The Christian Passover

LENTEN SERIES #1

Sunday evening communion.

Lesson: Hebrews 9:11-22

But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force, after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and of goats, with water, and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book, and all the people, Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry.

(22) And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

Introduction:

As we come to the Table of the Lord again this evening, coming from a world that is not in any way sympathetic with the things we hold sacred and dear, we may be tempted to say: "What does Communion have to say to me that makes sense in the world in which I live? What does the Lord's Supper have to do with the real world?" Is it relevant?

I ask you this evening, solemnly, "What IS the 'real world'?" I'm sure that God is not confused by computers, and that He understands all the nuances of onrushing history. Still, who do we think we are by asking God to make Himself "real" to us on our terms? Who are we to say to HIM what is important?

If God is God, and if we are His people, we need to acknowledge that we need to be made relevant to the Truth, and not try to adapt the Truth to our avenues of reality.

We look to an ancient story to show us how to obediently share in the Table of the Lord: the story of Passover. Communion is the Christian Passover.

I. THE CHRISTIAN PASSOVER

  1. This is the covenant service God ordained that the children of Israel observe perpetually to commemorate His deliverance of them from Egypt and slavery, and forming them into a people He called His own.

    (We can easily listen to those who speak disparagingly of "repulsive" blood rituals; so crude and so easily relegated to the dim, dark past.)

    What we do NOT realize is just how this ritual contrasted with the other religions of the time; it highlights conflict - the conflict with the pagan superstitions and sacrifices; man-centered religion; sacrifice of human beings, children;

    And it is easy for US to fall into man-centered thinking today, too. We are "so sophisticated." Why do we need to speak of the cross and of the blood of Jesus?

    Instead we are sacrificing OUR generation's children! -literally, in abortion- and just as literally, in materialism, damning our children to life with no moorings or moral foundations...

  2. God is God! We cannot "adapt HIM to us! We need a God who is beyond our manipulation; a God who is the great I AM THAT I AM, and who cannot be reasoned out of what is true.

    There are good reasons for every command of God! The love of God is behind His law. But all we need to know to begin with is: GOD SAYS SO!

II. REGULATIONS OF PASSOVER FOR GOD'S PEOPLE

  1. GOD SAID: IF YOU WILL OBSERVE PASSOVER I WILL DELIVER YOU

    The problem of credulity versus faith: DOES GOD REALLY INTERVENE IN OUR LIVES? ... a God who intervenes on His terms

  2. GOD SAID: DO IT THIS WAY! Obedience versus accommodation.
    1. Purging out leaven ...
    2. Preparing a sacrifice: revealing a principle: the innocent for the guilty
  3. GOD SAID: DON'T EVER FORGET!

    A continuing covenant/ observance. God had great and noble aims in mind for His people even when they could only think of salvation in "negatives" (i.e. free from ).

  4. IT WAS AT THAT PASSOVER THAT JESUS ESTABLISHED THIS SACRAMENT

III. CHRIST OUR PASCHAL LAMB

  1. At once a challenge and a great lift to our faith.
  2. Our obedience must be CHRIST-CENTERED. We must not accommodate rugged truth to our defective sensibilities. Christian faith is not some sort of beautiful game we play!

    THE 'OFFENCE'- the offensiveness of the cross is real! It is NOT a beautiful ornament, even though we often wear it as such, and forget its meaning. It is a means of execution, of death

    THE LOVE OF JESUS - the innocence of the Lamb; the cross reminds us of the hatred God has for sin and rebellion. It cannot simply be forgotten. It must be forgiven!

  3. A TIME FOR PURGING OUT OLD LEAVEN- Our preparation should be sincere!
  4. OUR OBSERVANCE WILL BE REWARDING!
    • The Paschal Lamb became the food and sustenance for the journey out of slavery and degradation. The unleavened bread became the traveling food.
    • The faith and the sustenance of the obedient observance of Communion is genuine!

IV. LIVING BY LOVE

[Close service with EH #24 I Cannot Tell]