The Festivals of God - Pt 3

And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” (Luke 22:14-20 ESV). The festival of the Passover has been celebrated by Israel for thousands of years. It is the retelling of the great story of how God redeemed Israel from their enslavement in Egypt. The celebration itself was given to the Jews while they were still in Egypt. The original celebration focused around the Passover lamb, which was sacrificed and its blood put over the doorposts as a sign of faith. This sign of faith would allow those within the house to escape the judgment of God. God instructed Moses that angels would come into the land and every first-born of Egypt would die. Only the faith represented by the blood of the lamb would save them from the same fate. Jesus gives the completion of the Passover in the last meal he celebrated with his disciples. He declared he was the final “Passover Lamb.” The day Jesus was crucified was the day of the Passover celebration and the day that the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed. For over twelve centuries, the priest would blow the shophar at 3:00 p.m. It was at this moment the lamb was to be sacrificed, and all the people would pause to contemplate the sacrifice for sins on behalf of the people of Israel. It was at this hour, when Jesus was being crucified, that He said, "It is finished." The sacrifice of the lamb of God was fulfilled at the hour that the symbolic animal sacrifice usually took place. At the same time, the veil of the Temple, a three-inch thick, several story high cloth that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple, tore from top to bottom. This was a clear representation of the removal of the separation between God and man. Fifty days later, on the anniversary of the giving of the law, Pentecost, God came in the person of the Holy Spirit to inhabit those who call on the name of Jesus. There is more symbolism in the Passover. Early in the Seder three matzahs are put together, representing the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The middle matzah is broken, wrapped in a white cloth, and hidden, representing the death and burial of Jesus. The matzah itself is designed to represent Jesus, since it is striped and pierced, which was prophesized by Isaiah, David, and Zechariah. Following the Seder meal, the "buried" matzah is "resurrected," which was foretold in the prophecies of the prophets and David. When Jesus instituted the Supper, it was to complete the Passover. It was Jesus’ way of informing the disciples that the work of atonement was finished. God has always pointed people to the ultimate solution to their sin in His Son. As Christians we have so much to celebrate. My prayer is that you will make your celebration daily. Don’t just wait for a special occasion at your church. Jesus has redeemed us finally and forever!