THE LIVES OF THE PATRIARCHS #90 | THE LIFE OF MOSES #72
Pastor Christopher Choo
Lesson 3774
THE LIVES OF THE PATRIARCHS #90
THE LIFE OF MOSES #72
THE FIRST PASSOVER #4
PASSOVER, UNLEAVENED BREAD AND FIRSTFRUITS #1
PASSOVER AS A TYPE OF JUSTIFICATION
Passover ( Pesach ) has 3 feasts in one:
Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Day of First Fruits.
These three festivals speak of three stages of salvation: justification, sanctification and glorification.
Yeshua has already fulfilled all three. Now it's our turn!
As Romans 6:5 says, "If we have been united with [Messiah] like this in His death,
we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection."
In Leviticus 23 we are informed that
Pesach begins on the 14th of Nisan, the first month, as it is written:
5 The LORD's Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.
It is immediately followed by Chag HaMatzot, the Feast of Unleavened Bread:
6 On the fifteenth day of that month the LORD's Feast of Unleavened Bread begins;
for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast.
Exodus 12:6 provides clarification: "Take care of them [i.e., the Passover lambs,
which were brought into each Israelite home on the 10th of Nisan, for four days] until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight."
So the Paschal Lamb was slaughtered at the end of the 14th day, shortly before twilight. It was then roasted and eaten that night, the evening of the 15th day - as the Jewish new day of the 15th begins at sundown of the 14th.
The evening of the 15th day is now known as Erev Pesach and the beginning of Chag HaMatzot.
Indeed, the whole week of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is known as Passover.
1. When did Jesus have the Last Supper with His disciples?
The commentators are divided on this issue.
But the Pachal lambs were slain in the Temple on Thursday afternoon, so
Yeshua would have celebrated the Passover with His disciples Thursday night,
and His trial, condemnation and crucifixion took place on Friday.
Note that Thursday evening marks the beginning of Friday to the Jews.
Technically it was Thursday night according to the Western calendar.
2. Passover as Justification
Pesach, the first festival of the Jewish calendar, commemorates the deliverance of Israel
by the blood of the Lamb, whose blood was spread on the doorposts of their houses.
It also commemorates the deliverance of all people who put their trust in the blood of the Lamb,
whose blood was poured on the crossbeams of a Roman execution stake.
The blood of the Paschal lamb told the angel of death that he must "pass over" these houses--
thus the sons of Israel were redeemed.
The blood of the Messiah tells the angel of death that he must "pass over" our bodies--
thus the children of God are redeemed.
The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world brings justification
to those who put their trust in the atoning power of his blood.
As Romans 5:9 says, "Since we have now been justified by his blood,
how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!"
Justification means that God accepts you, as you are, declaring that are just or righteous
not by any effort of your own, but by Yeshua's atoning sacrifice for your sake.
Have you put your trust in the blood of the Lamb to atone for all of your sins?
As Paul says in Acts 13:38-39, "My brothers, I want you to know that through Yeshua
the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses."
Note that Paul says that "everyone who believes is justified from everything."
Yeshua's death on the cross stands outside of time, applying eternally to all our sins.
Thus 1 John 2:2 is able to declare that "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins,
and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."
So every day you can confess your sins, because his one sacrifice is sufficient for you!
1 John 1:9 promises, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
