Remembrance Day is a memorial day, with the purpose of reminding and teaching us of cherished history and values. In Bible times, God’s children set up certain memorials. Some did so for prideful reasons. King Saul set up a monument in his own honour at Carmel; Absalom made a pillar for himself and named it “Absalom’s Monument.” Others set up memorials to remind and teach about God’s faithfulness. For Israel, nowhere was this more true than in the Passover. It was instituted to remind and to teach Israelites about one of the defining moments in their history: their escape from Egypt. It was instituted for the benefit of both parents and their children.

God wanted the Passover to become an annual event on Israel’s calendar, a lasting ordinance, a memorial to be kept throughout the generations (vv. 12, 17, 24, 25).

For the older generation of Israelites, who year after year celebrated the Passover meal, they would have known what it was all about. They would have understood it as the ceremony that defined the nation of Israel. It meant something to them.

For their children, though, the same could not be expected. Yet children are full of questions. “But why, Dad? Why do you do this? Why do you do that, Mom?” The Lord anticipated inquisi­tive minds from his little covenant children. He says through Moses, “Expect this question from your little ones: ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’”

It’s worth pointing out who heard God’s instruction here through Moses. Moses gave these instructions to the elders of Israel (v. 21). The heads of households. It was the fathers who were responsible to answer their children’s questions about the Passover and its significance. God’s ordinance is that the father first of all is the family teacher.

And when the children asked about this Passover ceremony, the father was to explain, “It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord.” The fathers had to tell their children about Egypt, about how Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma were slaves to Pharaoh, how they had to endure backbreaking labour from dawn till dusk. The fathers also had to pass on how they escaped this slavery, not by their own efforts but by the God of the coven­ant who showed mercy to them, who forgave them their guilt through the shed blood of the lamb. Year after year the people had to eat the Lord’s Passover as a lasting ceremony, to induce remembrance.

Passover was about getting saved. Without the shedding of blood, God’s purposes cannot go forward. The blood on the doorposts and lintel, therefore, pointed toward the coming blood of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was going to die instead of sinners. That’s the message of the Bible, the wonderful news of substitution. Sinners are spared because our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed in our place (1 Cor 5:7).

The Lord today has given us a feast to remember, a lasting ordinance for the generations. It’s the Lord’s Supper. It’s to be a lasting reminder of God’s final act of deliverance from sin. Parents are called to instruct their children, to inspire ques­tions in them, to lead them to the Lord of redemption. So that they may remember and celebrate, and in turn, teach the next generation to remember and celebrate the saving work of God in Jesus Christ.

For Further Study⤒🔗

1. Memorials in Scripture are not just given for man’s benefit. How does God benefit from memorials? See Genesis 9 for help.
2. To what degree have you as parents taught your children about the sacraments? Are you satisfied with how much you have taught, or do you see room for growth?