Friday, April 22, 2016

JESUS: OUR PASSOVER LAMB

This year, the Jews are celebrating the Feast of Passover today, April 22nd.  It is the first of seven "Feasts of the Lord," and it memorializes forever, the event that caused Pharaoh to free the Jews from Egyptian bondage (Ex. 12:1-14; Lev. 23:1-5; Num. 9:1-14; Deut. 16:1-6). 

Note:  Passover is mentioned seventeen times between 2 Chronicles 30:1 - 35:19; and also in Joshua, 2 Kings, Ezra, and Ezekiel.

However, Christians recognize that the Feast of Passover is much more than a memorial to Israel's Exodus from Egypt.  The unblemished lamb that was sacrificed, and the blood that was a sign that those living within the dwelling were protected, "covered" if you will, was a "type," a picture of what would take place some 1500 years later on a cross!   Jesus, sinless (Dan. 9:26; Heb. 4:15), as the true Lamb of God, shed His blood to provide forgiveness for the sins of the world!

JESUS - THE LAMB OF GOD, OUR PASSOVER   

"These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.  The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world....And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him.  And I knew Him not: but He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon Whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.  And I saw, and bare record that (Jesus) is the Son of God.  Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; and looking upon Jesus as He walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God" (Jn. 1:28-29, 32-36)!

Note:  Jesus is identified as "the Lamb" over twenty times in the Book of Revelation.

"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" (1 Cor. 5:7-8).

While Jews all over the world will be partaking in the Passover Seder, Christians remember the sacrifice of Jesus for us with Communion, or The Lord's Supper.  The Apostle Paul wrote:

"For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which He was betrayed took bread:  and when He had given thanks, He brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is My body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of Me.  After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in My blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me.  For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till He come" (1 Cor. 11:23-26).

The Passover looks back, while the Lord's Supper points to His return!

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