The Passover

15 Nisan 5781 / 27-28 March 2021

Even though this message was originally written in 2016, and reposted in 2020, it is still just as relevant for To-day as it was yesterday! All praise, honor, and glory to the One who sits upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb of God, who gave His precious life to save men from their sin!

John 3:16-21 “For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:17 For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved.

John 3:18 He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than Light, because their deeds were evil.

John 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the Light, neither cometh to the Light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

John 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the Light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.”

15 Nisan 5780 / 8-9 April 2020

On the evening of 14 Nisan / 15 Nisan, according to the Hebrew Calendar, is the commemoration of Passover, an extremely important season that the LORD asked His disciples to observe in remembrance of His death. Consider the words spoken to the Corinthian Church as they were gathered together.

1 Corinthians 11:1, 23-32 Paul said to the Corinthian church: “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ…

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which He was betrayed took bread: And when He had given thanks, He brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is My body, which is broken for you: This do in remembrance of Me.

After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in My blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me.

For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till He come.

Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

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.

For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.”

I realize that most Christians do not commemorate this major Holy Day, but based on the word of God, Jesus specifically asked His disciples to remember Him and His great sacrifice during the Passover meal.

Satan had a hand in causing God’s people to forget the vital importance of the Passover, but you need to decide what is more important to you: “The traditions which ye have been taught?” Or to follow Christ?

To be a disciple of Christ, is to be a Christian. And I believe that godly men need to be at the forefront in leading God’s people to, first, learn what it means to truly follow Christ, and then faithfully obey the Great Commission that Jesus commanded His followers to observe, right before He departed into heaven, where He sits at the right hand of God.

Please consider the words of Jesus.

Mark 16:14-16 “Afterward He appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen Him after He was risen.

And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”

As a disciple of Christ, there is always much for us to know and learn about God and His dear Son, no matter where we are at in our journey with the Lord. And we must always stay alert to the wiles of the devil, and realize that Satan’s objective is to lure us away from God.

Satan despises God and His creation, and the devil surely hates for God’s people to obey His word. We must never forget that the enemy of Almighty God was thrown out of heaven because he was lifted up in pride, arrogance, and rebellion against the most high God!

Isaiah 14:12-14 “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.”

This next passage will show how pride and self-righteousness can cause God’s people to forget Him.

Deuteronomy 8:11-20 “Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping His commandments, and His judgments, and His statutes, which I command thee this day:

Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied;

Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; Who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint;

Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that He might humble thee, and that He might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end; And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.

But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.

As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God.”

It is vital to the life of any true church to gather together on a regular basis for the express purpose of training God’s people to follow Christ, and for the furtherance of the gospel. To do otherwise, is inconsistent with the commandments of God, and the teachings of His Holy Word.

John 8:31 “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed;”

Jesus said in Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them.” And if the presence of the Lord is there, that’s all that really matters!

Hebrews 10:23-25 “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the Day approaching.”

People who call themselves Christian, but do not have a burning desire within their heart to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with a lost and dying world, as they are led by the Holy Spirit, then He is not in them! People who call themselves Christian, but do not seek to direct others to the kingdom of heaven, as they are led by the Lord, I dare say, they are not going in that direction either!

The “once saved, always saved” teachings, along with the “pre-tribulation rapture” theory, are such dangerous doctrines because they have caused such compliancy among God’s people. Remember, only those who are clothed in “righteousness,” which God provides, are truly headed for heaven.

Most everyone, regardless of their religion, would like to believe they will go to heaven one day, but only a disciple of Christ will make it—and they are among the “few.” For those who reject the true Christ, God will reject them on that Day, and there will be no turning back then!

Please hear this next passage:

Matthew 22:1-14 “And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.

Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:

And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.

So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Please prayerfully read these next two passages:

Matthew 13:24-30 “Another parable put He forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”

Matthew 13:36-43 “Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and His disciples came unto Him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field.

He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

Please note, the tares were gathered first. And I want to emphasize, “the field is the world,” NOT the church. God never intended for the ministers of Satan to be allowed in the churches, but I am sad to say that his people are standing in the pulpits of many churches today! And so many people have given into their false teachings!

Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in there at: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

Another Scripture I hope you will prayerfully consider.

Malachi 3:14-18; 4:1-6 “Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?

And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.

Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon His name.

And they shall be Mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not.

For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

But unto you that fear My name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.

Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”

Two more Scripture passages that I hope you will prayerfully consider:

1 John 3:16-24 “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

And he that keepeth His commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in Him. And hereby we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit which He hath given us.”

John 13:35 Jesus said, “By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

It is out of my love for God, and His people, that I am writing this. I am very concerned about the direction that I see so many people going in. And I attribute it to the lack of godly leadership. “While men slept”… the women and children are being led astray by the children of the devil!

If you are a Christian, I pray that you will not just dismiss this. May God give you “eyes to see” the truth as you seek to follow the true Christ, who is “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

One final Scripture passage which will show the great importance of keeping God’s Word and worshiping only the One, True, and only Living God.

Revelation 19:7-13 “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.

And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war.

His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself.

And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God.”

 

Originally Published: 15 Nisan 5776 / 23 April 2016