Apr 16, 2014

Jesus Christ our Passover Lamb

As we reach that uniquely sacred time for Christians every year, the coming of Passover and the beginning of our very special remembrance of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, His sufferings on the Cross and His Resurrection and Ascension.  Honor this time in whatever way you feel led to by the Holy Spirit, but set aside these days, special among all other days, to remember the love and sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ for the sake of our souls.  All Praise to the King of Kings!

 
The Scripture is the witness of the Messiah
Yeshua spoke to the religious leaders “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39).

John 15:26: “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.”

In Jn.8:18: “I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me.”
 
Hebrews 10:7: “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come -- in the volume of the book it is written of Me-- to do Your will, O God.’” (a Quote of Psalm 40:6-8)

Throughout Yeshua’s (Jesus’)  ministry He used what God gave Israel previously to identify him as their Messiah. Besides certain miracles that only the messiah could do there were numerous other ways to know who the messiah is. The whole Old Testament with its teaching on the Tabernacle and its Feast days were given so that Israel could recognize who the messiah is when He comes. The feasts are found in Lev.23 “These are My appointed feasts, holy seasons of the LORD, which you are to proclaim at their appointed times” These were types of Christ as Paul states in Col.2:17 they are a shadow of things to come. Christ came, He is the substance; the law was the pattern, Christ is the reality, the fulfillment. 7 feasts were part of their calendar that they were to continually keep. Lev. 23:5 “On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the LORD'S Passover. The calendar begins with Passover it ends with tabernacles, Lev. 23:34 “The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the LORD.” The seventh feast day lasts for 7 days.
The Jewish calendar was civil and it was a religious, and it was based on agricultural seasons. Many of these were agricultural feasts. In Israel you have two rainy seasons called the former and later rain. At the end of the spring rain you had a harvest that was for grain, at the end of the Autumn season you had a harvest which was for fruit. But you also have a long hot summer in Israel in between both harvests. Agriculturally Israel is reliant on a water supply because it doesn’t rain much in summer.
These feasts are symbolic of Christ.  The feast days were broken up into 2 cycles-- the spring season are 4 feasts grouped together taking place within 50 days--a summer break to prepare for the fall harvest season and the 3 fall feasts. The 4 spring feasts found in Lev.23 were fulfilled in Jesus’ first coming and He fulfills the three autumn holidays in his 2nd coming. This why they are grouped in this order. The fall feasts are, feast of trumpets, Day of atonement, feasts of Booths or gatherings, all to be fulfilled in his 2nd coming (taking place in a 2 week period).

Jesus fulfilled these feasts by his life and ministry. The unleaven bread- was Christ’ life with no sin. The Passover - Christ sacrificed as the lamb. The first-fruits- His resurrection 3 days after the Passover. Pentecost-Jesus sending the Holy Spirit within 50 days of the Passover. All of these were fulfilled in Jesus’ first coming. Jesus fulfilled the 4 spring holidays in his first coming and fulfills the three autumn feasts in his 2nd coming. The fall feasts are, feast of trumpets, Day of atonement, feasts of Booths or ingatherings, which takes place in a 2 week period

(Leviticus 23:2), their calendar was to be rearranged according to the Passover. 3,500 years ago they were told to remember these feasts days as sacred assemblies, as a memorial. God gave Israel spring feasts are fulfilled in Christs first coming and the fall feats are fulfilled in his second. We are now in the time of summer preparing for the fall harvest which will concentrate on Israel.

John 4:35-36 “Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!” And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.” The harvest continues from the time of Pentecost through the church age.

Besides using literal examples in stories to illustrate truth (such as in parables) types and symbols were often used in his ministry. When He came to be baptized by John to be revealed to Israel John introduced him as the lamb who takes away the sins of the world. Identifying him with Isaiah 53. Four times in the New Testament we are told He is the lamb.

Even though John was not as educated as the Pharisees when he talked about the light of the world he understood Judaism and the Scripture, he meant the shekinah glory of God that appeared in Genesis before the sun or the moon.

In John 8:12 Jesus says “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

He uses the same language for Jesus who tabernacled among us in Jn.1:14. Who took on flesh and dwelt among them and they saw his glory. Relating himself to the light in the tabernacle, the shekinah glory revealed to Israel in the Old Testament.

John 1:4 “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” The lamb is the light of the New Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven after the Millennium (Rev.21:23) the sun is not needed (Rev.22:5) just as it was before it was created in Genesis.

At the temple when they were celebrating the feasts of tabernacles and pouring out the water on the steps. John 7:37-38 “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” Speaking of the Spirit that would be given

Yeshua (Jesus) draws on the imagery of Ezekiel 47 as it points to the Millennium. Also Isa. 44:3-4 “For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring; They will spring up among the grass like willows by the watercourses.” The rain being poured out is a type of the Holy Spirit. In biblical symbology, different liquids represent the Holy spirit in different functions.

Jesus also used the supply of miraculous manna from heaven for Israels traveling the desert to the Promised Land as representing himself. John 6:31-35 “Our fathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, Moses did not give you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”Then they said to Him, “Lord, give us this bread always.”And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.V:48-50 “I am the bread of life. “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead.”This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.”V.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.”

We are told by Paul Jesus is our unleaven bread, leaven is s a symbol of sin.

He said that Abraham saw the meaning of his visitation, and pointed to himself as the one Abraham knew. John 8:56-58 “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” This happened in Gen 22 when Abraham was going to sacrifice his only son and God called out to stop him and Abraham prophesied that God would provide himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two, Father and Son looked to the future for the fulfillment, as the God the Father would send his only Son to be the lamb. It was on this very mount that Jesus was sacrificed as the Passover lamb, Mt. Moriah. This spans Matthew calculates as 3 X14 generations (42 generations) until Christ came (Mt.1:17).

Read more at - http://www.letusreason.org/Juda8.htm