| It is encouraging that so many believers are taking a
renewed interest in zealously taking care of the temple of the
Holy Spirit -- their bodies. The Messiah endured the mutilation
of His sinless body, not for us to eat unclean or unwholesome
foods and pump our bodies full of drugs and medicines, but for
us to take clean living seriously. Judas didn't take the
execution of Yahshua seriously until it was too late. The broken
bread should awake us all to the seriousness of I Corinthians
6:15-20. Never should the bread be taken lightly. (2)
We are to symbolically partake of the blood (the life) of the
Savior. Drinking physical blood is a sin! Leviticus 7:26-27.
There is life in the blood. Many religious people will partake
of the lifeblood of their human leader rather than their Savior.
That is, they will follow him (or her) no matter what. What a
grievous sin. By symbolically taking the life of the Son of the
Most High, we allow Him to live in us, to direct us, ALL our
thoughts and ALL our actions.
This year, is your life more like your Savior's than it was
at Passover last year, or many years ago? If it is, then you are
surrendering to the New Will and Testament. and the laws of the
Eternal are being written indelibly in your heart and mind. Miss
or forget the Passover? How could we? Not if we are His!
The message within the cup is that this cup is a difficult
one to drink. That is why if there are some unusual
circumstances that force one to miss the Passover, he must take
it on the 14th day of the second month, Numbers 9:1-14.
There is no excuse for missing the Passover. A baptized believer
must either keep it or die! John 6:30-69. This is
a hard saying, because we have seen many of our former brothers
and sisters in the faith turn back. They have died spiritually
because they have not understood the full meaning of the
Passover. Our loving Father sent His own dear Son to live a
sinless life, to die in our stead and rise again. All this so
that we might have our sins forgiven, receive the Spirit within
us and someday live forever in His kingdom.
Tremble when you drink that cup! If you keep drinking
it, never turning back, you will partake of its full meaning:
that of laying down your life for others. The Savior said, "Ye
shall drink indeed of my cup" Matthew 20:23. This means
persecution and martyrdom for some, Acts 12:2, Revelation 1:9.
For ALL it means self-sacrifice, a continued living
sacrifice, Romans 12:1-2. Remember, we are called to live
the same life of hardship as the Savior Himself lived, I
Peter 2:21.
For some, drinking the cup in its true meaning is almost as
revolting as drinking physical blood. They are too caught up in
themselves to truly partake of it, John 6:66. (Maybe it
isn't a coincidence that this verse is 666.)
Thinking about death is not morbid if it is a Holy sacrifice,
pleasing and acceptable to the Father. We take the cup because
we need it. We need that blood to cover our sins, and must be
willing to lay down our lives for others.
(3) We are to examine ourselves, critically judge
ourselves. If we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged
by the Eternal, I Corinthians 11:28-31.
It is so easy to judge and criticize others, but because we
are so stubborn, we often fail to listen to criticisms of
ourselves by others. It is so hard to see our own imperfections
and shortcomings. There is a way to show someone where they have
gone wrong without making them feel hopelessly inept. Even when
receiving virulent criticisms and seemingly unwarranted
condemnations from others, you should always attempt to listen
to what they are saying. You should consider the possibility
that what they are saying could be true.
Passover should lead us to seek criticism from others for our
actions, to listen to what others say about us without emotion.
Fasting should be done by everyone a few weeks or days before
Passover. To break the bands of iniquity, we must sit still and
listen. If you have wronged someone, attempt to make amends
before you come to the altar, Matthew 5:23-24. Jezebel
did not listen to the warning of the LORD from Elijah. Will we
listen when others point out our faults?
(4) We are to "tarry one for another," I
Corinthians 11:33. Certainly the footwashing ceremony,
preceding the taking of the bread and wine, is symbolic of this
admonition. "Tarry" is an old English word meaning simply "to
wait, wait on." Some in Corinth were turning the New Ordinances
into a big meal like it was under the Old Testament. Paul told
them not to make the New Passover into a "Lord's Supper," I
Corinthians 11:19-22. If you are hungry, eat at home so that
when you come to the New Testament Passover, you are not
condemned for riotous banqueting, verses 34, 21.
Passover brings to mind some sad memories of an experience a
few years ago. The person called upon to open the services for
Passover with prayer thanked God that we were not like
others who had turned their back on the truth. This is a
wrong attitude. Instead, our prayer at Passover should be:
"Eternal, you know our faults and sins, please help us to
overcome and not turn back from you. Help those who have strayed
from your paths. Restore them, and us, for we have not been
perfect in your sight."
A very dear friend was against me for sharing the truth of
the Almighty with others, especially with those who have been
"turned off" by former religious experiences." "I realize," this
minister wrote, "there have been many people hurt by these
happenings, many that we grew to love and respect are completely
turned off, but I do not hold myself responsible for what
happened. Therefore I do not have some guilt complex driving me
on to 'save' them. If I can remain faithful to the
Truth as I understood and accepted it, then
I feel that some day I may be given an
opportunity to truly help them, when they desire it, and need
it." So basically, this man's conclusion was that we should not
bother to "tarry one for another." Thankfully, he has modified
his views somewhat since then.
Passover brings to full light the travesty of this type of
wrong attitude. Even though we didn't ask for help, and didn't
know we needed it, the Messiah is the one Being who cared for us
enough to die in order for us to be brought up out of this
cesspool of sin. How wonderful that we can cast ALL our
cares upon Him who is personally concerned for each one of us,
I Peter 5:7.
There are thousands of "true believers" who will this
Passover go through the motions. They will wash one another's
feet, and yet totally miss the point that we are to be
living sacrifices. We are to serve one another daily out of true
sincerity, and not because of the acclaim it will bring us: "by
love serve one another," Galatians 5:13.
The sense of "tarry one for another" can also mean "wait
patiently for" as well as "wait on" or "serve" one another.
(5) Those who truly follow the Master and have been
called by Him must be born from above, John 3:3
(Oxford marginal rendering). They must be begotten with the
earnest of the Holy Spirit, Ephesians 1:13-14. They must
be led by that Spirit to grow and overcome, becoming more and
more like their Creator. At the resurrection, they will receive
the fullness of the Spirit, when they shall be Spirit
because they are then born of the Spirit, John 3:6. Here
and now, they must be growing up unto Him in all things.
Human birth is a glorious type of a much more glorious event
which we look forward to. This is all made possible by Him who
died for us. Truly, we can say this year, and every year, "I
have wanted so much to eat this Passover meal with you . . . ,"
Luke 22:15, TEV. Contact someone who may be lonely or in
need of encouragement in the Master. "Tarry one for another."
On this coming Passover, take each element, each word, each
symbol with awesome respect and love for the one who died for
you and me. Recommit yourselves to the covenant you made with
the Eternal at baptism. Don't take this Passover in vain, in an
unworthy manner. Lay down your lives for Him and others. That's
why we partake of the New Testament Passover. New Testament
Christians should do this annually.
You have a date with the Eternal. Don't miss it! |