Jesus Christ: Our Passover (from Paula White Ministries)

As Christians, we are entering into one of the most life-changing, miracle-working seasons the entire year – the season of Passover, Easter and the Resurrection. The season of Passover—one of the most biblically significant events of the year – is a vital part of our Christian heritage.

Some might say, “But Paula, if Passover is Old Testament, Old Covenant, why should New Testament, New Covenant believers in Christ honor this tradition?” In fact, there are several reasons we should honor the biblical feast of Passover.

As we know, God is a God of seasons, cycles and patterns. By following His established seasons and patterns of God, we are positioned to receive His greatest blessings.

In the Bible, God designed seven feasts, within three ‘feast seasons” (see Leviticus 23). The Hebrew word “feasts” translates as “the appointed times.” These were God’s own ordained appointments with His people—literally, appointed times, for His people to follow His decrees and meet together to sacrifice and make offerings in His name. These feasts were God’s own holy days, with specific instructions given for observing each feast.
Passover is the foundational feast. It is the first feast season, and it was commanded by the Lord to honor the deliverance of the Jews from their bondage in Egypt through God’s mighty hand.

In Exodus 12, God had warned the Hebrews that as the final and most devastating plague upon Egypt, He was going to send an angel to end the lives of the firstborn of any nonbelievers. In order to escape this plague, God’s people were to apply the blood of a sacrificial lamb on their doorpost, so that when the angel saw the blood, he would ‘pass over’ their house (verse 13). This final plague won the Jewish people their deliverance when Pharaoh lost his own firstborn, and finally let God’s chosen people leave Egypt.

As a memorial, God instructed the Jewish people to honor the Passover by eating unleavened bread, performing a solemn observance of the event, in remembrance of Him as their deliverer:

And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

Additionally, they were instructed by God to bring an offering unto Him:

Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in that month you came out of Egypt. No one is to appear before me empty-handed. Exodus 23:15

Because we are covered by the blood of Jesus, our ‘passover,’ when we honor and observe God’s commandments, we also reap God’s blessings. But we must follow the pattern and obey the ordinances of God to see these blessings!

In Exodus 23, God promised seven blessings we are connected to through the observance of Passover:

God will assign an angel to you. “Behold I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared” (v. 20) and “For My Angel will go before you” (v. 23).

God will be an enemy to your enemies. “But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries” (v 22).

God will give you prosperity. “So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water” (v. 25).

God will take sickness away from you. “And I will take sickness away from the midst of you” (v. 25).

God will give you a long life. “No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days” (v. 26).

God will bring increase and inheritance. “Little by little will I drive them out from before you, until you have increased and you inherit the land” (v. 30).

God will give a special year of blessing. “And I will set your bounds from the Red Sea to the sea, Philistia, and from the desert to the River. For I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand.” (v. 31).

I believe that each time we honor the Passover—remembering Christ, our ‘passover’—and follow God’s decree to bring a sacrificial offering to Him during that time, we are tapping into the supernatural flow of these seven blessings!

“For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” (1 Corinithian 5:7)

It is important to note that Jesus Himself observed and kept the Passover. In fact whenever we partake in Holy Communion, we are acknowledging Jesus’ blood sacrifice – in fact, communion is an act of ‘remembrance’ requested by Jesus of His disciples during the Passover feast that we now call the Last Supper:
Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.

And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people… And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat… And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide [it] among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. 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. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup [is] the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you. Luke 22:1 - 20

Because of the blood of Christ, we have a new life – a new beginning. Our past does not define us. Because of our covenant connection, and the blood of our ‘passover,’ Jesus Christ, we are free from our sin – and when we observe God’s command to honor this special appointment with Him, we activate His seven supernatural blessings in our lives!

So remember to honor the Lord and keep His appointment – by sowing your sacrificial Passover offering, and observing the Feast of Passover on Tuesday, March 30th.

Then, join me for a very special Holy Communion service on Friday, April 2nd at 7 pm at Without Walls International Church. You can also take communion with me by logging onto http://www.paulawhite.org for a live streaming of this event – which will also feature a live concert with Grammy award-winning gospel great Fred Hammond!

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