Memorial 2007, Part 2: Vacuous Tradition

Vacuous. This Holy Night in our JW calendar.

Knowing Christ on a personal level allows me to recognize this event for what it is: stricken with error and deficient of substance.

Not that it doesn't bring Jesus on a more prominent platform, but that this Jesus is a created being, an angel who was sent to Earth, Michael the Archangel.

Let's see what the Bible says.

Hebrews 2:5-9

“It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified: ‘What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the angels; you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet.’ In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”

The brother who gave the talk summed up what this angel did by saying, "Hundreds around the world will benefit because of his sacrifice". Whether or not he mispoke is unknown at this time, but the whole purpose of the Memorial is lost somewhere. My guess is that the JW's have been led to believe they are just there to observe and not be involved.

Jesus told his disciples to "do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19). This doing is actually taking the wine, giving thanks, and drinking it (vs. 17) and taking the bread, giving thanks, and eating it (vs 19 and Matt 26:26).

It is not that rubbish that I had been doing every single year without fail which was receiving the bread/wine, looking at it, and passing it to the next person. I'll go as far to say it's not even the physical eating and drinking that Jesus was looking for, but the certainty that you could and ought to be involved with Him in the Covenant. That is the reason He came for.

Please, my dear JW brothers and sisters. Jesus loves you more than you'll ever know. Do you remember that invitation that you passed out for this year's Memorial had an illustration of the Messiah? He didn't just get a black eye, a bruise here, and a cut there (previous Society depictions are even softer). He was brutally tortured, humiliated, experienced unfathomable agony on that cross, all the while thinking of you and me, so we could be forgiven for our transgressions and be with Him for eternity in Heaven.

And guess what? He not only died, but rose from the dead.

Matt 28:6 He is not here; he has risen

Jesus Christ is calling you from a empty organization into His royal family!

Hebrews 2:11 Jesus, who makes people holy, and all those who are made holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus isn't ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.