A Crossless Christianity

But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ~ (Galatians 6:14)

Oral Roberts University is just about a mile and a half from me... I didn't see him going along Riverside Drive, but perhaps I'll catch him later... :-)

Christian at a crossroads

Wheeler's epic journey 25 years in the making

Keith Wheeler carries his 12-foot wooden cross in downtown Tulsa on Friday, marking the 25th anniversary of carrying his cross around the world. He began in Tulsa in 1985 and has walked nearly 20,000 miles in places all over the world including in some civil wars and other danger zones. ADAM WISNESKI/Tulsa World

By BILL SHERMAN World Religion Writer
Published: 4/3/2010 2:20 AM
Last Modified: 4/3/2010 4:15 AM

On Good Friday in 1985, a young Oral Roberts University master of divinity student reluctantly picked up a 12-foot wooden cross and carried it through the streets of Tulsa.

Keith Wheeler, now 48, had no idea that day would launch a full-time ministry in which he would carry the cross some 20,000 miles in 187 nations through some of the most dangerous war zones in the world.

On Friday, Wheeler again carried his cross through Tulsa, walking from downtown along Riverside Drive to Jenks, retracing part of his original route.

After a slow start in the rain, the skies cleared and Wheeler found himself often surrounded by people who wanted to talk.

"It's been just awesome," he said. "People are so open. That's the wonderful thing about Tulsa. There's such a respect and love for the cross."

Halfway through his trek down Riverside Drive, Wheeler retired the cross he has carried for 24 of the past 25 years and picked up a new cross.

When will he quit carrying the cross?

"God told me to do this," he said. "I'll quit when he tells me to or when I go home to him."

Wheeler did not always have such enthusiasm for what has become his life's work.

When he first felt that God was calling him to carry a cross on Good Friday, he recoiled at the idea, he said.

"I'm very shy, timid, insecure, naturally," he said. "God did not call me according to my strengths."

He asked for a sign.

Not five minutes later, he said, a good friend called him and told him his pastor in Louisville, Ky., had carried a cross across that city on Good Friday a year earlier. The friend suggested they do the same in Tulsa.

Still unconvinced, Wheeler said he asked for another sign.

An ORU professor in a preaching class asked him to preach on Mark 8:34: "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

Reluctantly, Wheeler built a cross and early on that Good Friday 25 years ago started walking from the ORU campus.

"I prayed, 'Don't let anybody see me,' " he said.

He carried the cross along Harvard Avenue to 36th Street North, back through downtown, and along Riverside Drive to ORU.

Later, he carried the cross to Oklahoma City and then to Arkansas. Eventually, he began to carry the cross overseas.

Over the years, he has been beaten and left for dead in the southern United States, threatened by armed assailants in Mexico, arrested and jailed several times, accused of being a spy for the CIA, run over and stabbed.

He was in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Bosnia during their civil wars. He was in Iraq during the reign of Saddam Hussein. He sat down with Hamas and al-Qaida in the Middle East.

He was in Rwanda in June 1994 during the time of the genocide that killed 800,000 people.

"Nobody can understand how horrible it was the stench it was a nightmare," he said.

He camped on the streets of Bethlehem in 2002 when Palestinians, who were holed up in the historic Church of the Nativity, battled with Jewish soldiers. Bullets were flying.

"The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) and the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) were competing for who could take better care of me," he said.

But these trouble spots were the exception, not the rule. In general, he said, he and his cross have found acceptance and hospitality all over the world in every political and religious setting.

"I've had more beatings, more guns pointed at me and more knives pointed at me in the United States than all the rest of the world put together," he said.

"And it's sad to say, my cross has been welcomed in more bars and nightclubs than in churches."

Wheeler said it has become evident to him through his travels that war is not a fight over land or politics or religion.

"It's about hurt and anger," he said.

"The answer to war is forgiveness.

"Peace begins with the cross," he said. "I believe the foot of the cross is where the best of God meets the worst of mankind."

Wheeler, an Arkansas native, has lived in the Tulsa area for more than 25 years. He is married and has two children. His ministry is supported by donations. In addition to carrying the cross, he speaks at churches, youth conferences and other events and appears on national Christian television.

Nonsense.

This guy does not understand the Gospel, nor does he represent the meaning of the cross. God did not tell him to do this because it is so contrary to sound teaching. Many Protestants are stuck in this errant world of self-created sacrifice, going forward, making a new commitment, or “hearing” God’s will. But, this guy needs a wheel? No wonder the world puzzles over what the Bible is getting at!

See, Mark. I get after them all.

"Peace begins with the cross," he said. "I believe the foot of the cross is where the best of God meets the worst of mankind."

Nice statement, but inaccurate.

Since we were all born into sin, and there is nothing righteous about any of us, we are all depraved and in real terms none of us are better than anyone else.

Christ verified this by saying if you had committed one sin, you had committed them all.

The Cross of Christ is where All Men/Women/Children can receive relief for their sins, their sinful lives, and be born-again.

Many Protestants are stuck in this errant world of self-created sacrifice, going forward, making a new commitment, or “hearing” God’s will. But, this guy needs a wheel?

I assume you are a Catholic.

Can you further explain this comment of yours?

"The answer to war is forgiveness.

This guy is confused.

War, at times, is necessary, because of the evil nature of men.

Even in the Old Testament, our Holy God DEMANDED that Israel go to war with various nations.

Is God selfish?

Is he imperfect? NO!

Then why would a perfect God demand that his people wage war?

This guy has a very simplistic, almost stupid view concerning war.

You were saying ...

This guy does not understand the Gospel, nor does he represent the meaning of the cross.

I would say that it's not possible, with just this article to say that this guy doesn't understand the Gospel of Salvation.

It's a newspaper article, written by someone else (a secular reporter) about a guy who has been walking around the world carrying a cross. That's all that you're reading here.

Now, I would say that he probably knows the Gospel of Salvation, per the Scriptures, as well as you and me and he probbably talks to quite a few people about exactly that -- as he stops and talks to people in various places, as he's carrying that cross around.

So, I wouldn't be so quick to criticize him in not knowing what the Gospel of Salvation is. I'm betting that he has probably talked to a wider variety of people about Salvation, according to the Scriptures, than you or I put together... :-)

I would imagine that a lot of people that wear a cross on a chain around their neck is because not too many jewelers make a tomb with the stone rolled away to one side. He is risen!! indeed.

You were saying ...

This guy is confused.

War, at times, is necessary, because of the evil nature of men.

I wouldn't be so quick to write off what he's saying there. I don't think a newspaper article is going to give you the full context of what he says. It's probably a "sound-bite" that the reporter grabbed a hold of, which was part of a lot more that he had to say about it. That's how it goes sometimes, with reporters.

Of course, I don't know either what was the full context in which that comment was a smaller part. And if I don't then neither do you.

But, I can guess how it fits into the broader picture of the Gospel of Salvation. Forgiveness is the issue here, and although we currently live in a sinful world -- there is coming a time in which we will still live in a sinful world -- but -- there will be no more war in the world.

That's during the 1,000 year Kingdom of Christ in the world. During this time, there will be no more war, but there is still a sinful world that sinful people live in -- during that time when the Messiah of Israel is ruling and reigning over all the nations of the world.

And so, I would put that comment in the framework of the forgiveness of the cross, of the Gospel of Salvation (according to the Scriptures) that God offers us all. I would put that comment in terms of that statement in the Bible of forgiving 70 times 7, and about how unless one forgives, then the Father in Heaven won't forgive that person.

Yes, I would say that forgiveness is at the core of the context of the Gospel of Salvation that Jesus, the Messiah of Israel brings to the world and to each individual.

“I’m betting” = I really don’t have any idea.

I really don’t see a conflict with what he said and what you said...

And as I said earlier, I don’t think that one can fully understand exactly where this particular person is coming from, in terms of the true Gospel of Salvation, according to the Scriptures, unless one has a longer talk with him.

In fact, I think that what I’ll do is see if I can contact him and get a bit better of an understanding of where he’s coming from, in terms of the true message of the Bible, regarding the Gospel of Salvation.

Since he’s in Tulsa and has been here for quite a while, it shouldn’t be too hard to find him. I would like to do that...

I don’t know how soon I’ll do it, but I’ll report back when I do... :-)

Let’s clarify that just a bit further then... I know as much as anyone else who posts here (which includes you, by the way)... LOL...

AND..., as I said, I’m going to be talking to him directly, and at that time, I’ll know more than anyone else who posts here... :-)

I’ll let you know when I do that ...

THE CROSS

The cross is the hope of Christians
the cross is the resurrection of the dead
the cross is the way of the lost
the cross is the savior of the lost
the cross is the staff of the lame
the cross is the guide of the blind
the cross is the strength of the weak
the cross is the doctor of the sick
the cross is the aim of the priests
the cross is the hope of the hopeless
the cross is the freedom of the slaves
the cross is the power of the kings
the cross is the water of the seeds
the cross is the consolation of the bondsmen
the cross is the source of those who seek water
the cross is the cloth of the naked.
We thank you, Father, for the cross.

You were saying ...

The cross is the hope of Christians
the cross is the resurrection of the dead
[ ... ]

There are very specific reasons why this is so. It has to do with what I've posted before (here on Free Republic) the plan of Salvation, as the Triune Godhead had worked out before the world was created.

And part of that was what God has instructed the nation of Israel to follow, as He commanded them to observe certain "holy days" throughout the year, every year. This is what has been referred to as the "Seven Festivals of the Messiah" -- as what God had commanded Israel to do, were prophetic of the Ministry of Jesus, the Messiah of Israel...

The one that starts of the year, and the first of the seven is Passover ...

How the Passover Reveals Jesus Christ

by Rich Deem

Introduction

The festival of the Passover has been celebrated by Jews for thousands of years. It is the retelling of the great story of how God redeemed the Jewish nation from enslavement in Egypt.¹ The celebration itself was given to the Jews while they were still in Egypt.² The original celebration centered around the Passover lamb, which was sacrificed and its blood put over the doorposts as a sign of faith, so that the Lord passed over the houses of the Jews during the last plague poured out on the Egyptians - the killing of every firstborn.³ To a large degree, the Passover lamb has been eliminated from the Passover festival (with the only remnant being the roasted lamb shank bone).⁴ The New Testament says that Jesus is our sacrificial Lamb.⁵ The Passover lamb was to be a "male without defect,"⁶ which is the same description given to Jesus.⁷ In addition, when the lamb was roasted and eaten, none of its bones were to be broken.⁸ This fact was also prophesized for the Messiah, whose bones were not to be broken.⁹ It was customary during crucifixion to break the leg bones of the person after a few hours in order to hasten their death. The only way a person could breathe when hanging on a cross was to push up with his legs, which was very exhausting. By breaking the legs, death followed soon by asphyxiation. However, in the case of Jesus, they broke the legs of the other two men, but did not break His, since He was already dead.¹⁰

Passover symbolism

Much of the symbolism of Jesus' last Passover week is lost to us because we are unaware of the customs of the time. For example, Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem five days before the lamb was killed in the temple as the Passover sacrifice for the sins of the people of Israel. Five days before the lamb was to be sacrificed, it was chosen. Therefore, Jesus entered Jerusalem on lamb selection day as the lamb of God.¹¹ The people did not understand the significance of this, since they greeted Him with palm branches¹² and hailed Him as King,¹³ shouting "Hosanna,"¹⁴ which means "save us." However, they were not looking for a spiritual Savior, but a political savior. Palm branches were a symbol of freedom and defiance, since Simon Maccabeus had entered Jerusalem with that symbolism.¹⁵ Jesus' reaction was to weep,¹⁶ since He realized that they did not understand the Messiah's purpose in coming.

Passover sacrifice

Good Friday was the day of the Passover celebration and the day that the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed. For the previous 1,200 years, the priest would blow the shophar (ram's horn) at 3:00 p.m. - the moment the lamb was sacrificed, and all the people would pause to contemplate the sacrifice for sins on behalf of the people of Israel. On Good Friday at 3:00,¹⁷ when Jesus was being crucified, He said, "It is finished"¹⁸ - at the moment that the Passover lamb was sacrificed and the shophar was blown from the Temple. The sacrifice of the lamb of God was fulfilled at the hour that the symbolic animal sacrifice usually took place. At the same time, the veil of the Temple (a three-inch thick, several story high cloth that demarked the Holy of Holies¹⁹) tore from top to bottom²⁰ - representing a removal of the separation between God and man. Fifty days later, on the anniversary of the giving of the law (Pentecost), God left the earthly temple to inhabit those who call on the name of Jesus through His Holy Spirit.²¹

Burial

The festival of unleavened bread began Friday evening (at sunset). As part of the festival, the Jews would take some of the grain - the "first fruits" of their harvest - to the Temple to offer as a sacrifice. In so doing, they were offering God all they had and trusting Him to proved the rest of the harvest. It was at this point that Jesus was buried - planted in the ground - as He said right before His death.²² Paul refers to Jesus as the first fruits of those raised from the dead in 1 Corinthians.²³ As such, Jesus represents the fulfillment of God's promise to provide the rest of the harvest - resurrection of those who follow the Messiah.

Resurrection

Christian symbolism in the Passover occurs early in the Seder (the Passover dinner). Three matzahs are put together (representing the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The middle matzah is broken,²⁴ wrapped in a white cloth, and hidden, representing the death and burial of Jesus.²⁵ The matzah itself is designed to represent Jesus, since it is striped and pierced, which was prophesized by Isaiah,²⁶ David,²⁷ and Zechariah.²⁸ Following the Seder meal, the "buried" matzah is "resurrected," which was foretold in the prophecies of David.²⁹

Christian communion

It was during a Passover seder³⁰ that Jesus proclaimed that the meal represented Himself and that He was instituting the New Covenant, which was foretold by Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah.³¹ The celebration of this covenant has become the ordinance of communion in the Christian Church. At the end of the meal, Jesus took the unleavened bread, broke it, and said that it represented His body.³² Then He took the cup of wine, which would have been the third cup of the Seder - the cup of redemption. He said that it was the new covenant in His blood "poured out for you."³³ It is through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that we are declared clean before God, allowing those of us who choose to accept the pardon, to commune with Him - both now and forevermore through the eternal life He offers.

Conclusion

If you are a Christian, I encourage you to celebrate the Passover with your friends and neighbors. Our family has been doing this for the last six years and have used the celebration as a way of sharing the gospel of Christ in a fun and non-threatening manner. For more information on how you can celebrate your own Passover Seder, see the related pages below.

References

1. The entire story can be read in the book of Exodus

2. See Exodus chapter 12.

3. Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. Not one of you shall go out the door of his house until morning. When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, He will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down. (Exodus 12:21-23)

4. The Passover lamb was still sacrificed in the first century, as indicated in the New testament - Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. (Luke 22:7)

5. Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. (1 Corinthians 5:7)

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)

When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!" (John 1:36) For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1:18-19)

I answered, "Sir, you know." And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:14)

"And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even to death. (Revelation 12:11)

6. The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. (Exodus 12:5)

7. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1:18-19)

8. "It must be eaten inside one house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones. (Exodus 12:46)

9. He keeps all his bones; not one of them is broken. (Psalm 34:20)

10. The soldiers therefore came, and broke the legs of the first man, and of the other man who was crucified with Him; but coming to Jesus, when they saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs;... For these things came to pass, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, "Not a bone of Him shall be broken." (John 19:32, 33, 36)

11. The next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! (John 1:29)

12. On the next day the great multitude who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees, and went out to meet Him, and began to cry out, "Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel." (John 12:12-13) And most of the multitude spread their garments in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees, and spreading them in the road. (Matthew 21:8)

13. saying, "BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" (Luke 19:38)

And the multitudes going before Him, and those who followed after were crying out, saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!" (Matthew 21:9)

14. And the multitudes going before Him, and those who followed after were crying out, saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!" (Matthew 21:9) And those who went before, and those who followed after, were crying out, "Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!" (Mark 11:9-10)

15. Simon Maccabeus entered the Akra at Jerusalem after its capture, “with thanksgiving, and branches of palm trees, and with harps, and cymbals, and with viols, and hymns, and songs: because there was destroyed a great enemy out of Israel” (1 Maccabees 13:51) (see also 2 Maccabees 10:7).

16. And when He approached, He saw the city and wept over it, (Luke 19:41)

17. And about the ninth hour [3:00 p.m.] Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "ELI, ELI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" that is, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?"... And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. (Matthew 27:46, 50) (see also Mark 15:34-37, Luke 23:44-46)

18. When Jesus therefore had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit. (John 19:30)

19. And behind the second veil, there was a tabernacle which is called the Holy of Holies, (Hebrews 9:3)

20. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom, and the earth shook; and the rocks were split, (Matthew 27:51) And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. (Mark 15:38) the sun being obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. (Luke 23:45)

21. Acts chapter 2.

22. And Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. (John 12:23-24)

23. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20)

24. 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." (1 Corinthians 11:24)

25. And so they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. (John 19:40)

26. But he was pierced through for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and by his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5)

27. For dogs have surrounded me; A band of evildoers has encompassed me; They pierced my hands and my feet. (Psalm 22:16)

28. "And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born. (Zechariah 12:10)

29. For Thou wilt not abandon my soul to Sheol; Neither wilt Thou allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay. (Psalm 16:10)

O LORD, Thou hast brought up my soul from Sheol; Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. (Psalm 30:3)

But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol; for He will receive me. Selah. (Psalm 49:15)

I shall not die, but live, And tell of the works of the LORD. (Psalm 118:17)

30. And He said to them, "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; (Luke 22:15)

31. "Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. (Jeremiah 31:31-33)

"And I shall give them one heart, and shall put a new spirit within them. And I shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God. (Ezekiel 11:19-20)

"I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, (Isaiah 42:6)

32. While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Matthew 26:26-28)

33. In the same way, after the supper He took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you. (Luke 22:20)

"I assume you are a Catholic. Can you further explain this comment of yours?"

No, as number of Catholics can attest I am not a Catholic. That does not mean that folks outside of the Roman organization necessarily have it correct. As MarkBSnr points out, Joseph Smith thinks everyone else is wrong but the Mormons. Granted, we would not classify him as a Protestant, but you get the idea. Not sure how much more comment you are interested in, or can endure. But the Scriptures make it clear, the requirements for men to take up a cross and follow Jesus was not something anyone could actually do. Were some crucified? Of course...but it did not sanctify them sufficiently to accord them personal righteousness. If they were saved, it was not because they died on a cross. Self-sacrifice cannot in any way, shape, or form create the righteousness necessary for us to stand before God.

When folks do what this man has done (or worse, reenact the crucifixtion), the world infers from it that the man is doing to endear him to God. The sacrifice, the pain, the suffering he endures all seem to be understood by the viewing audience as something needed to appease God. Irrespective of what he thinks of it. Notice, no Apostle ever did this...why not? Because anything close to this is not the Gospel. This guy cannot appease God...period. The Scriptures tell us that only God can rescue men and that doing silly stunts like dragging a cross around, tells the world we are kooks. Real believers are instructed to be "working with your hands, leading a quiet life and not being in any need" (Thess.). Helping, teaching, sharing, wating...not collecting donations to walk with a wheely cross. Ask yourself exactly what difference is this from the Hindu crawling to Ganges from 50 miles away? This is not the Gospel.

But, add a wheel to make it easier? Not scrape the pavement? Make it a portable cross? It is a travesty, a characteracture of that bloody, desparate Thurs.? afternoon when the unthinkable happened exactly according to God's foreknowledge and perfectly predetermined plan (Acts 2). His unmatchable love was unleashed against the powers of death and hell and He triumphed over our rebellion. He stepped into the dark so we would never have to. I don't have to carry a cross...it wouldn't work anyway.

This is the great error. To pay for our sins, we would have to stay on the cross. There is no promise of us having the power to raise ourselves from the dead. And if I could some survive my death on the cross, how is that I could imbue myself with adequate righteousness to stand before the Judge? Death on the cross would pay the price for sin, but would not elevate me to acceptable to God...the problem is two fold.

Only Jesus possessed that glorious strength, holiness, power and righteousness. His blood shed for us is the only "cross" experience we need and that happened one time for all time. This guy's behavior detracts from it because it is him doing the sacrifice.

Did that help?

Ping to #15

Here is the beginning article of the series from the "Seven Festivals of the Messiah" ...

This is the Passover one, but there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of First Fruits -- which all go together with what people observe as Easter.

And then later on, a few weeks later, comes Pentecost, the Feast of Weeks.

Those all represent the Feasts that Jesus, the Messiah of Israel has fulfilled, thus far. There are three more that Jesus has yet to fulfill in His Ministry on this earth.

Note here, for this section dealing with Passover, that Jesus was hung on the Cross at the time that the Passover Lamb in the Temple was hung up. And Jesus died at the exact time that same Passover Lamb, in the Temple, was killed.

At the moment that the Passover Lamb in the Temple was shedding its blood, Jesus was shedding His on the cross and said "It is finished" -- which the Priest in the Temple was saying, too (at that same time) -- "It is finished"....

Look at the very bottom of this post for the link to all of the sections for the "Seven Festivals of the Messiah."

It pays to keep in mind that Jesus was the Passover Lamb... the Lamb of God.

This is about the Passover and how Jesus' Ministry was fulfilling the prophetic message of the "Seven Festivals" in Israel that Jews observed (and do observe).

It's from a work called "The Seven Festivals of the Messiah" ...

This is my post from almost ten years ago, here on Free Republic, about "The Seven Festivals of the Messiah"

The link works sometimes for me, but most of the time, it won't work on Free Republic (something about this post being too far back and before Free Republic changed the way posts were made). So, you may get it if you repeatedly hit refresh (as I have done before) and maybe not. But, the following is that post from about ten years ago...

This is a "chart overview" of The Seven Festivals of the Messiah ...

HISTORICAL APPLICATION OF THE FEASTS

FEAST                   HISTORICAL APSECT

1. Passover             Israel's deliverance out of Egyptian bondage

2. Unleavened Bread     The going out of Egypt

3. First Fruits         Crossing the Red Sea

4. Pentecost            Giving the Commandments at Mount Sinai

5. Rosh HaShanah        Blowing the 'Shofar' (trumpet)
  (Feast of Trumpets)   Jewish New Year

6. Day of Atonement     Priest entered the Holy of Holies
                        Cleansing of the people's sins

7. Tabernacles          Entering the Promised Land/Great Rejoicing


MESSIANIC APPLICATION OF THE FEASTS

FEAST                   MESSIANIC FULFILLMENT

1. Passover             Death of Christ on the Cross (tree)

2. Unleavened Bread     The burial of Jesus

3. First Fruits         The resurrection of Jesus

4. Pentecost            Pouring out of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2)

5. Rosh HaShanah        The resurrection of the dead/
  (Feast of Trumpets)   Rapture of the believers

6. Day of Atonement     The day of Christ's Second Coming

7. Tabernacles          The Messianic Era/Millennium


SPIRITUAL APPLICATION OF THE FEASTS

FEAST                   SPIRITUAL APPLICATION

1. Passover             Repent and trust by faith in
                        the shed blood of Jesus

2. Unleavened Bread     Sanctification and separation from evil
                        represented by water immersion (baptism)

3. First Fruits         Walking in newness of life

4. Pentecost            Immersion (baptism) in the Holy Spirit
                        and faith in God

5. Rosh HaShanah        Hear the calling (shofar (trumet)) of
  (Feast of Trumpets)   God for our lives

6. Day of Atonement     Yielding ourselves to God so that we may
                        live (face to face) in His Presence

7. Tabernacles          A daily rest in the Messiah and having the
                        rest of His Kingdom in our hearts


SIGNIFICANCE IN BRIEF

1. Passover             Reminds us that God is the forgiver of sin who
                        grants us eternal life in His Kingdom through
                        the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our Passover

2. Unleavened Bread     Depicts putting sin out of our lives

3. First Fruits         Christ, the firstfruits risen from the dead,
                        afterward, those who are Christ's at His Coming

4. Pentecost            Serves to remind us that our Creator still works
                        miracles, empowering us to carry out His work
                        in this world

5. Rosh HaShanah        Looks forward to the return of Jesus Christ
  (Feast of Trumpets)   (rapture of the Church), and to the resurrection
                        of the "dead in Christ" -the hope of Christians

6. Day of Atonement     Pictures the loving reconciliation we have with
                        God, made possible through Christ's sacrifice
                        It also shows the remarkable truth that Satan
                        will eventually be removed so that humanity can
                        at last attain reconciliation with God on a
                        universal basis

7. Tabernacles          Represents the Millenium, the reign of Christ on
                        Earth for 1,000 years of true happiness and
                        utopia

AND, the following is my original post from ten years ago...

The Seven Festivals Of The Messiah

Culture/Society Keywords: JEWISH FESTIVALS MESSIAH JESUS CHRIST
Author: Eddie Chumney
Posted on 10/08/2000 01:39:38 PDT by Star Traveler

The following is from a series of e-mails sent out about the "Seven Feasts of the Messiah" by Eddie Chumney. This posting here is in connection with a previous Free Republic posting regarding a Jerusalem Post opinion article.
http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2000/10/06/Opinion/Opinion.13368.html
The Free Republic posting of the above article is here --
http://www.FreeRepublic.com/forum/a39dfa12f6cd2.htm
And below are the series of the Seven Feasts of the Lord, which figures very closely into what is happening in the Middle East with the Arabs and the Jews, that is -- if you think that God has anything to do with the world situation and Israel.
What is shown here is how the seven Feasts of the Lord, are fulfilled in the ministry of Jesus Christ, throughout the course of the history of the world. The first four Feasts have been fulfilled, up through the Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost. The next one to be fufilled is the Feast of Trumpets, related to the Rapture. And then in quick succession comes the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and the Feast of Tabernacles (the Millennial Reign of Christ).
1 Posted on 10/08/2000 01:39:38 PDT by Star Traveler (aldebaran6640@hotmail.com)
[ Reply | Private Reply | Top | Last ]

The Feasts of the Lord--Part I

FEASTS OF THE LORD      (most of the following study is taken from The
                         Seven Feasts of the Messiah by Eddie Chumney)


HEBREW NAME             ENGLISH NAME            TIME OF OBSERVANCE

1. Pesach               Passover                Nisan 14

2. Hag HaMatzah         Feast of                Nisan 15-21
                        Unleavened Bread

3. Bikkurim             First Fruits (of        The morrow after the
                        the Barley Harvest)     sabbath during
                                                Hag HaMatzah

4. Shavout              Feast of Weeks/         Fifty days from the
                        Pentecost               Feast of First Fruits

5. Yom Teruah           Feast of Trumpets       Tishrei 1
  (Rosh HaShanah)

6. Yom Kippur           Day of Atonement        Tishrei 10

7. Sukkot               Feast of Tabernacles/   Tishrei 15-21
                        Booths


THE APPOINTED FEASTS

The Festivals of the Lord found in Leviticus, chapter 23, were given to
us by God so His people could understand the coining of the Messiah and
the role that the Messiah would play in redeeming and restoring both man
and the earth back to God following the fall of Man in the Garden of
Eden.

The Festivals are divided into two major portions, depending upon
whether they occur in the spring or the fall.  The Spring Festivals
teach about the First Coming of the Messiah, and the Fall Festivals
teach about the Second Coming of the Messiah.  During the course of the
year, the rains come in Israel at two primary times - the spring and the
fall.  In Hosea 6:3 we read- "...His going forth is established as the
morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former
rain to the earth."  The "latter and former rain" in this passage is
commonly interpreted and understood to be the coming of the Holy Spirit.
The "former and latter" rain also refers to the First and Second Coming
of the Messiah.  The Hebrew word for the former rain, found also in Joel
2:23, is 'moreh', which means "teacher".  Jesus, the teacher, was sent
by God to the earth to faithfully teach us righteousness, just as God
faithfully sends us the rain. (Isaiah 55:10-11)  The harvest (believers
in Christ) is the product that the rain (Jesus) produces.

The Apostle Paul, in Colossians 2:16-17 refers to the Feasts as a
"shadow of things to come."  The first four Feasts or Festivals, which
are Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and Pentecost, primarily
teach about the significant events in the First Coming of the Messiah
and why these events were an important part of God's redemption of man.

The last three Feasts, which are the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) also
known as Rosh HaShanah, the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and the Feast
of Tabernacles or Booths (Sukkot), give us a fascinating insight
concerning important events that surrond the Second Coming of the
Messiah.  God gave the Festivals to teach about the death, burial, and
resurrection of the Messiah, the empowering of the believers by the Holy
Spirit, the resurrection of the dead, the coronation of the Messiah, the
wedding of the Messiah (which we have already outlined in a previous
study, but will include portions here as well), the Millennium, and much
more.

The Bible also provides some powerful reasons for studying and
understanding the Seven Festivals of the Messiah:

-The Feasts are in the Bible, and all the Bible is inspired by God.
 (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

-The Feasts are a shadow of things to come that teach us about the
Messiah.  (Colossians 2:16-17, Hebrews 10:1)


-God gave the Feasts so we could learn and understand God's plan of
redemption for the world and our personal relationship to Him.
 (Romans 15:4)


THE BIBLICAL CALENDAR AND THEIR MONTH OF THE YEAR

                                        MONTH OF        MONTH OF
NAMES OF MONTH          OUR MONTH       CIVIL YEAR      SACRED YEAR

Tishrei                 Sep             1st             7th

Cheshvan                Oct             2nd             8th

Kislev                  Nov             3rd             9th

Tevet                   Dec             4th             10th

Shevat                  Jan             5th             11th

Adar                    Feb             6th             12th

Nisan (Aviv)            Mar             7th             1st

Iyar                    Apr             8th             2nd

Sivan                   May             9th             3rd

Tammuz                  June            10th            4th

Av                      July            11th            5th

Elul                    Aug             12th            6th


To fully understand the Feasts being appointed times given by God, it is
important to understand the Biblical Calendar that God gave to us.
There are two primary calendars in the Bible.  The first one is called
the Civil Calendar and is used from Genesis 1:1 to Exodus 12.  The first
month in the Civil Calendar is Tishrei.  Rosh HaShanah, or the Jewish
New Year, the first day in the Civil Calendar, is the beginning of the
New Year.  The second calendar in the Bible is the Religious Calendar.
The Religious Calendar is used from Exodus 12 to Revelation 22.  God
established the Religious Calendar in Exodus 12:2- "This month shall be
your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to
you."  The month that God was referring to was the month which is called
Nisan.  Prior to God establishing the month of Nisan as the first month
in the Religious Calendar, Nisan was the seventh month in the Civil
Calendar.  God gave the Religious Calendar so that we could understand
that these Feasts, which He gave and which are His appointed times and
foreshadow important events in redemption, would happen on the days He
ordained on the Religious Calendar.  These important days on the
Religious Calendar are the same days that He gave as Festivals in
Leviticus, chapter 23.


HISTORICAL APPLICATION OF THE FEASTS

FEAST                   HISTORICAL APSECT

1. Passover             Israel's deliverance out of Egyptian bondage

2. Unleavened Bread     The going out of Egypt

3. First Fruits         Crossing the Red Sea

4. Pentecost            Giving the Commandments at Mount Sinai

5. Rosh HaShanah        Blowing the 'Shofar' (trumpet)
  (Feast of Trumpets)   Jewish New Year

6. Day of Atonement     Priest entered the Holy of Holies
                        Cleansing of the people's sins

7. Tabernacles          Entering the Promised Land/Great Rejoicing


MESSIANIC APPLICATION OF THE FEASTS

FEAST                   MESSIANIC FULFILLMENT

1. Passover             Death of Christ on the Cross (tree)

2. Unleavened Bread     The burial of Jesus

3. First Fruits         The resurrection of Jesus

4. Pentecost            Pouring out of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2)

5. Rosh HaShanah        The resurrection of the dead/
  (Feast of Trumpets)   Rapture of the believers

6. Day of Atonement     The day of Christ's Second Coming

7. Tabernacles          The Messianic Era/Millennium


SPIRITUAL APPLICATION OF THE FEASTS

FEAST                   SPIRITUAL APPLICATION

1. Passover             Repent and trust by faith in
                        the shed blood of Jesus

2. Unleavened Bread     Sanctification and separation from evil
                        represented by water immersion (baptism)

3. First Fruits         Walking in newness of life

4. Pentecost            Immersion (baptism) in the Holy Spirit
                        and faith in God

5. Rosh HaShanah        Hear the calling (shofar (trumet)) of
  (Feast of Trumpets)   God for our lives

6. Day of Atonement     Yielding ourselves to God so that we may
                        live (face to face) in His Presence

7. Tabernacles          A daily rest in the Messiah and having the
                        rest of His Kingdom in our hearts


SIGNIFICANCE IN BRIEF

1. Passover             Reminds us that God is the forgiver of sin who
                        grants us eternal life in His Kingdom through
                        the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our Passover

2. Unleavened Bread     Depicts putting sin out of our lives

3. First Fruits         Christ, the firstfruits risen from the dead,
                        afterward, those who are Christ's at His Coming

4. Pentecost            Serves to remind us that our Creator still works
                        miracles, empowering us to carry out His work
                        in this world

5. Rosh HaShanah        Looks forward to the return of Jesus Christ
  (Feast of Trumpets)   (rapture of the Church), and to the resurrection
                        of the "dead in Christ" -the hope of Christians

6. Day of Atonement     Pictures the loving reconciliation we have with
                        God, made possible through Christ's sacrifice
                        It also shows the remarkable truth that Satan
                        will eventually be removed so that humanity can
                        at last attain reconciliation with God on a
                        universal basis

7. Tabernacles          Represents the Millenium, the reign of Christ on
                        Earth for 1,000 years of true happiness and
                        utopia


OVERVIEW OF THE SPRING FESTIVALS

The four Spring Festivals are Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits,
and the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost.

These four Spring Festivals are joined together as an interrelated unit.
The Feast of Weeks is considered the conclusion to Passover.  The season
of Passover is not considered totally over until Pentecost is completed.

Passover begins in Egypt (a type of the world), where the children of
Israel had become slaves.  In the days of Joseph, there was a famine in
Israel and the children of Israel went down to Egypt and gave themselves
to rulership under Pharoah.  Because of this, Pharoah had legal
ownership over the people.  This ownership could be broken only by the
death of Pharoah, thus freeing the children of Israel to go to the
Promised Land.  When Pharoah died, his rulership over the children of
Israel was legally broken and the people were free to go to the Promised
Land.

Spiritually speaking, Pharoah is a type of Satan.  Until you accept
Jesus into your life, Satan has legal ownership over you.  By the death
of Jesus, the legal ownership that Satan has over our lives is broken
and we are free to enter into the spiritual promised land of God and
receive all the promises that He has promised to us.

From the crossing of the Red Sea (Nisan 17) to the day Moses met God on
Mount Sinai were 47 days.  For 47 days the children of Israel traveled
through the wilderness before they came to Mount Sinai on the third day
of the third month. (Exodus 19:1)  God instructed the people through
Moses to sanctify themselves before He visited them three days later on
Mount Sinai, which would be the sixth day of the third month. (Exodus
19:10-11)  This day would be the fiftieth day following the crossing of
the Red Sea.  It came to be known as the revelation of God at Mount
Sinai.  This day, being the fiftieth day from the crossing of the Red
Sea on Nisan 17 would be the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost.

From the Exodus story, we can see that the Lamb was slain on the
fourteenth of Nisan, the day of Passover.  On the fifteenth of Nisan,
the day of Unleavened Bread, the people left Egypt. On the seventeenth
of Nisan the children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, and 50 days later
on the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, God gave Moses the Commandments.

In the studies of the Feasts that will follow, we will see how Jesus
died on Passover (Nisan 14), was in the sepulcher on the day of
Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15), and was resurrected on the day of First
Fruits (Nisan 17), and the Holy Spirit empowered the believers 50 days
following Jesus resurrection on the day of Pentecost.  We will also
learn what these Feasts mean to the believer and how they relate to our
personal relationship with God.


OVERVIEW OF THE FALL FESTIVALS

The Fall Festival season begins with a 40 day period called, in Hebrew,
'Teshuvah', which means "to repent or return".  This 40 day period
begins in the sixth month of the Religious Calendar, and concludes on
the tenth day of the seventh month, which is Yom Kippur, the Day of
Atonement.  Each morning in the synagogue following the morning prayers,
a trumpet (shofar) is blown (except on sabbaths and the day preceding
Rosh HaShanah, the Feast of Trumpets). The Biblical name for Rosh
HaShanah is Yom Terah, which means "the day of the awakening blast".  We
call it the Feast of Trumpets.  God gave us this day to teach us about
the resurrection of the dead, the coronation of the Messiah, the wedding
of the Messiah, and more.  This day is both the Jewish New Year and the
beginning of a period of soul searching known as the High Holy Days,
culminating on Yom Kippur.  Therefore, the last 10 days of the 40 day
period of Teshuvah or repentance, is also called the high Holy Days.

The first and second days of the 10 High Holy Days (Tishrei 1-10) are
collectively known as one day. (Nehemiah 8:1-2,13)  The seven day period
from Tishrei 3 through Tishrei 9 is called the Days of Awe or the
Awesome Days.  God gave these special days on His calendar to teach us
about the future tribulation period on earth.  These seven days will
correspond to the seven years of the tribulation, known in Hebrew as the
"birthpangs of the Messiah".

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement is observed on the tenth day of the
seventh month. (Leviticus 23:26-32)  Since Rosh HaShanah teaches us
about the resurrection of the dead, the coronation of the Messiah and
the wedding of the Messiah, and the Days of Awe teach us about the
tribulation, Yom Kippur teaches us about the literal Second Coming of
the Messiah when He will set His foot down of the Mount of Olives.
(Zechariah 14:4)

The Feast of Tabernacles is observed the fifteenth day of the seventh
month of Tishrei to the twenty first day.  This Festival teaches us the
joy of the Messianic Kingdom or the Millennium.

There are four important aspects to remember when dealing with each of
the seven Great Festivals of the Lord:

1.  All of the Festivals are, at the same time, both historical and
prophetic.

2.  All of the Festivals teach about the Messiah, or Jesus.

3.  All of the Festivals are agricultural in context.

4.  All of the Festivals teach about your personal relationship with
God and how you are to walk with Him as you grow in the knowledge
of Him, from being a baby believer to a mature believer.


THE MEANING OF THE WORD "FEAST" IN THE BIBLE

There are two important Hebrew words that appear in Leviticus, chapter
23, and each word is translated as 'feast' in English.  In verse 2, the
word for feast is the Hebrew word 'mo'ed'- "Speak unto the children of
Israel, and say unto them, concerning the feasts (mo'ed) of the Lord..."
The word 'mo'ed' means an appointment, a fixed time or season, a cycle
or year, an assembly, an appointed time, a set time or exact time.  By
understanding the Hebrew meaning of the English word "feast", we can see
that God is telling us that He is ordaining a "set time or exact time or
an appointed time" when He has an appointment with humanity to fulfill
certain events in the redemption.  Jesus came to earth at the exact time
ordained by God as Paul wrote in Galations 4:4, and God has an exact
time or set appointment when, in the future, He will judge the world as
written in Acts 17:31.

In verse 6 is another Hebrew word translated as "feast"- "And on the
fifteenth day of the same month is the feast (chag) of unleavened
bread..."  The Hebrew word 'chag', which means a "festival", is derived
from the Hebrew root word 'chagag', which means to move in a circle, to
march in a sacred procession, to celebrate, dance, to hold a solemn
feast or holiday.  God gave the Festivals as cycles to be observed
yearly so that, by doing them, we can understand God's redemptive plan
for the world, the role that the Messiah would play in that redemption,
and our personal relationship to God concerning how we grow from a baby
Bible believer to a mature Bible believer.


THREE TIMES A YEAR THEY WERE TO ASSEMBLE

There are a total of seven Feasts (the divine number for perfection or
completeness in the Bible).  God divided the seven Festivals into three
major Festival seasons.  The Feast of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and
First Fruits are in the Hebrew month of Nisan, which is the first month
of God's Religious Calendar in the spring of the year.  The Feast of
Weeks, or Pentecost, is observed in the third month which is the Hebrew
month of Sivan.  The Feasts of Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles are
observed in the seventh month of Tishrei, which is in the fall of the
year.  Three is the number of complete and perfect testimony and
witness. (2 Corinthians 13:1, 1 John 5:8)  So the Feasts are a witness
to God's divine plan and the role of Messiah fulfilling that plan.


UNDERSTANDING THE FEASTS

In Leviticus 23:2 it is written, "...the feasts of the Lord, which ye
shall proclaim to be holy convocations..."  The Hebrew term translated
as convocation in Leviticus 23:2,4 is 'miqra', which means "a
rehearsal".  God gave the Festivals to be yearly "rehearsals" of the
future events in the redemption.  Because God gave the "rehearsals" to
teach us about the major events in the redemption, if we want to
understand those events, then we need to understand what God was
teaching us by these rehearsals.  We will do this in the study as we get
into the Feasts themselves.

The Feasts of the Lord--Part II


THE PASSOVER

The Feast of Passover was given by God to be a rehearsal of the First
Coming of Jesus Christ.

Jesus' sacrifice is the pivotal event in God's plan to save humanity.
Speaking of His certain death, Christ said that He, as the Son of Man,
must be "lifted up" (crucified) even as "Moses lifted up the serpent in
the wilderness," so that "whoever believes in Him should not perish but
have eternal life."

We see here that Jesus' sacrifice, the central message of the Passover,
was a supreme act of love for humanity.  This important event laid the
foundation for the remaining annual Holy Days and Festivals.  It is the
most momentous step in God's plan.

The Passover in the Old Testament foreshadowed Christ's crucifixion.

God declared Passover to be a permanent celebration for all eternity.
(Exodus 12:13-14)  Historically, Passover celebrates God's deliverance
of the children of Israel from bondage in Egypt, where they were slaves
to the Egyptians (Exodus 6:5-8, 13:3,14).

The spiritual application that God wants us to understand can be seen as
this:  Egypt is a type of the world and the world's system.  Its ruler,
Pharoah, was a type of satan.  The bondage people are in when they live
according to the ways of the world's system is sin (John 8:34).

Historically, the children of Israel were delivered from the bondage in
Egypt by putting the blood of a lamb upon the doorposts of their houses
(Exodus 12:13).  Spiritually, this is a picture of Jesus and how those
who believe in Him are delivered from the bondages of sin and the rule
of satan in their lives.  Jesus is the Lamb of God (John 1:29).  Jesus
is also our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7).  Those who follow Christ are
the house of God (Hebrews 3:6).  The doorposts are our hearts.  It is
only through trusting by faith in the shed blood of Christ, our
Passover, that we are free from the bondage of sin (Galatians 5:1).
This is because the blood of Christ redeems us from sin (Leviticus
17:11, Ehesians 1:7, Colossians 1:14, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 John 1:7,
Revelation 1:5)

During Passover, the head of each household was to take a lamb of the
first year on the tenth day of the first month known as Nisan and set it
aside until the fourteenth day (Exodus 12:3-6).  In the evening of the
fourteenth day, at exactly 3:00 p.m., the lamb was to be killed (Exodus
12:6)  The blood of the lamb was to be sprinkled on the lintel and two
side posts of the household door.  The lamb was to be roasted with fire,
with bitter herbs, and with unleavened bread, and the entire household
was to feast upon the body of the lamb (Exodus 12:7-8).  The people were
instructed by God to eat the lamb with haste and to be dressed and ready
to leave Egypt at the midnight hour.  This would be the fifteenth day of
Nisan (Exodus 12:10-11).

At midnight on that fateful evening in Egypt, the death angel passed
through the land.  Every house tht did not have the token of the blood
on the doorposts and lintel suffered the judgment of God (Exodus
12:12-15).  The Hebrew word for Passover is 'Pesach', which means "to
pass or hover over."  This word speaks to us about two things.  First,
it shows the passing over in judgment from death and sin to life in
Jesus.  Second, it tells us about allowing, by faith, the blood of Jesus
to hover over our lives and give us divine protection from the evil one.


GOD'S COMMANDMENTS FOR PASSOVER

Exodus 12:

vs.2--This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be
the first month of the year to you

vs.3--Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth
day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to
the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house

vs4.--And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his
neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the
souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the
lamb

vs5.--Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye
shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats

vs.6--And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same
month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill
it in the evening

vs.7--And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side
posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat
it

vs.8--And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and
unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it

vs.9--Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with
fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof

vs.10--And ye shall let nothing remain until the morning; and that which
remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire

vs.11--And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on
your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it
is the Lord's passover

vs.12--For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will
smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and
against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.


PASSOVER WAS THE BEGINNING OF MONTHS (vs.2)

Nisan is the first month of the Religious Calendar.  When we receive
Jesus into our lives it is the beginning of a New Covenant relationship
with God (Jeremiah 31:31-33, 2 Corinthians 5:17).  Passover is the first
of the Feasts.  Likewise, repenting of our sins and believing in the
shed blood of Jesus is the first step in our walk with God.

THE LAMB WAS HIDDEN FOR FOUR DAYS (vs.3,6)

God commanded Israel to take a lamb on the tenth day of Nisan and set it
aside until the fourteenth day.  These four days were fulfilled by Jesus
during the Passover week.  Remember, Jesus is the Lamb of God (John
1:29).  He entered Jerusalem and went to the temple, which was the house
of God, and went on public display there for four days from Nisan 10 to
Nisan 14 (Matthew chapters 21-26).

In eschatology, the study of last days, these four days that the lamb
was hidden is prophetic of the people's expectations that the Messiah
would come 4,000 years from the creation of Adam as part of the 7,000
year plan of God to redeem both man and the earth back to how things
were in the Garden of Eden.  These four days are prophetic of the
Messiah being hid from the world and not coming to earth for four days
or 4,000 years from the creation of Adam.  A day is understood to be
prophetic of a thousand years, based upon Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8.
Linking Psalm 90:4 to each day in creation, God ordained each day in
creation to be prophetic of a thousand years of time and the entire
redemption to take 7,000 years to complete from the fall of man in the
Garden of Eden (Genesis 1:1,5,8,13,19,23,31, 2:1-3).

THE LAMB WAS TO BE WITHOUT BLEMISH (vs.5)

Jesus was the Lamb of God (John 1:29) without spot or blemish (1 Peter
1:18-20).

THE LAMB WAS OF THE FIRST YEAR (vs.5)

Jesus was the firstborn of Mary naturally (Matthew 1:21-25), and the
firstborn of God spiritually (Colossians 1:15).

IT IS A MALE (vs.5)

It was through one man's sin that sin came into the world (Romans 5:12).
Because Adam, the firt male, sinned, so a male, Jesus, must die to atone
for tht sin (Romans 5:17-19)

IT IS A LAMB FOR A HOUSE (vs.3-4)

God's intention was that all (households) experience salvation.  The
lamb was a lamb for the house.  By believing in the Lord Jesus, we
become members of the household of faith (Ephesians 2:19).  Salvation
for a household is available to all who believe in the Messiah, the Lamb
of God (Genesis 7:1, Joshua 24:15, John 4:46-53, Luke 19:5-10, Acts
16:31, 18:8).

There is a progressive revelation of the Lamb in the Bible.  First,
there is a lamb for a house (Exodus 12:3-4) second, a lamb for a nation
(John 11:49-52) and finally, a lamb for the world (John 1:29).

A PASSOVER LAMB WAS TO BE KILLED IN THE EVENING (vs.6)
('evening' translated as twilight or between the evenings)

The Biblical day goes from evening to evening, from sundown to sundown,
which is roughly 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Genesis 1:5)
The day (6:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.) is divided into two 12-hour periods.
-The evening runs from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
-The morning runs from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
-Each 12-hour period is divided into two smaller portions.
-From 6:00 a.m. to noon is the morning part of the day.
-From noon to 6:00 p.m. is the evening part of the day.
The phrase, "between the evening" (vs.6) refers to the period of the day
that goes from noon to 6:00 p.m., which is exactly 3:00 p.m.  This would
be the ninth hour of the day, counting from 6:00 a.m.

Jesus died at the ninth hour of the day (Matthew 27:45-50).  This would
be 3:00 p.m., the ninth hour, counting from 6:00 a.m.

THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY SHALL KILL IT (vs.6)

Every person who has ever lived on planet Earth and sinned is guilty of
killing Jesus because He died for all sinners (Romans 3:10,23).

A whole congregation of people was involved in the death of Jesus.  The
Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John show how the Sanhedrin, the
priests, the Romans, and the people of Israel all clamored for the
crucifixion of Jesus and for His blood to be shed (Acts 4:26-28).

THE BLOOD MUST BE APPLIED TO THE DOOR (vs.7)

Those who believe in the Lord Jesus are the house of God (Hebrews 3:6).
The only way into the house of God is through the shed blood of Christ,
who is the Door (John 10:7-9).

THE BODY OF THE LAMB MUST BE EATEN (vs. 8-10)

Both the body and blood of the lamb speak of the body and blood of
Christ (Matthew 26:26-28).  We spiritually eat of the body of the Lamb
when we eat of His body (today represented by the bread).

IT MUST BE EATEN THE SAME NIGHT (vs.8)

Jesus was crucified, suffered, and died the same night.

IT MUST BE EATEN WITH UNLEAVENED BREAD (vs. 8)

Leaven speaks of sin (1 Corinthians 5:6-8).  Unleavened bread is without
sin.  As believers, we are instructed to live holy (unleavened) lives
before God (Leviticus 19:2, 1 Peter 1:15-16).

IT MUST BE EATEN WITH BITTER HERBS (vs. 8)

To those who have accepted Jesus into their lives, bitter herbs speak of
the bondage and burdens we experience while living in this world ( a
type of Egypt) before we accepted Jesus into our lives.  This burden of
sin is placed on us by satan when we yield to his lies and deception,
and then sin because of our own evil desires.

For Christ, dying on the cross was a bitter experience because He had to
pay for man's sin with His sinless life.

THE LAMB MUST BE ROASTED IN FIRE (vs.8)

Fire speaks of judgment, refining, and purification.  Our faith is
judged and tested by fire so it can be refined and purified and come
forth as pure gold (Zechariah 13:9, James 1:12, 1 Peter 1:7).

IT MUST NOT BE SODDEN WITH WATER (vs.9)

The Gospel of Jesus must not be watered down (Mark 7:9,13).

THE HEAD, LEGS, AND OTHER PARTS OF THE LAMB MUST BE EATEN (vs.9)

Those who believe in the Lord Jesus must feed on the mind of Christ
(Philippians 2:5, 1 Corinthians 2:16, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:21-23,
Hebrews 8:10).  The legs speak of our walk (Colossians 2:6).  How are
we, the believers in Christ to walk?  See, Romans 6:4, 8:1,4, 2
Corinthians 5:7, Galations 5:16, Ephesians 5:2,8, Colossians 1:10, 4:5,
1 Thessalonians 4:1, 1 John 1:7, and 2 John vs.6.

THE LAMB MUST BE EATEN IN HASTE (vs.11)

Bible believers must be quick to leave Egypt (the influences of the
world) and run toward the life that is in the Savior, Jesus Christ (Luke
19:5-6).

IT MUST BE EATEN WITH OUR LOINS GIRDED (vs.11)

Our loins being girded speaks about our hearts desire to eagerly serve
and obey God.  Our spiritual loins are the truth of the Word of God
(Ephesians 6:14).  There are other Scriptures that speak about our loins
being girded.  They are- 1 Kings 18:46, Luke 12:35 and 1 Peter 1:13.

SHOES MUST BE ON OUR FEET (vs.11)

Shoes on our feet speaks about our walk with God.  Scriptures that speak
about this are- Nahum 1:15, Romans 10:15 and Ephesians 6:15.

A STAFF MUST BE IN OUR HAND (vs.11)

A staff in our hand speaks about the believer's authority in the Kingdom
of God by the name of Jesus  The following Scriptures speak about a
staff being in our hand- Genesis 38:17-18, Psalm 23:4 and Mark 6:7-8.

IT IS THE LORD'S PASSOVER (vs.11)

If we follow Christ with all of our hearts, we will pass from death to
life, and from judgment to divine protection (John 5:24, 1 John 3:14, 2
Corinthians 5:17).

IT IS A MEMORIAL (vs.14)

Passover is a memorial or a remembrance (Luke 22:13-15,19).  There are
two elements of remembrance:
-God remembers us (Genesis 8:1, 9:5-16, Exodus 2:24-25, 6:2,5 Leviticus
26:38-45, Numbers 10:9, Psalm 105:7-8, 42-43, 112:6).  In fact, God has
a book of remembrance (Malachi 3:16-18).
-We must remember God (Exodus 13:3, Deuteronomy 7:17-19, 8:18, 16:3,
Numbers 15:37-41).

IT IS TO BE OBSERVED AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN (Deuteronomy 16:2,6).
This was fulfilled by the Lord at His crucifixion (Matthew 27:45-46).

IT IS THE PLACE WHERE GOD WOULD PUT HIS NAME (Deuteronomy 16:2,6)

The place where God has put His name is Jerusalem (2 Kings 21:4).  Jesus
was crucified in Jerusalem.

NOT A BONE OF THE LAMB WAS TO BE BROKEN (Exodus 12:43-46)

Not a bone of our Lord was broken while He hung on the cross (John
19:33).

THERE WAS TO BE AN EXPLANATION OF THE SERVICE (Exodus 12:25-28)

Jesus explained each part of the Passover as He did the service (Luke
22:14-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

THE EGYPTIANS WERE SPOILED AT THE EXODUS (Exodus 12:31-36)

Satan was spoiled when Jesus entered hell and rose again (Colossians
2:15)

YOU MUST BE CIRCUMCISED TO EAT THE PASSOVER (Exodus 12:48, Joshua
5:2-10)

The physical act of circumcision was only a picture of the inward or
spiritual circumcision that God wanted us to have (Romans 2:28-29).  God
has always desired for His people to be circumcised in the heart
(Deuteronomy 10:12-16, 1 Corinthians 7:18-19, Galatians 6:12-15).

THE PASSOVER FEAST WAS TO BE A HOLY CONVOCATION, AND NO WORK WAS TO BE
DONE (Exodus 12:16)

A believer finds true rest in ceasing from his own works and resting in
the finished work of Christ, God's Passover Lamb (Genesis 2:1-2, Matthew
11:28-30, Hebrews 4:1-10).

THE PASSOVER MUST BE KILLED OUTSIDE THE GATES OF THE CITY (Deuteronomy
16:5)

Our Lord was crucified outside of the city walls of Jerusalem at a place
called Golgotha (John 19:16-19, Hebrews 13:10-13).

THERE IS HEALING POWER IN THE LAMB (Exodus 15:26)

Christ, is the Healer sent from God (Isaiah 53:1-5, 1 Peter 2:24, 1
Corinthians 11:26-30).

THE EXODUS WAS ON EAGLE'S WINGS (Exodus 19:4)

Scriptures associated with this are Deuteronomy 32:9-13, Isaiah 40:31,
Luke 17:33-37 and Revelation 12:6,14.

THEY SANG A SONG OF REJOICING TO THE LORD (Exodus 15:1, 19-21)

Whenever a believer experiences and understands the meaning of Passover,
there is a spirit of rejoicing to the Lord for his or her deliverance
from sin, and for experiencing the newness of life in the Savior.
NOTE:  The Passover Seder, which is the service and meal that celebrates
the Passover, always ends with songs of rejoicing.  This can be seen in
Mark 14:26.

ISRAEL IS THE FIRSTBORN OF GOD (Exodus 4:22-23)

All those who accept Jesus as Lord and Savior are called the firstborn
of God even as Jesus is called the firstborn of God (Romans 8:29,
Colossians 1:15,18, Hebrews 12:22-23).


On the fourteenth of Nisan, at the third hour of the day (9 a.m.), the
high priest took the lamb and ascended the altar so he could tie the
lamb in place on the alter.  At the same time on that day, Jesus was
nailed to the cross on Mount Moriah (Mark 15:25).  At the time of the
evening sacrifice (3 p.m.) for Passover (Exodus 12:6), the high priest
ascended the altar, cut the throat of the lamb with a knife, and said
the words, "It is finished."  These are the exact words said after
giving a peace offering to God.

At this same time, Jesus died (the ninth hour, 3:00 p.m., Matthew
27:46), saying these exact words in John 19:30- "IT IS FINISHED."

My post listing the whole thing is Post #25 on another FReeper thread ...

You were saying ...

When folks do what this man has done (or worse, reenact the crucifixtion), the world infers from it that the man is doing to endear him to God. The sacrifice, the pain, the suffering he endures all seem to be understood by the viewing audience as something needed to appease God. Irrespective of what he thinks of it.

Heck! You can "straight out" give the world the actual Gospel of Salvation, straight from the Scriptures and they'll infer something else, from that, too... LOL ...

There's nothing new here. :-)

But, as I said earlier, I'll bet that he has given the Gospel of Salvation to more people in the world, in his one-on-one interactions than you and me put together, by a long shot.

And, I did say I would be talking to him to find out exactly what his thinking is in regards to the Gospel of Salvation, and I'll bring up the "criticism" that you level... :-)

I personally don't see a problem with it at all, because I'm saying that he's giving the true Gospel of Salvation to people, according to the Scriptures, as he talks to them. However, I will let you know what I find out.

I did an interview lately, and despite the fact that I was very careful and very explicit, the reporter interjected words and sentiments into my sentences that I did not say.

In short, don't take a news report as "gospel."

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