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Jesus is the Passover Lamb
The feasts of Israel, which were given by the Lord to Moses in Leviticus 23, comprise the most complete picture of God's plan for mankind in Scripture. Jesus, His Son, the Messiah, has been the plan of the Father to redeem mankind since before the foundation of the world. Therefore, in any revelation of His plan, Jesus is always the first and the last, the beginning and the end, and the Alpha and Omega.
" Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?' And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself." Luke 24:26-27 Jesus spoke these words to the bewildered and downtrodden two on the road to Emmaus, as we mentioned in an earlier message.
Have we understood the impact of what Jesus was actually saying in this short passage? Jesus was telling His two saddened friends that all of the books of Moses and all the Prophets foretold His birth, His life, His death, His burial, His resurrection, His ascension, His coming again to catch away the waiting bride, His second coming to rule from King David's throne in Jerusalem, and events following His reign throughout eternity!
You can find Jesus on every page of the Bible. The Scriptures reveal Jesus. In Genesis, He is the Creator; in Exodus, He's the Passover Lamb; in Leviticus, Jesus is the Lawgiver, Shiloh, of the Tribe of Judah; in Numbers, He is the Rock of Our Salvation; in Deuteronomy, He is the City of Refuge. We could go on and on through every book of the Bible. Jesus is on every page of the Word of God, for He is the Living Word!!! In Ruth, He's the Kinsman Redeemer, in Revelation, He's the Soon-Coming King…
Now, having sufficiently established the truth that the instructions which the Lord gave to Moses concerning the feasts point to Jesus, our Messiah, let's begin with Passover, the first feast. Passover, in Israel, began the festival year, and it was observed at the beginning of spring. "In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's Passover." Leviticus 23:5 Nisan is the first month of the Jewish year. During the Feast of Passover, three of the seven feasts of Israel were observed-Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits. This will become more evident as we continue.
When the Lord commanded the feast of Passover, the children of Israel had just experienced a phenomenal picture of the meaning of Passover as they were delivered from the hand of Pharaoh after four hundred years of slavery in Egypt. In Exodus 12, the Lord gave Moses and Aaron instructions for the deliverance of the children of Israel. Pharaoh had refused to let them go, following the ten plagues which came upon Egypt because of Pharaoh's disobedience. In Scripture, Egypt is symbolic of the world system and sin, although, the Sacrifice of Jesus covers all who believe in Him and receive Him as LORD.
Moses told the men of Israel to take a lamb for each family. They were to select a young, male lamb, without blemish, four days before their deliverance from slavery. They were to examine the lamb for those four days to be absolutely positive that the lamb was perfect.
The unspotted lamb was to be killed on the fourteenth day of the month, and some of the blood was to be put on the sides and tops of the doorposts of each family's house. Then, the lamb was to be roasted over fire, and eaten, all of it, that night. Any of the lamb that was left was to be burned. The people were to eat the lamb "with their loins girded, with their shoes on their feet, and with a staff in hand." They were to eat in haste.
Moses said to them, "It is the Lord's Passover." God said, "For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment; I am the LORD. The blood shall be for a sign to you upon the doorposts of the houses where you are, that WHEN I SEE THE BLOOD, I WILL PASS OVER YOU, and no plague shall be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt." Exodus 12:1-14. Pharaoh's hardness of heart in not letting God's people go, had brought this judgment upon Egypt.
"And this day shall be to you for a memorial. You shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations, keep it as an ordinance forever." Ex. 12:14 Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross of Calvary is the fulfillment of the Feast of Passover. He is the spotless Lamb, Who was slain from the foundation of the world for all mankind, and Whose shed blood washes away all sins of those who repent of their sin and trust in Jesus' Sacrifice for them. God said, "When I see the Blood, I will pass over you." Jesus was crucified at the exact hour when the high priest killed the sacrifice lamb in the temple. The passion of Jesus for human souls of every tribe, tongue, and nation fulfilled Passover.
"How much more, then, will the blood of Christ Jesus, Who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death (sin), so that we may serve the living God!" Hebrews 9:14 The Lord sees the Blood on the lintels and doorposts of our hearts, and He passes over us in time of judgment, because Jesus bore our judgment for us. "And His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace." Revelation 1:15 Jesus walked through the fires of eternal judgment when He was in the heart of the earth for three days. In the Feast of Passover, the lamb had to be roasted over fire and all of it eaten. What a Savior we have! How marvelous He is! All glory, laud , and honor belong to Him!
Jesus was celebrating Passover with His disciples the night before His crucifixion. "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, 'Take, eat; this is my body. And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink ye all of it; for this is My blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.'" Matthew 26:26-28
Within a few hours, He would be the Passover Lamb. His Blood was the only blood that could wash away sin, because It was spotless. His Body was the only Sacrifice that could heal diseases, because It was unblemished by sin.
In the Father's great wisdom and divine plan, the Feast of Unleavened Bread was celebrated, beginning on the day following Passover. Unleavened Bread was celebrated for a week, foreshadowing our walk with the Lord in holiness, without leaven. Lev. 23:6 Jesus' burial in linen cloths was the fulfillment of Unleavened Bread. The unleavened bread, which was used in this feast, is an excellent picture of Jesus in His atoning death. The bread was pierced, striped, and had no leaven, which is symbolic of sin. Jesus' side was pierced by the Roman soldier's spear, His back was striped when He was beaten with the whips interwoven with metal and bone, and He was without fault or sin.
The ceremony of the Feast of Unleavened Bread was celebrated with three loaves of unleavened bread, a picture of the Trinity. The three loaves were placed into a special white linen envelope with three compartments. One writer points out that the loaves, resemble matzoh bread, which is striped, pierced, and without leaven. The middle loaf was broken and was placed in another linen cloth and hidden away, or buried. It is not difficult to see the parallel of the burial of Jesus, the Bread of Heaven, in white linen grave clothes, as recorded in the gospels.
Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6:35), He was born in Bethlehem, the "House of Bread," and He spoke of Himself by saying, "If a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone: but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit." John 12:24 After Adam's sin, Jesus didn't have any spiritual brothers or sisters. He willingly went to the cross, according to the will of the Father, "that He might be the firstborn among many brothers (and sisters)." Romans 8:29 Sin had separated mankind from God, and the Blood of Jesus was the only spotless blood that could pay for sin, so that the Father would have His family back. How He loved the Father! He knew His Father would not leave Him in destruction, (Acts 2:25-28), but would raise Him up on the third day.
The third day brings us to the Feast of Firstfruits. In celebration of Firstfruits, the people were to bring to the priest a sheaf of the first grain they harvested. Lev. 26:10 Firstfruits speaks so clearly of the Resurrection of Jesus on the third day. He was the firstborn of many. There is a second born, third born, and so on, into the millions and billions, which includes you and me. Jesus fulfilled the Feast of Firstfruits in His Resurrection. Because He lives, we also live.
Be saved today by repenting of your sin and trusting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. He gave His life for you and me.
Pray something like this, from your heart, "Dear Lord Jesus, I believe that You died on the Cross to save me, and You rose from the dead on the third day. I repent and turn away from sin and turn to You for my salvation. I cannot save myself. I trust You to save me and cleanse me. Be my Lord forever. Thank You, Lord Jesus. Amen."
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