How To Be Blessed Even More During the New Covenant Passover Or Lord's Supper
ALL GOD'S HOLY DAYS AND SABBATHS ARE FOR MANKIND'S BENEFIT
Jesus made a very revealing statement to the leaders of his people in the first century regarding who the Sabbath was made to serve. He said the day was made to serve us believers and not the contrary, as the religious leaders so ardently thought.
Mark 2:24-27 NKJV 24 And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?" 25 But He said to them, "Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry,... and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat, except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?" 27 And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.
Jesus revealed that these days are to benefit believers. These days are for us to get closer to God to benefit us. The days are not to benefit God. God does not need it we do. Therefore how can we fulfill the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread to better help us get closer to God. Jesus said that on the first Passover evening as he prepared to depart from this earth that he would send the Comforter the Spirit of God to help them.
John 14:16-18 NKJV 16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-- 17 "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
How do we utilize these special days to draw us closer allowing the spirit to flow within us stronger and stronger? We need to demonstrate to our hearts our profound appreciation for the sacrifice of Christ by keeping deeply the Passover and The Feast Of Unleavened Bread.
A SELF-EVALUATION SHOWING OUR NEED FOR THE SACRIFICE OF JESUS
WE MUST TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. We must spend alone time thinking about our failures and becoming more thankful by doing better. Be thankful for all the grace we have received in the last few years. Then be determined to show more appreciation. All believers must remember the final twenty or so hours of Jesus Christ's life in which he underwent betrayal, humiliation beating floggings and the ultimate terror execution weapon in the Roman Empires arsenal crucifixion. If a person does not have the proper respect for all that the Father gave for us, he is in danger.
1 Corinthians 11:28-31 NKJV 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.
Paul is delivering a strong warning to all of us. It would seem wise to take possibly a three day build up to the New Testament Passover. The night commemorates both the death of Jesus but also his love of his disciples and his commitment to us. He promised that after his ascension he would send the Holy Spirit to help and comfort us. We need to use self examination to help us repent and thereby show appreciation for his awesome love and sacrifice for us unworthy human beings. We must repent and ask for his forgiveness. We need to be thankful and humble and lovingly appreciative. This was the final moment Jesus would have with his disciples before his painful death. It was a special moment in history for his disciples and Christianity.
John 12:32-33 NKJV 32 "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself." 33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die.
All true believers need a deeper feeling of love and appreciation for the grace of God. His gracious love and patience is from the days when Jesus was the God of the Old Testament.
Psalms 145:8-9 NKJV 8 The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy. 9 The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works.
JESUS IS THE TRUE BREAD FROM HEAVEN AND PASSOVER LAMB
The Holy Days are a model or guide to God's salvation process. The real lamb that protected God's people from death in Egypt was Jesus. His blood is the real covering that protects and shelters us from the death penalty. Christ is the real Lamb.
John 1:29 NKJV 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
When believers on the same night in the Hebrew calendar when Jesus was betrayed take the symbols of the bread, the torn body of Jesus and the wine represents the Lamb's blood we show our love and appreciation for Him. The seven days of Unleavened Bread represent a complete intake of Jesus. We are trying to imbibe deeply of the character of Jesus as best we humans can with the help of the Holy Spirit. We eat the Unleavened Bread everyday to symbolize we are taking in Jesus.
John 3:17 NKJV 17 "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
John 6:50-51 NKJV 50 "This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world."
Everyone is required to eat this bread symbolic of imbibing Jesus. The gentile Corinthians outside of Jerusalem were commanded to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Passover many years after Christ resurrection.
1 Corinthians 5:7-8 NKJV 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven,
that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
THE GOD WHO WAS ONE OF US-JESUS THE MESSIAH
God the Son, or spokesperson executor for the God family, divested himself of his divinity and became flesh and blood to redeem us from our death penalty for our sins.
John 1:14 NKJV 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
We learn to honor that sacrifice every Passover and Unleavened Bread season. It bring us closer to Jesus Christ.
John 14:15-16 NKJV 15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever-
These comments were given during the first new covenant Passover Service. Believers demonstrate love and appreciation for Jesus' covering blood every spring in a deeply spiritual manner.
Matthew 22:37 NKJV 37 Jesus said to him," 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
Christ lovingly sent the Holy Spirit upon His arrival in heaven to comfort and help us.
Philippians 2:6-8 NKJV 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
We should be unleavened and pure in thankfulness on the very night He celebrated with His disciples.
1 Corinthians 11:23 NKJV 23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;
True believers commemorate Jesus betrayal and sacrifice on the same night on the calendar. It is a memorable night of love and comradeship between Jesus Christ and true Christians. Keep the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread and learn how to really love God!
Review renew and recommit to spiritual growth because Jesus's love for us!
