Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel. – 2 Timothy 2:8

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This Sunday is Remembrance Sunday. On this day we remember all the men and women who laid down their lives for our freedom and peace. The reason we have a specific day to remember is so we would not forget them. This tells us something about the human race. We are a forgetful people. We forget things we’ve said. We forget things we’ve done. We forget what we went into the shops for. We forget our mask. This is why we mark days like Remembrance Day so we would remember.

Timothy was a leader of a church. He was under lots of pressure. The church was full of false teachers. These false teachers were drawing many people away from the truths of the gospel. Timothy would have, no doubt, been fearful and worried about this. He may have even been tempted to give up and not stand for the truths of the gospel. So his friend and mentor Paul writes to Timothy to encourage him. In the verse above, Paul encourages Timothy to “remember Jesus Christ.” The reason Paul wants Timothy to do this is because Timothy was in danger of forgetting Jesus. He was in danger of going along with the false teachers; of letting his fears and worries get the better of him. And the same can be true for us when we are under pressure; when our lives are filled with fears and worries, it can be so easy to be overwhelmed by them. We need to remember Jesus.

What does Paul want Timothy to remember about Jesus? He wants him to remember that Jesus was “raised from the dead.” The reason for this is, like Timothy, Jesus endured pressure and anxiety. He faced oppression and suffering but despite this he kept on going. He trusted God and went to the cross. His suffering and death, however, was worth it because it led to his glorious resurrection. This far outweighed the sufferings, pressures, fears and anxieties of Jesus’ earthly life. And the same is true for us. As followers of Jesus we are called to walk the same road of suffering. We will experience times of pressure, anxiety and fear and we may be tempted to forget Jesus. However, remembering and following Jesus is worth it because like him we will be raised from the dead. And on this day our glorious resurrection will far outweigh all this life’s sufferings, pressures, fears and anxieties. So as we remember those men and women who suffered and died for our freedom and peace, let’s remember the one who suffered and died for us so that by his sufferings we may have the hope of eternal life.

Yours in Christ

Mark