This is the sermon I preached last Sabbath (4/14/01)
CHRIST THE TRUE PASSOVER

Opening hymn-334
Closing hymn-340

Exodus 12: 3-11 scripture reading

This sermon idea was given to me by a request for information about the different feasts of the Old testament and how we are to relate (as in do we have to observe them) to them.

I typed passover into my search engine in my bible program, and imagine my surprise when this scripture verse cam up:

1 Corinthians 5: 7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
Jesus is our passover?
Where in the world did this come from.
I had to ask myself just what is the passover, and what is it all about.
First question:
What is passover and where did it come from?
Ex.12: 22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.
23 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.
This says that the destroying angel would not come into the door.
They were to put the blood on the sides and lintel (top ) of the door.
This was a sign to the destroying angel that those located inside were under the protection of God, and he was not to enter there.
quarters.
Unleavened bread was to be eaten in the feast of Unleavened bread-part of the passover feast.
There was a preparation for the passover, in Ex.12:3-5 tells what all is to be done and how.

The blood of the lamb was to be put on the doorposts of the house and across the lintel[ over the door], when seen, it was a 'sign' to the destroyer not to go in. This is a house dedicated to the one true God.

The lamb was to be without blemish Ex.12:5
Our 'lamb' is without blemish, He took away our sin 1Peter1:19
John 1: 29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
Behold the Lamb of God, Jesus, our sacrificial Lamb.
There was a preparation for passover then, and one now
Exodus 12:19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.
Exodus 13:7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters.
All leaven was to be removed from the house.
No cooking with it.
They were to eat it that way because they were leaving in a hurry.
This was the only bread they ate for seven days after leaving Egyptian capitivity.
Ex.13: 6 Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD.
7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy

For us, there is a duty that we must perform as well:
Matthew 16:6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Matthew 16:11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?
Matthew 16:12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Mark 8:15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.
Luke 12:1 In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
We must examine ourselves, and, we must remove all the 'leaven' from our lives, too.

2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.
Mat.5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
1Cor.11: 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.
28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.
31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
33 Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another.
34 And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

We need to make preparations for the 'passover' as well.
Examine ourselves, see that we are in harmony with the Lord and that we are eating rightly of this 'supper'.

From the Desire of Ages, pg. 659:

But the Communion service was not to be a season of sorrowing. This was not its purpose. As the Lord's disciples gather about His table, they are not to remember and lament their shortcomings. They are not to dwell upon their past religious experience, whether that experience has been elevating or depressing. They are not to recall the differences between them and their brethren. The preparatory service has embraced all this. The self-examination, the confession of sin, the reconciling of differences, has all been done. Now they come to meet with Christ. They are not to stand in the shadow of the cross, but in its saving light. They are to open the soul to the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness. With hearts cleansed by Christ's most precious blood, in full consciousness of His presence, although unseen, they are to hear His words, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you." John 14:27. {DA 659.1}
Our Lord says, Under conviction of sin, remember that I died for you. When oppressed and persecuted and afflicted for My sake and the gospel's, remember My love, so great that for you I gave My life. When your duties appear stern and severe, and your burdens too heavy to bear, remember that for your sake I endured the cross, despising the shame. When your heart shrinks from the trying ordeal, remember that your Redeemer liveth to make intercession for you. {DA 659.2}

How it relates to us as 'our passover'.
The Communion service points to Christ's second coming. It was designed to keep this hope vivid in the minds of the disciples. Whenever they met together to commemorate His death, they recounted how "He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is My blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom." In their tribulation they found comfort in the hope of their Lord's return. Unspeakably precious to them was the thought, "As often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till He come." 1 Cor. 11:26. {DA 659.3}
When we eat the communion meal, we are not just showing His death for us, it reminds us that He will come back for us.
"Ye do show the Lord's death 'til He come" , as in come back!

Remember the blood over the door and on it's posts?
John 3:33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.
2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

Revelation 7:2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
Revelation 9:4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
As the blood was a seal of trust in God and His deliverance, we, too, have a seal, we get the seal because we have the blood of Christ on the doorpost of our heart.
Rev.7: 3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.(ancient peoples believed that the heart was found in the forehead, the heart of our reasoning and knowledge)

Without the seal. We will be tormented when the angels come, not because they are vindictive or mean, but, because their very presence is an affront to us, we won't be able to stand the light of their presence without the 'seal' of Christ's blood on us.
Rev9: 4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.
5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented…….

The blood of Christ covers our sins just as the blood of the pasover lamb 'covered the entrance to the [heart] of the home in Egypt.
Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain,…

The lamb which was slain, for us, for you, for me, for all will come.

As the blood of the lamb covered the side posts and lintel of the Isrealites, and all who believed the warning, the blood of our passover lamb covers the door posts of the hearts of those that believe and act on it.
Knowing the blood would protect, and doing something about it, would have done no good.
They had to act, they had to get up and paint it over the frame of the door .
We have to get up and 'paint' the blood over our door as well.
It isn't enough to know about the sacrifice He made, we have to get to know Him as well.
Remember those that said' Lord didn't we heal the sick, raise the dead and work miracles in your name?'
His answer?
Matthew 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Luke 13:27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.

Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

2 Timothy 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
1Cor.10:15,16
Heb.9:8-14
1Peter1:18,19
1John1:5-10

Christ our pass over.
His life in us [blood over our door] His life for us [destroying angel will 'pass over']

I have told this story to some of you, but it bears repeating.
Several years ago, I worked for a company here in Tawas, driving a truck.
I had to go up to Gaylord to pick up papers and deliver to carriers for delivery to homes.

This particular day, I had to take my boss son with me so he could pick up his fathers car and bring it home.
He took me to dinner and we were sitting in a place called mama Leone's and we were talking.
The conversation got around to 'religious' things.
We started talking about the judgement, and I told him a little story I had heard.
I said to him, imagine that you and I had died, and were both standing in the judgement hall of God.
Now, you had given your life to God, accepted the sacrifice He made for you.
You are standing there wondering what sins you may not have confessed, and if there were anything between you and God.
While you are standing there, Jesus walked over and put His robe over you and said "My blood, My blood. I gave My blood for him".
The Father said "Enter in my child", the book of your life was covered in the blood of Christ.
Remember that God says 'Though your sins be as scarlet, or red like crimson'.
Man says 'black as sin', God says red.
Did you know that any paper with red ink on it os worthless for recycling?
Red can not be covered by anything in print.
The blood iof Jesus covers the 'red' sins of our lives, when we accept the blood of Jesus on us, all that can be seen is His blood when the book of rememberance of your life is opened.

Now it is my turn, I lived life my way, did what I wanted and ignored the offer of forgiveness.
As I stand there, I look at Jesus, but, He isn't looking at me.
He doesn't know me.
As God opens my book of rememberance, He just shakes His head.
My whole life stands out, glowing in red, no denying it.
He sends me into outer darkness ( destruction) and all is lost.

A man and woman were sitting behind me in this restaurant, I never noticed them as I was talking in a manner to keep the conversation at my table.
I heard a gasp and looked up as she was running out of the restaurant, the man followed her and was not a happy camper.

A few months later I had to take my brother down the road to Saginaw to an appointment at the VA hospital.
As payment, he took me to lunch.
We stopped at a Steak House on Bay Road, went in and ordered.
I told him the same story about the judgement ( I like talking about the bible and God).
Again as the first time, there were a lot of patrons and a lot of noise .
As I finished telling him the story, I heard a gasp and saw the same woman and man get up and leave the restaurant, in a real big hurry.
The woman was crying and the man gave me a look that said drop dead.
The blood of the Lamb.
Rev.1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

Do you have the 'blood of the lamb' on the door post of your life?
Without the 'blood of the lamb', the destroying angel will enter.
You must 'paint' the side posts and the lintel of your heart, just as the Isrealites did to the door to the heart of their homes.
Will the destroying angel 'pass over your home' on the day of judgement?
Are you covered with the blood of the lamb ? Are you safe from the destruction to come?
Don't raise your hand or stand up, but if you haven't accepted the 'pass over blood sacrifice' made in your behalf, it is easy, just bow your head, open your heart to Jesus and pray;
Father, I know I stand in need of the blood shed for me by Your Son.
I accept it, come into my heart and change me, cover the sins in my life, as I confess them freely to You.
Cover them with the blood of Jesus, shed for me on Calvary, take me into Your arms and hold me and chase away all the hurt, all the pain and all the disappointments of following after the wrong things in this world.
Thank You, Father,
In Jesus precious name,
Amen

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Examine me, O LORD, and prove me: try my reins and my heart. Ps.26:2