-1 Corinthians 5:7-8
Last week at church we heard one of the most amazing lessons about God and His amazing, all-encompassing love for us! I mean, you know in your heart that God has been planning our salvation from the very beginning of time... that God loved and loves us so very very much that He will do ANYTHING to keep us from Hell and Satan... that He sent His own Son for our sins. This idea, this thought is sometimes beyond comprehension, but for those of us who believe, it is our lifeblood. It is what keeps us going, no matter the circumstances in our lives.
However, and I am guilty of this too, we sometimes forget about the Old Testament and how God was planning our salvation back then... way back when in ancient BC times. I feel like us modern Christians get so caught up in the New Testament we forget to look back on where the love of God all began and how the examples, stories and moments from the Old Testament all point towards Christ's sacrifice and resurrection in the New Testament.
But, last week we heard a lesson from this young man named David Moishe, a young Jewish man who believes in Christ as his Savior!! Incredible! A Jew who believes in Jesus!!! He accepted Christ in his life many years ago and has dedicated his life to teaching other Jews and to use the Biblical terms, Gentiles, about how God meshed the Old and New Testament together. How the sacrifice from the Old Testament effortlessly converts into the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. How no man, woman or child in this world should ever question that Jesus is their Messiah, their Savior. His organization is called JEWS FOR JESUS.
He gave a presentation on the Passover, explaining how each item, each song, each prayer, each and every piece of the Passover is linked to Christ. It was incredible. Never in a million years would I have been able to connect all of these ideas between the 2 Passover meals, but once David started explaining everything and using scripture from both Old and New Testament to back it up, the pieces just fell into place. By the end of the lesson, I was BEYOND HUMBLED. Truly, honestly, humbled at the love God has for me.... has for every single person on this earth. It was almost to the point where I felt unworthy, because I know I do not do a good job of showing my ultimate love for God each and every day, yet He does for me. He even did back in BC times, with the very first Passover and sacrificial lamb. He made sure that those events and ideas would connect with His Son, many years in the future.
Old Testament: In the Passover meal, the woman begins the ceremony by lighting a candle and saying the first prayer.
New Testament: Mary gave birth to our Savior, bringing "Light" into the world.
Old Testament: Each food item eaten during Passover connects with the suffering of the Israelites during their stay in Egypt and wandering in the desert. Many of these food items are unpleasant to taste... bring you to tears or leave bad feelings in your mouth afterwards. They make you feel as if you have done something wrong. You are desperate to cleanse your mouth... to wash away the dirt and grime left behind by these bitter foods.
New Testament: The bread/crackers and the wine/grape juice are the bitter foods. The cracker gets all stuck in your mouth, making you eager for the wine to wash it away. And the wine does wash it away, but it also leaves an aftertaste in our mouths, reminding us of the actions we have just participated in. Jesus washes away our sins. Jesus takes away the bitterness...the dirt... the grime. Christ's blood takes us out of the desert, out of our wandering, out of our tears and brings us into everlasting life and light.
Old Testament: The sacrifical lamb cannot have any of his bones broken.
New Testament: Christ's bones were not broken, which was contrary to the custom of Roman crucifixion. (Breaking bones caused the victim to die quicker, ensuing asphyixiation came quick)
Old Testament to New Testament: There are 3 pieces of unleavened bread which are placed in one linen bag during the ceremony. They represent our Holy Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The 2nd piece is broken and taken out of the bag. It is wrapped in a linen cloth and hidden for the majority of the ceremony. Christ's body was wrapped in linen after he was broken by sin and death and placed hidden from view in a tomb. At the end of the ceremony, the children search the house looking for the broken, hidden piece of bread. The child who finds it receives a "prize" and there is much rejoicing over the long, lost piece of bread. Jesus is risen on the 3rd day. There is MUCH rejoicing once He conquered death for us all. Our "prize" is the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life.
And the church said........ A.M.E.N. :)
As I sit here writing this, I have chills and a great big swell of emotion in my heart. Tomorrow is the 3rd day. Tomorrow my sins are washed away! Tomorrow, death is overcome! Tomorrow, Sunday, the most amazing act ever in human history, in world history, occurs! I'm not sure that the gratitude I feel in my heart, the "thank you" I say to God will ever be enough for what He has done for me, done for us, but both New and Old Testament assures us that God hears us and loves us for what each of us can give. As a colleague at work remarked on Thursday, "Easter should be the biggest and most important holiday, period. I mean, people are born and people die every day BUT, there is only 1 person who came back from the dead. And that I think, is something to really think about..." And I say again, A.M.E.N.
"Oh give thanks to the Lord for He is good! The Lord is my strenth and song, and He has become my salvation. The right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord does valiently. The Lord has chastened me severely, but He has not given me over to death. This is the gate of the Lord, through which the righteous shall enter. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it!"
-Psalm 118-
If you are interested in more information about the Jews for Jesus group, visit their website at www.jewsforjesus.org
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