JESUS OUR WONDERFUL PASSOVER LAMB OF GOD
Matthew 26:26-28 While they were eating , Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying , “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
While the Passover wasn’t always celebrated down through the history of Israel and many Jews may not celebrate it even now, for Jesus and the Jews that remained passionate for the Lord and grateful for his deliverance they honored it. It was something that God commanded the Jews to do aftering being set free from their slavery in Egypt. God said that it was to be a continued practice throughout the generations. In fact not to celebrate it could get a person expelled from their people. As it was celebrated the people would remember their bitter tears and treatment as slaves of Egypt for 430 years. During that time God would make 70 people from the family of Jacob into a nation just as he promised Abraham. God’s deliverance of their bondage would come by obedience, and the cost of a perfect sacrificed lamb. Then as a sign to God blood from the sacrificed lamb was placed above the door frame and on each side of it. Then as the angel of the Lord would passover and see the blood, all the firstborn in that house would be spared from God’s judgment of death. God’s wrath would passover them.
It was no little coincidence that Jesus chose to give his life for the salvation of humanity on Passover. I know that it was the chief priest Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin that basically had Pilate nailed Jesus to the cross, but as we see in Matthew 16:21 Jesus tells his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law to be killed and raised on the third day. Jesus was the sacrificial lamb that went willingly to his death. Jesus was going to bring into perfection the meaning of the real Passover. Now everyone that would seek his forgiveness by putting his shed blood symbolically on the door of their heart, God’s wrath would passover them. Now the bonds of slavery that sin brought would be broken, and all who would trust in Jesus could enter the promised land of eternal life with Jesus in heaven. That night in the upper room I am sure that none of his disciples knew the significance of that Passover. For them it was probably just another Passover like they had celebrated many times before. But for Jesus it was certainly different. In a few hours all humanity both those that had died, those alive and yet to be born would no longer be lost for eternity due to the sin in their life. The traditional words spoken at the Passover meal were changed. Many other times Jesus had explained that unless his disciples drank his blood and ate his body they could have no part of his kingdom, but this Passover the significance of it all was to come into reality.
Today this Passover experience is now call Holy Communion, the Eucharist, the Great Thanksgiving and possible it may be called by another name at your church, but for Christians it still carries the same meaning as what Jesus told his disciples in that upper room. The bread was to be remembered as his body, and the cup was to be remembered as his blood.
There is a great danger in the church today to forget the great sacrifice that Jesus made for all humanity. Granted much of the people in this world could care less about loving Jesus with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. They go about living their lives for themselves, and never once think about standing before God on judgment day. The body so abused by the Roman soldiers and the precious blood of God’s only begotten Son never comes to mind, but for Lord Lovers each time they sit down to eat and drink from their cup, they remember Jesus the perfect Lamb of God that was slain for them. With every meal it becomes their Passover remembered. Some churches have communion every Sunday, some do it quarterly, some on special holidays and then some Christians carry that Passover in their heart every day.
As Christians we can never ever stop appreciating what Jesus did for us on Calvary’s cross. The moment we no longer cherish his shed blood and broken body, we have begun to trample it underfoot.
While the author to the old hymn “Oh, The Blood of Jesus” has been lost over the years the significance of its words certainly has not.
Oh, the blood of Jesus! It washes white a snow.
What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Oh, precious is the flow that makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus!
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your body so terribly abused for us, and your blood shed on Calvary’s cross. You are a wonderful God and Savior for us. We love you Lord Jesus! Holy Spirit please help us to never forget what Jesus did for us or stop being grateful. We ask this in Jesus’ name.
