Remembrances – Mother's Day

This past Sunday was Mother’s Day. That should’ve been no surprise to anyone who watches TV or looks at the ads that come by email and snail mail, including the inserts in your Quay County Sun. As a matter of fact, while there’s been a celebration of motherhood for millennia throughout the world on various dates, Americans have known for over a 100 years the second Sunday in May is our Mother’s Day holiday.

This year, Mother’s Day came on its earliest possible date. In 2023, it’ll come on its latest possible date, May 14. The holiday bounces around among dates because, like Easter, it isn’t tied to a particular date. Rather it’s tied to an occurrence (the second Sunday in May, without regard to the date; like Easter that always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring Equinox).

Even when we know an event is coming, reminders are good because we tend to be forgetful. Like the ads, our calendars remind us of the dates for holidays if we happen to check them. We can also set electronic calendar reminders on our cellphones for holidays of importance to us. These points about the date of Mother’s Day and reminders also apply to Jesus’ second coming.

First, we’ve been told well in advance that Jesus is coming back one more time to take his followers to be with him in heaven for eternity (we won’t need to worry about remembering times and dates after that!) (Hebrews 9:27-28; John 14:1-6; Acts 17:30-31; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-58; Matthew 24:30-51). The difference is Jesus’ second coming will happen rapidly with no notice, and there’ll be no second chances because those “left behind” will also be judged immediately after the earth has been destroyed (John 5:28-29; 2 Peter 3:8-13; Matthew 25:31-46). We’ve been given reminders, though.

Anyone studying their Bible regularly will see those reminders regularly because Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection at his first coming, celebrated by many only at Eastertime, had its purpose in his second coming to bring salvation to his obedient followers (Luke 24:25-27, 44-48; Hebrews 12:1-2; 5:7-9; Romans 2:6-11; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-12; Revelation 2:10). That’s the most important theme throughout the Scriptures — the redemption of humankind planned even before creation, but we must be looking for it (Ephesians 1:3-14; Colossians 1:19; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Timothy 6:11-16; 2 Timothy 4:6-8).

Another reminder is in following the New Testament church’s example of the weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper — communion between Jesus and the local body of believers — to remember the reason for his first coming and that he is coming again (Matthew 26:2-29; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; 11:23-26; 16:1-2; Acts 20:7; Hebrews 10:19-31).

Are you living like many today, including some Christians, as if Jesus wasn’t coming again, not regularly recognizing the facts of his first coming or are you looking forward to his return using the reminders he’s provided for your encouragement in this life (Romans 13:11-14)?

Leonard Lauriault is a member of the Church of Christ in Logan who writes about faith for the Quay County Sun. Contact him at [email protected].