Passover

The Church at Spring Hill ~ Teachings
~ Pastor Dan Cole
Why a Christian Passover? The account of the first Passover is found in the Book of Exodus, chapters 3-12. After being in slavery to the Egyptians, God called Moses to bring His people out of bondage. God brought plagues on Egypt, and Moses pleaded with the Pharaoh to let God's people go. But over and over again, he refused. Finally, the death angel was sent to slay the firstborn of every household. God placed His hand of protection on His people, hiding them in the Land of Goshen. When darkness covered Egypt for three days, the Israelites had light in the places where they lived. When the death angel passed and there was loud wailing in Egypt, among the Israelites not a dog barked. [EXODUS 10:21, 23; 11:4-7a] When the firstborn of all the Egyptians were slain, not one Israelite was harmed. The covering Blood protected them. God said, "They are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the door frames of the houses where they eat the lambs... On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn ~ and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and WHEN I SEE THE BLOOD, I WILL PASS OVER YOU. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt." [EXODUS 12:7, 12,13] "I will take refuge in the shadow of Your wings until the disaster has passed." (Psalm 63:7)
	The Passover message is at the heart of the gospel. It is all wrapped up in our Lord Jesus. It is reflected in every communion service. "In Him we have redemption through His blood..." [EPHESIANS 1:7a]
We are told to keep the Passover
	*"This is the day you are to commemorate; FOR THE GENERATIONS TO COME YOU SHALL CELEBRATE IT AS A FESTIVAL TO THE LORD ~ A LASTING ORDINANCE."* [EXODUS 12:14 NIV]** "For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us keep the festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the Bread of Sincerity, and Truth." [I Cor.5:7-8]
BORN AGAIN CHRISTIANS HAVE THE PASSOVER LAMB
	Our Jewish friends use a symbolic shank bone [See Lev.17:8,9] On seeing Jesus approach, John said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." [JOHN 1:29 NIV]
Christians look forward to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb
	This will be a renewing of the time when Jesus sits down with His disciples at Heaven's Passover Feast. "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the Kingdom of God." [LUKE 22:15,16] "I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until I drink it anew with you in My Father's Kingdom." [MATT. 26:29] "Blessed are those who are invited to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb" [REV.19:9] Soon we will celebrate it in the New Jerusalem! Jesus Kept the Passover He traveled many miles on foot to do so. Jesus NEVER missed a Jewish Feast. He was a Jew and so are we by adoption. [GALATIANS 3:29] Understanding the Passover Seder The Passover Seder is a re-enactment of the ages old Jewish feast of deliverance. As in each Jewish home, the ritual feast is repeated with the reading of the Old Testament experiences of slavery under Pharaoh and the ultimate exodus. A plate is set before each participant with the symbolized elements: a dry roasted shank bone, a roasted egg, karpas (parsley), charoses (apple-nut mixture), bitter herbs (ground horseradish) and salt water. Three matzos are placed on the table. Each participant will eat the elements as the ritual progresses. The Passover Seder is full of symbolism and foreshadows. And it is in this symbolism that Christians see the awesome plan of God. In fact, they see Yeshua, the Son of the Living God. On the last Passover Jesus celebrated, He said, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer." [LUKE 22:15] He passed the foods among them. It was there, in the context of this celebration, that Yeshua revealed to them the mystery of God's plan of redemption. He spoke to them of His body and blood. He explained to them He would have to die. The "Last Supper" as Christians have come to call it, was a type of Passover Seder. And Jesus reminded the disciples to keep this covenant celebration in remembrance of Him. Passover Symbolism and Shadows LIKE JESUS ~ The Passover Lamb was one of the flock. [HEBREWS 2:17] LIKE JESUS ~ The Passover Lamb was to be without blemish. [Judas said, "I betrayed innocent blood;" Pilate said, "I find no fault in Him."] "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet without sin." [HEBREWS 4:15 NIV] LIKE JESUS ~ The Passover lambs were examined for days while our own Passover Lamb was being "inspected" (interrogated, etc.) by the high priests. [LUKE 22:47-23:25 niv] LIKE JESUS ~ The Passover Lamb was killed in the evening ~ between 3 and 6 pm [MARK 15: 34, 37] LIKE JESUS ~ The Passover Lamb was to be consumed the same day. [Jesus died supernaturally fast so He could rise in time for the Feat of First Fruits]. [EXODUS 12:10; JOHN 19:31-33 NIV]] LIKE JESUS ~ The Passover Lamb's bones were not to be broken. [JOHN 19:33] Fifteen hundred years before Calvary, God commanded Israel to make the sign of the cross with the blood on the lentils and door posts. [EXODUS 12:22 NIV] The matzos are striped from the oven. [I PETER 2:24] ~ "By His stripes we were healed."] They are pierced through. "He [Yeshua] was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities." [ISAIAH 53:5 NIV; ZECHARIAH 12:10; PSALM 22:16 NIV] We, as Christians, are required to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. True peace can only come through Jesus. Prophecy shows them at war until the Millennium. Paul said, "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. They are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge." [ROMANS 10:1,2] NOTHING ABOUT JESUS SHOULD RELATE TO THE EASTER BUNNY OR ANY PAGAN FERTILITY RITES. *Easter is a word of Saxon origin denoting "Eastra," the goddess of spring, in whose honor sacrifices were offered about Passover time each year. [Ungers Bible Dictionary]* History relates that the death and resurrection of Jesus was celebrated in conjunction with Passover until 125 A.D. when the Nicene council officially separated Resurrection Day from the Jewish Passover to make the dates correspond to Easter. [Friends of Israel] *In the Old King James Version of the Bible, in Acts 12:4, the Greek word, Pascha, was unfortunately translated Easter instead of Passover, as it should have been.* PASSOVER corresponds to the death and burial of Jesus. The Feast of First Fruits corresponds to Resurrection Day. We celebrate "Resurrection Day.": Since we, as Christians, are the Temple: "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, Who is in you, Whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price," (I COR. 6:19,20) and since we have the True Passover Lamb ["For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed..."] (I COR. 5:7), and since we are Abraham's Seed ["If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."] (GALATIANS 3:29 NIV), I believe we are entitled to not only observe the Lord's Supper as Communion, but the expanded version of the Lord's Supper - PASSOVER - as well. WE ARE A BLOOD BOUGHT PEOPLE, AND PASSOVER IS A CELEBRATION OF THAT PURCHASE.