02/09/11

The Passover Lamb

Mark 14:65 - - And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands.

Because of Church traditions most people do not have a clue of what Jesus went through during His Crucifixion. Most people believe Jesus was arrested after the Last Supper (feast of the unleavened bread which was celebrated a week before the Passover) and the next day was crucified.

Jesus said He fulfilled every word of the Book of Moses. When John His cousin called Jesus the Lamb of God, He symbolized the Passover Lamb whose flesh and blood saved the Israelites from death.

When the Lord was teaching me the books of Moses He opened my mind to how He fulfilled all the sacrifices and when I had the opportunity to meet the great historian, archaeologist and Bible Teacher Dr. Ron Charles (he is the script writer of the movie Passion of Christ), I put him this question about Jesus fulfilling the 5 days of observation from the time of arrest to being sacrificed. He did confirm that this happened and there are many historic documents to prove this.

Dr. Ron Charles was part of our trip of a youth program in a remote place near Pune. There the Lord led him to give a teaching on the passion of Christ. What he shared with us was just awesome. The movie was just 25percent of what he had scripted. He gave details from records by Roman and other historians of those days which proved how Jesus fulfilled each and every word of the Passover Sacrifice.

One thing, one should realize although the Jews hated Jesus and wanted to kill Him, they did not have the power to do so for they were under the rule of the Romans. They could only punish Him by whipping Him thirty times; they had to get the consensus of the Romans for that. The Romans had no problem with Jesus, in fact sided Him many a times, but the healing of Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus angered Caesar and turned the Romans against Jesus. Jesus knew by healing Bartimaeus He would be considered a rebel by Rome but yet He did it.

After Jesus' arrest and being whipped by the Jews thirty times He was again whipped by the Romans a hundred times and each whip has 9 to 13 strands with bones, glass pieces and nails tied to its ends. They had whipped Him on both sides. The men who whipped Him were given instructions; the one who manages to kill Him with their whip would be rewarded with silver according to Jesus' weight; so one could imagine the strength with what they whipped Him. It is recorded that He did not look like a human after they finished with Him as recorded in Psalms. But when Jesus did not die even after taking all this, the Romans feared it was their god's wish and to stop His bleeding put Him in salt water. This was not all that happened to Jesus, there was more and each incident was recorded in detail by the Romans.

The Church today knows the existence of these documents and yet fails to correct the congregation so as to not confuse the tradition followed since ages. This causes people to not know Jesus and lose on the blessings which He made available by His sacrifice.

There is no problem about making a mistake, but a person who knows that he has made a mistake and still continues in it, first deceives himself and then others; such person has no hope of doing good for he lands making more to cover that one and thus such things has caused the church to suffer and the world not to know God.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord the only way to receive You is with a repent full heart. Like the Israelites ate bitter herbs before eating of the Passover Lamb so also we need to realize we have made mistakes and sinned against You to receive You. Lord, give courage to your Church to realize the mistakes they have been making and help to come out in the open about them and stop misleading your sheep. Help them realize they are not perfect and just human, and it is only You who are perfect and Good. Let your people know You and what You have made available for them by your sacrifice...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
Matthew 27:1-2
1 When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:
2 And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

John 18:28-32
28 Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover.
29 Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man?
30 They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee.
31 Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death:
32 That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die.

John 19:1-2, 7-16
1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
7 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.
8 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid;
9 And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer.
10 Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?
11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
12 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar.
13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.
14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
15 But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.
16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.

Exodus 12:1-10
1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
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:
4 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.
5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
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.
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.
8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
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.
10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.

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