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This is number three, The Passover— Abraham, Isaac, Israel and Christ. And so this time let’s come to Exodus 12 and pick up where we left off last time and cover concerning the Passover with Israel—their first Passover. Now many of the details, as you know, have been written in the book The Christian Passover, which covers all the technicalities that we have concerning between the evenings, “between the setting times, between sunset and dark” and “sunset and morning,” so I won’t go into those in great detail. I will just mention them as we come to them so we have a greater understanding of it and then we will go through Exodus 16 just to really show beyond any shadow of doubt how God uses the terms at even, or between the evenings, or the Hebrew ben ha arbaim, meaning from sunset to dark.
First of all, let’s come to Exodus 12 and let’s begin here in verse 3 with the instructions that Moses gave to Israel for the Passover in Egypt. Now verse 3: “Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them each man a lamb for a father’s house, a lamb for a house: And if the household is too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take according to the number of the souls, each one, according to the eating of his mouth, your shall count concerning the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish…” (verses 3-5). Of course this lamb is a type of Christ—without blemish. Continuing in verse 5: “…a male of the first year. You shall take it from the sheep or from the goats.” So it could be either one, from the sheep or from the goats. Verse 6: “And you shall keep it up until the beginning of the fourteenth day of the same month…” and that means until the beginning of it which is at sunset, which is actually sunset of the thirteenth when the sun goes down after sunset of the thirteenth, then it is the fourteenth day. “…
And the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it between the two evenings.” Now I am reading from the King James. Everett Fox translates it as between the setting times, and the Hebrew is ben ha arbaim which means between sunset and dark. So between the two evenings is another rendering of it, meaning that there is the first evening being sunset and then the second evening being dark.
And here is what they were to do and we will see the reason for it. We need to understand something very important here concerning the Passover as it was with Israel and then let’s look at the Passover when we come to the one with Christ and then for us, because it has great significance and it shows God’s mercy and kindness and goodness in many, many ways.
Now let’s continue in verse 7: “And they shall take of the blood and strike it on the two side posts and upon the upper doorpost of the houses in which they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roasted with fire, and unleavened bread.” Now let’s understanding something very simple. The entire Passover day is an unleavened bread day. That is a one-day feast, as we will see. The Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days is a feast that follows the Passover. Now there is nowhere that you can find in the scriptures at all, anywhere, that it was allowable to eat leavened bread on the day portion of the Passover. Nowhere can you find that the Israelites did that, because at sunrise, they left their houses and assembled at Rameses. And let’s understand something, there were no McDonalds’ on the way. So you see they didn’t eat any leavened bread on the day portion of the Passover. Now we can be for sure here in verse 8 that they were to eat it with unleavened bread, that is the Passover, that they didn’t have any leaven in their houses. It was to be destroyed.
Now let’s continue on in verse 8: “…They shall eat it with bitter herbs. Do not eat of it raw, nor boiled at all with water…” It says, “sodden” in the King James but that means boiled. “…But roast with fire, its head with its legs, and with its inward parts.” That means the heart and the liver and the kidneys were put back into the cavity from where they took out the innards. Verse 10: “And you shall not let any of it remain until the morning. And that which remains of it until the morning you shall burn with fire.” Now this means this—they were to eat it that night, anything that was left they couldn’t leave it until morning, but they should burn it with fire. Now God had a specific reason and purpose for doing that.
- Number one, it was total destruction of the Passover lamb or the Passover kid.
- Number two, this means that the children of Israel could not take a tooth or a bone or a hoof as a good luck charm from the Passover lamb or kid.
God wanted it totally destroyed. Now you can read in the Passover book, we actually went through and found out how long it would take to burn all the skin, the intestines, and the bones and so forth in fire, and it took quite a while to burn it to ashes, and it also helped substantiate that they didn’t leave their houses until morning.
Now let’s continue on verse 11 here: “And this is the way you shall eat it: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in trepidation…” Now “…eat it in haste…” is an unfortunate translation, because that gives people who believe in the fifteenth, the impression that they were to eat it in haste and hurry up and leave as soon as they ate it. Well if they did that, they had no opportunity to burn what was left, and it takes quite a few hours to burn all of those bones especially the teeth. So what we are dealing with here is this—the Hebrew means you shall eat it in trepidation, because of all the events which would take place, not in haste, [but] in trepidation. And of course, if you are eating it in trepidation, the chances are you are going to eat it quite quickly too, but not in haste that you can hurry and leave. Now finishing verse 11: “…it is the LORD’S Passover.” And that’s what’s important to understand, brethren, it’s not the Jews’ Passover. What we do is the Christian Passover as Jesus modified the instructions in the New Testament. Never was this the Jews’ Passover. It is the LORD’S Passover, and here’s why. “For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night,” And we know that it was midnight. “…And will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.”
Now this becomes profound and important when we understand that God has judged all the pagan religions and gods of this world, in this Passover, and for us with the Passover of Christ. Does this not tell us that we should not go out and combine any of the things of the religions of this world—be it Judaism, be it mainstream Christianity, or whatever into any of the practices that we do because God has already judged them, hasn’t He— no doubt about it, and that’s why later He told the children of Israel that they were not to add anything or take away from what He gave them. They were not to go to the people of the land and say “Well how do you worship your gods, and this is a good idea and let’s do so unto our God.” God said, “You shall not do so unto the LORD your God.”
So there is a specific reason for judging the gods of Egypt, and that is to show that they are not gods, that they are impotent, that they have no power. They are the imaginations of men and demons and are inspired by Satan the devil, and have nothing to do with the true God, nothing to do with making life right, but only having to do to keep people in the captivity, in the bondage of sin to Satan the devil and his ways. Now we need to understand that and apply that to also the Christian Passover, and the New Testament, and the New Covenant and what we are to do.
Now let’s continue on in verse 13: “And the blood shall be a sign to you upon the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” Now this is a type of the blood of Christ. His blood causes God to pass over our sins, so we have the remission of sins that are passed. And He says, “…I will pass over you. And the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:3-13).
Now let’s understand something here concerning the blood and the firstborn—the firstborn of all the children of Israel, man and beast, were spared, because of the blood that they put on the doorposts and the lintels. So the firstborn became a tremendous blessing to all the children of God. Whereas the firstborn of Egypt, man and beast, became a tremendous curse because God executed His judgment not only against the gods but against the firstborn, and this literally destroyed Egypt. And by the time the children of Israel left Egypt beginning the next night, Egypt was left in destruction— there was hardly anything left. The pride and power of Egypt had been absolutely broken with the death of the firstborn of man and beast.
Now let’s understand something for us. Hold your place here in Exodus 12 and let’s come to Hebrews 12. There is something that we need to realize, and we need to understand in all humility, in all understanding of God’s Word, with thanksgiving, but not to get us all lifted up, not to make us feel as though we are superior to other people, because we are not. But just as the sparing of the firstborn for the children of Israel in Egypt was a blessing, and of course then that blessing extended to all the rest of the children of Israel who were not the firstborn; but also we have a parallel here, because we are the firstfruits and we are the church of the firstborn. Now let’s come to Hebrews 12:22: “But you have come to Mount Sion, and to the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem; and to an innumerable company of angels; to the joyous festival gathering; and to the church of the firstborn…” (Hebrews 12: 22-23).
So just like the firstborn being spared during the Passover that the children of Israel had in Egypt, so likewise, the firstborn who are right now begotten and those who have the Spirit of God and living today are a blessing to this entire world. Now the world doesn’t know that, but we need to take that with all humility and understanding and thankfulness because of God’s mercy and love. It shows His mercy, not any greatness that we could attribute to ourselves, but just in the same manner (let’s come back here to Exodus 12) in the same manner that God destroyed the firstborn in Egypt and executed His judgment against all the gods of Egypt, so likewise in our lives in the things that we do, all the ways of the world, that’s why Paul said, “The world is crucified unto me.” And so brethren, when we come to the Passover we need to understand that that needs to be our attitude, in gratefulness and thanksgiving for what God has done. This ought to give us a lot of inspiration and encouragement and strength and power in the Spirit of God to do His will.
Now let’s continue on back here in Exodus 12:14: “And this day shall be a memorial to you. And you shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it a feast as a law forever.” And that’s what we are to do, and it is a memorial. The Passover is a memorial, and that’s why when we come to the New Testament, Jesus said, “Do this in remembrance of Me.”
Now then, we come to the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because the Feast of Unleavened Bread follows immediately the next day. Now verse 15, let’s read it: “You shall eat unleavened bread seven days; even the first day you shall have put away leaven” as it should read. It’s past tense. Now Everett Fox in The Schocken Bible translates it: “You shall have already” or, “already on the first day…” that is as the first day comes “…you are to get rid of leaven from your houses” meaning that by time the first day comes, you shall have put away leaven from your houses. It has to be out and gone, and then of course, the Passover day being an unleavened bread day—the whole day—and that’s why I have in The Christian Passover book what Josephus wrote. He says that “we observe the feast for eight days of unleavened bread.”
Now that does not mean that we are having a feast of unleavened bread for eight days, it means this: We have two feasts
- ) a memorial feast of the Passover which is unleavened bread,
- ) 2) we have continuing seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread
and both of these feasts have different meanings, which we will see. That’s why they are both unleavened, but we will see the meaning of it in just a minute. Continuing verse 15: “And in the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done in them, except that which every man must eat, that only may be done by you.” So whatever is necessary on a holy day, whatever work is necessary to provide the meal because it’s a feast day, you go right ahead and do it. Verse 17: “And you shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread” Now here is the reason for the Feast of Unleavened Bread. “… For in this very same day I have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall keep this day” That is the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. “…In your generations as a law forever” (Exodus 12:14-17).
Now the meaning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is that that’s when God brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, at least it was the beginning of it, and that’s why we have “the night much to be remembered.” We have already covered that in the part that we did with Abraham.
Now continuing verse 18: “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at sunset,” Now at even here, comes from the Hebrew baerev which means at sunset and sunset of the fourteenth begins the fifteenth. “…You shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at sunset.” Sunset then which ends the twenty-first day and begins the twenty-second day. So you have the seven complete days. Verse 19: “Seven days there shall be no leaven found in your houses, for whoever eats 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. You shall eat nothing leavened. In all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.” Now that is clear as can be. So therefore, for seven days we will do as God has said and we will eat unleavened bread.
Now during the Feast of Unleavened Bread as we know from the New Testament, leaven is a type of sin, a type of human nature—that which sours and puffs up. Now then, let’s continue on a few more verses here. Verse 21: “Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them...” Now he is giving them the detailed instructions. “ ‘Draw out and take you a lamb for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb. And you shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip in the blood that is in the bowl, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood in the bowl. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until sunrise.’ ” Now morning [KJV] here in the Hebrew means: sunrise. Now Everett Fox translates it: “Now you are not to go out, any man from the entrance to his house, until daybreak.” That’s why the blood was put on the lintels and the side posts—to show that they were not to go out of the entrance of their house, the door of his house until daybreak. Verse 23: “ ‘For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians. And when He sees the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. And you shall observe this thing as a law to you and to your children forever.
“And it shall be when you have come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as He has promised that you shall keep this service.’ ” And that’s in the fourteenth day of the first month. “ ‘And it will be, when your children shall say to you, ‘What does this service mean to you?’ ” Now this means they were doing the domestic killing of the lambs otherwise the son wouldn’t be able to know what was going on. You can read all about the domestic and the temple Passover in The Christian Passover book. Now here is what they were to answer, “ ‘Then you shall say, “It is the sacrifice of the LORD’S Passover…’ ” Now this also verifies that it was a domestically killed lamb or kid “ ‘… Who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our houses.’ And the people bowed their heads and worshiped. And the children of Israel went away and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron; so they did” (Exodus 12:18-28).
Now you know the rest of the story. At sunrise, and by that time all the remainder that was left over would be burned the skin, the guts, the bones, and so forth of the Passover lamb or kid. There was to be nothing left of it. And at sunrise which was the signal for them to be able to go out of the door of their houses so that no one would leave early and no one would leave late. I mean you can look out and you can see when sunrise takes place. Then they were to gather at Rameses in verse 37 we find the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses. Now they had to come from their houses and their houses were in the land of Goshen. They assembled during the day portion of the fourteenth, spoiling the Egyptians along the way, and they left that night and you can go back and go over the tape that we did concerning the Passover with Abraham that God made with him— showing that this night, “night to be remembered” that He brought them out of the land.
Now let’s just cover a little bit in Exodus 16 where God again, gave the Sabbath to the children of Israel. Now Exodus 16 we find that the children of Israel were there on the fifteenth day of the second month which was a weekly Sabbath, and the fifteenth day of the second month then, they had Sabbath services, and God gave them a special message. Here is what God told them. I am going to read to you from Everett Fox’s Schocken Bible [Volume 1] here. And what we are going to do is see how he translates this so we can understand. Now let’s pick it up here beginning in verse 4: “And the LORD said to Moses: ‘Here, I will make rain down upon you bread from the heavens, the people shall go out and glean, each day’s amount in its day, in order that I may test them,’ ” That is prove them, “ ‘…whether they will walk in my instructions or not. But it shall be on the sixth day: when they prepare what they have brought in, it shall be a double-portion compared to what they glean day after day. Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel: ‘At sunset’ ” Now since this is the Sabbath day message, what does sunset do? Sunset ends the Sabbath day, correct? Yes. “ ‘At sunset you shall know that it is the LORD that brought you out of the land of Egypt, at daybreak,’ ” which is morning. “ ‘…You will see the Glory of the LORD when he harkens to your grumblings against the LORD—what are we, that you grumble against us? And Moses said: ‘Since the LORD gives you flesh to eat at sunset,’ ” ba erev, He didn’t give it between noon and sunset, now why did God not send the Quail until sunset? Well, God is Lawgiver, and God does not break His own laws—very simple. How could He teach the people to keep the Sabbath if He Himself broke it?
Now let’s continue on here. “ ‘Since God gives you flesh to eat at sunset and at daybreak bread to satisfy (yourselves); since the LORD listens to your grumblings which you grumble against him—what are we: not against us are your grumblings, but against the LORD.’ ” And that certainly is true in many, many cases. You know people accuse God because things don’t go the way they want. Well, God is going to make it go the way He wants. So what you need to do is yield your life and yourself to Him and understand that all things do work together for good for those who love God.
Now let’s come down here to verse 11: “The LORD spoke unto Moses saying: ‘I have heard the grumblings of the children of Israel—speak and say to them: Between the setting-times…’ ” That is ben ha arbaim, between sunset and dark. “ ‘…You shall eat flesh, and at daybreak you shall be satisfied with bread, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God.’ Now at sunset a horde-of-quail came up and covered the camp.” Well now let’s understand something. Sunset ends the day, correct? No doubt about it. So God did not send the quail until after sunset. Now verse 12 says, “Speak unto them saying, ‘Between the setting-times you shall eat flesh…’ ” (Everett Fox’s Schocken Bible Volume 1, Exodus 16:4-8 and 11-12).
Well now something is very important that we need to understand—you cannot eat the flesh until it arrives, and it didn’t arrive until sunset. So therefore, here is scriptural proof that ben ha arbaim or between the setting-times, or between the two evenings is after sunset, ba erev, and there is absolutely no doubt about it, no wiggle room concerning it—no tradition can change it because these are the words of God which He spoke to Moses.
Now then, let’s come to the New Testament, and if you want to just put the tape on pause and grab your Harmony, go ahead and do that because I am going to be reading mostly from the Harmony here in covering concerning the Passover— Jesus Christ and the Passover and how it relates to us. So you can go ahead and maybe put the recorder on pause and go ahead and get your Harmony.
Now there is just one thing I need to summarize concerning the Passover of the children of Israel in Egypt—The Passover pictures and commemorates, as we saw there in Exodus 12, the passing over of the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt to spare the firstborn. That was the meaning of the Passover for the Old Testament. The meaning of the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread beginning with the “night to be remembered”, is that God took them out of the land of Egypt. So we have two distinct things.
Now be sure and read in The Christian Passover book about how and why and when the Jews went began taking the Passover on the fifteenth, and I think you will be surprised. What they are calling the Passover is really the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and you need to ask the question, and I think we need to really begin to understand this: When have the Jews ever had anything really right? And Jesus, soundly, roundly, absolutely condemned the traditions of the Jews in Mark 7.
Now we also need to understand that in the New Testament Jesus Christ changed the symbols, but He didn’t change the day. He kept the literal fourteenth Passover, it was not a pre-Passover meal nor some sort of bread and wine ceremony taken from Jewish tradition. He kept the Passover.
So let’s begin the New Testament here. Now if you have the Harmony of the Gospels it will be on page 241 and let’s begin with the account in Mark 14:1. Now this helps establish very clearly and shows that in the New Testament they understood, New Testament time during Jesus’ days, they understood that the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were two different feasts. Now let’s begin in verse 1 of Mark 14: “Now after two days was the Passover and the feast of unleavened bread, and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they might stealthily lay hold of Him and kill Him. But they said, ‘Not during the feast, lest there be a riot among the people.’ ” And then we come to where Jesus was anointed with the alabaster flask of ointment and you have all the account there concerning what happened. Now let’s come to page [243 and] 274 and let’s continue on with Mark 14 and verse [13]. Now remember that Jesus said that with desire, He desired to eat this Passover with them before He suffered. And He told the disciples and gave them the instructions He said, “...You shall meet a man carrying a pitcher of water; follow him. And whatever house he shall enter, say to the master of the house that the Teacher says, ‘Where is the guest chamber, where I may eat the Passover with My disciples?’ ” (Mark 14:13-14). Jesus ate the Passover. Now He had to finish the Old Testament Passover, so in the Passover that Jesus had, the last one that He had was this: they did have the lamb, but then after eating the meal He instituted the New Covenant symbols of the bread and wine. But before that took place, as we will see, there was a footwashing, and the footwashing has great and tremendous meaning. Now I’ve got a whole chapter devoted to that in The Christian Passover book.
Now let’s come in the Harmony to page 274. Let’s begin right at the top of the page we’ll take Matthew 26:20: “And after evening had come, He sat down with the twelve.” Now Mark 14:17 reads: “Now after evening had come, He came with the twelve.” Now remember that ben ha arbaim means between the two evenings. The first evening is sunset and that’s when they were killing the lambs and that’s when the disciples said to Jesus “Where do You desire that we prepare your You to eat the Passover?” Now the second evening is this: at the beginning of dark. So what we are dealing with here in Matthew 26:20 and Mark 14:17 is this very clearly: He came at the beginning of darkness, not at sunset, and the apostle Paul talks about in the night that Jesus was betrayed, so the Passover is to be taken not right after sunset, but it’s to be taken when it is getting dark. That’s when it should begin.
Now let’s come down to the section here concerning footwashing, which is the first part of the New Testament Passover. Now since we will cover this in the Passover ceremony service, I’m not going to go through the whole account of it, but we’ll just cover the meaning here. Let’s come down here to John 13:12: “Therefore, when He had washed their feet, and had taken His garments, and had sat down again, He said to them, ‘Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me the Teacher and the Lord, and you speak rightly, because I am. Therefore, if I, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also are duty-bound…’ ” And the Greek there means under obligation “ ‘…to wash one another’s feet;’ ” Now why are you under obligation to wash one another’s feet? Because Christ said so.
Now let me tell you the first leaven that leavens getting rid of the Passover is this (based on the meaning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread “a little leaven leavens the whole lump”): the first thing they do is get rid of footwashing. And when they get rid of footwashing—if you are talked into getting rid of footwashing, then you have taken a step away from Christ and you are walking away from your part with Him, because Jesus said that if He didn’t wash the feet of the disciples, they would have no part with Him. So likewise, if you do not wash one another’s feet, you have no part with Christ. You need to think on that. That’s profound, you need to understand it. See God does not give us complicated things to do. He doesn’t give us a fancy religious ritual to do.
Now the Roman Catholic Pope has a perverteds ceremony of footwashing which he does on the eve before Easter, and he has twelve seminar students sitting on chairs which are elevated and they are all dressed in their robes and white and finery, and there are prayers and incense and the mass and the whole thing and then the pope comes down and he has a special server pouring pot where he pours water over the feet of the seminar students and so then he thinks he is fulfilling what Christ has said. That is perverted nonsense. Now let’s understand something important here that is true—the only time that you can wash one another’s feet is when you partake of the Passover, and that is in the night of the fourteenth day of the first month, being the month Nisan according to the calculated Hebrew Calendar.
Now here is also another reason why we are duty-bound to wash one another’s feet, verse 15: “ ‘For I have given you an example, to show that you also should do exactly as I have done to you. Truly, truly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his lord, nor a messenger greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them’ ” (John 13:15-17).
Now let’s stop and think about this for just a little bit. If you know [the commandments of Christ] and don’t do them, you are not blessed. And if you are not blessed, are you then cursed? Well you need to think about that. Now let’s also understand something else here, that if anyone rejects footwashing on the Passover night, they are setting themselves above Christ because He said, “The servant is not greater than his lord.” If you think that you are Christ’s, then you are His servant, correct? And if you say we don’t have to do footwashing, you are setting yourself above Christ, are you not? So you need to think about those things. Brethren, what we do is for eternal life. These things are profound—they are important. They are absolutely necessary and required according to the commandments of Christ.
Now then the rest of that section, we have the account of Judas Iscariot taking the sop and then going on out and betraying Jesus.
Now let’s come to page 276 in the Harmony, and let’s pick it up here beginning in verse 19 of Luke 22: “And He took the bread; and after giving thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body, which is given for you. This do in the remembrance of Me.’ ” Now you see the Passover was a remembrance of the children of Israel’s firstborn being spared in the land of Egypt. The Passover is a memorial of the death of Jesus Christ for us. Whose death then, gives us the forgiveness of sin or passing over of our sins and we who are the firstborn church. So we have the parallel there.
Now let’s pick it up here in the section 1 Corinthians 11:23 (page 276) “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed…” So it shows that they took it at night. He took bread. Verse 24: “…And after giving thanks, He broke it, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body, which is being broken for you. This do in the remembrance of Me.’ ” Now we are to remember everything about Christ, and Christ’s entrance into our life begins with His death. And since God came in the flesh and died, that is the greatest thing that God could do and that’s why we show forth and remember his death every Passover until He comes.
Now let’s come to the section there 1 Corinthians 11:25 on Page 277: “In like manner, He also took the cup after He had supped, saying, ‘This is the cup of the New Covenant’ ” The new covenant the word is the same: diatheke which means covenant, not testament.) “This is the cup of the New Covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in the remembrance of Me’ ” Now often means: year by year until He comes, because you can’t take the Passover on any other day than the Passover day and you take it the Passover night. So this cannot be misconstrued, as the world’s religions do, that they take it whenever they want on Sunday, as many times as they want, and they call it “Communion”, “the Eucharist”, “the Lord’s Supper”, and Paul made it very clear that when you come together, this is not to eat the Lord’s Supper. Yet people insist on calling it “the Lord’s Supper”, and it just shows that they don’t know how to understand the scriptures the way that they ought to, because if Paul says it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper, it means you don’t call it “the Lord’s Supper”, and you don’t eat the Lord’s Supper. The truth is the Lord ate His supper and that was on His last Passover night before instituting the symbols of the bread and wine.
Now let’s continue on here 1 Corinthians 11:26: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you solemnly proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.” And if it is a memorial, which it is, and if you are announcing and portraying the Lord’s death until He comes, this means that the time that you eat it is on the Passover and as often as you do that, year by year on the Passover until He comes, you are announcing and portraying the Lord’s death.
Now then we have something that we need to do and should all do by the time Passover comes which is this: verse 27: “For this reason, if anyone shall eat this bread or shall drink the cup of the Lord unworthily, he shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord.” Meaning that your sins remain on your head. Now as I covered concerning forgiveness of one another, remember that if you don’t forgive from the heart each one your brother’s sins, then God is going to lay back upon you your sins, and therefore you are keeping the Passover in an unworthy manner, and you are guilty of the body and blood of Christ. Now verse 28: “But let a man examine himself...” (1 Corinthians 11:26-28). Now that’s what we need to do— before the Passover, examine ourselves, confess our sins to God and as I said in the message on forgiveness, you go get squared around with your brother or sister before Passover and then, “…and let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup accordingly because the one who eats and drinks unworthily is eating and drinking judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Lord.” Which is the forgiveness of sin to put you in right standing before God. And you are under obligation then, to forgive your brothers and sisters their sins that your sins may be forgiven.
Now then, we have an argument taking place [at Jesus’ last Passover]. We’ll just summarize this section. I’ll just say this: If they had the argument as to who was to be the greatest, don’t you think they had an understanding about what they were to do? Don’t you think they had an understanding about what was to come? You know after all, Christ ordained the twelve apostles didn’t He? Yes. Now in this particular case, at this time Judas had already left to betray Christ. Then He gave the example that whoever is the greatest is to be your servant. We are not to be like the lords of the Gentiles and the religious leaders of the Gentiles who exalt themselves and rule over people. No brethren, anyone who is a true minister and servant of God is going to teach you to love God, to love each other, and that your relationship is directly between you and God the Father through Jesus Christ, and that you have direct access to God the Father in heaven above by just getting on your knees and saying, “Our Father.” Now you see that’s why it’s so important. That’s why it is so profound. So let’s examine ourselves and make sure that we put everything under the blood of Christ and take the Passover in a worth manner, not being the worthiness which we consider worthy, but the worthiness of Christ imputed to us because of God’s mercy and love and kindness and forgiveness— and that’s what it needs to be.
Now since most of the rest of it here has to do with the Passover that we will take and we will cover these scriptures for the Passover ceremony, let’s come ahead to the time when Jesus is betrayed by Judas. Let’s come to the section now, let’s begin on page 286 and let’s continue here in the account of the gospel of John. Now John 18:1: “After saying these things, Jesus went out with His disciples to a place beyond the winter stream of Kidron, where there was a garden into which He and His disciples entered. And Judas who was betraying Him, also knew of the place because Jesus had often gathered there with His disciples. Then Judas, after receiving a band and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with torches and lamps and weapons. Jesus, therefore, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forward and said to them, ‘Whom are you seeking?’ They answered Him, ‘Jesus the Nazarean.’ Jesus said to them, ‘I AM.’ And Judas, who was betraying Him, was also standing with them. But when He said to them, ‘I AM,’ they went backward and fell to the ground.” And I have often wondered—I wonder what those men who came out to arrest Christ and take Him back, I wonder what they felt when they were knocked to the ground backwards by the sound of the words “I AM”? Now you understand that that is the name of God “I AM THAT I AM” and Christ was showing His power as God in the flesh at this particular point. So I guess it didn’t bother them, because they got up and so I suppose while they were lying on the ground He asked and said to them, verse 7: “ ‘Whom are you seeking?’ And they said, ‘Jesus the Nazarean.’ Jesus answered, ‘ I told you that I AM. Therefore, if you are seeking Me, allow these to go their way’; so that the saying might be fulfilled which He had said, ‘Of those whom You have given Me, not one of them have I lost’ ” (John 18:1-9).
Then we have a very interesting thing. John 18:10, page 287: “Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And the servant’s name was Malchus.” Now it is very interesting that his name was put in here by John isn’t it? And it’s also very interesting that John at this point, names Peter as the one who had the sword whereas Mark, who was the scribe for Peter when he wrote of the account—now let’s look at the column over here Mark 14:47. He didn’t name Peter. No, he said that “…a certain one of those standing near drew out a sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.” And I just imagine, you know, I’ve often wondered because Jesus then reached out and touched his ear and it was healed—I’ve often wondered what Malchus thought all that night. There he was standing there watching the things going on with Jesus and what the chief priests and scribes were doing, and what He was going through and I imagine he would just reach up and touch his ear just to make sure it was still there, because you know if you have your ear cut off, that’s quite a thing. And so to have it instantly healed by Jesus touching it, I just wonder what he thought all that night, and what he thought after he heard that Jesus was resurrected from the dead, because surely, he heard it because he was one of the servants of the high priest.
So they took Him, bound Him, led Him away. All the disciples forsook Him and fled away. Now let’s come here to Mark 14:51, page 288, “Now a certain young man was following Him, having a linen cloth wrapped around his naked body; and the young men seized him, but he escaped, leaving the linen cloth behind, and ran from them naked” (verse 52). Now this is Mark writing about himself, because he was probably at this time just a teenager. Later he was to serve the apostle Paul and Barnabas and Peter.
Now let’s continue on in John 18, page 288, John 18:13: “And they led Him away to Annas first; for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. Now it was Caiaphas who had given counsel to the Jews that it was profitable for one man to perish for the people.” Now then remember, that Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him three times, which he did. We’ll see this account here. Now let’s continue on in the account of John 18:15: “But Simon Peter and the other disciple followed Jesus.” Now the other disciple was John—Simon Peter and John. “And that disciple was known to the high priest,” in other words, he was acquainted with him, “…and entered with Jesus into the court of the high priest. But Peter stood outside at the door. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in.” Verse 18: “Now the servants and the officers had made a fire, for it was cold; and they were standing there warming themselves, and Peter was also standing and warming himself.” And I just wonder what Peter was thinking because, you know, Malchus might spot him. What was he going to do, because Malchus was one of the servants of the high priest.
Let’s continue on here on page 289 in the account in John 18:19: “Then the high priest questioned Jesus concerning His disciples and concerning His teachings. Jesus answered him, ‘I spoke openly to the world; I always taught in the synagogue and in the temple, where the Jews always assemble, and I spoke nothing in secret. Why do you question Me? Ask those who have heard what I spoke to them; behold, them know what I said.’ ”
Now John 18:22 which I have here at approximately 2:00 a.m. in the morning. “But after He said these things, one of the officers who was standing by struck Jesus on the face, saying, ‘Do You answer the high priest in that way?’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I have spoken evil, testify of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?’ Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas, the high priest” (John 18:13-24). So they brought Him there.
Now let’s come over to continue the account in the gospel of John. Now you can follow along with the other accounts and you can read those. Just take the time to go ahead and do so. Now let’s come here to the account in Luke 22 on page 291 and verse 56: “And a certain maid saw him…” (that is Peter) “… sitting by the light; and after looking at him intently, she said, ‘Now this one was with Him.’ But he denied Him, saying,” (that is denied Christ) “saying, ‘Woman, I do not know Him.’ And after a little while, another saw him and said, ‘You also are one of them.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I am not.’ ” Verse 59: “Now after about an hour had passed, a certain other man strongly affirmed, saying, ‘In truth, this one also was with Him, for he is indeed a Galilean.’ And Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.’ And immediately, while he was yet speaking, the cock crowed. Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter;” Just looking right across however far it was away. “…and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows, you shall deny Me three times.’ ” And he did.
Now let’s come to page 292, John 18:28: “Now then, they led Jesus from Caiaphas…” who was the high priest or the chief priest “…to the judgment hall…” Now what is the judgment hall? Well, that’s the place where Pilate was, and the judgment hall was in Fort Antonia. Now Fort Antonia was Roman property and that becomes important for us to understand and to understand the next statement. “…But they did not go in…” That is, all of the scribes and Pharisees who brought Jesus there, and the priests and so forth. “…They did not go into the judgment hall, so that they would not be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.” Now this shows two things—number one: The Jews ate the Passover on the night of the fifteenth and they had a temple Passover. Now this is not all of the Jews, because perhaps the greatest number of Jews were keeping the domestic Passover, and they had already eaten it. But here we’re talking about those who kept the temple Passover. Now why would they consider themselves being defiled going into the judgment hall which is in Fort Antonia being Roman property? Well it would be the same as going to another country. And Numbers 9 says that if you are in another country that you take the Passover in the second month. So they would be defiled, number one, by going into the presence of Gentiles which defiling could not be done away within a twenty-four hour period, and there was not time for a twenty-four hour period to take place, a whole day, and to bathe at evening, and so both of those have a factor as to why they didn’t go in, that they might eat their Passover on the night of the fifteenth. So they sent Jesus into Pilate, they did not go into the judgment hall.
Now let’s continue here on page 294, John 18:29: “Therefore, Pilate came out to them and said, ‘ What accusation do you bring against this man?’ Verse 30: “They answered and said to him, ‘If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.’ ” Now you see there is absolutely no proof in that statement whatsoever, but it’s a claim, “If He were not, we wouldn’t have done it. We are so good and have righteous judgment and can discern good from evil. Now Pilate, you know us, that we are good people. Now do you think that we would have delivered Him up if He were not an evil-doer?”
So then Pilate, let’s read the account now in Luke 23:5, “But they were insistent, saying, ‘He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all of Judea, beginning from Galilee even to here.’ And when he heard Galilee named, Pilate asked whether the man were a Galilean; and after determining that He was from Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, since he also was in Jerusalem in those days. And when Herod saw Jesus, he rejoiced greatly; for he had long been desiring to see Him because he had heard many things about Him, and he was hoping to see a miracle done by Him.” Now this is Herod Antipas who was the one who killed John the Baptist. So he wanted to know. Now verse 9: “And he questioned Him with many words; but He answered him nothing.” Why should He answer the one who killed John the Baptist? Verse 10: “All the while, the chief priests and the scribes stood vehemently accusing Him. Then Herod and his soldiers treated Him with contempt; and after mocking Him, he put a splendid robe on Him and sent Him back to Pilate. And on the same day, Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, because before there was enmity between them” (Luke 23:5-12). Isn’t it interesting—allies in evil. And I wonder how many allies there are in evil who hate each other’s guts, but they are allies and become friends for a mutual evil cause. All you have to do is read the daily paper, you’ll find out who they are.
Now let’s continue on in the account in John 18:31, page 295, “Then Pilate said to them, ‘You take Him and judge Him according to your own law.’ But the Jews said to him, ‘It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death’; so that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which He had spoken to signify by what death He was about to die.” Verse 33: “Then Pilate, returned to the judgment hall and called Jesus, and said to Him, ‘Are You the King of the Jews?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Do you ask this of yourself, or did others say it to you concerning Me?’ ” Verse 35: “Pilate answered Him, ‘Am I a Jew? The chief priests and your own nation have delivered You up to me. What have You done?’ Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, so that I might not be delivered up to the Jews. However, My kingdom is not of this world.’ ”
Now let’s just stop here and understand something. This is why we are not to get involved in straightening out this world through the political process, and we are not to fight the authorities of this world because we belong to the kingdom of God and the kingdom of God is not yet here on the earth, and Christ is not yet here. It is not time for us to fight. When Christ returns, then will we fight, and we will be guaranteed that we will win! Do you think for one moment, that all of the political infighting that is done by those that are against abortion that they are going to turn back abortion? Do you think that all of the political infighting and things that are done to try and restore America to “the Constitution once delivered” is going to bring that back? And you need to stop and think and also realize and understand this: Even if those in America could get back to “the Constitution once delivered,” and if there were enough time, please understand this—In two hundred years, we would again be exactly where we are today.
Now you see, who is the god of this world—Satan the devil. So if you are out there getting involved in these things, please understand very profoundly and importantly—though the United States may have the best constitution of any government on earth, it is still a kingdom of this world— and being a kingdom of this world, Satan the devil has infiltrated and taken [it] and has made it what it is today. So it is a kingdom of Satan the devil, not of God. The only reason we have the peace that we have is because the prophecies have yet to be fulfilled, and the preaching of the gospel must yet still be done, and so we have this time of peace and security and prosperity—not because of any goodness upon our part, but to give us the time to accomplish and do what God wants us to do. We need to fight the fight of faith, and we need to grow and overcome. We need not to get involved in fighting the fights of this world because the Kingdom of God is not of this world, and we are not of this world!
Now let’s come back to the account here in John 18:37: “Pilate therefore answered Him, ‘Then You are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘As you say, I am a king. For this purpose I was born, and for this reason I came into the world, that I may bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.’ Pilate said to Him, ‘What is truth?’ And after saying this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, ‘I do not find any fault in Him.’
Now let’s continue the account here in John 18:39, page 295: “And it is a custom with you that I release one to you at the Passover. Do you then desire that I release the King of the Jews to you?’ ” Verse 40: “But they all shouted again, saying, ‘Not this one, but Barabbas.’ Now Barabbas was a robber’ ” (John 18:31-40). And the other account also shows he was a murderer.
Now let’s come to page 297 the account here in John 19:1: “Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged Him.” That’s with a “Cat-o’-ninetails” and it is by His stripes of scourging that we are healed.
Let’s come to Isaiah 53 and let’s see the prophecy of what Jesus was going to go through that was given here by Isaiah in Isaiah 53. Let’s pick it up here in verse 3: “He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were (our eyes or) our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He has borne our infirmities, and carried our sorrows: yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.” That’s what they said when they taunted Him. Verse 5: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities;” And all the bruisings that He took with that “Cat-o’-nine-tails” and by His stripes we are healed. Now we need to understand that. “…The chastisement of our peace was upon him;” In other words, in order for us to have peace with God and not receive the chastisement of God upon us, that chastisement came upon Christ. “… And with His stripes we ourselves are healed” (Isaiah 53:3-5).
Verse 6: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned each one to his own way…” And boy that’s sure true of what it is with the church of God today. Everyone has a doctrine—doctrine, doctrine, who has a doctrine—opinion, opinion, who has an opinion—church, church, who has a church—web site, web site, who has a web site? I mean you know everyone has gone his own way. That’s why unless you follow the way of the Lord, unless you follow the scriptures, then you are going your own way. You need to stop and ask the question: What are you really going to have if you insist on your own way? Have you ever thought of that?
Now what if your own way is contrary to the scriptures or your own doctrine, or your own pet theories or your own whatever? What are you going to receive? Even Jesus said that, “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord have we not prophesied in your name? Have we not cast out demons, and have we not done many wonderful works?’ ” And Jesus will profess to them, “I never knew you. Depart from Me you who work lawlessness.” So you see, if you have your own way, you have the wages of sin, which is death.
So you see Jesus was beaten and scourged and crucified to cover the sins of us going our own way, but that we may repent and go God’s way. And after all brethren, is that not what the Passover is all about? Is not the renewing of the New Covenant all about living the way of Christ and Christ in us in the New Covenant? Is not the footwashing also giving us a part with Christ, also renewing our baptism, also showing that we are to walk in the way of the Lord and not our own? Now you need to think about it and understand it. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned each one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
Verse 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 its shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and with His generation who did consider...” Well that’s the preaching of the gospel. That’s what declares it. “…that He was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of My people He was stricken. And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death; although He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet the LORD willed to crush Him and He has put Him to grief: You shall make His life an offering for sin.” So that our sins could be forgiven. And God sent Christ in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh and condemned human nature in the flesh and the crucifixion of Christ shows the crucifixion of human nature. And now you know why Christ said that, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father, and mother, … and brothers and sisters, (lands), and, in addition, his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not carry his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26-27).
Because what God has done is so great and so fantastic and so marvelous that He would come and die for the sins of His creation. And the purpose then is that after the resurrection that there would be the children of God and that’s what the next portion of this verse 10 in Isaiah 53 is about. “…He shall see His seed,” That’s us brethren—the seed of God the Father. “…He shall prolong His days,” That is through the power of the resurrection and live forever. “… And the purpose of the LORD might prosper in His hand. He shall see the travail of His soul. He shall be fully satisfied.” That is God the Father will see the travail of the soul of Christ as it were and be satisfied, that is the sacrifice which brings satisfaction for the forgiveness of sins. “ …By His knowledge shall My righteous Servant justify many; and He shall bear their iniquities.” Verse 12: “Therefore I will divide to Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He has poured out His soul to death:” And he did and we will see that. “… And He was counted among the transgressors; and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” So quite a thing—I want you to understand about Isaiah 53 and the crucifixion of Christ and what it has to do with the Passover, what it has to do with our eternal life, and that’s why brethren, that’s why the Passover and renewal of the New Covenant is so profound and important.
Now let’s come back to John 19, page 297 in the Harmony, and let’s continue on. Verse 2: “And after platting a crown of thorns, the soldiers put it on His head; and they threw a purple cloak over Him, and kept on saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ And they struck Him with the palms of their hands.” And it records in another place that they spit at Him. “Then Pilate went out again and said to them, ‘Behold, I bring Him out to you, so that you may know that I do not find any fault in Him.’ Then Jesus went out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak; and he said to them, ‘Behold the man!’ ”
Now let’s continue on page 298 here in John 19:6: “But when the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried aloud, saying, ‘Crucify Him, crucify Him! Pilate said to them, ‘You take Him and crucify Him, because I do not find any fault in Him.’ The Jews answered him, ‘We have a law, and according to our law it is mandatory that He die, because He made Himself the Son of God.’ ” Verse 8: “Therefore, when Pilate heard this saying, he was even more afraid. And he went into the judgment hall again, and said to Jesus, ‘Where have You come from?’ But Jesus did not give him an answer. Then Pilate said to Him, “Why don’t You speak to me? Don’t You know that I have authority to crucify You, and authority to release You?’ Jesus answered, ‘You would not have any authority against Me if it were not given to you from above. For this reason, the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.’ ” Verse 12: “Because of this saying, Pilate sought to release Him; but the Jews cried out, saying, ‘If you release this Man, you are not a friend of Caesar. Everyone who makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.’ ” Political blackmail—same old tricks that are always used in politics today, right? Yes. Verse 13: “Therefore, after hearing this saying, Pilate had Jesus led out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called the Pavement; but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. (Now it was the preparation of the Passover, and about the sixth hour.)” That’s about six o’clock in the morning because John is writing here of Roman time. “…And he said to the Jews, ‘Behold your King!’ But they cried aloud, ‘Away, away with Him! Crucify Him!’ Pilate said to them, ‘Shall I crucify your King?’ The chief priests answered, ‘We have no king but Caesar.’ ” Now you need to understand how demonic that saying was. That’s the same as saying we have no king but Satan the devil. And Jesus said of those Jews that their father was the devil. (John 19:6-15).
Now let’s continue on in the account in John. You can read the other accounts there in the Harmony in Matthew, Mark and Luke, page 300, verse 16: “Therefore, he then delivered Him up to them so that He might be crucified. And they took Jesus and led Him away. And He went out bearing His own cross to the place called The Place of a Skull, which in Hebrew is called Golgotha.”
Now let’s come here to John 19:23, page 301, “Now the soldiers, after they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, a part for each soldier, and the coat also. But the coat was seamless, woven in one piece from the top all the way throughout. For this reason, they said to one another, ‘Let us not tear it, but let us cast lots for it to determine whose it shall be’; that the scripture might be fulfilled which says, ‘They divided My garments among them, and they cast lots for My vesture’ ” (John 19:23-24.) Now let’s understand something here. Can God make carnal people do things to fulfill His will and His scripture and His Word and they not even know it? Those soldiers didn’t know that. They didn’t know that God was causing them to do that, but God did, didn’t He?
Now John 19 and verse 19, page 301, “And Pilate also wrote a title and put it on the cross; and it was written, ‘Jesus the Nazarean, the King of the Jews.’ As a result, many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city;” It was on the Mount of Olives just across from the temple. “…and it was written in Hebrew, in Greek and in Latin. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, ‘Do not write, “The King of the Jews”; but that He said, “I am King of the Jews.” ’ Pilate answered, ‘What I have written, I have written.’ ” Quite a thing, quite a statement, I mean this is something brethren, you need to realize that Jesus went through all of this for us.
Now then He was mocked. Let’s take the account here on page 302 in Luke 23:35: “Now the people stood by observing, and the rulers among them were also deriding Him, saying, ‘He saved others; let Him save Himself, if this is the Christ, the chosen of God.’ And the soldiers also mocked Him, coming near and offering Him vinegar, and saying, ‘If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.’ ” Then of course, the one of the two that were crucified with Him, Jesus told him that, you know, “ ‘I tell you today, you shall be with Me in paradise’ ” (Luke 23:35-43).
Now let’s come over here to the last of Jesus’ life on the cross. “And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried.’ ” Let’s take the account here in Matthew 27:46, page 304. “…Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ That is, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’ ” Now that is so profound, brethren, to understand that Christ had to bear all of our sins alone, and that’s why the darkness covered the earth as it were, from the sixth hour until the ninth hour, because God the Father had to leave Christ alone for that period of time and Christ, because He had such a close relationship with God the Father throughout His entire life felt as though that He were forsaken, and that fulfilled the scripture that we find in Psalm 22—“My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” Verse 47: “And some of those who were standing there heard and said, ‘This one is calling for Elijah’ And immediately one of them ran and, taking a sponge, filled it with vinegar and put it on a stick, and gave it to Him to drink. But the rest said, ‘Let Him alone! Let us see if Elijah comes to save Him.’ Then another took a spear and thrust it into His side, and out came water and blood. And after crying out again with a loud voice, Jesus yielded up His spirit.” And it says there in the account in Luke that “after crying out with a loud voice, Jesus said, ‘Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ And when He had said these things, He expired” (Luke 23:46). Or that is died.
Now then something really took place, this was something. Now back here to the account with Matthew 27:51 “Then suddenly the veil of the temple was ripped in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook, and the rocks were split, so that the tombs were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had died, were resurrected after His resurrection, and they came out of the tombs. Then they entered into the holy city, and appeared to many.” Now continuing on in Matthew, verse 54: “Then the centurion and those with him who had been keeping guard over Jesus, after seeing the earthquake” because you can see an
earthquake “…and the things that took place, were filled with fear, and said, ‘Truly this was the Son of God!’ ” What a testimony! The Jews rejected Him, the scribes, the Pharisees, the chief priests and the religious leaders rejected Him, but here is a Gentile, Italian centurion guard who said, “Truly, this one is the Son of God!’ ”
And so brethren as we go to take the Passover, let’s remember what Jesus did for us. Let’s remember all the things that Jesus went through, that we can come before God and have our sins forgiven, that we can be partakers of the New Covenant through His body and through His blood, and so that we may have eternal life. So let’s keep the Passover with this in mind and rededicate ourselves in the New Covenant to love God with all our heart and mind and soul and being and to serve Him in those things that please Him.
Scriptures Referenced:
- 1.) Exodus 12:3-13
- 2.) Hebrews 12:22-23
- 3.) Exodus 12:14-28, 37
- 4.) Exodus 16:4-8, 11-13 (SB)
- 5.) (Harmony page 241) Mark 14:1-2
- 6.) (Harmony page 274) Matthew 26:20, Mark 14:17, John 18:13:12-17
- 7.) (Harmony page 276) Luke 22:19, 1 Cor. 11:23
- 8.) (Harmony page 277) I Corinthians 11:25-28
- 9.) (Harmony page 286) John 18:1-12
- 10.) (Harmony page 288) Mark 14:51-52, John 18:13-16
- 11.) (Harmony page 289) John 18:18-24
- 12.) (Harmony page 291) Luke 22:56-61
- 13.) (Harmony page 292) John 18:28
- 14.) (Harmony page 294) John 18:29-30, Luke 23:5-12
- 15.) (Harmony page 295) John 18:31-40
- 16.) (Harmony page 297) John 19:1-2
- 17.) Isaiah 53:3-12
- 18.) (Harmony page 297) John 19:2-5
- 19.) (Harmony page 298) John 19:6-15
- 20.) (Harmony page 300) John 19:16-17
- 21.) (Harmony page 301) John 19:23-24, 19
- 22.) (Harmony page 302) John 19:20-22, Luke 23:35
- 23.) (Harmony page 303) Luke 23:36-43
- 24.) (Harmony page 304) Matthew 27:46-50
- 25.) (Harmony page 305) Matthew 27:51-54
