#ChristOurPassoverLamb #ALambSlainFromTheFoundationsOfTheWorld #ThereisNoGreaterSacrificed #SacrificedOnceAndForAllTime #NoMoreLambsNeedToBeSlain #JesusTheLightOfTheWorld
For many people all over the world, the significance of the coming of the Son of God to die for the sins of all humans beings has been clouded by the “gift giving Easter Santa Claus, namely the Easter Bunny.” It has also been clouded by the making and giving of Easter Eggs, no such tradition is mentioned in Scripture by the way – no wonder Luther declared “Sola Scriptura.” That is an altogether different topic from today’s devotional. Today Easter is about the Bunny and not the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8).
In Deuteronomy 16, Moses instructed people of Israel on how they should observe the month of Aviv.
Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the Lord thy God: for in the month of Abib the Lord thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.2 Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the passover unto the Lord thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the Lord shall choose to place his name there.3 Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.4 And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh, which thou sacrificedst the first day at even, remain all night until the morning. 5 Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the Lord thy God giveth thee: 6 But at the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt. 7 And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place which the Lord thy God shall choose: and thou shalt turn in the morning, and go unto thy tents. (Unless other stated this devotional is from the King James Version of the Bible found on www.biblegateway.com
Pretty straightforward right? At the time of Jesus, the nation of Israel was still observing this remembrance of their flight from Egypt. However, that was not the only significant reason why this night was instituted by YHWH. It also depicted the event that would occur centuries later. The event that ended the Passover tradition because a perfect “Lamb” who was “from the foundation of the world” (Rev 13:8) was actually slain in the flesh.
Matthew records the event in a clear manner.
And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, 2 Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. Matthew 26:1-2
Jesus celebrated the Passover.
Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passover?18 And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; [IHis death was imminent. He knew it.] I will keep the Passover at thy house with my disciples. (verses 17-18).
After all, He was a Jew. He came to fulfill the prophecy written in Isaiah 53
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? 2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
New Testament confirmation about the beating of Christ. [Remember that these are eyewitness accounts of what happened to Jesus. These are not conjectural statements made by theologians in 2018 who did not witness the “Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ the Messiah whom Israel is still waiting for!”
- Matthew 20:19 “And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.”
- Mark 10:34 ” And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.” This is a pivotal Scripture for all believers.
- There is only ONE door to the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ statement “I am the door,” found in John 10:7, is just the third of seven “I am” confirmation-declared by Jesus and recorded only in John’s Gospel. The “I am” proclamations point to His unique, divine identity and God pre-ordained purpose. In this “I am the door” statement, Jesus points out the exclusive nature of salvation by saying that He, and only He, is “the door,” note that He did not state “a door.” Additionally, Jesus is not only our Shepherd who leads us into the “sheepfold,” but He is the only door by which we may enter and be saved (John 10:9). This is an important distinction. Remember this my friends these are not the words of men. They are the word of Jesus Christ our Lord. I am not about to tell Him that He does not know what He is talking about. Jesus is the only means we have of receiving eternal life (John 3:16). There is no other way. New Testament researchers and the Apostle John ascertain that the Gospel of John was written for the expressed purpose that “. . . . that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” John 20:31 Later on John wrote in 1 John 2:2 that “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” The statement for the whole world resounded from John’s time until the time of the end of the world as revealed in the Book of Revelation 1:7 that “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen”
- Mark 10:34“They will mock Him and spit on Him, and scourge Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again.”
- Luke 18:33 “And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.”
- Matthew 27:26 “Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.’
- Mark 15:15 “Wishing to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas for them, and after having Jesus scourged, he handed Him over to be crucified.”
- John 19:1 “ Then Pilate, therefore, took Jesus, and scourged him.”
- Mark 14:65 “And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.”
- John 19:3 “And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.”
Also see: Luke 22:63, Matthew 27:30, Mark 15:19, Matthew 26:67, Luke 22:64, John 18:23, it might appear that I am flogging a dead horse with these additional scriptures, but it is important that every believer understands that if they do not believe that Jesus Christ is the only door through which men might be saved then their faith is in vain.
Continuing with Isaiah 53
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Yes, Jesus is, note I said is not was, our once and for all Passover sacrifice. Today we remember this sacrifice not with the slaying of a lamb, but with the breaking of bread and the drinking of wine/or grape juice as symbols of the debt that was paid on our behalf. 1 Corinthians 11:20-34 explains the NT Passover celebration.
When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper. 21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. 22 What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? what shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. 23 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: 24 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. 25 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. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. 33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. 34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.
Did you notice that there are no references to bunnies, eggs, carrots, or the giving of gifts? It never fails to amaze me how we have chosen to follow the traditions of men rather than the traditions that the Word of God dictates for us to follow. Am I saying it is a sin to celebrate with bunnies? Only if we worship the bunnies and the eggs more than we proclaim the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as our Passover Lamb ‘slain from the foundations of the earth’ for the forgiveness of our sins.
Finally, my friends, If you do not know this man Jesus, let us introduce you to Him. Th Name above all names. The only door to eternal life. Just contact us or book an appointment to discover who Jesus is to you. No sacrifice today can clean you of your sins!
You Are Not the Only One 