xjwsforChrist

Hey everyone
How have you all been?

This thread here is hitting home, again.

My mom asked me to accompany her to this years memorial.
It will the the first one since my dad passed away last year April 12.

I am going with her, of course, to support her and be there for her BUT i is so hard to see this going on.
People just sitting there looking at the wine and bread, so morbid and sad really.

At to that they don't even celebrate THE event of upmost importance, the resurrection.
Seriously, what is up with that ???

Anyways, I loved going over the posts on this thread

Hey Paul!!!

Good to hear from you!

The resurrection is certainly WORTH celebrating. After all, that is the culmination of the good news. But, there is no command to make a celebration of that event, and there isn't any Biblical record of anyone doing so. (Of course, I say that, and Shelby will probably prove me wrong. LOL!!! )

I can see the JW point of view on this one. What does a rabbit and painted eggs have to do with the resurrection of Christ? I would happily celebrate his resurrection if the event did not contain customs that have nothing to do with the event.

Hey dude.
There is no commandment to make the last supper anything other than a remembrance of Him and all He does for us.
To do it (remember Him) whenever we drink or eat.
So there is no commandment to make it a annual memorial either, biblically speaking.

But, as Paul said in his letter to the Corinthian:

Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. 15 Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; 17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

All hope we have, all faith we have in HIM is because of the resurrection.
Everything hinges on that ONE event.

Remember, it wasn't the last supper that drew ALL to Him, it wasn't the last supper that made the apostles aware that Jaheshua was the Messiah.

It was the resurrection.

I have never marked the resurrection of Christ with eggs or rabbits.
If anyone chooses to do so that is between them and God.
I will not let the actions of others dictate to me how to worship My Lord and My God.

Good morning everyone and peace be with you.....

And a Good morning to you my brother PaulS, hope all has been well with your family this past year since the loss of your father. May you all continue to be comforted by our Lord.

I am happy that you are assisting your mom this year at the memorial. It will probably be extremely hard for you NOT to want to partake since as you mentioned it is so sad that they continually pass over partaking of our Lords body and blood.

As often as we partake ( and it can be however often we choose) we Proclaim our Lords death until he arrives!

And His resurrection is truly a joy! Despite what the adversary allows to be associated with it ( the paganism of bunnies, eggs, fertility etc)

He IS Alive...
AND he speaks to us all! Will we listen and obey?

Holy Spirit is a free gift from him and Life comes through Him because he has already proven his Love for us, if we choose to accept it.

Glad you have enjoyed reading this thread, and yes it is another season upon us!

Peace and Love to you all this day, your sister and fellow servant of Christ, Kim

Hello Paul! It is so good to hear from you, and I hope that everything is well with you and your loved ones.


I have only a moment to comment, but I do not know of any specific command or ritual instituted by Christ about celebrating the resurrection... BUT... we do celebrate His resurrection every day, by listening to Him, obeying Him, following Him, putting our faith and hope in Him, knowing that He does live and is here with us even now, and that by means OF Him, we too live... even if we die (in the flesh).


Love to you both, and may you all have peace,
your sister and servant, and fellow slave of Christ,
tammy

Thanks Kim and Tammy

It's gonna be a bit of a tough one for me, seeing everyone there NOT partaking...
But I wanna be there for my mom, its going to be very hard on her.

If we read the gospels we see that Our Lord told us to "drink of his blood and eat of his flesh" with bread and wine and He said that whenever we do this we are to remember Him. IMO this means that every time we eat and drink we should remember Him and His love and promises to Us.
Not annually, not monthly, not weekly but every time we eat and drink.
History shows us that the first generation did it on the first day of the week when they met together BUT they also probably (IMO) did it daily with their families.
I mean, why wouldn't they?

His only true explicit commandment, said as a direct commandment, was for us to Love each other as He loved Us.

As for His resurrection, I can't fathom NOT celebrating His conquering of death.

Perhaps none of it... or "celebrating" either...or any particular "day"... is the thing (peace to you both, dear P and dear LQ... and I truly hope BOTH of your households are finding (some) peace - dear P, it's SO good to hear from you, luv!)...

I am reminded of the command "Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy." For some, the Sabbath is Sunday. For others, after sundown Saturday, etc. I have learned from my dear Lord, the HOLY One of Israel and Holy Spirit, JAHESHUA, the Chosen One of JAH ( MischaJah ), however, that the true meaning of the Sabbath isn't about a PARTICULAR day... but is about REST... from OUR OWN "works." From doing OUR OWN will and instead doing JAH's will. And He, the MOST HOLY One of Israel, has given us His will... and THAT is to listen to His beloved Son.

Regardless of whether we "observe"... directly or indirectly...or even celebrate, in some form or another... his birth, baptism, corroboration, walk, ministry, persecution, death, resurrection, glorification, inauguration, or outpouring of holy spirit... if we don't LISTEN to THAT One... put FAITH in HIS words... to US... so as to OBEY what it is he is TELLING us... and instead continue to do OUR OWN will... such observances and celebrations don't matter. They are entirely moot, reminiscent of the empty rituals, festivals, and observances by Israel that eventually grew tiresome and an irritation to JAH.

Because in seeking and doing OUR OWN will, we are... PROFANING the Sabbath. Why? Because that Son is LORD... OF the Sabbath. And so EVERY day is a Sabbath To JAH in that EVERY day is a day to do HIS will and works, NOT our own.

In that light... and the Light that is that Son... then, every day that we DON'T listen to... and OBEY... that Son... we are NOT in JAH'S "rest" but continuing to do OUR OWN works. This... "profanes" the Sabbath... or "day of rest (from one's own works")... of JAH!

Contrastly, EVERY day that we DO JAH'S will... and so LISTEN to that Son... is a HOLY day... Sabbath... TO... JAH.

Doesn't matter what some call it... or "why" they observe/celebrate it: if they're not listening to the HOLY One of Israel and Holy Spirit, JAHESHUA, the Chosen One of JAH (MischaJah) and so desisting from their own works... they are profaning JAH's "holy" day. The "day" of HIS rest and so a "day" HE has called "holy."

And so even if they don't formally/publicly observe or celebrate a certain day... or event... if they ARE listening to AND OBEYING that One... they are "observing" JAH's sabbath... and HOLY day.

For that reason, the words "For AS OFTEN as you eat/drink it you KEEP declaring his DEATH..." and, of course, his resurrection FROM that death. Neither of which would have significance without the other. No true in death if one REMAINS dead. He is no superior to chaff. On the other hand, no need for resurrection... unless one HAS died.

I hope this helps... and wish you ALL... and your dear, dear households the GREATEST of love and peace!

YSSFS of Christ,

Shel

May all of you have Peace as our Lord gives it.

I am reminded of what our dear Lord said as recorded at Matthew 11:28,

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.…

As the Lord of the Sabbath that OUR Lord is, we can enter into HIS rest.

Come! Take Life's Water "free"!

--Armand

Sorry, meant to state:



They really cannot be separated in importance. Christ DIED (for US)... AND.. was RESURRECTED (FROM that death)... FOR us. He died... so that we can live. He was resurrected... to show us that death is NOT permanent, at least not for those who belong to him.

Peace to you, all!

YSSFS of Christ,

Shel

Love this that you were reminded of Armand, and how it shows the truth in what Shelby shared as she learned from Christ regarding the Sabbath.



Peace again to you both, and to all,
your sister and servant, and fellow slave of Christ,
tammy

Thanks Armand and Shelby

The one thing that I have found in His rest is peace.
He has taken from me a load that, while bearable, I didn't have to carry alone and for that, as with so much else, I am eternally grateful to Him and His love.

Regardless of whether we "observe"... directly or indirectly...or even celebrate, in some form or another... his birth, baptism, corroboration, walk, ministry, persecution, death, resurrection, glorification, inauguration, or outpouring of holy spirit... if we don't LISTEN to THAT One... put FAITH in HIS words... to US... so as to OBEY what it is he is TELLING us... and instead continue to do OUR OWN will... such observances and celebrations don't matter. They are entirely moot, reminiscent of the empty rituals, festivals, and observances by Israel that eventually grew tiresome and an irritation to JAH.
Because in seeking and doing OUR OWN will, we are... PROFANING the Sabbath. Why? Because that Son is LORD... OF the Sabbath. And so EVERY day is a Sabbath To JAH in that EVERY day is a day to do HIS will and works, NOT our own.


This resounded so beautifully with me! Thank you Shelby for sharing this from our Lord!

Peace to you all, your sister in Christ, Kim

May my Lord, the Holy One of Israel, Jaheshua, the Holy Spirit and Chosen One of Jah, be with you all as you gather in HIS Name today (and any day), and as you partake of His body and His blood, just as He said to keep doing in remembrance of Him. May He grant each of you His peace and His love. May all those He calls and all those who seek Him, be given ears to hear Him, and may all those who hear Him follow His voice and obey His teaching.


"Where two or three are gathered in my Name, there I am with them."

"If anyone loves me, he will obey my command. My Father will love him, and we will come and make our home with him."


May all who thirst and all who seek hear also as the Spirit and the Bride say to you, "Come, take the free gift of the water of life."

Love to you all,
your sister and servant, and fellow slave of Christ,
tammy

(Quick amendment to the OP... the article I quoted from was in the January WT study edition. My apologies, and peace again to you all, as Christ gives peace!)