San Juan church of Christ 1414 Hawk Parkway Unit C 970-626-4116 What Does God's Word Say About... Passover Part 2 In last week's article we established that the Passover was given to the Israelites so that they would remember God delivered them from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. Also, God gave them a commandment to observe the "Feast of Unleavened Bread." This Feast of Unleavened Bread was to be observed for seven days after the day of Passover. They were to keep this commandment throughout YOUR generations" as a permanent ordinance (Exodus 12:15-19). Notice that this commandment was given through Moses to the ISRAELITES Jews] to be observed by THEIR generations. During the Passover with His disciples, Jesus instituted a "new meal" that was to take effect after His resurrection and the establishment of His kingdom (church]. This "new meal" was defined as the Lord's Supper. "While they were eating [Passover], Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is My body.' And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant [New Covenant), which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom Ispiritual churchl' Matthew 26:26-29) "Remember the kingdom of God" was to "come with power" and Jesus told a crowd of His disciples that "some of those who are standing here will not taste death until they see this kingdom [the church]" (Mark 9:1). That kingdom (church] did come on the day of Pentecost in 33 A.D. when the twelve disciples were baptized with the Holy Spirit and power (Acts 2:1-4). At this time Peter told the Jews how they could be added to the kingdom and church (Acts 2:38). He also said this kingdom would be "for all who are far off (Gentile], as many as the Lord our God will call to and on that "day there were added about three thousand souls" (Acts 2:41). "And the Lord was adding to the church [kingdom] day by day those who were being saved" (Act 2:47). To make a significant point concerning the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf, the apostle Paul stated in 1 Cor. 5:7-8, "Clean out the old leaven [sin} so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened (clean from sin]. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast [which represents living holy lives), not with the old leaven lour old sinful nature]"... In these verses inspired Paul said that Christ, not a physical lamb (Old Covenant Passover), is our Christian Passover. (1 Cor 5:7) Paul warned all nations Jew and Gentile] not to go back to the Old Covenant's Passover any longer when he wrote, "Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ" (Col. 2:16-17). Paul is explaining to us that we should not live in the "shadow" of the Old Covenant and its ordinances. Why should we who are Christians observe the Old Covenant Passover? If we do we are "severed from Christ" (Gal. 5:4). Passover was significant to the Jews for it reminded them of an historic occurrence in Israel. But the Christian [Jew and Gentile] remembers the sacrifice of Christ, in the observance of the Lord's Supper, whose blood causes the destroyer [Satan] to pass over" us in his sentence of judgement and eternal death. According to Paul, the Lord's Supper Inew meal] is to be observed on EVERY first day of the week when Christians come together to remember Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection until He returns (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:18, 20, 23-26). Please send any comments, questions, or requests for a Bible study to: info@sanjuanchurchofchrist.org San Juan church of Christ 1414 Hawk Parkway Unit C 970-626-4116 What Does God's Word Say About... Passover Part 2 In last week's article we established that the Passover was given to the Israelites so that they would remember God delivered them from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. Also, God gave them a commandment to observe the "Feast of Unleavened Bread." This Feast of Unleavened Bread was to be observed for seven days after the day of Passover. They were to keep this commandment throughout YOUR generations" as a permanent ordinance (Exodus 12:15-19). Notice that this commandment was given through Moses to the ISRAELITES Jews] to be observed by THEIR generations. During the Passover with His disciples, Jesus instituted a "new meal" that was to take effect after His resurrection and the establishment of His kingdom (church]. This "new meal" was defined as the Lord's Supper. "While they were eating [Passover], Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is My body.' And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant [New Covenant), which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom Ispiritual churchl' Matthew 26:26-29) "Remember the kingdom of God" was to "come with power" and Jesus told a crowd of His disciples that "some of those who are standing here will not taste death until they see this kingdom [the church]" (Mark 9:1). That kingdom (church] did come on the day of Pentecost in 33 A.D. when the twelve disciples were baptized with the Holy Spirit and power (Acts 2:1-4). At this time Peter told the Jews how they could be added to the kingdom and church (Acts 2:38). He also said this kingdom would be "for all who are far off (Gentile], as many as the Lord our God will call to and on that "day there were added about three thousand souls" (Acts 2:41). "And the Lord was adding to the church [kingdom] day by day those who were being saved" (Act 2:47). To make a significant point concerning the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf, the apostle Paul stated in 1 Cor. 5:7-8, "Clean out the old leaven [sin} so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened (clean from sin]. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast [which represents living holy lives), not with the old leaven lour old sinful nature]"... In these verses inspired Paul said that Christ, not a physical lamb (Old Covenant Passover), is our Christian Passover. (1 Cor 5:7) Paul warned all nations Jew and Gentile] not to go back to the Old Covenant's Passover any longer when he wrote, "Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ" (Col. 2:16-17). Paul is explaining to us that we should not live in the "shadow" of the Old Covenant and its ordinances. Why should we who are Christians observe the Old Covenant Passover? If we do we are "severed from Christ" (Gal. 5:4). Passover was significant to the Jews for it reminded them of an historic occurrence in Israel. But the Christian [Jew and Gentile] remembers the sacrifice of Christ, in the observance of the Lord's Supper, whose blood causes the destroyer [Satan] to pass over" us in his sentence of judgement and eternal death. According to Paul, the Lord's Supper Inew meal] is to be observed on EVERY first day of the week when Christians come together to remember Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection until He returns (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:18, 20, 23-26). Please send any comments, questions, or requests for a Bible study to: info@sanjuanchurchofchrist.org