March 28, 2021
“Purge (clean out) the old leaven that you may be fresh (new) dough, still uncontaminated [as you are], for Christ, our Passover [Lamb], has been sacrificed.”
1 Corinthians 5:7 (AMP)
“The PASSOVER” is one of the most widely celebrated Jewish holidays. Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is a Jewish festival celebrating the exodus from Egypt and the Israelites’ freedom from slavery to the Egyptians. The Feast of Passover, along with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, was the first of the festivals to be commanded by God for Israel to observe, Exodus 12.
~ Commemorations today involve a special meal called the SEDER, featuring unleavened bread and other food items symbolic of various aspects of the exodus!
~ I had the opportunity to attend a SEDER Friday evening after returning from Texas, celebrating our father’s 98th birthday. This traditional dinner that Jews partake of as part of Passover, which began on Saturday evening! This annual Passover commemoration is celebrated by nearly the entire Jewish community.
~ The Seder I attended was a fascinating display, featuring unleavened bread and other food items symbolic of various aspects of the exodus and several strong symbols pointing to Christ our Savior! How do the elements of the Passover Seder point to Christ?
~ The Hebrew word Seder means “order.” The Passover meal has a specific order in which food is eaten, prayers are recited, and songs are sung. Each item on the Passover plate has a specific historical meaning related to the exodus of the Jews from Egypt and their freedom from slavery.
“Identifies Jesus Christ as our Passover; thus, the Seder carries a New Testament meaning related to Jesus the Messiah.”
In the Seder, there are several strong symbols of Christ. One was the Shank Bone of a Lamb, which reminded us of the feast of God’s Salvation. Another symbol of Christ on the Seder plate is the matzoh or unleavened bread. As the Jewish people left Egypt, they were in great haste and therefore had no time to allow their bread to rise. From then on, Passover was followed by the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread (Deuteronomy 16:3). There are some fascinating things about the matzoh that provide a remarkable picture of the Messiah!
Along with Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost) and Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles), PASSOVER is one of the three “pilgrimage” festivals in Scripture, during which the Jews were commanded to travel to Jerusalem and observe the feasts together. Passover takes place in the spring, during the Hebrew month of Nisan. In Western countries, Passover is celebrated in early- to mid-April and is always close to Easter!
RX: A SACRIFICIAL ♥️ HEART
“As noted, in the Old Testament, after the Feast of the Passover there followed immediately the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Leavened Bread represents SIN! Paul says that Christ, the true Passover Lamb, has now been sacrificed for us. This should be followed by lives that are free from leaven (free from sin). Instead, this Corinthian congregation was allowing leaven, that is, evil to come right into their church. These were the very ones who were talking about the death of Christ and the crucifixion of Christ, and yet they permitted leaven to enter into the church.”
FATHER GOD: Thank You for being our Father! Help us NEVER to Forget Your Sacrifice on the Cross for us, in the Precious, Powerful and Preeminent Name of Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord, Amen.