The Day That God Died

(Sabbath Before Passover—Live)

Fred R. Coulter—April 20, 2024

- Video |  - PDF | Audio | [Up]

Greetings everyone. Welcome to Sabbath Services. Now, tomorrow night, after sunset, is the Passover. The Passover is the most important thing that we can do, because this is the renewing of the New Covenant, and our going over the words of the New Covenant so that we are in an established relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ.

The Passover is so important that every effort of Satan the devil has been brought against us over the years, down through time, and he wants to do everything that he can to get us to change what God has already established.

So keep that in mind, and that's why we have The Christian Passover book, and it turned out to be so thick because there are so many attacks against the Truth. It's amazing that:

• those who should know the Truth, don't
• those who should guard and uphold the Truth, don't

That's what we see in Christianity and the world!

They have been so infiltrated with false doctrine, and so deeply entrenched in it, that it's almost impossible to get them to move from it. It's convenient for people because it feeds substance to their lies.

But when you compare it with the Truth of God, that's a whole different matter. That's why Jesus said that man—that is every man, woman and child—should not live by bread alone, but by every word of God! That's how Jesus started out His ministry, beginning with the temptation of Satan the devil.

Then the Night to be Much Observed to the Lord will be Monday night, which begins the 15th day of the 1st month, which is the 1st day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Then we have seven days of Unleavened Bread, which pictures our part in overcoming sin, and God's part in forgiving us our sin through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ!

{transcriber's note: Announcements are left out of transcript which is approximately 12 minutes long}

Now then, here we are, the Sabbath before Passover, and the title of my message is The Day God Died, which is an interesting title, because if God is eternal, how can He die?

• That's the whole mystery of Godliness!
• That's the whole mystery of the Truth of God!

It cannot be understood by reasoning or by philosophical training; but understood by the Scriptures!

Remember, the Scriptures are only understandable IF you obey what you find in the Bible that tells us what to do. That's why we have the Ten Commandments. The human reasoning always reasons around it one way or the other.

But remember, Jesus said, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God!' Why was Abraham blessed? Because he:

• obeyed the voice of God
• kept His charge
• kept His commandments and His laws

We find that in the book of Genesis. What does that prove? That proves very clearly that the Law was active all the time from creation! Stop and think about this:

Why did God destroy the world with the flood if there was no Law down to Mount Sinai? You know; you read it: Gen. 6:5.

God is looking down on the earth today and seeing what people are doing today leading up to the return of Christ, and all of the devastation that is coming. It is going to be unreal.

It is recorded that the thought of everyone… God doesn't go just by actions alone in His judgment, He goes by thoughts. This washing of the water by the Word  tells you how you bring every thought into captivity to Christ.

That's why He destroyed the world at the Flood. 'Every thought of everyone was only evil continually.' To show you how vast and deep those sins were:

• How many were saved in the Flood?
• Who was the one man that God looked to? Noah!

Noah found grace! And we're all here because of Noah!

Now, let's see if we can understand why God had to die, and He knew that He would die.

1-Timothy 3:15: "But if I should delay, you have these things in writing, so that you may know how one is obligated…"

We have obligations as elders and ministers how to conduct oneself in the House of God. The house of God is wherever the Church is, wherever the Church may gather; wherever the Church is with those who are scattered, and today it's a good thing we're scattered because we're going to see more frequent attacks against the Christianity of this world by the Satanist of the world.

Notice what Paul says about the House of God:

"…which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the Truth.… [this is what we have to operate on, the Truth of God] …And undeniably, great is the mystery of Godliness: God was manifested in the flesh…" (vs 15-16).

We know how that took place, because we have the account of what God had to do in order to become the small speck of life to be implanted in the womb of the virgin Mary.

Now then, we find in Philip. 2 that Christ divested Himself a being God so that He could become like a man, like a human being in every other way. hat's quite a profound thing to understand, but that's part of the mystery of Godliness, which is great!

How did God do that? Well, we know the prophecy is that He was slain before the foundation of the world! God knew what He was going to do. After Adam and Eve sinned, then it was brought out in Gen. 3:15 about the coming of the Messiah; right after the first sin!

"…was justified in the Spirit… [He never sinned; He took upon Him all the sins of the world] …was seen by angels, was proclaimed among the Gentiles, was believed on in the world, was received up in glory" (v 16)

You talk about a quick summation of the whole Gospel account, there it is in one verse.

Now, let's look at some of the things concerning about why God had to die. Because you ask: How could God die if he inhabited eternity? He had to give up as much of that in order to become human!

We find that this mystery started to be revealed to Abraham. We know in Gen. 15 is the covenant that is actually the first form of Passover. Where God came to Abraham and said, 'The one coming from your loins will be your heir.' That's physical Israel.

Then God said, 'Come on outside, and I want you to look at the stars and number them if you can count them.'

Well, that's a big task, especially what we know about it today. Then God told him, 'One man.' Now, this shows you how important one person is. This shows you how important each one of us are to God as His children today.

Then God said, as Abraham is looking at the stars, 'So shall your seed be as the stars of heaven.' Then He repeated this to Isaac because of what Abraham had done. And that brings us down to the Church.

Let's come to the Gospel of John, the first chapter. All of these verses we have covered before, but this is all necessary for us to cover, to understand:

• why did God have to die
• what He did
• how He did it
• why we take the Passover

So here in John 1:1, we all know this by heart, but you would be surprised how many people do not really believe it or misconstrue it.

John 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." We just read, 'God manifested in the flesh.'

Verse 2: "He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and not even one thing that was created came into being without Him."

So, that takes care of all of the evolutionists. And by the way, they have never found a missing link. Not one! Why is that? They've had from the time of Darwin—and even before that going back to the philosophers of Greece—to find missing links. The only missing link they can find is true human remains, which are not missing links.

But today with all of the artisans' reproductions, it seems real. But here it says, 'Nothing!'

Verse 3: "All things came into being through Him, and not even one thing that was created came into being without Him."

Even the reproduction that men are able to do through some of their in vitro fertilization and so forth, they still have to use what God has created. That's an amazing thing.

Verse 4: "In Him was life, and the Life was the Light of men."

Here's what happened; this is quite a thing, what God did. Now this takes love. This takes a long-term planning.

Verse 14: "And the Word became flesh… [God manifested in the flesh, as Paul wrote] …and tabernacled among us…"—that means temporarily dwelt. He was here for 30 years. That was it!

"…(and we ourselves beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten with the Father), full of Grace and Truth" (v 14).

Let's see how He repeats that, because this is so important. God is doing something great in our lives, great in the lives of all the brethren.

Let me just say this: I got a printout from John Guenther, who lives in Spain and works there for the present time. He's done a lot of research on the Waldensians, who obviously were of the Church of God at that time. So, he sent me a whole printout concerning the Passover and how they observed it in 1632. Now, think of that!

This shows that the Church of God never died out. The Church of God always preached the Gospel. As a matter of fact, the Waldensians sent men out two by two to travel throughout all of Europe and on into England.

Then in England, we find out that the history goes clear back to Joseph of Arimathea, who was one who was a trader and dealt with tin that they mined in the British Isles.

There is a tradition that says that on one of his trips, Jesus, as He was probably a teenager, went with him. Now, we can't substantiate that for sure, but it just shows you what God is doing goes way back in time. From the time of Christ and His resurrection, and the beginning of the Church, there has always been the Church. Now, they don't like to publish it.

These kinds of publications are put off on the side when they should be right up front and out there for everyone to see.

Notice how John writes here in 1-John, and shows the whole purpose of why Christ came so that we can have a relationship with God.

You hear Protestants talk about that all the time, but they don't know anything about it, because they don't keep the Sabbath, the Passover, or the Holy Days.

Here's what John is saying, he wants all of those who are reading this to really get the point because he spent three and a half years with Jesus. He was one of those who went with Jesus when Jesus went to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane before he was arrested on the Passover night in 30A.D.

Sidebar here, which is a major point: God killed all the firstborn in Egypt beginning at midnight. Jesus was the Firstborn of God; God manifested in the flesh. At midnight, He [the Father] didn't pass over Him. He was arrested at the hands of Judas Iscariot, who was possessed of Satan the devil.

When John writes this—let's think about this—after the resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days and 40 nights with the disciples, teaching them things out of the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms.

Remember that when the Church began, there was no New Testament. Everything they taught was the Truth of God for the New Covenant out of what is called the Old Testament. Everything there is about:

• his life
• his death
• his power
• everything that He was going to do
• all of the prophecies of the coming Millennium

1-John 1:1: "That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our own eyes…"

Now you talk about an eyewitness! They saw Jesus every day. Think about what they saw: thousands healed, but how many came into the Church? Very few!  Many here, but few repent.

It makes you wonder what happened to all of those people that He healed? There's one story that tells you all about it, and that's when there were ten blind men who were begging Jesus as He was walking along to give them sight and said, 'Go, show yourself to the priest and offer the offering.'

And one came back to thank Him. What was he? A Samaritan! That tells you what happened to all the people who were healed. They soon forgot all about it; just like today. How many people understand about the Word of God? Very few!

"…that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our own eyes, that which we observed for ourselves…" (v 1).

Now the difference between seeing with their own eyes and observing is that observing means to be staring at the miraculous things that were done, like they were gawking! That is a deep penetrating view of it!

"…and our own hands handled" (v 1).

What did Jesus say after He appeared to them after He was resurrected? Come and touch me and see. It is I!

"…concerning the Word of Life; (and the life was manifested, and we have seen, and are bearing witness, and are reporting to you the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested to us); that which we have seen and have heard we are reporting to you… [it's all written down] …in order that you…" (vs 1-3).

That means each and every one of us who reads this from the time that John wrote this down to the time that Christ returns. For each one of us, because that depends on the day that God died!

"…also may have fellowship with us; for the fellowship—indeed, our fellowship—is with the Father and with His own Son Jesus Christ" (v 1).

This is the very substance and purpose as to why we pray and study every day, because:

• God wants us to come to Him
• God wants to bless us
• God wants to see us through all the trials and difficulties that we go through

He will be there to do so! It has to be through Jesus Christ!

Let's look at some other things concerning what Christ did and how He did it. You will find that the more that you read and study the Word of God, the more that you will understand. And the more that you will be able to put Scriptures together. I found that in reading that report that John Guenther sent me that was written in 1632, about how they kept the Passover just like we do today.

Romans 8:1[transcriber's correction]: "Consequently, there is now no condemnation…"

That is IF we are overcoming sin, IF we are repenting of our sins every day. Today we have the unique problem that they didn't have back then. The world can march right into our living room via the television, via the Internet and so forth. They never had that         , so they weren't bothered with it. But think about all the evil that enters into our minds watching television!

You may not respond to it to do evil, but nevertheless, if you watch it, it's there! That's why we need to repent every single day. That's why you need this special study during Feast of Unleavened Bread: The Washing of the Water by the Word!

God's Word dwelling in us, coupled with His Holy Spirit, gives us the mind of Christ. That's one of the very reasons that He died.

Verse 1: "Consequently, there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who are not walking according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."

That means if you're walking according to the flesh you're living like the world! Walking according to the Spirit means:

• you're being led of the Spirit of God
• you're being led of the Word of God

to keep the things that God has said and have that relationship with Him!

Verse 2: "Because the Law of the Spirit of Life…"

That's a living Law, having the Spirit of God is called the Spirit of Life, and that Spirit is for the Spirit of the resurrection!

"…the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus…" (v 2).

If it's in Christ Jesus that means that you live by every word of God! That's what the whole thing of Passover and Unleavened Bread is all about.

"…has delivered me from the law of sin and death" (v 2)—which is human nature! Jesus had to have human nature:

• in order to overcome sin
• in order to live perfectly, which He did
• in order to overcome Satan the devil, which He did

Verse 3: "For what was impossible for the Law to do…"

Please understand this: The Law defines what we need to do. But the Law can't make anyone do it! Just remember that the next time you run a stop sign.

• Did the law of stop force you to stop?
• Did the sign come right down upon you and say you gotta stop?

No! Because the Law is there and we must choose what we're going to do!

Verse 3: "For what was impossible for the Law to do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God having sent His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh… [the exact sameness of sinful flesh] …and for sin condemned sin in the flesh" (v 3).

• that is Christ's flesh
• that is why He was the sacrifice

Notice the purpose of this:

Verse 4: "In order that… [for the purpose of]: …the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us…"

Because if you keep the Law through the Spirit of God, you are fulfilling the Law. That's the whole purpose of the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread.

• you live by every word of God
• you overcome sin
  • by casting it out
  • by getting rid of these things in your mind

Through the washing of the water by the word!

Verse 4: "In order that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who are not walking according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit"—to have the Spirit of God!

That's why we are baptized. We'll talk about that here in just a little bit.

In John 3 is the most quoted verse in the whole Bible to the world. But they don't understand it!

God did what He did because He loves us, and He even loves the whole world, in spite of the fact that the whole world is going its own way!

We understand this through what is called the second resurrection (Rev. 20). This is very important. Not only for those who are just starting, but also for us.

John 3:15: "So that everyone who believes…"

This is the present tense participle meaning who is believing! Isn't it interesting that's in the English; it's not that way in the Greek. But in the English there is the word live in believes!

"…in Him may not perish…" (v 15).

That is in the subjective meaning, there are conditions applied. In the Greek to believe also means to obey! If you believe you will do!

I know this much, if someone told you hidden under the your house is ten million dollars worth of gold. I know if you believe that you would do everything in your power to start digging to get that ten million dollars out from underneath your house.

So, it is part of believing that leads to obeying.

"…but may have everlasting life" (v 15). The gift of Life can only come from God, because He inhabits eternity!

Verse 16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…"

We talked about that last week. The birth of Jesus was the premier birth of all human beings. because He was the only One begotten by God the Father.

• God did this in love
• Jesus did this in love

That's why God wants us to love Him back, and this is what the world misses. They want the unconditional love of God, but it's not unconditional! They don't want to love Him back.

John who wrote this says. 'For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome.'  So, that's the love going back to God!

• there are people who acknowledge God, that's one form
• there are people who profess God, that's another form
• there are people who say they believe in God, that's another form
• there are those who are truly converted and have the Spirit of God

That's where all of this leads to!

"…so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish, but may have everlasting life" (v 15).

Now, we're all going to die in Adam. But what does God call sleep? The death of those who die in the faith! He calls it the sleep of death!

It doesn't matter how long you've been dead, God can raise you.

• Is He going to raise Abraham Isaac and Jacob?
• Is He going to raise Abel?
• Is He going to raise Enoch?
• Is He going to raise Noah?

Yes!

Those go back thousands of years. But remember a day in the Lord is like a thousand years. So, we don't need to worry about the time.

We'll see exactly what Jesus did so that He could come and be God manifested in the flesh So that He could die for the sins of the world!

This goes all the way back to Adam and Eve. They believed the lie of Satan the devil that they could work everything out their own way!

Satan also told them that you shall not surely die. When you examine every religion of the world, every single one of them have a fake way to eternal life:

• go to heaven
• reincarnated
• repossess another person's body
• or whatever

They all have that because they have rejected the Truth of God. Let's see what John the Baptist said about Jesus:

John 3:31: "He who comes from above is above all…."

That's why the birth of Jesus in the flesh was the pre-eminent birth above all other human births.

"…The one who is of the earth is earthly, and speaks of the earth. He Who comes from heaven is above all" (v 31). The One Who created us came in the flesh; God manifested in the flesh!

• to save us from our sins by living a life without sin
• to become the sacrifice for the sins of the world

Now that's quite a thing! That tells you the manifest love of God!

Verse 32: "And what He has seen and heard, this is what He testifies; but no one receives His testimony."

• Isn't that true even today?
• How many received the true testimony of Jesus? Very few!

Verse 33: "The one who has received His testimony has set his seal that God is true." Very first step in believing God is:

• He is the true God
• He has the Truth
• everything He does is done in Truth
• all of His commandments are true
• everything about Him is true
• all of that is based on love

So, IF we want the love of God, we've got to love God back!

We'll see that when we go through all of the Scriptures concerning the Passover and going through John 14 thru 17.

Verse 34: "For He Whom God has sent speaks the words of God."

That's true of Christ and true of anyone who is a minister of God. He's going to speak the Word of God, which is Truth; speak it in Truth, not to add his own understanding to it (Col. 2). When you do that, you're bringing your own philosophy  in to set it up is valid as God's instruction, but that's not so!

"…speaks the words of God; and God gives not the Spirit by measure unto Him…. [He was filled with the Spirit of God] …The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand" (vs 34-35).

So all of this, when you hear people talk about the love of God, they miss the whole point about God loving us and we loving God.

Verse 36: "The one who believes in the Son has everlasting life…"

That is, IF you're baptized and receive the Holy Spirit!

"…but the one who does not obey…" (v 36).

Now, that's interesting, isn't it? Doesn't say just believe! This points out what I started out with in v 16; that IF you believe, you will obey!

"…but the one who does not obey the Son shall not see life, for the wrath of God remains on him" (v 36).

Now, let's look at something really important, because today, men are working feverishly trying to find out how they can live forever. That's what they're trying to do with A.I. That's what they're trying to do with chip implantation. Try to find a way to live forever.

Let's come back here to the book of Job, which is a very interesting book, because it's one of the most difficult to understand for people who do not know the Bible.

Job was righteous, more righteous than any man. But he got so righteous that he wasn't humble! He got so righteous that he thought he was already as good as God. He wanted there to be a referee or a judge to sit between him and God, and for the judge to declare to God that Job was righteous.

Now, think on this. Any righteousness that he did had to be what God commanded. Now, is that his own personal righteousness? No! The book of Job is here to teach us that no man, no woman, which means no church, no organization of itself, can save you! Only God can!

Job thought he was so righteous that he said, 'Oh, that God would come down and talk to me. I would let Him know how righteous I am.'

Job 38:1: "Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 'Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?'" (vs 1-2).

Verse 4: "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare it if you have understanding!"

Well, he couldn't, so Job had to repent. Likewise with any of us:

• we're righteous because of God
• we're righteous because of His Spirit
• we're righteous because we love God and keep His commandments

All of that comes from God! When you think about everything that there is, everything comes from God, does it not? Everything that there is. Now, men may take things and rearrange them and make them and do things, but it still all comes from God! Man can't do anything without using what God has already created! Isn't that true?

So, here's why men cannot save themselves. And yet, that's what they're trying to do in every effort of this transhumanism and in the Christianity of today.

Job 40:1: "And the LORD answered Job and said, 'Shall he who contends with the Almighty instruct Him? He who reproves God, let him answer it'" (vs 1-2).

• Anyone going to correct God?
• Anyone going to teach God?
• Anyone going to stand up before God and say, 'God, listen to me'?

No way! Otherwise, man would become God! That's what He's saying here.

Verse 3: "And Job answered the LORD and said, 'Behold, I am vile!….'" (vs 3-4). That's the first step in repentance!

That regardless of how righteous you may be on the surface, what are you inside the very core of your heart and mind with the law of sin and death as we covered already in Rom. 8[transcriber's correction]. That's why you need the washing of the water by the Word, because salvation is a process.

Verse 4: "Behold, I am vile! What shall I answer You? I will lay my hand on my mouth. Once I have spoken; but I will not answer; yea, twice, but I will proceed no further" (vs 4-5).

Yes, Job, please shut up! You and your friends have had over 30 chapters trying to figure out why you went through all the troubles you did when you were so righteous that you even challenged God.

Verse 6: "And the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said, 'Gird up your loins now like a man. I will demand of you, and you declare unto Me. Will you even annul My judgment?….'" (vs 6-8).

Isn't that what people say about the Bible, the Old Testament? He is done away with it! Why give the Law if you're going to do away with it? In other words, you sit in judgment of God.

"…Will you condemn Me so that you may be righteous?" (v 8). That's what people do!

Why does God allow all of these troubles to come? All the troubles come because of sin! God has made it automatic. All of the Laws of God work automatically, whether in the creation or its reproduction. The next time you eat any fruit and you find a seed, remember that one seed, if planted, put in the ground, watered, and given sunshine, it will grow into a tree just like the one that it came from.

It's the same way with everything in life that God has created. It reproduces itself. That's why there's male and female in everything that there is.

Verse 9: "And have you an arm like God? Or can you thunder with a voice like His? Deck yourself now with majesty and excellency, and array yourself with glory and beauty" (vs 9-10).

Now, the best that human beings can dress up in the finest clothes that are, they're still human. The flesh that they cover will rot!

Verse 11: "Cast abroad the rage of your wrath; and behold everyone who is proud, and abase him. Look on everyone who is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place. Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in darkness" (vs 11-13).

Look at all that He would have to do to save Himself and to save others.

Verse 14: "Then I will also confess to you that your own right hand can save you."

In other words, man cannot save you. We're going to see that angels cannot save men.

• Who is the fallen angel and the fallen angels with him? None other than Satan the devil and the demons!
• What do they have? They have a religion that offers a way of eternal life, but no angel can save men!

• they're ministers if they're righteous to serve men

IF

• they're unrighteous, they're demons and agents of Satan the devil, to further deceive and to possess

Hebrews 1:1—here's the difference between Christ and the angels: "God Who spoke to the fathers at different times in the past and in many ways by the prophets, has spoken to us in these last days by His Son." That's why we have the New Testament!

Verse 2: "Whom He has appointed heir of all things, by Whom also He made the ages."

Now, speaking of heirs, what does it say that the true Christians are? They are joint heirs with Christ! The reward and the blessing and everything is far greater than we have thought"

Verse 3: "Who, being the brightness of His glory and the exact image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His own power…"

Think about that! Everything that we see! All things came into being through Him (John 1)! How does it all hold together? Through the Word and Power of Christ, Who is God!

"…when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high; having been made so much greater than any of the angels, inasmuch as He has inherited a name exceedingly superior to them" (vs 3-4).

Only Christ, through God the Father, can save us! That's what the Passover is all about. That is the mystery of God, that:

• Christ came in the flesh
• lived a perfect life
• died for the sins of the world
• was resurrected from the dead
• ascended into heaven to be at the right hand of God

Verse 4: "Having been made so much greater than any of the angels, inasmuch as He has inherited a name exceedingly superior to them. For to which of the angels did He ever say, 'You are My Son; this day I have begotten You'?…." (vs 4-5). Only one!

Psa. 2 says of Christ, 'this day I have begotten You.' That's talking about the day that He was impregnated in the womb of the virgin Mary.

"…And again, 'I will be a Father to Him, and He will be a Son to Me'? And again, when He brought the Firstborn into the world…" (vs 5-6).

Jesus was the firstborn of Mary, and the Firstborn resurrected from the dead. What does that tell you? Very simply, Jesus was born again, and that's from the dead!

So, when it talks about us being born again, it's not an experience through believing in Jesus, and maybe being baptized. It is that you are resurrected from the dead, or if you are alive when Jesus returns, you are changed from flesh to spirit in the twinkling of an eye, as Paul writes in 1-Cor. 15.

Verse 5: "For to which of the angels did He ever say, 'You are My Son; this day I have begotten You'? And again, 'I will be a Father to Him, and He will be a Son to Me'? And again, when He brought the Firstborn into the world, He said, 'Let all the angels of God worship Him'" (vs 5-6).

Angels can't save men; that is, they cannot impart eternal life to them! Now, angels may be able to be protecting you and save you from certain disasters from time-to-time. We all know that God has rescued all of us one time or another through the power of His angels, to keep us from greater harm. But that's not eternal salvation!

Hebrews 2:5: "For it is not to the angels that He has placed in subjection the world that is to come, of which we are speaking. But in a certain place one fully testified, saying, 'What is man…'" (vs 5-6).

Here we come back to the whole purpose of all the human race down through all time.

"…'What is man, that You are mindful of him, or the son of man, that You visit him?'" (v 6).

Think about that! Having the Spirit of God.! That's amazing!

Verse 7: "You did make him a little lower than the angels…

The quote in Psa. 8 says 'You made Him a little lower than God.' For what purpose? So that we can enter into the Kingdom of God! That's why we're made in the image and likeness of God. That's a tremendous thing, really!

Speaking of Jesus, "'…You did crown him with glory and honor, and You did set him over the works of Your hands; You did put all things in subjection under his feet.' For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that was not subjected to him…." (vs 7-8).

That's the way it is! Christ is over all. Does this not agree with John 1 that we read when we started? Yes! Everything! That's quite a thing! I suppose this happens when you get older. You think about these things in a different way. You see that all of the things of the flesh all get old and all decay.

Unless there is the resurrection from the dead, there's no eternal life!

• no man has it within himself
• no angel can give it

Only God the Father can give it through Jesus Christ! That's the whole purpose of the Passover and the whole purpose of Him coming in the flesh.

Verse 9: "But we see Jesus, Who was made a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor on account of suffering the death…"—that is, the death by crucifixion—Greek 'stauros'

It was not only was His birth the premier birth, His death was the premier death and opened the way to salvation for all human beings according to His Plan!

One of the verses that is rarely read, let alone ever understood, is found in Rev. 20, where it says, 'The rest of the dead lived not again till the thousand years were finished.'

One statement that tells you what God is going to do with all the rest of mankind whom He hasn't called down through the ages. Think of the power of God when He does that!

So here we are, "…a little lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor on account of suffering the death, in order that by the grace of God He Himself might taste death for everyone" (v 9).

How do you taste death, and yet, not die? Baptism! Baptism is burying the old self. Paul said, 'Sin revived, and I died.' But how could he write this epistle if he were dead? This is death in baptism!

Paul writes in Rom. 6 that we're conjoined to the death of Jesus Christ! When we're baptized, this is akin to having our bodies crucified and laid right on top of Jesus' body, because this is important for us to really keep in mind. This is why there's baptism by immersion; it's the closest thing you can come to actual death, and yet, not die because you're raised out of the water. If you weren't raised out of the water, you would die.

Romans 6:1: "What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may abound?"

That's the theme of the Christianity of this world, that if you have the grace of God, you can do anything and you're fine. Not so!

Verse 2: "MAY IT NEVER BE! We who died to sin… [How do you die to sin? In baptism!] …how shall we live any longer therein?"

That's why when you go along and you sin, your conscience strikes you!

• Why does it strike you?
• Did it strike you before you came to conversion? No!

You went right on and enjoying the pleasures of sin! Now you sin and what happens? The Spirit of God strikes your conscience and you repent! Isn't that the way it works? Yes!

Verse 3: "Or are you ignorant that we, as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus, were baptized into His death? Therefore, we were buried with Him through the baptism into the death; so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, in the same way, we also should walk in newness of life" (vs 3-4). What is that newness of life?

• being led by the Holy Spirit of God
• loving God
• keeping His commandments
• looking forward to the second coming of Christ and the first resurrection

Verse 5: "For if we have been conjoined together in the likeness of His death…"

Paul says, 'I am crucified with Christ.' Why? Because in baptism, he was conjoined to the death of Christ!

Hebrews 2:10: "Because it was fitting for Him, for Whom all things were created, and by Whom all things exist, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the Author of their salvation perfect through sufferings."

Think about that for a minute. That is a perfection that could only come with the Word, the Logos manifested in the flesh. That's something!

Heb. 4—here is the Word of God not only referring to Christ, but referring to the Word of God that we have (the Bible). Remember the words of God that we have; Jesus said, 'The words that I speak to you, they are Spirit and they are Life!'

That's why when we read the Word of God, and we have the Spirit of God, we derive from it things that other people cannot. So, that's an amazing thing, isn't it? That's part of the mystery of God, as well!

Hebrews 4:12: "For the Word of God is living and powerful…"—always there!

• If God spoke it, it exists!
• If it's written down for our benefit, that means He wants it for everyone who would read it!

"…and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of both soul and spirit, and of both the joints and the marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart" (v 12).

No other book can do it! This is why the Bible is the greatest book in the world:

• it tells us about God
• it tells us about Christ
• it tells us about His Plan
• it tells us what He's going to do
• it tells us what He has done in the past
• it tells us what He's going to do in the future

Is there any other book on earth that can do that? No!

That's why the Word of God is this powerful. Men can come along and say that God does not exist, but God is not going to accommodate them and disappear.

Verse 13: "And there is not a created thing that is not manifest in His sight; but all things are naked and laid bare before the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account." That's what the Passover is all about:

• Do we love God?
• Do we love the Father?
• Do we love each other?
• Do we keep His commandments?

Every year we go through and renew that covenant, which we're going to do tomorrow night.

Verse 14: "Having, therefore, a great High Priest, Who has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, we should hold fast the confession of our faith. For we do not have a High Priest Who cannot empathize with our weaknesses…" (vs 14-15).

He knows what it's like to be tempted. Remember, He was tempted by Satan, the chief tempter of all!

"…but One Who was tempted in all things according to the likeness of our own temptations; yet, He was without sin" (v 15).

Now, that's an amazing thing! That's why it is the Mystery of Godliness, God manifested in the flesh.

Verse 16: "Therefore, we should come with boldness to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." We always need the help of God!

Let's see what it was like for Jesus when He was in the flesh, because it says He was tempted in all ways like us. There are some people who say, when Christ was here, He was 100% God and 100% man. That's an impossibility! We find that God told Moses that 'you can't look on My face, because you won't live.' So, God had to reduce down His glory in order to talk to Moses face-to-face.

Now then, He gave up all of that to come in the flesh, to go through what He did so that we can be saved.

Hebrews 5:6: "Even as He also says in another place, 'You are a Priest forever according to the order of Melchisedec'; Who, in the days of His flesh, offered up both prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears to Him Who was able to save Him from death…" (vs 6-7).

Think about that! Think about what Christ did:

• to fight against sin
• to fight against Satan the devil
• to fight against the establishment
• to fight against all the forces of evil

"…and was heard because He feared God. Although He was a Son, yet, He learned obedience from the things that He suffered…" (vs 7-8).

He did suffer! Through the crucifixion He suffered more than any other.

Verse 9: "And having been perfected…." So, Jesus had to be perfected in the flesh.

What is it for us? We're to grow in grace and knowledge and be perfected!

"…He became the Author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him" (v 9)—there's that word that the Protestants hate right there!

• Do we love God?
• Do we obey Him?
• Do we keep His commandments?
• Do we have weakness of flesh we need to overcome? Yes!
• Do we have temptations that Jesus understands that we have? Yes!
• Can we come to Him and ask Him to help us and give us strength? Yes!
• Can we come to Him and ask Him to help us overcome and add to us the Spirit so we can overcome? Yes!

Hebrews 10:4: "Because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins."

• Wouldn't it be interesting if the Jews who have the red heifers over in Israel understood that?
• How are they going to take a dead heifer, burn it to ashes, mix it in with whatever they're going to mix it in, and use that to purify someone?

The only way you're purified is repentance and baptism and constantly growing and overcoming!

Verse 5: "For this reason, when He comes into the world, He says, 'Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but You have prepared a body for Me.'"

Jesus never offered a sacrifice at the temple. Mary, His mother did, according to the Law, after her days of purification were over. Then Jesus was dedicated to God.

"…He says, 'Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but You have prepared a body for Me. You did not delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin. Then said I, "Lo, I come (as it is written of Me in the Scroll of the Book) to do Your will, O God"'" (vs 5-7)—more important than anything else!

• having the sacrifice of Christ
• having His Spirit
• having His blood shed for the sacrifice of those sins
• having the scourges that He took for our healing

That's the perfect sacrifice!

God didn't do away with anything in the sense that all the temple services were obsolete, but it was all superseded by a higher spiritual level:

• the sacrifice of Christ
• the love
• the obedience
• the commandment keeping
• the repentance
• the growing
• the overcoming

All of those are spiritual things at a level higher than the offering of any animal sacrifices or physical temple on earth.

We have the privilege to come directly before God in prayer! That's an amazing thing, isn't it? You think about it.

• we don't see it
• we don't hear it

Just like if you go home and you turn on the television, here are people talking from far away! You see them talking; you see them on the screen.

But your prayers to God are greater than that, because you have the Spirit of God and you're communicating with God

• in repentance
• in love
• in adoration
• in love
• in thanksgiving

This is what the Passover is all about that reaffirms the New Covenant!That's the greatest thing that we can have in this life!

Verse 8: "In the saying above, He said, 'Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin (which are offered according to the priestly law) You did not desire nor delight in.' Then He said, 'Lo, I come to do Your will, O God.'…." (vs 8-9). Prepare the body for Him, of the time throughout His entire life.

"…He takes away the first covenant in order that He may establish the second covenant; by Whose will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (vs 9-10).

Now listen to this, the will and desire of God, right here: "…we are sanctified…"—made Holy."

What did Jesus say in His final prayer? 'Sanctify them through Your Word; Your Word is the Truth!'

Verse 10: "By Whose will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all."

Verse 15: "And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after He had previously said, '"This is the covenant that I will establish with them after those days," says the Lord…'" (vs 15-16). That means after the days of:

• His ministry
• His death
• His resurrection
• His final ascension to heaven
• His teaching the apostles for 40 days and 40 nights

Verse 16: "'This is the covenant that I will establish with them after those days,' says the Lord, 'I will give My Laws into their hearts…'" That's what our human minds were intended to receive.

"…and I will inscribe them in their minds" (v 16).

They know that's exactly what happens when you learn something. It is literally written in your mind. That's amazing, isn't it? That's why there has to be repentance to clean out all the garbage, because that's written in there, also.

Verse 17: "And their sins and lawlessness I will not remember ever again." That's a fantastic promise!

Verse 18: "Now, where remission of these is, it is no longer necessary to offer sacrifices for sin. Therefore, brethren, having confidence to enter into the true Holiest by the blood of Jesus" (vs 18-19).

That means our prayer is coming right up to God the Father Himself, just like Jesus said about outer prayer. You pray, 'Our Father, who is in heaven, Holy is Your name.'

Verse 20: "By a new and living way, which He consecrated for us through the veil (that is, His flesh)."

Remember, when He died, that veil at the temple was broken.

Verse 21: "And having a great High Priest over the House of God."

Christ is the Head of the Church. This is a message to all elders and ministers:

• we are to serve
• we are to teach the Word of God
• we are not here to rule over them
• brethren are not our personal possession
• we are here to help all the brethren grow in grace and knowledge and learn the way of God together

Jesus said, 'It's sufficient that the disciple become as the Teacher.' Christ is the Teacher! He's the One whom we come to. That's a new and living way!

Verse 21: "And having a great High Priest over the house of God, let us approach God with a true heart, with full conviction of faith, our hearts having been purified from a wicked conscience, and our bodies having been washed with pure water" (vs 21-22).

Now, there are many other Scriptures that we can read about it. But with the Feast of Unleavened Bread that is coming up, we'll cover many different ways:

• how we grow
• how we overcome
• what we do
• how we get rid of sin
• how we put in Righteousness and Truth

All of those are part of the Feast and Passover combined. I hope you have a good Passover tomorrow night, and may God bless you and be with you!

Scriptural References:

• 1 Timothy 3;15-16
• John 1:1-4, 14
• 1 John 1:1-3
• Romans 8:1-4
• John 3:15-16, 31-36
• Job 38:1-2, 4
• Job 40:1-14
• Hebrews 1:1-6
• Hebrews 2:5-9
• Romans 6:1-5
• Hebrews 2:10
• Hebrews 4:12-16
• Hebrews 5:6-9
• Hebrews 10:4-10, 15-22

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Genesis 6:5
• Philippians 2
• Genesis 3:15; 15
• Revelation 20
• John 14-17
• Colossians 2
• Psalm 2
• 1-Corinthians 15
• Psalm 8

Also referenced:

• Book: The Christian Passover by Fred R. Coulter
• In-Depth Study: The Washing of the Water by the Word

FRC:bo/po
Transcribed: 4/25/24

Copyright 2024—All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission of the copyright owner. This includes electronic and mechanical photocopying or recording, as well as the use of information storage and retrieval systems.