How did Jesus fulfill the Passover? Part 5

According to Exodus 12 there were five basic requirements for celebrating Passover.

1. Set aside a lamb on the 10th of Nisan- one without defect 
2. Slaughter the lamb on the 14th - but don’t break any bones 
3. Put some of the lamb’s blood on the sides and top of the doorframe 
4. Finish the Passover on the 14th - don't let it spill over into the next day 
5. Celebrate the Passover perpetually 

In this post I'll show you how Jesus fulfilled requirement #5.

The fifth requirement for Passover was that it be celebrated perpetually. It other words, God didn't want the memory of his great deliverance to fade away. By celebrating Passover each year it kept the memory of the Israelites deliverance fresh in their minds. But Passover served a two-fold purpose. First they looked back to their deliverance from slavery to Egypt. Then they looked forward the even greater deliverance to come - their deliverance from slavery to sin.

Well, notice the parallels between the Passover and Communion...

On Passover, the same day Jesus was arrested and crucified for our sins, he instituted a new celebration. Having fulfilled Passover, Jesus now instituted Communion. You see, Jesus didn't want the memory of his great deliverance to fade away. By celebrating Communion on a regular basis we keep the memory of our deliverance from sin fresh in our minds. And just like Passover, Communion serves a two-fold purpose. First, when we celebrate communion we look back to our deliverance from our slavery to sin - made possible by Christ's death on the cross. But we're also commanded to celebrate communion looking forward to Christ's return.

Notice: Earlier I read you Matthew 5:17 where Jesus said "Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose." Having accomplished the purpose of Passover, Jesus now instituted a new celebration called Communion.

To summarize: As God commanded the Passover be celebrated perpetually, so Jesus commanded that Communion be celebrated perpetually. In this way Jesus perpetuated the reality of Passover.

So we see that Jesus fulfilled the fifth requirement of Passover. 

How did Jesus fulfill Passover? Part 4

According to Exodus 12 there were five basic requirements for celebrating Passover.

1. Set aside a lamb on the 10th of Nisan- one without defect 
2. Slaughter the lamb on the 14th - but don’t break any bones 
3. Put some of the lamb’s blood on the sides and top of the doorframe 
4. Finish the Passover on the 14th - don't let it spill over into the next day 
5. Celebrate the Passover perpetually

In this post I'll show you how Jesus fulfilled requirement #4.

The fourth requirement of Passover was that it had to be finished on the 14th, which for the Jew meant by twilight (approximately 6pm). Remember, for a Jew twilight was the end of one day and the beginning of the next. They did this because God commanded in Exodus 12:10 regarding the Passover “Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it.” God didn’t want the Passover spilling into the next day. If any of it was left after the meal they were to burn it before the day ended.

Notice the parallel here between the Passover lamb and Jesus...

As the Passover lamb was done away with before the start of the next day, so Jesus was taken down from the cross and buried before the start of the next day. We read in John 19 that on the same day Jesus was crucified, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took Jesus' body down from the cross, wrapped it in strips of linen and buried it in a tomb in a garden at the site of the crucifixion. 

Note: Joseph was a wealthy man and could've paid for Jesus to be buried somewhere else, but God didn't allow that to happen. God provided a tomb on site so Jesus could be buried quickly (before the end of the day) thus fulfilling the fourth requirement of Passover. 

So to summarize: As the Passover lamb had to be finished and done away with before the start of the next day, so Jesus was taken down from the cross and buried before the Passover day had ended. 

So we see that Jesus fulfilled the fourth requirement of the Passover.

How did Jesus fulfill Passover? Part 3

According to Exodus 12 there were five basic requirements for celebrating Passover.

1. Set aside a lamb on the 10th of Nisan- one without defect 
2. Slaughter the lamb on the 14th - but don’t break any bones 
3. Put some of the lamb’s blood on the sides and top of the doorframe 
4. Finish the Passover on the 14th - don't let it spill over into the next day 
5. Celebrate the Passover perpetually

In this post I'll show you how Jesus fulfilled requirement #3.

The third requirement of Passover was that some of the slaughter lamb's blood be put on the sides and top of each Israelite doorframe.

Notice the first parallel between the Passover lamb and Jesus...

1. As some of the blood of the Passover lamb stained the top of the doorframe, so Jesus' blood stained the top of the cross. We read in Matthew 27:29 that they "...twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head."

Notice the second parallel between the Passover lamb and Jesus...

2. As some of the blood of the Passover lamb stained each side of the doorframe, so Jesus' blood stained each side of the cross. We learn from John 20:25 that when they crucified Jesus they drove nails through his hands to fasten him to the cross.

Notice: Apart from Jesus the blood on the top and sides of the door frame has no significance whatsoever. But when Jesus' crucifixion is seen as the fulfillment of the Passover lamb's slaughter, the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe takes on great significance.

To Summarize: By applying the blood of the lamb the Israelites were spared from death. When the angel God sent to judge the Egyptians came to the door and saw the blood, he passed over that house. (this is how we got the name Passover). In the same way today, by faith we apply the blood of the lamb Jesus to the door frame of our heart - and in so doing we are spared from the penalty of our sins, which is death (Romans 6:23). 

So we see that Jesus passed the third requirement of Passover. 

How did Jesus fulfill Passover? Part 2

According to Exodus 12 there were five basic requirements for celebrating Passover.

1. Set aside a lamb on the 10th of Nisan- one without defect 
2. Slaughter the lamb on the 14th - but don’t break any bones 
3. Put some of the lamb’s blood on the sides and top of the doorframe 
4. Finish the Passover on the 14th - don't let it spill over into the next day 
5. Celebrate the Passover perpetually

In this post I'll show you how Jesus fulfilled requirement #2.

The second requirement of Passover was that the lamb had to be slaughtered on the 14th. And God commanded that none of the bones were to be broken during the slaughtering process.

Notice the first parallel between the Passover lamb and Jesus...

1. As the Passover lamb was slaughtered on the 14th day of Nisan, so Jesus was crucified on the 14th day of Nisan. 

And notice with me the similarities between the Passover lamb and Jesus (the Lamb of God) on that day.

• By 9am on the day of the Passover the Jews were busy with preparations for sacrifice. This was the exact time (9am) that Jesus was nailed to the cross. We read in Mark 15:25 “Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.” The third hour was 9am in Jewish time. At the same time the Jews were making preparations for sacrifice, Jesus was prepared to die by being nailed to a cross. 
• At 3pm the people were slaughtering their lambs. I know a Jewish pastor named David. He's a Christian who annually celebrates Passover. We worked on this message together and he told me that the last sacrifice took place by 3pm. When the priest had slaughtered the last lamb he would say "It is finished." Well, the Bible records that Jesus died at exactly 3pm. We read in Mark 15:33-37 that “…at the ninth hour [3pm Jewish time] Jesus cried out in a loud voice…“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” [Then] With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. And we know what that last loud cry was, don't we? John 19:30 reveals that Jesus' last loud cry was "It is finished!" 

Now notice the second parallel between the Passover lamb and Jesus...

2. As the Passover lamb was slaughtered without a bone being broken, so Jesus was crucified without a bone being broken. 

We read in John 19:30-37 that the Roman soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves who were crucified next to Jesus - but when they came to Jesus they saw that he was already dead, so they did not break his legs.

Notice: Jesus died on the same month (Nisan), day (the 14th) and even hour (3pm) as did the Passover lamb.

To summarize: As the Israelites slaughtered a lamb on the 14th of Nisan, so Jesus was crucified on the 14th of Nisan. And as the bones of the Passover lamb were preserved, so Jesus’ bones were preserved - not one of them was broken.

So we see that Jesus met the second requirement of Passover. 

How did Jesus fulfill Passover? Part 1

According to Exodus 12 there were five basic requirements for celebrating Passover.

1. Set aside a lamb on the 10th of Nisan- one without defect 
2. Slaughter the lamb on the 14th - but don’t break any bones 
3. Put some of the lamb’s blood on the sides and top of the doorframe 
4. Finish the Passover on the 14th - don't let it spill over into the next day 
5. Celebrate the Passover perpetually 

In this post I'll show you how Jesus fulfilled requirement #1.

The first requirement of Passover was that a lamb be set aside on the 10th of Nisan, four days prior to Passover. During these four days leading up to Passover the lamb was to be examined to be proven to be without defect, for this is what God had commanded.

Notice the first parallel between the Passover lamb and Jesus...

1. As the Passover lamb was set aside on the 10th, so Jesus entered Jerusalem on the 10th, to be set aside as the human lamb Isaiah and John the Baptist prophesied about.

Let me explain. John 12:1 says, “Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany…” Since Passover was celebrated on the 14th, this would mean that Jesus came to Bethany on the 9th. Then we read in John 12:12 that, “The next day the great crowd that had come for the [Passover] festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.” Since Jesus was in Bethany on the 9th, that makes the next day the 10th. Jesus entered Jerusalem to be set aside as the human Lamb of God on the exact day that God told the Jews to set aside their lambs for Passover.

Notice the second parallel between the Passover lamb and Jesus...

2. As the Passover lamb was without defect, so Jesus was found to be faultless.

When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem the Jews tried to find some fault in Jesus they could use to discredit him. For example, in Matthew 21 the religious leaders questioned his authority. In Matthew 23 they asked Him trick questions hoping he would give a wrong answer they could then use against Him. But they found nothing. In frustration, the Jews turned Jesus over to Pilate, hoping he could find something to accuse Jesus of. But even after interrogating and beating Jesus, Pilate said of him in John 19:4 “I find no fault in Him.” Of course he didn't for Jesus was a Lamb without defect!

Now notice this: All these things happened between the 10th and the 14th - that is, during the same exact time when the Jews were examining their lambs - looking for faults - in preparation for sacrifice.

To summarize: As the Israelites set aside a lamb on the 10th of Nisan, so Jesus was set aside on the 10th of Nisan. And as the Israelites examined their lamb to be sure it was without defect, so Jesus was examined and found to be without defect. 

So we see that Jesus fulfilled the first requirement of Passover. 

Why Study the Feasts?

In Leviticus 23 God commanded the Jews to celebrate seven feasts.

1. The Passover, v.5 
2. Unleavened Bread, v.6
3. First Fruits, v.11
4. Pentecost, v.16 
5. Trumpets, v.24
6. Atonement, v.27
7. Tabernacles, v.34 

Why is it important to study these feasts? 

1. Though God gave the feasts to the Jews, Leviticus 23:2 refers to the feasts as “the…feasts of the Lord…” not "the...feasts of the Jews..." This implies that the feasts have just as much significance for Gentiles as Jews (“Gentile” is the Bible term for anyone who isn’t Jewish). 
2. Some mistakenly believe that Jesus came to do away with the feasts and the other rules of the Old Testament Law so they think the feasts aren't important to study, but that's not what Jesus taught. Jesus said in Matthew 5:17 “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.” That is, Jesus came as the reality of Who the feasts had pointed to for 1,500 years. But without studying the feasts we'll never understand how Jesus fulfilled them. And without understanding how Jesus fulfilled the feasts we won't have nearly the confidence we could have that Jesus is indeed God's promised Messiah. 
3. Christianity is rooted in Judaism. To better appreciate Christianity, one must be somewhat familiar with Judaism. And a huge part of Judaism was the annual celebration of these seven feasts. 
4. When we better understand the feasts we will worship God with renewed passion, for we will have new understanding of the depths of his wisdom in unfolding to us his plan of salvation, which is vividly portrayed through the feasts. 

The Seven Feasts

God instructed the Israelites to annually celebrate seven feasts. In Leviticus 23:1-2 The Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the Lord, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies. The seven feasts are then listed…

First we have the Spring Feasts.

1. The Passover, v.5

2. Unleavened Bread, v.6

3. First Fruits, v.11

These took place during the Spring Harvest in the Jewish month of Nisan, which on our calendar falls between March and April. 

Second we have the Summer Feast. 

4. Pentecost, v.16 

This took place during the Summer Harvest in the Jewish month of Sivan, which on our calendar falls between May and June.

Third we have the Fall Feasts.

5. Trumpets, v.24
6. Atonement, v.27
7. Tabernacles, v.34

These took place during the Fall Harvest in the Jewish month of Tishri, which on our calendar falls between September and October.

The Bible says these feasts were "sacred assemblies". The Hebrew word for "sacred assembly" is mikrah and means "dress rehearsal". One day God was going to send Messiah into the world to act out a redemption 'play'. And when that came came God wanted the Jews to recognize 'the play'. So He had the Israelites act it out over and over again for 1,500 years prior to Messiah coming into the world. God's hope was that through 1,500 years of dress rehearsal the Jews would recognize the play when it came to town. 

Here's another way to think of the feasts. Think of them as pictures. Each feast was a picture of Messiah. God's hope was that by looking at the pictures of Messiah for 1,500 years the Jews would recognize him when he came.

You could also think of the feasts as shadows. The apostle Paul said of the feasts in Colossians 2:17, “For these rules [the rules of the feasts] are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality.” A shadow isn’t a person. A shadow only points to the reality of a person. In the same way the feasts were shadows that pointed to the person of Christ. God’s hope was that by seeing the shadow for fifteen hundreds years, they would recognize the person the shadows pointed to.

Though God went through great lengths to help the Jews recognize their Messiah, the failed to do so. John 1:11 records that Jesus came to that which was his own (the Jews), but his own did not receive him. As we study the feasts, let us not make the same mistake as the Jews. As we study the feasts may we see the Messiah as God intended and make this Messiah both Savior and Lord. 

Physical Touch

Biblically, there are five ways God expresses his love for us. And these are the five ways that we are to express love to our spouse (and others). In this post we'll unpackage God's fifth expression of love.

5. Physical touch 

When the children came to Jesus in Mark 10 the Bible records that "...he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them." When Jesus' disciples assumed Jesus was too important to bother with children, Jesus showed his love for the children with appropriate, loving touch.

Both my sister and brother in law are nurses at Bay State and were telling my wife how they now require mother and baby to have one hour of skin to skin time. They've come to realize how important physical touch is in promoting physical health, so it's now something they require.

Well, it's not just babies that need physical touch. Marriages need it too! Physical touch is a powerful vehicle for communicating marital love. Holding hands, kissing, snuggling and good ol’ fashioned sexual intercourse are all ways of communicating love to one’s spouse.

Yet sadly, Satan has really got us all mixed up on this point. Before we’re married he works overtime to get us in bed. After we’re married he works overtime to keep us out of bed. He doesn’t mind if we sleep in our pretty secretary’s (or co-worker’s) bed or our neighbor’s spouse’s bed, but he does everything in his power to keep us away from each other. Now there’s more to physical touch than just sex, but sex is certainly an important component of physical touch within a marriage relationship.

While not touching in marriage can be a sign of sickness, appropriate loving touches can bring healing.

• In Matthew 8:1-4 a man with leprosy came to Jesus. Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. Immediately the man was cleansed of his leprosy. 
• In Matthew 8:14-15 Jesus came to Peter’s house and saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. 
• In Matthew 9:27-29 two blind men came to Jesus. Jesus touched their eyes and they were healed. 

Jesus shows us there is healing in physical touch. And for some of you, physical touch is what’s missing and what will bring healing to your marriage. When you make a point to give appropriate, loving touches to your spouse, you take one step closer to God’s ideal for marriage. We read in Genesis 2:24 that God’s ideal for marriage is for a man to leave his father and mother, cleave to his wife and that the two would become one flesh. This speaks of physical intimacy in a marriage.

This might sound unromantic, but if your sex life is suffering because you’re just leaving it up to chance - you may need to put a little reminder on your phone or calendar. This is too important to leave to chance. You probably schedule everything else in your life - why not schedule some time for physical touch? If we’re not intentional about sex, it oftentimes ends up getting squeezed out of our overly busy schedule. Don’t save it for the very last thing on your agenda for the day, you will almost always be “too tired”. Make it a priority. Move it too the top of your to do list, instead of at the bottom once everything else is done. The dinner dishes and the laundry can wait, but intimacy can’t.