An Invitation to the Memorial of Jesus' death

The Memorial of Jesus' death will be held worldwide on Wednesday 23rd March, after sunset, in your local Kingdom Hall. You are all invited, and hopefully, will receive a personal invitation, giving time, date, and location.

We remember the last Passover supper Jesus ate with his faithful apostles, when he said: “Keep doing this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19)

And, when writing to members of the spirit-begotten Christian congregation, the apostle Paul added: “As often as you eat this loaf and drink this cup, you keep proclaiming the death of the Lord, until he arrives.” (1 Cor. 11:26)

So the Memorial calls special attention to the significance of the death of Jesus Christ in the outworking of Jehovah’s purpose. It highlights the meaning of Jesus’ sacrificial death particularly in relation to the new covenant and to the way that his death affects those who will be heirs with him of the heavenly Kingdom.

The hope for most of us, of course, is to "inherit the earth" - to live forever in the restored earthly Paradise, under the loving rulership of the Kingdom of God - the Kingdom for whose coming Jesus taught us to pray.

We start to distribute the invitations today.   Though sadly I can't get out to do so, as I am still in recovery - with very limited use of left arm and a fair amount of pain.  I don't know when I will be driving again.   And still find it hard to cope with strange cars.

However, on a sad note, I tottered across to deliver the magazines to Bob yesterday - I was worried about him, as I knew he was very ill, and as soon as I saw his wife I knew.   She told me that he had died on Sunday.   Peacefully, and at home, for which I thank God.  Bob was such a lovely guy.   I said so, and said how sorry I was.    Col took me shopping this morning, and I found a perfect card - a sunset photo taken on a Scottish island - and I wrote my condolences in it and popped it through their letterbox this morning.

I hope that Bob will wake up in the restored earthly Paradise, when the time comes for the resurrection.  And it is that hope that we will all be thinking about as the congregations gather worldwise to memorialise Jesus sacrificial death.

Without that ransom sacrifice, what hope would we, the fatally damaged children of disobedient Adam, have?