The most glorious sunrise in 6,000 years of history on earth revealed that the tomb was empty. Jesus was raised from the dead! He is alive! Just hours before his execution He led His last Passover meal with His disciples. There are three keys from that dinner that guide our relationship with Him today.
- Jesus said at that moment: “For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.” Luke 22:18 The next meal will be the marriage supper of the Lamb!
- Do THIS! – He gave a most significant instruction at that Passover which is minimized by many of today’s Christians. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you: THIS DO in remembrance of me.” Luke 22:19 The “THIS” that He was referring to, is the Passover meal which Christians call the Last Supper. It has been shrunk down from a full meal with four meaningful cups, to a thimble of juice and bit of bread. We can all reap the rich importance of Passover, not only the Jews.
- The third key is found in the same verse: And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you: this do IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME.” Luke 22:19 Somehow, we have managed to replace Jesus in the name of the resurrection celebration with the name of the Babylonian pagan goddess of fertility. Known as “the queen of heaven,” this pagan goddess has been called by various names such as: Ishtar, Astarte, Diana of the Ephesians, and Venus, from which we now have “Easter,” (from Ishtar). This is most unfortunate because most Christians don’t have a clue that our most glorious season does not “remember” Jesus, but rather carries the name of a demonic goddess. I would love to see the church move away from the pagan name and call the glorious morning “Resurrection Day!”
Finally, notice I said these verses guide our “relationship” with Jesus. I am not talking about religious duty, but rather knowing Him as a friend. The Kingdom of God is relational. It is not “what” you know, but “Who” you know. After training His disciples for several years as “disciplined followers,” Jesus promoted them to the highest honor:
“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you FRIENDS, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for seasonal rains.
Les Lawrence, a voice of Christian Zionists, (Read more)
For further background on our use of pagan god’s names, you may like a post I did twelve years ago, April 15, 2010: The Ban On Baals
Do THIS!
6 04 2023Do you know why Jesus was in Jerusalem this particular week? He came to Jerusalem virtually every year of His life to celebrate Passover. He was not there for Palm Sunday. He was there for the eternal purpose of fulfilling the original Passover in the deliverance from Egypt and the slavery of the wicked Pharaoh. The first Passover was symbolic. The Lamb’s blood on the doorpost did nothing about their sinfulness. It was a mark to spare the Israelites from the death of the firstborn, which was God’s judgement on Egypt.
When Jesus celebrated Passover with His disciples, He was to become the ACTUAL LAMB OF GOD to take away the sins of the world for all who would believe in Him.
Of course Christians call it the Last Supper, but it was actually a regular Passover under extraordinary circumstances. The first Passover in Egypt was to be remembered for all generations. But, when Jesus led this Passover He made a profound point which would change the future observance of Passover. He boldly charged the disciple to specifically remember Him from now on, every time they held a Passover meal.
Oddly, most churches use Paul’s quotation rather than Luke’s. This has the subtle (unintentional) effect of slightly separating communion from the Passover. When Jesus said: “Do this…” He was referring to Passover. He is the Passover Lamb of God! We most certainly should have communion, but remember the Lamb. Remember the rest of the story. It is not about instituting a new religious sacrament. It is identifying Yeshua, our Messiah, as the Lamb slain for us! His blood is not symbolic; it is effectual in paying the price for our sin through His death. The eternal justice of Yehovah God is satisfied, that Jesus die in our place. God has closed the books on our sin for all who simply believe in Him who died. Hallelujah!
Christians should continue sharing communion, but we are also blessed to participate in the 3,500 year history of Passover. This is even more true once we reconnect to our Jewish roots through the Jewish Messiah.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for rain in the time of latter rain.
Les Lawrence, a voice of Christian Zionists (Read more)
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Tags: Christian Zionist, Israel, Jerusalem, Lamb of God, Passover
Categories : Israel Commentary