Our Passover

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.

Corinthians 5:7

For at least a week before the Passover ceremony, a Jewish mother diligently purges the house of “leaven.” Bread crackers and anything else that might contain yeast is tossed in the trash. The pantry is scrubbed with soap and water before storing the matzo meal used in many of the Passover dishes.

Finally, on the night of the ceremony, the father takes a few bread crumbs in full view of the others and drops them to the floor. He then sweeps them up as a symbol that the house is clean and ready for the Seder service to begin.

The Passover ceremony often lasts 3-4 hours and involves everyone seated at the table. Beginning with the lighting of candles, there is the washing of hands, the asking of questions, and the reading of the Old Testament story of the Passover. On the center of the table sits a bowl of salt water, a meatless lamb bone, cups of wine, roasted eggs, squares of matzo, and some horseradish. Each of these has its own special significance which is explained and considered during the course of the evening. To the Jewish people, the Passover is the festival meal that recalls Israel’s embittered bondage in Egypt and God’s wonderful deliverance.

For the Christian, our Passover is simply Christ. He is our sacrifice that delivers us from the bondage of sin and brings us into communion with God. We celebrate our Passover by remembering who our Savior is and what He has done for us. This is best done when the “old leaven” is first purged out, that is to say, laying "aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us” (Hebrews 12:1) so that we can truly show Him our appreciation.

LORD’s Passover

And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD's Passover.

Exodus 12:11

Many Christians understand the historical significance of the Old Testament observance of Passover and even know that the “Last Supper” was actually Christ celebrating the feast with His disciples. Modern calendars mark when the Jewish holiday occurs today, but few believers have ever seen this Feast of the LORD celebrated.

John 6:4 describes Passover as a “feast of the Jews”, but it is also deeply Christian. 1 Corinthians 5:7 says: “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” In order to better understand this expression of the Savior, believers must grasp that this is the LORD’s Passover and not just the holiday of another religion.

Everything about the Passover belongs to the Lord, its history, its symbolism, its message and even the dinner itself. The LORD himself told Moses exactly what to say and do. A perfect lamb was chosen and then lived with the family for four days before it was killed and the blood was smeared on the headboard and sides of the doorframe. Judgment was to fall on every household in Egypt, so the sacrifice of the lamb was to protect the children of Israel who believed God’s instructions. God declared: “Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:13).

For over two millennia the Jewish people have celebrated the LORD’s Passover to remember what God did the night of the Exodus to deliver them from slavery. But the celebration is more than just historical; it was prophetic because it clearly illustrates the substitutionary death of the Lamb of God on the 14th of the month of Nisan, which was the very day the LORD’s Passover was to be sacrificed.

If you ever have had the chance to attend a Passover Seder service, go for it. It is well worth the price of admission (it usually includes a catered meal). The program is an object lesson of God’s faithfulness through the ages, Jewish culture and the telling of the Passover story. A traditional Jewish Seder service would be very edifying, but one with a messianic congregation would be even more enlightening. There, it would be even more evident that Jesus Christ is the LORD’s Passover. 

Head over All Things to the Church

And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church. 

Ephesians 1:22

The Apostle Paul just finished a seven verse, 166 word prayer for the Ephesian church that was all contained in just one sentence. The old missionary focused on the beauties of Christ as he asked God to reveal a better knowledge of the Savior to the believers. It was the sentence prayer that seemed to never end and by the time he finally got to he period, Paul hadn't gotten to the bottom line. He added it in this verse; they needed to know that Jesus was the Head over All Things to the Church. 

Christ certainly isn't over all things to the world, because He isn't their Lord. Satan is the god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4), but people also follow a panthion of lesser gods that include prosperity, power, passion, and pride. It's no wonder that people today seem confused and pulled in different directions. 

It's not supposed to be that way for the body of Christ. The Lord is Head over All Things to the Church and supplies and equips every believer for every situation (Ephesians 1:23). Jesus is the facilitator  of every committee, Head-pastor over the head-pastor, as well as the CEO over every program, project, and person in the church. Well, it doesn't always happen that way, but that is how it's supposed to be. 

True, sometimes He is not acknowledged as Head over All Things to the Church. Some local churches operate by tradition. They've always done things a certain way so long, there's no need for Jesus to give them direction now. In some places, the pastor does everything. Why should the congregation have to do anything?; "after all, that's what he is paid for".  Sometimes even the preacher can go on for years recycling old sermons, so no inspiration or divine guidance is ever needed. 

That's probably why Paul had to remind the Ephesians that Jesus is the Head over All Things to the Church. He's in charge; He bought it; He directs it. It would probably be a good idea for those who are a part of it to ask the Guy-in-charge what He wants them to do.

Head of Every Man

But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

1 Corinthians 11:3

Spoiler alert!! Today's meditation is clearly politically incorrect. You may want to skip over it, if you are easily offended or if you don't want your preconceived ideas to be challenged.

Most other commentaries on the titles of Christ put a period where the first comma is and then leave off the whole rest of the verse. That way they can avoid controversy and explain the phrase out of context and not ruffle any feathers. They simply say that Jesus is everybody's boss whether male or female and we all ought to obey Him. I guess I can't argue with the conclusion, but that's not what it says in this verse or chapter.

The section that the title comes from is dealing with male and female roles in the Christian home. The man and woman in the verse are husband and wife. The husband is tapped to be the spiritual head in the family and submits to Christ, just as Jesus submitted to the father when he said "...not My will, but Yours, be done" (Luke 22:42). When it says, "the head of every man is Christ" it means that the father of the family is responsible for his household following the Lord and is directly accountable to Him. The part that says, "the head of the woman is man" means that the wife is to support her husband in building the Christian home by submitting to him. 

Obviously, this teaching rubs people the wrong way, even to the point of having some churches teach that 1 Corinthians chapter 11 was the culture of the day and therefore is not relevant to our modern society. That's interesting, because they still accept 1 Corinthians 11:1 where Paul says, "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ."

If somebody is your boss, you do what he says; you don't just blow him off by saying, "We don't do that anymore." The bottom line is: the Head of Every Man is Christ. 

Minister of the Sanctuary

Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.

Hebrews 8:1-2

Many ministers are overpaid and under-worked!...or at least that's what some people think. They see the preacher give two or three half hour sermons each week and a few times a year speak at a wedding or a funeral. They think that is all they do and they wish that they had it so easy. 

Although there are lazy people in any profession, preaching is just the tip of the iceberg for most Christian workers. Most of what a true servant of God does  never comes into the public view. Hours are often spent discipling others, making phone calls, and visitation. More time yet is spent in prayer, meditation, and Bible study. What ministers do to be holy is the key to what they do, even if it isn't seen or appreciated by others. 

Christ Jesus, in His capacity as High Priest, atoned for the sins of every believer on the cross. He continues to intercede on their behalf and separate each believer for service for God. After this world is dissolved the Lord will become Minister of the sanctuary in the New Jerusalem. What exactly He'll be doing isn't revealed but Jesus isn't lazy and there will be much to do. Worship will be a constant activity and the True Tabernacle will be up and running. Whatever that is done there was foreshadowed in the books of Exodus and Leviticus regarding Moses' Tabernacle of meeting. A lot of the imagery of the Old Testament will finally make sense then and up there.

In heaven we'll be able to see the Throne of Grace, streets of polished gold, and real-live cherubim. We'll also see our glorified Lord and Savior there serving as the Minister of the Sanctuary. 

Righteous

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

1 John 2:1

Absolute zero in minus 459.67 degrees on the Fahrenheit scale - that sounds pretty precise, but no one has ever been able to ever get something that cold, because it is the total absence of all heat. It would make atoms completely stop moving. 

To be totally free from sin is to be righteous. Living in a sinful world with all the lusts and evil thoughts that abound here, righteousness is a concept that is  approached rather than obtained. The Christian life is the process of working with God to crucify the sinful human nature by working with God to live righteously (Galatians 5:24-25). This may be an impossible-to-reach goal this side of heaven, but each believer is encouraged to get as close to it as he can.

Christ is the only one who is truly Righteous. He never had a bad attitude, flew off the handle, made poor choices, nor snapped under pressure. Everything He thought, felt, or did was totally right. As God, He could not do wrong, but even in His human capacity, He chose to be sinless.

Believers become more and more righteous as they progressively conform to the image of God's Son (Romans 8:29). It's not easy to keep one's thoughts on everything that is true, noble, just, pure, and lovely (Philippians 4:8), but Jesus certainly did. When Christians have the mind of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:16), they are able to do that also. They begin to be righteous even as He is Righteous. 

Second Man

The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven.

1 Corinthians 15:47

Contrary to conventional wisdom, the theory of the evolution of living organisms cannot be seen occurring today, nor can be demonstrated in the fossil records. However, where an evolutionary process is clearly evident is in the automotive industry. 

I was in college in 1967 when the Chevrolet Camero first came out. It was a muscle car that immediately became popular, but the demands of consumers changed over time and so did the Camero. Today, the "Fifth Generation" of this car is available in showrooms which means that the original design has gone through five major engineering overhauls at General Motors. That included hundreds of thousands of tweaks and adjustments. The hundreds of engineers that worked on the project would argue that it was all accomplished by intelligent design and nothing was left to mere chance. 

God did an excellent job when He created human beings. Adam was the first man and that same make and model is still available everywhere on the planet today. However, there is one major problem with the design - the sin problem. The good news is that the product has been recalled and each one needs to go back to their Creator for an upgrade.

People are put together exclusively with dust, atoms, and energy that come from a sin-cursed world - Earth. What is needed is a complete core exchange that doesn't come from around  here (i.e. it needs to be heavenly). 

Christ Jesus is the Second Man and He is the Lord from Heaven. He came to this world with the express purpose of fixing the problem and making a permanent upgrade available to everyone who requests it. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17). 

Judge of Israel

Now gather yourself in troops, O daughter of troops; He has laid siege against us; They will strike the Judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.                  

     Micah 5:1

         This title is exceedingly sad. I wish it wasn't there. But, the prophesy is there and the Jewish people who have rejected their Messiah will be condemned by the Judge of Israel whom they struck down with a rod.

Today, if you disrespect a sitting judge, he could throw you in jail for a week and hold you in contempt of court. What would he do if you threatened him with physical force or actually hit him? It certainly wouldn't be good. 

The Jewish people have suffered greatly because they crucified the One that God made both Christ and Lord (Acts 2:36). Soon and very soon the Lord Jesus will come again to this planet and at that time many of His titles will be fulfilled. Many sons of Israel will look upon Him Whom they Pierced (Zachariah 12:10) and acknowledge Him as Savior. He will finally be received as the "Mashiach" (Messiah) and as Shepherd of Israel. Those who still harden their hearts at His coming will find Him to be the Judge of Israel. 

Yes, it is true that on that day, Satan, the Antichrist, and the unbelieving Gentile nations will also be judged, but I don't feel sorry for them. Israel and the Jewish people have always been the apple of God's eye and God longs to re-establish fellowship with them.

Christ wants to be the "Shalom" (peace) of Israel not the Judge of Israel. Please pray for revival to come to the Jewish people.

Shepherd of Israel

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!

Psalm 80:1

The Lord Jesus is the Shepherd of Israel. The chief priest and scribes said so much when the wise men came to King Herod seeking the Christ child: "But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler who will shepherd My people Israel” (Matthew 2:6). 

Even though the Savior healed the demon-possessed daughter of the Canaanite woman, He first stated, ""I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Matthew 15:24). Coming as the Root of David, He came to shepherd the flock, before He could reign as king. But the flock of Israel refused to follow the Christ. Even so, this Good Shepherd gave His life for the sheep (John 10:11). 

With less than a week before the crucifixion, the Lamb of God still desired to lead His flock although He used a different metaphor: "...How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings...” (Matthew 23:37). 

Before the Shepherd of Israel could lead His sheep to the still waters, He was struck down and the flock was scattered (Matthew 26:31). That means that the title has yet to be fulfilled. Before the Jewish Messiah can bring peace and reign over Israel, the children of Jacob must acknowledge the sin of rejecting the Shepherd who came to save them. 

450 years of idolatry led to 70 years of the Babylonian captivity. But rejecting the promised Messiah resulted in nineteen and a half centuries without a Temple or means for atonement. The nation of Israel today still rejects Yeshua (Jesus) as Maschiach (Messiah) so lasting Shalom (peace) is not possible. 

Please pray for the Peace of Jerusalem and that the Jewish people can finally receive the promised Shepherd of Israel. 

He who has the Key of David

"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens."

Revelation 3:7

Titles are descriptive and informative, but too many are cumbersome. If a formal introduction of Elizabeth Winsor was given, she'd be presented as: "Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Queen, Defender of the Faith, Duchess of Edinburgh, Countess of Merioneth, Baroness Greenwich etc. etc." Actually, the Queen has several hundred titles; if all the titles were given, it would fill several pages. Normally, however, only about a half dozen titles are given at any occasion and those are chosen as being the most appropriate for the audience. 

When the Lord addressed the small suffering church at Philadelphia, He used the titles that communicated that He had power to meet the needs. The believers there were having their outreach shut down by persecution and the opposition seemed to completely hem them in. The odds against them were so overwhelming, it was like sending a young boy to fight against a giant. 

Oh, wait a minute, I just remembered David and Goliath and that's what Jesus wanted the church of Philadelphia to remember. Christ is He who has the key of David and He can open the prison cell that believers are put in. The Lord of lords has the power to open any unlocked door and the power to intimidate a host of bullies. 

David grew up the youngest in a large, poor family, but God chose him, used him, and gave him unimaginable victory. That's important to remember at a time of great stress or opposition. Jesus is not only the Lamb of God, He is the One who has the key of David. 

He who Holds the Seven Stars

"To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, 'These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands.

Revelation 2:1

If there was a file folder for unusual titles of Christ, He who holds the seven stars would certainly go in it. Not even strong Christians understand this title unless they are able to recognize the context of the verse. It comes from the letter Christ dictates to the Ephesian church which appears in Revelation chapter 2 and refers to the Apostle John's vision of the Lord in chapter 1. Here, the Savior is seen holding seven stars, which are later explained as being the angels that minister to the seven churches of Asia Minor (Revelation 1:16 and 20). 

John had a special burden for these churches in the later years of his life and their well-being was on his mind and in his prayers. Even though the circumstances of these local churches were historical, they are also seen as representing different periods of church history throughout the ages as well as representing different types of churches that can be found at every point in time.

The glorified Son of Man identified Himself to the church of the Ephesians as He who holds the seven stars. This church was doctrinally sound and doing great works, but they had fallen out of love with the One who had loved them unto death. The idea of the title is that Christ has them in His hand and won't let them go. The name speaks of possession and fellowship. 

In scripture, the number seven symbolizes completeness so the idea is that He has every church in His hand. If someone is playing poker, he is dealt five cards; when dealing with churches a full hand is seven. 

Christ has his finger on the pulse of every local church everywhere in the world at every moment. We have a very small assembly of believers that meets in our home, but the Lord Jesus is there even when only two or three are gathered together (Matthew 18:20). Knowing that makes it hard to stop loving Him who Holds the Seven Stars. 

Head of the Church

For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.

Ephesians 5:23

Most people define "church" as the building Christians use to do whatever it is that Christians do. Structures have to sit on property, so somewhere there is a title to the land and, on the bottom line of that title, the name of the owner. The church itself might be deeded to an organization, so the CEO or bishop or pope or person in charge of the group would be considered the head of the church. 

This line of thinking makes sense to most Americans, but that's not how it is presented in the word of God. There, the church is understood to be an assembly of believers in a certain place. They can meet in a building or have a picnic together in a park. The church is still the people and not the place. The universal church is not only made up of every true believer everywhere in the world, it is the sum total of every Christian that ever lived in every century since the day of Pentecost. 

The church might be people and not a place, but it still has an owner. The Lord Jesus bought every believer with His own blood and claims them as His own. That clearly makes Him the Head of the Church which makes Him have authority over it. 

The problem with titles is that they must be honored and recognized or they are meaningless. When Pontius Pilate presented Jesus as king to the Jewish leaders and people, He really was the King of Israel, even though they shouted Him down to be crucified. He was rejected by His own people, so was not allowed to reign over them. However, He will come again to claim His kingdom and wear the crown. 

In the same way, "Christians" who don't obey or honor Christ's authority will one day be sorted out. The true believers will be separated from the false ones and Christ will be hailed by the saints of all ages as the Head of the Church. 

Leader and Commander

Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people, A leader and commander for the people.

Isaiah 55:4

As Leader and Commander, Christ must be followed and obeyed. He needs to take over and control a person's life or no transformation can take place. Unfortunately, some people just want to "invite Jesus into their heart" and expect Him to be a quiet, polite guest that minds His own business and leaves them in charge of daily lives. The bottom line is that they're still lost, because they don't have the faith to believe that He is the boss and they must obey Him. 

Jesus is the Way to Heaven, which is great since no one else knows how to get there. He's also the Leader for those who trust Him to lead them...

           ....from a lost condition into one of positive direction.

           ....from a sin-cursed world into the New Jerusalem..

           ....from sorrow into joy.

           ....from loneliness into fellowship.

           ....from pain into healing.

           ....from dryness of spirit to the still waters.

A leader also commands troops into battle and that connects with the second part of the title: Commander. Christians are on the winning side of a spiritual war waged against the devil and his hosts. Unfortunately, many battles are lost, because many in the Lord's army don't obey their orders. Many so-called believers call themselves independent Christians who feel that obedience is optional, whether to church leaders or to Christ, their Commander in Chief.

Salvation by grace through faith is one of the basic tenets of Christianity, but it must be understood that faith is agreement with God. It is saying, "Yes sir, I'll do what you say" to the Leader and Commander of the Universe. 

Branch of the LORD

In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious; And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing For those of Israel who have escaped.
Isaiah 4:2

Prophesy scholar I am not. It's hard to sort through all the pieces and get them in their proper place. It could be compared to finding a bunch of little animal bones in a field and then taking them home to discover what they are. For me, analyzing and interpreting prophesy is just that kind of challenge, although I would much prefer re-articulating a mouse skeleton any day of the week. 

That having been said, I've had to search out and study the Old Testament prophets in search of titles of Christ. Many times it is not immediately apparent if the name is Messianic or refers to God the Father. The Branch of the LORD, however, is one of the very easy ones. It is like it has a neon sign beside it saying, "This is the Messiah." 

Isaiah prophesied at a time when the nation of Judah was in decline. The Assyrian empire had conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel and laid waste most of the land around Jerusalem. The prophet looked forward to a day when the land would flourish again, when God's anointed would come.

Just as a branch grows out of a tree, the Branch of the LORD is just an extension of God that comes out of Him and produces fruit on the earth. The title is a very strong affirmation of the deity of the Messiah and was given to bring hope and faith to God's people in a time of desperation.

In Jesus' teaching of the true vine, believers are compared to branches that draw strength and sustenance from Christ Himself. When examining a tree, it's observed that a branch forks and divides and then forks and divides again. Young Christians receive spiritual nourishment from more mature disciples that serve as channels of grace from the Savior who is the Branch of the LORD. 

The One who Lifts Up my Head

But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head.
Psalm 3:3

                                Hang down your head, Tom Dooley

                                Hang down your head and cry                                                                                 Hang down your head, Tom Dooley    

                               Poor boy, you're bound to die.

                                                          From an American folk song

We've all done things we are not proud of. Worry, guilt, and shame are heavy burdens that bow us down before the god of this world who deceived us into thinking that sin is fun. Some people never get over it. They go through their lives with their heads hung down as slaves to their own self-destruction. Others come to Jesus, who is the One who lifts up their heads.

Christ is the one who is above it all: above the hustle and bustle of modern society, above the pettiness of what other people think, and above the circumstances that complicate our lives and pull us down.

Jesus is the “High and Lofty One Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: " I dwell in the high and holy place, With him who has a contrite and humble spirit, To revive the spirit of the humble, And to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isaiah 57:15).

The Apostle Paul totally understood it: “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Things don't always go my way. I even remember failures from thirty and forty years in the past and shudder. But then, I also remember that Jesus took away my sin and my shame. He is the One who lifts up my head. 

Faithful

Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.”
Revelation 19:11*

It shouldn't surprise anyone that when the word “faithful” first came into the Middle English in the thirteenth century it meant “full of faith.” Over the centuries the word has somehow morphed into meaning “reliable, truthful, and true to one's promises.”

The Lord Jesus is faithful, so he is all of the above. As author of faith (Hebrews 12:2), He is the source and supplier of the believer's faith. Since Christ can be counted on and relied upon, He becomes a worthy object of faith that results in the production of faith among His people.

Before anyone can understand being faithful, he must first understand faith. Simply put, faith is agreeing with God in thoughts, actions, and attitudes. It's saying to the Almighty, “Yes Sir, that's right; let's do it.” True faith always demands a response.

Geometry is taught in Math class, but it is really an exercise in logic. Nobody really cares about how long a line is or how many degrees are in a certain angle, but everyone needs to know how to reach a logical conclusion. This is where if/then thinking is taught. If A=B and B=C then A=C. This makes sense in mathematics and in the spiritual realm.

If we died with Christ, then we believe that we shall also live with Him (Romans 6:8).
If anyone is in Christ, then he is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).
If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, then he is not His (Romans 8:9).
If Christ is in you, then the body is dead (Romans 8:10).
If [we are] children [of God], then heirs --- then heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17).
If God is for us, then who can be against us? (Romans 8:31).

We can have total/obedient faith in the Savior, because above all else, He is Faithful.

*see also Hebrews 10:23