat you like thrash.
3. The Privileges brought to us by His sacrifice. Redemption is more than just pardon of sin and freeing a slave, it includes elevating the slave to a new status: he or she becomes a member of God’s family. It goes beyond a mere external change; it goes deep into the being of the person. The beneficiary is not merely reformed but is completely transformed and takes on a new life, he acquires the life and nature of God; the nature of divinity. John 6:51, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” He or she becomes a totally new person. 2Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” The beneficiary gets transferred to a new reality: the Kingdom of God’s dear son (Colossians 1:12). There is a change of citizenship and the beneficiary begins to enjoy a completely new life though his physical location has not changed. You are in the world but you are no longer of the world. So what the communion does is to ensure that your Kingdom rights are enforced and that you enjoy them fully.
4. Our Part. It reminds us of the part we need to play in the redemption agenda of the Kingdom of God. Redemption graciously gives us an assignment, to go into the world and make disciples of all nations. Like we said earlier, the high price paid for redemption indicates how much it means to God and how much it should mean to us. It should motivate us do everything we can to ensure that the gospel of the Kingdom is taken to every human being on earth. We should volunteer to lead and host House Cells in our homes, actively lead others to Christ, give generously towards mission work, etc.
5. Kingdom Principles. We are to remember the principles of living and flourishing in the Kingdom: holy living, love, faith, forgiveness, sincerity, humility, kindness, generosity, tithing, sowing of seeds, obedience to God, serving according to God’s purpose, strong work ethics, etc.

The early church took this ordinance very seriously. They broke break from house to house. An understanding of the Holy Communion also known as the Eucharist has enormous benefits.

As you mark this Easter, may the light from above flood your soul! May the Spirit of wisdom fill your heart and mind to make you to excel in every endeavour, in the Name of Jesus! May you discover your purpose and your potential and make impact globally, in the Name of Jesus!

I pray that the resurrection power will flow through your life and deliver healing to your soul, every part of your body and make you whole and rid you of every demonic affliction, in the Name of Jesus! May you prosper and flourish all the days of your life, in the Name of Jesus!

The children of Israel took the Passover meal; they were immediately translated from slavery to freedom; from poverty to prosperity. From this moment, you will begin to enjoy every aspect of divine translation that has been missing from your life in Jesus Name!

Happy Easter!

Bishop Dr Charles Olowojoba is the General Overseer of Dayspring Bible Church Worldwide with HQ in Abuja, Nigeria & President, Dayspring Christian Ministries Int’l.