Jesus And The Feast Of Passover
The
By Chris McDonald
1 Cor. 5:5-7
To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the
spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. [6] Your glorying is not good.
Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? [7] Purge out
therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For
even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
In Paul's second letter to the Corinthians, the apostle writes: - "Christ Our Passover Lamb has been sacrificed." Christ embodies the Feast of Passover as He does in all the feasts of the Lord which point to a coming Redeemer. Not only does the Passover represent Christ, it also gives us a picture of our redemption experience under the New Covenant. The partaking of the Lord’s Supper is symbolic of the Passover Seder Jesus shared with the disciples the last night He was here on this earth in the flesh. In this feast we see a picture of the past, present and future of the church.
The
B
Exod
12:1-2 - And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first
month of the year to you.
Passover to Israel represented the BEGINNING of their spiritual calendar. ALL
other feasts centered around the start of Passover because the times of the
other feasts was based SOLELY upon a certain amount of days counted from
Passover.
When you come to Jesus it is the
beginning of months, a new start.
Praise God. When a
person is truly born again their past life is put under the blood of Jesus and
never remembered by God. That’s the WORD! We have been granted forgiveness of
sins under this Covenant we are grafted into. The forgiveness of God is
not conditional upon our performance but upon our faith in the blood which was shed by Jesus.
Exod 24:8
- And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said,
Behold the
blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these
words.
Heb 10:29
- Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath
trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the
blood of the covenant,
wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the
Spirit of grace?
Heb 2:3 -
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began
to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
Heb 12:25
Heb
9:20-28 - Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined
unto you. Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels
of the ministry. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without
shedding of blood is no remission.
Heb 13:20
- Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that
great shepherd of the sheep,
through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
Because of the blood, we’ve been forgiven! Because of the blood we have been set free. Because of the blood, we’ve been justified. Because of the blood we have been sanctified. Because of the blood we have been made heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. Because of the blood we can cry out “ABBA” Father, not as a slave, but as a SON! Because of the blood we can approach a HOLY, PERFECT and JUST God and look Him in the face and say, “LORD we come into your presence worthy to receive Grace in the hour of need.” Because of the blood the powers of darkness have been broken off of us. We’ve been redeemed! Our past has been forgotten! Our failures have been forgotten! Our sins have been blotted out of Heaven’s record! Our bondages have been broken! It’s a new start when we come to Jesus. Passover was a new start for Israel. Some 430 years of Egyptian bondage that had produced a nation of slaves were about to be washed away on this night of Passover. Glory!
Some 2000 years ago, our Passover lamb, the Lord Jesus, was sacrificed FOR US so we would no longer be slaves to Satan but SONS OF GOD! I feel the anointing of the Holy Ghost as I write that. We are the children of God! We are not slaves any longer. We are not the hired help. We are the King’s kids. We are part of a ROYAL family, a priesthood, a peculiar people!
Eph 1:3-7
- Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us
with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath
chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and
without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of
children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the
beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins,
according to the riches of his grace;
Titus
2:14-15 - Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity,
and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Acts 20:28
- Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the
Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath
purchased with his own blood.
Rev 5:9 -
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open
the seals thereof: for thou was slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood
out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
Rev 14:4 -
These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These
are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from
among men, being the Firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
1 Pet
1:18-20 - Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible
things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition
from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of
the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1 Pet
2:24-25 - Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we,
being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were
healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the
Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
I Jn 2:2 -
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the
sins of the whole world.
A Lamb for A House
Exodus 12:3-4 -
Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this
month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their
fathers, a lamb for an house: And if the household be too little for the lamb,
let him and his neighbor next unto his house take it according to the number of
the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
God told the congregation of Israel to take a lamb according to the house of their fathers (in the manner of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob). The Lamb would cover every soul in that house with Salvation. By sprinkling blood on the posts all who were inside would be spared death. It made Passover a PERSONAL experience.
So it is today with our salvation. Salvation is a personal experience. You cannot be saved off your mom and dad’s Christianity. You cannot be saved off your church’s experiences. You cannot be saved off you husband or wife’s religion. You cannot be saved just because your family is saved. The lamb must be taken for each SOUL. Salvation is a personal experience. Many will stand lost on judgment day because they have made salvation a corporate experience and thought they were okay because they either belonged to a church or a religious organization. Some may have even had an experience with God such as speaking in tongues or even casting out a demon but never have become intimate with the Son of God. John Bevere gave a great illustration of this in a recent interview with Sid Roth of Messianic Vision. He said back in the late 80s and early 90s when Michael Jordan was in his hey day as a basketball player, people the world over acted like they knew Michael Jordan. People cheered for Michael when he won championships. People cried for Michael when he lost his father. People went out and bought Air Jordan basketball shoes just so they could be just like MIKE.
But how many of those same people if they walked up to Michael Jordan in person and said, “Hey Mike, how are you doing? I’ve went out and bought your shoes, I cried at your parent’s funeral, I cheered when you won those championships,” would Michael Jordan look at and say, "I know you” NONE!!!!!!! Many cheer for Jesus. Many even give money to causes in His name. Many weep over things that are bad in the world in His name. Many speak in tongues, prophesy and cast out devils in His name. Many do many wonderful works in His name BUT THEY DO NOT KNOW HIM PERSONALLY! Ministers start ministries without knowing Jesus so intimately that Jesus gives them specific instructions on what to do and what not to do. I remember Mahesh Chavda telling of his first encounter with Jesus during the days when he was steeped in deep Hinduism. Jesus came to him one day in human form to his apartment and placed His hands on Mahesh's shoulders and said, “I AM REAL MY BROTHER.” NOW THAT’S KNOWING SOMEONE!!!
I have never seen Jesus manifest Himself to me in that manner and possibly never will. I cry for that to happen. I would love to have such an encounter but I’m more concerned about KNOWING HIM for who He is and Him knowing ME! I want to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that when I stand before Him at the judgment it won’t be me talking to a stranger, but it will be just a continuation of our fellowship here on earth. He will judge me for my actions as a Christian but even in judgment He will be our Messiah, the Lover of our souls. He loves us so much He has even passed off the judgment of us from Himself to HIS WORD. He never never never condemns us. When we are condemned, we have condemned ourselves. That is why He gives us space to JUDGE ourselves NOW so He won't have to in eternity! He will ALWAYS be our advocate before the Father
You must identify with the LAMB for yourself. All are alike in the sight of God. We were born under a curse of sin through Adam, but the Lord Jesus, the Second Adam, has redeemed us from the curse of the law. Everyone that is born is born under this burden of choice. You must either choose the Lamb or perish. We will get to that aspect of the Passover a little later but the houses in Egypt that refused the Lamb’s blood PERISHED!
Rom 5:12-21 - Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Gal
3:13-14 - Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse
for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the
blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we
might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
The world’s method of saving itself and justifying itself before God circumvents the Lamb. Sadly, MUCH OF THE CHURCH DOES AS WELL. Adam and Eve were not the world’s first dysfunctional family. They were the world’s first sinners. Man’s problem is SIN. The penalty of sin is death. Death passed upon ALL MEN, the Bible says. It reigned to man even without the LAW from Adam to Moses. The Law just magnified sin’s penalty and strengthened its grip on already sinful humanity.
1 Cor
15:55-57 - O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting
of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which
giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
But the LAMB, PRAISE GOD, the LAMB OF GOD was revealed to the world for not only a substitute for the penalty of sin but as one who had the power to break the power of sin IN US. He came to take away the SIN OF THE WORLD, not sins, plural, which signify acts, but the very NATURE of SIN within man. This power can only be broken to those who KNOW JESUS. It’s more than just believing on Him. It’s KNOWING HIM. There is a big difference. Many believe but are lost. The devils believe and tremble but they are doomed. It’s KNOWING HIM. My biggest fear in this life is that I run the race down here and at the end of the journey NOT KNOW HIM and HE NOT KNOW ME. Please God; give us the grace to KNOW YOU MORE. Give us YOUR GRACE to reveal yourself to US and know US through the Spirit. Lord, let us not stay in the house and know about the lamb but not make provision to apply the Lamb’s BLOOD TO OUR HOUSE.
It’s either the Lamb or death. It’s either the Lamb or hell. It’s either the Lamb or sickness. It’s either the Lamb or Satan. It’s either the Lamb or eternal separation from God.
The Lamb Shall Be
Without Blemish And the Congregation Shall Kill It
Exod
12:5-6 - Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall
take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
The Lamb represented Christ. Christ is revealed in Scripture as the Lamb of God.
To Abel He was a lamb for a man
To Abraham He was a lamb for a provisionary promise –
“Jehovah-Jireh,” God will provide.
To the nation of Israel on this night we are speaking of He was
the Lamb for a House
To the nation on the day of atonement He became a Lamb for a
nation
To John the Baptist He was revealed as the Lamb of God for the
entire world
In Revelation 5 He is seen as the Slain Lamb and Worthy Lamb; In
Revelation 12 He is seen as the Overcoming Lamb; In Revelation 16 He is seen as
the Conquering Lamb, the Triumphant Lamb and King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
GLORY!
The children of Israel did not understand this that night in Egypt as they killed possibly tens of thousands of lambs. They were in type showing what God would do some 1500 years later on Mt. Calvary when THE LAMB of God would be slain for the sins and salvation of man. Israel in part is still blinded to the fact Jesus was and is HER LAMB, or Messiah Isaiah spoke about that would be slain for the forgiveness of sins and save the nation. One day Israel will repent of her sin, be saved as a nation and receive the Lamb of God.
The Congregation Shall Kill It
This speaks of the universal guilt of every human being in history in crucifying Christ. It was OUR sins that put Him on the cross. In reading of the horrible Holocaust of the late 1930s and early 1940s under Hitler’s Germany, many of the statements made by German leaders to justify the killing of Jews were that the Jews were “Christ-killers.” This demonic understanding caused the death of 6 million people, many of them women and children. The truth is the ENTIRE WORLD killed Christ. Your sin. My sin. The sin of Germany. The sin of Israel. The sin of Africa. The sin of America. The sin of England. The SIN OF THE WHOLE WORLD. SIN drove the nails into His hand. Without blood there would have been no payment for sin and man would be eternally LOST. The cross of Christ is NOT the greatest sign of defeat as some Charismatic camps may proclaim. It is the sign of the greatest VICTORY ever known in the annals of human history – in heaven AND earth. For in His death, Jesus Christ broke the very power Satan thought he had unleashed against humanity by crucifying the Son of God. If Satan had known this, believe me, he would NOT have taken the route he took.
When the entire congregation "killed" the Lamb, the entire nation was identifying itself with the Lamb that night without understanding it. God was painting them a picture of the awful price that would be paid later in eternity for man's salvation. The path of redemption has not changed today since the night of Passover. ALL OF HUMANITY must identify and admit that we are guilty of sin. We must CONFESS OUR SIN. God even cannot save those who don’t admit they are sinners. The only sin God cannot forgive is an unconfessed sin. UNCONFESSED SIN will SEND YOU TO HELL!! It is God’s justice and holiness that prohibits Him from doing so. Once sin is confessed however and Jesus is asked into one’s heart and life, THEN the penalty of sin is taken away. It’s through repentance and faith. Not just faith. You must confess and TURN from your sins by the help and grace of God. We do people a GREAT disservice when we just say "confess." Confession is only part of the path to God. We must REPENT. There is no other way to heaven. There is no other remedy. There is no another avenue. There is NO OTHER NAME UNDER Heaven given among men whereby we can be saved and set free. We KILLED THE LAMB and its through HIS BLOOD that we are saved and inherit eternal life!
A Lamb
Without Blemish
The Lamb Israel killed was to be without blemish. This was a beautiful type of being of the coming Lamb's perfection in His humanity. This is very important in how it relates to our walk with God today.
The four Gospel writers – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John are the world’s basic authoritative sources on the life of Christ. They relate details of his birth and some of the events of His early life, but the bulk of their account center on the last three years – THE YEARS OF HIS MINISTRY. Greatest attention is focused on the last WEEK of His life with great emphasis on His death, burial and resurrection - which typifies PASSOVER.
It is well to further note while studying the gospels, the disciples were under the Old Covenant. They received the introduction to the New Covenant, but this was at the very beginning of this period. The New Covenant really begins to be seen operating in the epistles and the other writings that follow the gospels in the New Testament. God made two covenants with Israel called the “Old Covenant” and the "New Covenant." The NEW Covenant relates to redemption the LAMB purchased with His blood at Calvary. Instead of being under the law, we now live in the day of Grace. Jesus Christ ushered in the New Covenant with his blood that he shed on Calvary. Next He sent the Holy Ghost to fill our hearts and live and to baptize us in the Holy Spirit. This is in type the fulfillment of the Jewish Feast of Pentecost.
This baptism takes place twice – at conversion as the Holy Spirit baptizes us in to the Body of Christ – and a second time when those who believe are baptized by Christ in the Holy Spirit. When this happens, the Holy Spirit has now fully come, bringing the gifts and the fruits of the Spirit. This is a whole new dimension in Christian living. Even though we see the writers of the first four books of the NEW Testament as living in the days of the New Testament, we must realize they were reacting based upon their wisdom of the Old Covenant. They would later receive greater wisdom under the New Covenant after the Lord Jesus died and arose again the third day and ascended into heaven. Both Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Elizabeth, her cousin, (the mother of John the Baptist), experienced the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit in marvelous ways even before the advent of Pentecost.
Luke 1:35-41 - And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. For with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda; And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
The Holy Ghost set the initial stages of the divine incarnation forth. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin Mary. The Holy Spirit, not man, was responsible for Mary’s conception. When Jesus was born into human form, He had to grow in wisdom and knowledge as other children do. He did, of course, develop tremendously because He never yielded to sin or darkness. His mind and spirit were totally open to God the Father. Consequently, He learned very rapidly, and at the age of twelve years, He was able to discuss the Law with the high priests and doctors of the Law. He was anointed by the Spirit even as a young man, but he was not endued with power from on high for ministry until He was 30.
The Holy Spirit was involved in the life of Jesus from before His birth. At the time of His baptism by John the Baptist, the Spirit of God descended in the form of a dove, and a voice from heaven spoke and said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” The Spirit came “as” or “like a dove.” He came gently. This was a witness of the Trinity being present at this very moment in time – God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended, and God the Father spoke. The Holy Spirit was present to ANOINT Jesus for ministry and to demonstrate His deity. Jesus didn’t operate on this earth as deity. If he had, then His death would have meant nothing. When Adam fell, it meant another “Adam” had to come and redeem man from his sin. Under the economy of God only blood sacrifice would pay or atone for Israel’s sin under the Old Covenant. Under the New Covenant, nothing changed. The difference, however, was that the New Covenant, which was BETTER, REMOVED the sin of man - it just didn't COVER it! Oh my oh my! Don't you feel that? Passover represented not only the beginning of months but it represented a change in covenants that would be "cut" at Calvary between God and all of humanity. For man’s sins to be removed, the blood was to be of the like nature of the offending party - MAN! It had to be human blood, not the blood of lambs, bullocks, and bulls, OR GODS.
Heb 10:4-10 - For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body has thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
This was confirmed or witnessed BY THE HOLY SPIRIT:
Heb 10:14-18 - For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
It was through this process of identifying with the humanity of Adam, that the Second Adam delivered us from sin, sickness, fear, bondage, disease, and eternal damnation.
Heb 2:14-18 - Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succor them that are tempted.
When God instructed Israel to keep a Lamb without blemish He had the perfect, sinless SON OF GOD in mind that would not only redeem man from His sin but literally DESTROY sin and sin's penalty -DEATH- in the process. Without knowing what they were celebrating, Israel was celebrating man's liberation from darkness and death through the coming Redeemer. They were in type eating of the sinless flesh of the Lord Jesus. Unless we become partakers of that same flesh, we will not inherit eternal life.
John
6:47-58 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting
life; I am that bread of life; Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and
are dead; This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat
thereof, and not die; I am the living bread which came down from heaven:
if any
man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is
my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world; The Jews therefore strove
among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus
said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the
Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you; Whoso eats my flesh,
and drinks my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last
day; For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed; He that eats
my flesh, and drinks my blood, dwells in me, and I in him; As the living
Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eats me, even he
shall live by me; This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your
fathers did eat
This speaks of TOTAL commitment and identification with Jesus. Many believe in Him, but have never EMBRACED Him to the point they literally feed off His flesh day in and day out through the communion of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God was sent to worship the SON THROUGH US! He is the agent on earth sent to point us back to our PASSOVER LAMB.
Jesus said to Israel's religious leaders, “Your fathers did eat the manna in the wilderness and died.” The manna in the wilderness came to provide relief to the flesh but Israel missed the SPIRITUAL bread that had come down to sustain both the nation and the people FOREVER ETERNALLY. The same line is being drawn today. Jesus is more than just a “quick fix” to our flesh. He is either our LORD and MASTER of all, or He is LORD and MASTER of NONE AT ALL. You can’t have it both ways.
Since my return to the Lord after a severe backsliding five years ago now this is becoming more plain to me with each passing day. Many of us casually embrace Jesus, mainly at times of distress or need, but very few walk in the TOTAL grace He has given each one. That grace is given to us to LOVE the Lord God with ALL our heart, our soul and our mind. To what degree we’ve been given the grace to love, that’s the degree of judgment we will held accountable to when we stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. For example, if you’ve been given a 30-fold amount of grace to love and you only love 10-fold you will be held accountable for the 20-fold amount you wasted on loving other things than God. If you’re only give a 10-fold amount of grace and you love the Lord with that entire 10-fold amount of grace then you will be rewarded on judgment day. When I say "amount of love" I'm referring to the LIGHT the Lamb has given us to walk in and increase in HIM.
That’s why Paul at the end of his life wrote, “I am the chief of sinners.” The man who wrote most of the New Testament looked back on his life and said, “God there was SO MUCH you had bestowed upon me and in light of YOUR GRACE I have produced very little.” Remember this friend. The best of men are only light to us to point us to THE TRUE LIGHT. John the Baptist who was called the "greatest among women" cried, “I must decrease and He must increase.” Many will stand barren at the judgment seat. Many will stand condemned. Many will even miss heaven because they have never truly partook of the Lord’s Body. (This will be dealt with in Part Two of this Journal entitled, “The Table of the Lord.”)
I remember a compelling story Rick Joyner told of a beggar in New York who had died and went to heaven. In a vision the Lord allowed Rick to see this beggar in heaven sitting on a throne unlike ANYTHING this earthly world could produce in its finest monuments. Rick asked the Lord to tell him what this beggar had done on earth to deserve such a lofty position. The Lord told Rick the beggar had loved with everything in him and had loved others with ALL the grace the Lord had bestowed upon him. The night he died was during a blizzard in New York when he could have stolen food and maybe even clothes from a shop whose front glass had been broken by vandals. Because this beggar loved the Lord Jesus with ALL his heart, the beggar would rather die hungry than steal and disobey His Lord. That same night as the blizzard grew worse, the beggar saw another "albino" trying to survive. Out of compassion, the beggar gave up his cardboard box shelter to the man and as a result lost his own life because of hypothermia.
Rick said, “Wow, this type man must have led many to the Lord.” The Lord said, “Actually, he just led one. About two weeks before he died he placed a tract in the hands of another beggar who was deaf and couldn’t talk. As a result of that tract, that other beggar came to know Me and will be with Me one day in heaven.”
That’s what I’m talking about. It’s not in the QUANTITY of souls you win, it’s in the OBEDIENCE to the Father that counts. It’s not in the number of hours you pray, even though you need to pray and win souls for the Kingdom. Jesus is looking for something greater. He’s looking for a heart ablaze with His glory and love. That’s what the Passover Lamb represented. It represented a Messiah whose heart was so pure and sinless it held nothing but agape love for the entire world even while the world "was yet sinners." It was through the power of that love that all of humanity, including me and you friend, were redeemed and set free from sin and hell. GLORY!
The Blood Was To Be Put On The Two Side and Upper Side Posts Of The House
Exod 12:7
- And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on
the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
The Lamb had to die. The blood had to be shed and placed on the two side posts and the upper post of the house. When you saw this, it would take the symbol of a cross. Israel partook of that first Passover in Egypt unknowing of the ultimate Passover Lamb who was to come 1,500 years later and set man free from His sin.
It was not the miracle power of Jesus that saved man. It was not even the virgin birth. It was not the sinless life even though all these things are important. For that matter God could have just spoken the word and man would have been saved. But God didn't chose that route for our salvation and redemption. It had to be more than a shallow experience. It had to go to the SOUL of man - where the seat of the entire matter and problem weighed in. No, God chose BLOOD. And the same way to God today is the same as it was THEN – BLOOD. We are currently in the middle of an in-depth study on the Tabernacle which outlines Man’s approach to God and God’s approach to man. I hear the dear old hymn in my heart as I write this:
Christ our Redeemer, died on the Cross, died for the sinner, paid all his due; all who believe Him need never fear, for I will pass will pass over you; When I see the blood; When I see the blood: When I see the blood; I will pass, I will pass over you. PRAISE THE LAMB forever.
ALL
Of The Lamb Was to Be Eaten Before Daybreak
Exod
12:8-10 - And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and
unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
The Lord commanded them to eat the flesh in the night, roast it with fire, and eat it with unleavened bread and with BITTER HERBS. It was not to be eaten raw or sodden at all with water. It was to be WELL DONE. The head with the legs of the lamb were to be roasted. NOTHING was to remain of it until the morning. Whatever was left it was to be burned with fire by daybreak.
We
must eat ALL of JESUS. We cannot get a little dab here and a little dab there.
That’s what’s wrong with the lukewarm church in the West. Our Christianity
only works on Sunday morning. Our walk with God is only good if we’re
worshipping in a million dollar building. Our love for God is only hot if
we’re making 6-digit incomes. Our attitudes are only good if we are getting
praised. Our attitudes are only good if all the blessings of Yeshua are coming
on us. When you are serving Jesus for what you can get out of Him, you will
never make it!! You must eat ALL OF HIM. There cannot be any compromise. It’s
either ALL or NONE. There is really no middle ground. Most Christians who
casually stay at arm-length from Jesus are usually Christians who in time of
trouble fall away really quick. It’s when you eat ALL of HIM or partake of ALL
OF HIS life that you can truly know the joy of having eternal life abiding in
your heart and soul.
1 Pet
1:18-20 - Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible
things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition
from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without
blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of
the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
They Were To Eat It In Haste
Exod
12:11-12 - And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your
feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord's Passover.
God told the children of Israel to eat the Passover in haste. The specific
commands were to eat it with: “loins girded, your
shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand. Again, to reiterate
a point, this was the actually the ONLY TRUE Passover. All others since this
time have only been a memorial of the first. On this night the children of
Israel were to be dressed for travel and ready to depart from Egypt.
This verse contains four of seven things not observed in any other
Passover in Israel’s history. The other three were:
-
The congregation killing their own lambs (Exodus 12:6; later the priests did this)
-
Placing blood on the side posts and lintels of the doors (Exodus 12:7,22-23).
-
Refraining from going outdoors until morning (Exodus 12:22).
I believe with all my heart we are rapidly approaching the final Passover where we as the children of God will be departing Egypt. What we do we need to it with haste. What we do we need to do it with our loins girded about (TRUTH). We need to have shoes on our feet shod with the gospel of PEACE. We need to have a staff in our hand – THE WORD OF GOD. God is about to pass judgment on Egypt, which is a type of this present world system under which we live. Egypt was full of idols and God smote the gods of Egypt. The reason He smote the firstborn is because in Egypt the firstborn male of every family was looked upon as a god. Pharaoh was look upon as a God. God was going to show the heathen that HE WAS JEHOVAH and He was not pleased with the bondage the world of Egypt had placed His chosen in. God is about to do the same thing in the world today. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out. It doesn’t take a Yale graduate to figure it out – something is in the air. There is something ahead that is BAD. The world is not getting any better, it is getting worse. But look up child of God, what is ahead is not going to touch you BECAUSE OF THE LAMB!!
The blood has been shed.
The blood has been applied to the door of the house, not made with man’s
hands, but with the SPIRIT OF GOD. YE ARE THE TEMPLE, or HOUSE, of GOD and His
Spirit DWELLS IN YOU. And if you’re listening to the Holy SPIRIT you are
hearing Him say, “Hurry.” You’re hearing Him say, “Eat it in haste.”
You’re hearing Him say, “Get your shoes on.” You’re hearing Him say,
“Get your loins girded about.” Don’t listen to everything you hear. Watch
what you hear. Watch where you go. Watch what you say. You’re hearing Him say,
“Speak the Word quickly.” It’s almost time to leave Egypt. It’s almost
time to depart. Judgment is soon to fall. I’ve seen the blood on your house so
I’m going to PASSOVER you.” I’m going to save you from judgment because of
the BLOOD!!!! Pardon me for getting excited. I’m trying to write this in a
dignified way but I can’t. Jesus is coming. Jesus is coming! The Lamb is
coming! The Lamb is coming! The Lamb is coming!!!
Judgment
On the Idols of Egypt
According to Dake’s Study notes, when any idolatrous nation was destroyed, the blame fell on the gods who either abandoned the nation or were overcome by stronger gods (Isaiah 37:6-13).
Isaiah 37:6-13 - And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say unto your master, Thus saith the Lord, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. [7] Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumor, and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land. [8] So Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah: for he had heard that he was departed from Lachish. [9] And he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, He is come forth to make war with thee. And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying, [10] Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, Let not thy God, in whom you trust, deceive thee, saying, Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. [11] Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying them utterly; and shalt thou be delivered? [12] Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Telassar? [13] Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?
Each of the ten plagues was
aimed at the gods of Egypt.
1. The Nile river was worshiped by Egyptians under various names and symbols, including father of life and father of the gods. Egyptians, who abhorred blood, must have been horrified when they saw their sacred river and all other water in their country turned to blood (Exodus 7:19-21).
2. Bringing up frogs was against the frog god, causing Egyptians to abhor frogs and despise this god (Exodus 8:5-6).
3. The creation of millions of gnats out of dust (Exodus 8:16-19), as well as other insects (Psalm 78:45), showed the helplessness of the insect god to protect Egypt.
4. The creation of flies (Exodus 8:24) exposed the powerlessness of Beelzebub, the god of flies, to protect the people from such insects. Cleanliness was necessary in worship, and the putrid conditions brought about by unclean flies would hinder idolaters.
5. The murrain (pestilence, Exodus 9:5-7) on Egyptian stock proved that the very creatures the people held sacred were powerless to protect themselves. Egyptians worshiped many forms of nature: the sun, moon, stars, planets, rivers, animals—even onions and leeks. Jupiter was adored in the form of a ram; Apollo was adored as a crow; Bacchus was adored as a goat; Juno was adored as a heifer; Diana was adored as a cat; Venus was adored as a fish; Mercury was adored as an ibis; etc. They believed that when the giants made war on the gods, they fled to Egypt and took refuge in sea creatures, which were then worshiped. Reincarnation was strongly believed by the Egyptians. Like Hindus and other Orientals, they taught that departed loved ones were reborn in the shape of animals. If any were killed, some relative would be killed. Hence, animal sacrifice was an abomination to the Egyptians, and the pestilence on their stock was a judgment upon their gods.
6. Boils and blains on man and beast were against gods that were worshiped to protect from such plagues.
7. Hail and fire (Exodus 9:22-26) was against Isis and Osiris, the gods of light, health, fertility, arts, and agriculture. Water, fire, earth, and air were all objects of Egyptian idolatry. God showed them that He was Lord over these elements that, instead of helping the Egyptians, became instruments of destruction at God's command.
8. The locust plague (Exodus 10:12-15) was against the god Serapis who was supposed to protect the land from locusts. The creatures came and left at God's command, proving that He was the God of gods, and that the gods of Egypt were false and powerless. See note, Exodus 10:4.
9. Darkness (Exodus 10:21-23) was against the worship of the sun god who was to protect from any curse of the sun and provide light, warmth, and fruitfulness.
10. The death of the firstborn (Exodus 12:29-30) was directed against all Egyptian gods who were supposed to protect both man and beasts. The choicest of each family died as proof that no god of Egypt had power to stand against the God of the Hebrews.
When God brings judgment upon this world that has long since forgotten
Him, He will do so in a similar manner. ALL the works of man’s hands will not
hide man from the Lamb. Judgment is coming, ALL WILL BE THERE, those who have
forsaken, those who’ve refused, ALL who heed Him need never fear, For He will
Pass, Will PASSOVER YOU.
Exodus 12:10-14 - And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.
[11] And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord's
Passover. [12] For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. [13] And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. [14] And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
The “blood shall be to you for a token.” Blood was the token of obedience. By this sign the death angel knew which houses to pass over when slaying the firstborn. It will be by this sign that the death angel will PASSOVER YOU when the hand of God strikes this world in judgment very soon. Faith in God gave peace in the houses where the blood had been sprinkled (cp. Hebrews 9:22). With the blood applied and all conditions met, God gave security to that home. Doubt might destroy the peace, but not the security that was founded on God's word. Israel's faith without blood would have brought no security, regardless of each person's feelings. So it is with the gospel that all conditions must be met: repentance must be sincere. No one is secure in Christ while living in sin, for the terms of repentance are not being met (John 8:31-36; John 15:1-8; Romans 6:16-23; Romans 8:1-13; 2 Cor. 3:16-17; 2 Cor. 6:9-11,19-20; 2 Cor. 9:27; Galatians 1:6-8; Galatians 5:4,16-26; Col. 3:5-10; Titus 2:11-13; Hebrews 3:6,12-14; Hebrews 6:4-9; Hebrews 10:19-29; 2 Peter 2:20-22). Repentance and faith. Repentance and faith. Repentance and faith. That’s the Bible way to God. You cannot live in sin and say you know God. You cannot live in sin and hope you are going to miss the Great Tribulation. You must "keep the feast," and keeping the feast means repenting of your sins and embracing the LAMB OF GOD.
No Stranger, Foreigner, nor Hired Servant Could Eat It, Only the Circumcised
Exod 12:43-51 - And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the
Passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof: 44 But every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.
45 A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.
46 In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.
47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the
Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourn among you.
50 Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.
51 And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the LORD did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.
The Passover was for the redeemed of Israel. So today the benefits of Christ are for those who believe, not for those who don't.
Those Who Remained In The House Remained Safe
One final thought on this memorable night in Egypt. God explicitly instructed Moses to take hyssop and paint the blood of the Lamb on the door of the house. Those who left that house left the safety of the blood. If you were Jewish and were not in a house covered in blood you would have died. If you were Egyptian and you were in a house covered in blood you survived. The issue on this night was BLOOD. When the death angel saw the BLOOD he passed over the children of Israel.
There are some who teach you can never ever renounce or leave your salvation experience. They teach that no matter what you do you are eternally secure and destined for heaven even if you make no pretense for living for God or have basically apostatized. That is NOT TRUE. The house was protection from the coming death angel and that house represented CHRIST. His blood is the ONLY SOURCE OF PROTECTION from the coming wrath of a righteous God who has held back His hand of judgment on this world for its sin. The day is coming soon when that hand of mercy will be lifted and the wrath of God will be poured out during what most Bible teachers call “great tribulation."
The way of escape is the blood. The death angel is coming. The death angel may call on you tonight. He may call on you 10 years from now. He may call on you in two weeks. He may never call if you go through the rapture. Either way you are at a crossroads as every human being IS who is born into this world. You can accept the blood of the Lamb and place that blood on your house or you can refuse and be damned.
Let Us Keep The Feast
1 Cor 5:7-8 - Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Exodus 12:47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you. Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they. And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the LORD did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.
The Lord commanded Israel to celebrate the Passover
from generation to generation as a memorial of this historic night.
Paul speaks of us being a new lump, or as the Feast of Unleavened Bread
followed after Passover, as NEW CREATURES in Messiah Jesus. Paul was speaking
spiritually and literally I believe when he wrote this. As New Testament
believers we have put off the leaven of malice and wickedness and have embraced
the Unleavened BREAD OF HEAVEN of SINCERITY and TRUTH. Messiah Jesus is that
TRUTH. As was the custom of the Jews
before the Passover to cleanse their homes from all leaven, so the church is
here admonished to clean out the immoral practices from its midst. Paul is
saying “You are yet unleavened; the filth of moral sin has not yet become
spread among you. If you will purge
this immorality out then you will be a new lump, completely free from sin.”
Christ has become our Passover lamb and by His blood all sin can be purged (Eph.
1:7; Hebrews 9:22; Rev. 1:5).
Heb 9:22-26 - And almost all things are by the
law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. It was
therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be
purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices
than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands,
which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the
presence of God for us. Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high
priest enters into the holy place every year with blood of others; For then
must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in
the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of
himself.
As New Testament believers in Yeshua, be it we are JEW OR GENTILE, we should honor the Lord’s wishes. As the Western Gentile Church, we observe the Lord’s Supper. In doing so, we partake of the Lord’s body and blood in type as a memorial to Calvary. Calvary is basically a fulfillment of what took place some 3000 years ago on a night in Egypt that will NEVER be forgotten by the Land of the Nile. Cecil B. Demille may have tried hard to portray it on the big movie screen but his efforts pale to what really went on that night. GOD PASSED OVER ISRAEL and destroyed THE GODS OF EGYPT. When you celebrate Passover you celebrate a Feast of the Lord. When you do it this Passover season, remember the blood of the covenant you enjoy as a New Testament believer in Messiah Jesus. No, celebrating Passover is not a prerequisite for salvation. It’s a memorial to show your respect for the Jewish people to whom we as GENTILES owe our LIFE TO! Our Passover LAMB was JEWISH and celebrating the Passover is a celebration of HIM! Praise God
It's Getting Late Neighbor - We Pray You Know The Passover Lamb!