Exodus
12:21-23
James
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.
