Are We Erecting Tombs or Memorials?
Exodus 12:21-23James R. Davis
General John Alexander Logan first established Memorial Day on May 30, 1868 for the purpose of decorating the graves of the American Civil War dead. But it has become more widely celebrated by the entire nation as a national holiday in memory of all those who fought and died in our nation's wars. On this Memorial Day weekend there will be literally millions of people who visit memorial parks and cemeteries. It is on this day that we remember the millions who have died for great causes such as freedom.
Personally, I think that there is a difference in a tomb and a memorial. A tomb is where we place a corpse. There is finality about a tomb. It is a corpse's final destination. But a memorial endeavors to keep something or someone perpetually alive in the mind. A memorial is a reminder. It is sort of like tying a string around your finger so you want forget. Tombstones, no matter how elaborate, have a finality about them. Memorials endeavor to preserve the essence of a cause or movement or a life for following generations. Memorials are designed to perpetuate the spirit or life force of a person or movement. We find such a memorial established by God in the verses for today's lesson.
In Egypt almost 1500 years before the birth of Christ the Passover memorial was established as slaves were delivered from Egyptian bondage. Today that Passover has taken on a new meaning for those of us who belong to Christ.
Let Us Take A Fresh Look at the Passover
In Exodus 11-13 God is in the process of leading the children of Israel out of Egypt.
Exodus 12:1-14
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire-- head, legs and inner parts. Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD's Passover. "On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn-- both men and animals-- and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD -- a lasting ordinance.The First Passover Was No Memorial Service
The first Passover that the Israelites engaged was no memorial. It was deliverance. It was the real thing. Nine plagues had been brought upon the Pharaoh. He had refused to let God's people go. The tenth and last plague was coming which was the death of the firstborn. All the firstborn in Egypt would die unless they accepted divine protection. Observing the first pass over provided the protection needed for deliverance.The Hebrew writer speaks of Moses keeping the first Passover, "Through faith he kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them." (Hebrews 11:28) The end of the story concerning the Passover is found in the following verses.
"At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well. Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead. During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me." The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. "For otherwise," they said, "we will all die!" (Exodus 12:29-33)
The Passover event was to become an everlasting memorial for all future generations to remember God's salvation in Egypt. God told them what they were to say to their children of succeeding generations concerning the celebration of this event. "On that day tell your son, 'I do this because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.' This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the law of the LORD is to be on your lips. For the LORD brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand. You must keep this ordinance at the appointed time year after year." (Exodus 13:8-10)
The Passover remains an important part of Christian worship each Sunday. Paul wrote, "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: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity." (1Corinthians 5:7-8)
As Christians we understand the first Passover foreshadowed the coming of the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. (John 1:29,36) Peter says our redemption is not through gold or silver, "But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot . . . " (1 Peter 1:19) Isaiah said that Christ was led as a lamb to the slaughter and he opened not his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7)
The night of the first pass over brought death to the Egyptians but deliverance to the Israelites and it brought hope to humanity for it foreshadowed something that would bless every person yet to be born. The blood of those first Passover lambs was shed to bring the Israelites out of bondage, so too the blood of Christ was shed to bring us out of the ultimate bondage of sin into a new life with God in Christ. There was no mistaking the language of Jesus Christ when at the last Passover with his disciples: "This is my body, broke for you; this is my blood poured out for you."
The First Passover Was No Wake for the Dead
A tombstone is placed at the end of the road for each of us as a marker of the finality of this life. But a memorial is where we endeavor to find life in death. Although many first born of the Egyptians would die on the night of the pass over, this was meant to be a sign of a new beginning for all humanity. The first pass over was no wake for the dead. They were to eat that first pass over with their cloaks tucked into their belts, their sandals on their feet and their staffs in their hands. They were to eat the meal in haste. They were to be ready to follow God into a new life as soon as it was over. (Exodus 12:11) They are not on a dead end street with God. When God moves into our world those who refuse God's presence are marked for judgment while those who accept God's presence find new life in Christ.
Observing the Lord's Passover is a celebration of victory. It was Jesus Christ himself that marked the end of his life with an empty tomb. Christ ate and drank with his disciples after his resurrection from the dead. (Acts 10:41) That is why today we celebrate his resurrection. If there were no resurrection there would be no reason to celebrate his death. Jesus didn't leave us standing around a tomb mourning his loss. He left us with a living memorial to celebrate his life which communion reminds us of each week. Moses was told how they should answer when their children ask, "What does this mean?" say to them, "With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed every firstborn in Egypt, both man and animal . . . And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand." (Exodus 13:14)
As we meet here today Christ meets with us. As we partake of this communion it is a memorial that celebrates his life and his presence with us in his kingdom which is the church. This communion actually finds it meaning in that first pass over that delivered the Israelite slaves. For in it we are delivered from the bitter yoke of sin also. Christ has passed over our sins.
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. (John 6:53) When we come to the Lord's Passover it is here that we recognize our dependence upon him. If he were taken from our presence there could be no life at all. We come here to feed upon Christ by feeding upon his words which are spirit and they are life. (John 6:63)
2 Cor 1:10
He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us . . .The Lord's Passover today Is A Celebration of Life
It is possible to turn a memorial into a tombstone. Paul wrote, "For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment. When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world." (1 Corinthians 11:26-32)
Salvation is a deliverance not a death. Far too many think of Christianity as a killjoy. The Passover marked a brand new beginning for the Israelites. They were delivered from the bondage of slavery and eventually their descendants were led to the promised land. Each time the Israelites observed the Passover they ate the bitter herbs which was to be a reminder of their bondage in Egypt.
When Jesus Christ celebrated the last Passover supper with his disciples, he gave it a new meaning. He used some of the same elements, wine and unleavened bread. But he indicated that now the wine would represent his blood and the unleavened bread would represent his body, which was given for the forgiveness of our sins. (Matthew 26:26-28) The bitter herbs are not used today because Christ has taken away the bite of sin.
The Lord's Passover today is a reminder of our new life in Christ, as we come to the cross where refuge is afforded to all that believe. It is here that we gain the sustenance from the Lord's Passover. We gain strength from the Lord's Passover. There are very few calories in the small portion which is served. But the power and benefit available at the Lord's Passover Supper is not something that comes from human nutrients but comes from divine sustenance promised to us in the Word of God and linked to Communion.
1 Cor 11:28-30
But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.The Lord's Passover proclaims our life of redemption. When Jesus said, "Do this in remembrance of Me," he was not calling us to commiserate over either His suffering or our sin. He was calling us to commemorate His announcement: "It is finished!" And in His triumph over all sin, death, and hell, He's bringing us to the reminder, "This is for you and its for you today."
As we partake of Christ's Passover it not only points to that empty tomb but it also points to what God is doing for us right now. It points us to the redeeming power of God. Only God has the power to resurrect your dead hopes and unfilled dreams through a new life in Jesus Christ. He continues to have the power to make all things new and vibrant. As Jesus was preparing his disciples for his death he said, "Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy." (John 16:22) Our present victory over the powers of darkness -- our anticipation of the joy of His coming -- should bring about our praises for God's glorious redemption.
Matt 26:26-29
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. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's kingdom."Luke 22:18
For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.Matthew 18:20
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.The Passover Provided A Place of Protection
The Bible is not a book of bad people who are punished by God and good people who are rewarded by God. The Bible is, rather, the story of some sinners who refuse God's gift of salvation while others sinners accept it. The first pass over was a protection provided for all.
The Israelites accepted God's offer of salvation. They sacrificed their unblemished lambs. Their sin was real, and so the remedy for that sin had to be real as well. All the sacrifices of the Old Testament were actually an admission of sin. Sin could not be glossed over, talked away, minimized or denied. That's why animals were sacrificed . . . it acknowledged the reality of sin. The blood of those lambs was place over their doors. Imagine all night as the Egyptians were screaming out in grief. Yet, the Israelites were ordered to stay in their homes under the protective hand of God as death passed over the blood of those lambs. When God's presence came to a house that had been marked by the blood of a lamb he passed over that house and left it in safety.
In the book of Revelation John sees angels placing a seal upon the foreheads of the saints, as God is about to bring judgment upon the world for their sin. Likewise, as we are washed from our sins by the blood of Christ our pass over Lamb, God places a seal upon each of us that gives us divine protection from divine judgment of our sins. Christ blood affords us a place of refuge, and it affords us an opportunity for deliverance. It affords us an opportunity for a new life of liberty in Christ.
God places those under his protection in the church, which is made up of those who are saved.
John 3:16-21
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."On the first Pentecost after Christ's ascension to heaven Peter preached and 3,000 responded to heaven's invitation and Luke writes, "Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." (Acts 2:47) God has added us to the kingdom of the saved, "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13-14)
There is so much bickering about what the church is today. The church today is what it has always been and always will be. The Bible puts it in the simplest language. The church is simply made up of those who have sought protection through the blood of the Lamb who has taken away the sins of the world.
This memorial indicates a dominion that is assured to the church. We will triumph over the powers of darkness and this victory is related to the abiding testimony of the blood of Jesus. Every time I take this cup of the Lord's Table in my hands, I am reminded it is intended to be the celebration of not only the victory won, but a victory now available. That victory applies to every confrontation with flesh or the devil we face today.
The quality of our praise and thanks as we gather around this table should be proportionate to Calvary's victory.
Conclusion:
The first national Memorial Day was a celebration for Civil War soldiers who had fallen in battle. Yet, it blossomed into something that had far more meaning. So it is with the Egyptian Passover. When we come to this memorial feast it helps us to recognize the full worth of what Christ has done for each of us at calvary. It helps us understand God's plan of redemption that was taking place at that first passover. It is here that we understand that Christ took up our infirmities and bore our diseases. It is here that we realize the ongoing healing power of God as Christ blood continues to wash us from our sins. (1 John 1:7)
It is here that we understand fully what Christ has done for us. Christ our Passover Lamb becomes the central part of our worship.