PASSOVER, THE CROSS, THE RESURRECTION: What's the Message?
When we look at Exodus 12, we read the story of the first Passover. The People of God, the descendants of Jacob, renamed Israel, had been in Egypt for 430 years. After the death of Joseph, they were slaves for Pharaoh. Suffering, whipped, wishing to be free, tears and cries penetrated God's heart. No, he had not forgotten them; he was just fulfilling the promise to Abraham. His descendants would be a "great multitude of People." Now, the prophecy was fulfilled. Moving day has come—time to leave to start a new life. Judgment will hit Egypt, and freedom will follow.
The blood of lambs and goats was to be painted on the doorposts of the Israelites in Goshen. God would visit Egypt, the destroyer would take the firstborn of Egypt, and of any house not displaying the blood of the lambs. The lambs and goats were to be the "SUBSTITUTES". "Take the substitute and not our firstborns." That was the perfect plan of a mighty and Holy God. And so it happened. At midnight, the destroyer came and took the firstborns of Egypt. Inside the houses in Goshen, there was salvation from death. As Egypt cried, Israel ate. Roasted lamb or goat, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs. "Leave Egypt," cried Pharaoh and his people, "Lest we all be dead!" and... they left... and for good.
John cried out: "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29). The sacrificed lambs in Goshen were preludes and shadows of the Messiah who would come...to take away the sins of the world about 1400 years later. Yeshua was the pure "Bread of Life," the unleavened bread in Goshen, that was broken and eaten in haste. Yeshua, the Bread of Life, was torn to shreds by the Roman Flagellum, taking upon himself the bitterness of sin and death. As Israel ate the bitter herbs in Egypt, Yeshua absorbed the bitterness of sin and death from the past, present, and future. At the Cross of Calvary, our sins were judged and dealt with by the same God who brought judgment to Egypt, the same God who came upon Mt. Sinai in smoke and fire, yet dressed in human flesh to endure the nails of pain and suffering for us all. He was our "Substitute" as the ram was the substitute for Isaac. There had to be a substitute. Would we bear the curse of sin, or let a substitute bear it? God revealed his perfect plan.
But it didn't stop there. Oh no, there was more to come. Satan laughed, "I killed God," or so he thought. Three days later, God arose from the grave. An empty tomb, the stone rolled away, not to let the Messiah out, but to reveal the emptiness of the same. "Why look for the living amongst the dead?" asked the angel. "He has risen!" Life conquered death. The sin debt was paid in full. DO you believe it? If yes, then proclaim it. Resurrection Day was "Victory Day" for all who came and died in the past, in the present, and in the future. So what is the message we see in Passover, in the Cross, in the Resurrection?
This is the message. That God saw the suffering of a lost and dying world. He loved the world so much that He came in person, in flesh and blood, and let his flesh be torn, and his blood be poured out for a ransom for sin. He, the Lamb of God, the Bread of Life, consumed the bitterness of sin and death, yet came back to life as our Risen Savior, to prepare a place for you and me, and to send in his place, the comforter, the Holy Spirit, to live inside of us, to bear witness to His love. We are not alone, HE is with us. We might grieve the Spirit of God at times, by our carnal ways, yet He will not leave us, He will put up with us, He is long-suffering and continues to mold us into vessels of honor. Vessels that at times will be broken, yet reshaped into new vessels, time and time again.
There will be a day when the final vessel will be formed and taken up to meet the Master Potter. The vessel of clay, formed with love from the dust of the Earth, will become a perfect, sinless vessel of honor to endure all eternity. Think upon all this. Maybe you just needed to read this. I sure did. And I'm the author.
When we look at Exodus 12, we read the story of the first Passover. The People of God, the descendants of Jacob, renamed Israel, had been in Egypt for 430 years. After the death of Joseph, they were slaves for Pharaoh. Suffering, whipped, wishing to be free, tears and cries penetrated God's heart. No, he had not forgotten them; he was just fulfilling the promise to Abraham. His descendants would be a "great multitude of People." Now, the prophecy was fulfilled. Moving day has come—time to leave to start a new life. Judgment will hit Egypt, and freedom will follow.
The blood of lambs and goats was to be painted on the doorposts of the Israelites in Goshen. God would visit Egypt, the destroyer would take the firstborn of Egypt, and of any house not displaying the blood of the lambs. The lambs and goats were to be the "SUBSTITUTES". "Take the substitute and not our firstborns." That was the perfect plan of a mighty and Holy God. And so it happened. At midnight, the destroyer came and took the firstborns of Egypt. Inside the houses in Goshen, there was salvation from death. As Egypt cried, Israel ate. Roasted lamb or goat, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs. "Leave Egypt," cried Pharaoh and his people, "Lest we all be dead!" and... they left... and for good.
John cried out: "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world" (John 1:29). The sacrificed lambs in Goshen were preludes and shadows of the Messiah who would come...to take away the sins of the world about 1400 years later. Yeshua was the pure "Bread of Life," the unleavened bread in Goshen, that was broken and eaten in haste. Yeshua, the Bread of Life, was torn to shreds by the Roman Flagellum, taking upon himself the bitterness of sin and death. As Israel ate the bitter herbs in Egypt, Yeshua absorbed the bitterness of sin and death from the past, present, and future. At the Cross of Calvary, our sins were judged and dealt with by the same God who brought judgment to Egypt, the same God who came upon Mt. Sinai in smoke and fire, yet dressed in human flesh to endure the nails of pain and suffering for us all. He was our "Substitute" as the ram was the substitute for Isaac. There had to be a substitute. Would we bear the curse of sin, or let a substitute bear it? God revealed his perfect plan.
But it didn't stop there. Oh no, there was more to come. Satan laughed, "I killed God," or so he thought. Three days later, God arose from the grave. An empty tomb, the stone rolled away, not to let the Messiah out, but to reveal the emptiness of the same. "Why look for the living amongst the dead?" asked the angel. "He has risen!" Life conquered death. The sin debt was paid in full. DO you believe it? If yes, then proclaim it. Resurrection Day was "Victory Day" for all who came and died in the past, in the present, and in the future. So what is the message we see in Passover, in the Cross, in the Resurrection?
This is the message. That God saw the suffering of a lost and dying world. He loved the world so much that He came in person, in flesh and blood, and let his flesh be torn, and his blood be poured out for a ransom for sin. He, the Lamb of God, the Bread of Life, consumed the bitterness of sin and death, yet came back to life as our Risen Savior, to prepare a place for you and me, and to send in his place, the comforter, the Holy Spirit, to live inside of us, to bear witness to His love. We are not alone, HE is with us. We might grieve the Spirit of God at times, by our carnal ways, yet He will not leave us, He will put up with us, He is long-suffering and continues to mold us into vessels of honor. Vessels that at times will be broken, yet reshaped into new vessels, time and time again.
There will be a day when the final vessel will be formed and taken up to meet the Master Potter. The vessel of clay, formed with love from the dust of the Earth, will become a perfect, sinless vessel of honor to endure all eternity. Think upon all this. Maybe you just needed to read this. I sure did. And I'm the author.
