Passover is the time when we celebrate our Messiah Jesus. He paid the price for our sins and rose from the dead so that we may have eternal life! The Feast of Passover holds a great yet simple message that illuminates why the Messiah Yeshua, Jesus came to earth. Let me lead you through this Feast as we will study Leviticus 23:4-10.
There are three events that are connected with the Feast of Passover
The Blood of the Lamb
Unleavened Bread
The Firstfruit
Let me explain why these three Festivals are part of one Feast - Passover.
The Blood of the Lamb. The blood of the Lamb has set Israel free from bondage and slavery. The blood of Jesus has set us free from the bondage of sin and death and it’s slavery. We were slaves to sin, the world and the devil but it is through the blood of our Messiah Yeshua, Jesus God has set us free! The Passover Seder (Order) asks us to drink a cup of wine four times. The first cup- Kos Ha Kadesh is the cup of Sanctification. In Exodus 6:6 the Lord said,"I will free you from the forced labor of the Egyptians." We drink from this cup to celebrate God and His plan to set us apart for Himself as His own treasured people. We should be thankful that God has called us to Himself and has set us free through the blood of the Messiah!
Israel did not leave Egypt quietly. God had to judge this great nation first. Only after the ten plagues could Israel go free. With each plague God judged Egypt and their false idols. Because of God’s judgement over our sin, we are to lift up the second cup- Ha Din, the cup of Judgement. In Exodus 6:6 the Lord says, " I will rescue you from their oppression..." Israel did not leave Egypt quietly. God had to judge this great nation first. Only after the ten plagues could Israel go free. With each plague God judged Egypt and their false idols. Because of God’s judgement over our sin, we are to lift up the second cup- the cup of . In Exodus 6:6 the Lord says,
According to Passover Seder we are coming to the third cup- Ha Geulah, the cup of Redemption. In Exodus 6:6 we read,"I will redeem you with a stretched out arm..."Unleavened Bread. Now Israel was ready to be free from Egypt. In order to leave every family had to raise a lamb for fourteen days and then kill it at twilight, take the blood, place it on the doorposts and eat it. The blood of this lamb had to be shed for each individual. Salvation from sin is personal. Jesus the Messiah has died for each person.
Unleavened Bread. When Israel had to leave Egypt, God said to eat bread in a hurry. They did not have time to put yeast in their bread. Therefore they ate the lamb that was slain with unleavened bread. Unleavened bread signifies sinlessness. That means that Jesus our Messiah offers everyone a sinless life through His Atoning Blood. In Leviticus 23:6 we read," And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread." The number seven is mentioned quite often in the Bible and I believe it refers to completion. The eating of unleavened bread for seven days signifies the complete price paid for our sins by Jesus the Messiah. Our new life in God is sinless through the Messiah. The inherited sin of Adam at our birth is done away with and we are free! Jesus said that He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. It is in Him that we have the fulness of God and the life of God. He is the author and finisher of our faith. We are free from Adam’s sin from the day we accept Yeshua as our personal Savior until the very last breath of our life in Him on earth! The Feast of Unleavened bread represents this truth. In Romans 8:1 we read,"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Messiah Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."In John 6:51 Yeshua said, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: ineand the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." When Israel had to leave Egypt, God said to eat bread in a hurry. They did not have time to put yeast in their bread. Therefore they ate the lamb that was slain with unleavened bread. Unleavened bread signifies sinlessness. That means that Jesus our Messiah offers everyone a sinless life through His Atoning Blood. In Leviticus 23:6 we read,The number seven is mentioned quite often in the Bible and I believe it refers to completion. The eating of unleavened bread for seven days signifies the 222complete price paid for our sins by Jesus the Messiah. Our new life in God is sinless through the Messiah. The inherited sin of Adam at our birth is done away with and we are free! Jesus said that He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. It is in Him that we have the fulness of God and the life of God. He is the author and finisher of our faith. We are free from Adam’s sin from the day we accept Yeshua as our personal Savior until the very last breath of our life in Him on earth! The Feast of Unleavened bread represents this truth. In Romans 8:1 we read,In John 6:51 Yeshua said,
In the traditional Jewish Passover Seder there is an interesting moment. On the table are three pieces of matzah. The middle matzah is broken into two pieces and the bigger piece is hidden. The hidden piece is called the Afikomen. After the meal that comes in the middle of our Passover Celebration, a child is supposed to find the hidden matzah and receive the reward from his father.
In Luke 22:19 we find this fulfilment, "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." In Isaiah 53:5 it is also written, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." At this point of the Passover Seder, we break the hidden matzah into small pieces, distribute and hold it while the cup is filled again. This is the cup which Yeshua raised after supper and said," This is the New Covenant in my blood poured out for you." This cup the Cup of Redemption.
The Firstfruit. "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, "When you come into the land which I give to you, and shall reap the harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest..." Levit. 23:10. The firstfruit is the resurrection of our Messiah. He has become our Firstfruit of eternal life and to everyone who received Him as their personal Savior and Messiah. With Him and through Him alone we have eternal life with God! Levit. 23:10. The firstfruit is the resurrection of our Messiah. He has become our Firstfruit of eternal life and to everyone who received Him as their personal Savior and Messiah. With Him and through Him alone we have eternal life with God!
Well we are coming to the end of our Passover Seder and the teaching at this time, yet there is one more great point I want to bring to your attention - the fourth cup. This cup is called Hallel, The Cup of Praise. Yeshua did not drink from this cup. This cup will be enjoyed together with the Messiah at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in Heaven.
God bless you
Shalom |
