Friday, June 13, 2014

2069- This week in our house churches I’m teaching on the Pass Over.

We read the story in Exodus chapters 11-12. Let me do a quick background.
A few months back I did an overview of the bible- traced the promise God made to Abraham ‘if you leave your land and go to a new place I will bless you and multiply you’.

Abraham obeyed God and over time God kept his promise.

At the time of the Exodus- when God delivered the Israelites from Egypt- there were about 600 thousand people who came from the lineage of Abraham.
Over time a new leader arose- a pharaoh- who oppressed the people.

God raised up Moses- and this is where the story begins.

God told Moses to go back to Egypt [where he fled from] and that he would use Moses to deliver the people from Egypt.

Moses goes back to confront pharaoh- and tells him ‘let my people go’.

Now- at the time the Jews were the slave labor for pharaoh- he did not want to lose his workers.

Moses is used of God to bring judgment upon Pharaoh- God sends 10 plagues on the land.

The last plague is the firstborn of each house will die- from Pharaoh to the lowest servant [even the firstborn of the cattle!]

But God gives a way out for his people. He tells Moses to tell the people that they should take a lamb- a spotless one- with no blemish- and to sacrifice the lamb- cook it- and eat it.
They are to take the Blood of the Lamb and put it on the doors of their homes.

They put some on the top and both sides of the door- like a sign of the Cross.

When the Death Angel passes thru the land and sees the Blood on the doors- he will ‘Pass Over’ those homes- and they will be spared from the plague.
That’s where the name Pass Over comes from.

Sure enough that night the judgment fell- and all the homes with the Blood were spared.

Now- Pharaoh and all the Egyptians call Moses and tell him ‘go- leave- keep your feast to God- leave- before we all die’.

Ok- eventually God parts the Red Sea- and most of you know the rest of the story.

God told the people to keep the feast- called the Pass Over [also later referred to as the Feast of Unleavened Bread] thru out all their generations.

Every year- at the time of Pass Over- they repeated this feast.

This story happened about 1400 years before Christ.

So- at the time of Christ- this story was already engrained in the Jewish mind- it was a regular holiday- sort of like Christmas or Easter- they had this down as a routine.

At the time of Christ- as his Crucifixion drew near- he sat with his disciples and had what we call The Last Supper.

This was the Pass Over meal.

We read about it in all 4 gospels.

Jesus had this final meal with his men- and he told them ‘take eat- this is MY BODY broken for you. Drink- This is MY BLOOD shed for you’.

What was he saying here?

He was telling them that he was the ultimate fulfillment of the Pass Over feast.

That is on this night [on a Thursday- he would be crucified the next day] he would be the final Lamb- the Lamb of God- who would put an end to the whole sacrificial system- and thru his one time sacrifice- all men would now partake of the benefits of his death.

In essence- all who believe in Christ would escape the judgment of God- God would see the Blood of Christ applied to our hearts- and he would Pass Over us- in judgment.

A few notes.

The Lambs used for the Pass Over were spotless- The apostle Peter writes that Jesus was a lamb without spot [1st Peter 1:19].

The lambs could not have any broken bones.
In the gospel of John [chapter 19] we read the crucifixion account- the bible says the Roman soldiers went to break the legs of Christ- but he was already dead- so they had no need to break his legs.

And John says ‘this happened so it would be fulfilled- that a bone of him would not be broken’.

John quoted Psalm 34- a prophetic Psalm that spoke of Crist.
The reason the soldiers would break the legs of those on the Cross was it would speed up their deaths.

Crucifixion was a common form of execution in that day- and often the one being crucified would extend his life by using his legs to push himself up- so he could breathe.

It actually takes a while for someone to die on a Cross.

When they broke their legs- they could no longer push themselves up- to breathe- and they would die.

But in Jesus case- his death came fast- because he was dying for the sins of the world.

They did not need to break his legs- and just like the lambs used for Pass Over- no bones were broken [see Exodus 12:46, Psalm 34:20, John 19:31-36].

Christians today celebrate the fulfilment of the Pass Over every time they receive Holy Communion.

We no longer need an ongoing sacrifice of many animals- but we partake of the one time death of Christ for all men.

During the time of the Exodus- when this feast was first established- they would eat no leaven [yeast] for 7 days following the actual meal.

Leaven represents sin- and the apostle Paul told us to keep this feast- this new way of life in Christ without the leaven of sin [see 1st Corinthians 5:6-8].

When the lambs were brought to be killed- they were silent- they made no noise.

When Jesus stood before Pilate- Pilate was surprised that Jesus gave no defense- the bible says he was like a lamb- silent before his accusers [Isaiah 53:7, Matthew 27:12-14].

Jesus fulfilled the Pass Over feast for all generations to come- all who believe in him today will be ‘passed over’ when the final judgment comes- they will escape the wrath of God because by faith they have the Blood on them.

He offered himself one time by the Spirit unto God for us- that we should be free from sin and death- and be alive unto God.

Yeah- John the Baptist spoke one of the most profound prophecies we find in the bible- BEHOLD- THE LAMB OF GOD- WHO TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD’-

Amen.



 Exodus 11:4 And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:
Exodus 11:5 And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.

Exodus 12:3 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:
Exodus 12:4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour 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.
Exodus 12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
Exodus 12:6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
Exodus 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.
Exodus 12:11 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.
Exodus 12:12 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.
Exodus 12:13 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.
Exodus 12:14 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.
Exodus 12:15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
Exodus 12:16 And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
Exodus 12:17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.
Exodus 12:18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.
Exodus 12:19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.
Exodus 12:20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.
Exodus 12:21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover.
Exodus 12:22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.
Exodus 12:23 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.
Exodus 12:24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.
Exodus 12:25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.
Exodus 12:26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?
Exodus 12:27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD's passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.
Mark 14:12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?
Mark 14:13 And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him.
Mark 14:14 And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?
Mark 14:22 And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.
Mark 14:23 And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it.
Mark 14:24 And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.
Matthew 27:12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
Matthew 27:13 Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?
Matthew 27:14 And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.
1Corinthians 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?
1Corinthians 5:7 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:
1Corinthians 5:8 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.
John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
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.
Matthew 27:12 And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
Matthew 27:13 Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?
Matthew 27:14 And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.
1Peter 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Hebrews 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Hebrews 9:13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
Hebrews 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Psalm 34:20 He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
John 19:31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
John 19:32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him.
John 19:33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:
John 19:34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
John 19:35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe.
John 19:36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.

NOTES- In Christianity there are different views of the Lords Table [Holy Communion]. There are many divisions in the church today- this one dates back to the earliest centuries of the church.
Most Protestant churches teach a symbolic view of the Bread and Wine- that is they believe that when Jesus said ‘take eat- this is my Body- drink, this is my Blood’.
They see this as a sort of symbolism- that Jesus was not literally saying ‘my Body- Blood’.
Catholics- as well as some of the more ancient traditions [Orthodox- etc.] they take a view called The Real Presence- also technically called Transubstantiation.
Meaning they believe that thru a miracle of God- the Bread and Wine are indeed changed into the actual Body and Blood of Jesus.
Are there any biblical references that support this view?

Yes- there are [I’ll paste them at the bottom].

Ok- you also find this literal view in the earliest writings of the church- the Didache [the earliest teaching we have today- outside of the bible] makes references to this- as well as some of the early church fathers- dating back all the way to the 2nd century.
During the time of the Protestant Reformation [the 16th century] the issue came up again.
The 3 main Reformers- Luther- Calvin and Zwingli- did not agree on this.

Zwingli [Swiss Reformer- I actually visited Geneva Switzerland years ago- this was a famous spot during the Reformation] taught the view that most Protestants hold today- that the bread and wine are symbolic.

Calvin took a view that is just short of the Real Presence view [though at times his view is called this].

Calvin taught that the actual presence of Christ- in Spirit- is there when the sacrament is observed [I believe this myself].

And Luther took a view that was very much like the Catholic view- it’s called Consubstantiation- basically meaning that yes- the real Body and Blood are in the bread and wine- but the bread and wine are also there.

Isn’t this the Catholic view?

Actually no- now- I don’t want to get too deep here- but in the 13th century the great Christian thinker- Thomas Aquinas- defined the Catholic view- using what we call Aristotelian methods.

Aquinas was a big fan of Aristotle [who we will get to in the current Philosophy teaching I am doing].

And Aquinas attempted to use the ideas- words- of Aristotle in defining Christian teaching.

So- Aquinas taught that the bread and wine are not there- it just looks like bread and wine on the outside- but it’s really the Body and Blood of Jesus- only.

As of this day- this is still the official teaching of the Catholic Church.
Ok- I do believe that those who hold this view are most certainly Christians- though I don’t hold the view myself.

Many of my Evangelical friends do not see the more traditional churches as Christian- which in my view is a big mistake.
Why?
The verses I’ll paste at the bottom- if taken literally- do indeed teach the Catholic view.
Much of the harshest criticism of the Catholic view comes from the Fundamentalist’s- who are notorious for taking the bible literally- even in places where it’s speaking symbolically.
So- if you take the strict- literal view- you do indeed arrive at the older belief- the Catholic teaching.
So I find it sort of ironic that the more literal Fundamentalists criticize the Catholics- for taking the literal view!

There are many divisions in Christianity today- and I’m not saying that doctrine is not important- no- I try my best to teach well balanced doctrine.

But Jesus also prayed [John 17] that the church would be one- as he and the Father are one.

Would Jesus reject an entire branch of Christianity- because they took his words too literal?

I think not- because then he would have to reject the strict Fundamentalists too.

No- even though I do not hold to the doctrine of Transubstantiation- yet many of the most profound Christian Fathers- dating all the way back to the earliest days of the church- did hold this view.

And they were without a doubt Christians.

As I end this week’s post- I would encourage all my friends- from both Catholic and Protestant backgrounds- to remember that at the Last Supper Jesus gave us an example.
He put on a servants towel- and began to wash the disciple’s feet.

They were shocked at this act of humility.

Peter himself tried to stop it.
Jesus said he was giving us an example- showing us that we are to prefer others better than ourselves.
I think in this debate- as well as the many others that go on in Christian circles- we would do well to remember Jesus example.

John 6:30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?
John 6:31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.
John 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
John 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
John 6:34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
John 6:51 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.
John 6:52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
John 6:53 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.
John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
John 6:56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
1Corinthians 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
1Corinthians 10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
1Corinthians 11:23 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:
1Corinthians 11:24 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.
1Corinthians 11:25 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.
1Corinthians 11:26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
1Corinthians 11:27 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.
1Corinthians 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
1Corinthians 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.










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