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The Passover (4 things)
Because Jesus was the Passover Lamb – we get to go to heaven forever!
1st – The Plot to kill Jesus… vs. 1-2
The day of the Passover had arrived… vs. 1
The Passover – the festival that remembered how God saved Israel – slavery in Egypt…
The 10th plague – the death angel – killed the 1st born of every man and animal…
Yet if the blood of the lamb covered your house – you were passed over!
All Jews were required to attend the feast of Passover – Exodus 23:14
The population of Jerusalem would swell from 100,000 to over 1 million people!
The chief priests and scribes wanted to kill Jesus… vs. 2…
They had been embarrassed – shamed – revealed for who they really were…
The leaders had enough – it was time to silence Jesus – He had to die…
But they feared the huge crowds in Jerusalem – accusing Jesus could cause a riot…
It was much wiser to wait until they had all gone home – after the Passover…
Then they could take Jesus quietly without making a HUGE scene…
But in spite of what they wanted – Jesus WAS crucified on Passover…
The reason – they were not in control – Jesus was!
John 10:18– “No one takes [my life] from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again.”
No matter how dark our circumstances might seem – God is always in control…
Men make their plans – they may have nothing but evil intentions…
They will say what they want – and do what they want…
But in the end – God is in control – and He uses all things for His purpose…
Meaning we get to rest and trust – since God is for us who can be against us!
2nd – The fall of Judas… vs. 3-6
Satan entered Judas Iscariot…
Satan himself possessed Judas – inspiring him to betray Jesus…
Because when Jesus was put on the cross – satan thought he had won…
He had managed to crucify Christ – he had killed God…
What he did not understand – but would learn in 3 short days – it was his defeat!
It was there on the cross Jesus crushed satan / sin / and death!
If he has known he would never have allowed Jesus to be crucified…
I Corinthians 2:8 – “Had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”
Judas – went to the chief priests – to betray Jesus…
His motive – he had been rebuked by Jesus when Mary offered her Alabaster box…
Judas had said – the oil could have been sold and given to the poor – John 12:5-6
He said this because he kept the ‘money box’ and would steal from it…
Seeing that he could not profit from Jesus – he went looking elsewhere…
His motive had never been to know God – serve the Lord – only self-seeking!
What is our motive for going to church – why do we want to follow Jesus…
Are we only hanging around to see what we can get from the Lord…
Thinking that we can profit from God – what happens when we find we can not…
The message of the Gospel of Jesus is not about what we can get in this life…
God does not promise us wealth in this world – He promises us eternal wealth!
30 pieces of silver…
Though Judas was a disciple of Jesus – was willing to give Jesus over – for a price…
The cost – 30 pieces of silver – about P1,500 – Matthew 26:15
Judas and the chief priest did not give much value to the life of Jesus…
It was the price for a dead slave – Exodus 21:32
From then on Judas sought to betray Jesus in the absence of the crowd…
The 12 foundations of heaven…
Revelation 21:14 – “Now the wall of the [New Jerusalem] had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”
Judas could have been one of the 12 pillars of the New Jerusalem for eternity…
Instead he gave it all away for just P1,500 (that in guilt he gave it back)…
What do we think is worth more than Jesus – being His disciple – living for Jesus…
Trying to win the lotto – become a millionaire / get lucky – become a movie star…
If only – but even those are nothing compared to what we would give up…
The best this world has to offer – only last only a few years…
What Jesus has in store for us is eternal – why do we sell ourselves short!
Fulfillment of prophecy – Zechariah 11:12-13 – 30 pieces silver – princely price…
The betrayal of Judas was not a surprise – Jesus knew it when he chose him…
The betrayal – down to 30 pieces of silver – was all prophesied…
So why did Jesus keep Judas around – to give him a chance to change…
If we are like Judas this morning – the Lord knows our hearts…
If we are caught up in the cares of this world – only looking for what we can get…
Jesus patiently waits for us to see – life is far more than food or money…
Life – true life – eternal life – is simply knowing Jesus – John 17:3
3rd – Preparing for the Passover… vs. 7-13
Jesus told Peter and John to go and prepare for the Passover meal…
With so many visitors in Jerusalem for the Passover – space was limited…
Jesus told them to go into the city and there they would find ‘a man with a pitcher’…
They would follow him to a house – and they were to say to the master of the house…
‘Where is the guest room – so Jesus can eat the Passover with His disciples?’
I am sure Peter and John had questions – ‘follow a man with a pitcher?’
But they went – and found it just as Jesus said – and prepared the Passover meal…
Often God gives us instructions – without explanations – leaving us with questions…
But God does not ask us to understand – He calls us to obey…
And when we are willing to step out and follow His commands – we will be blessed!
The Last Supper…
We are familiar with the Passover Feast by a different name – ‘The Last Supper’…
We assume this feast took place on Thursday evening because…
Jesus was crucified on Black Friday – or was He…
Jesus said He would be 3 days and 3 nights in the grave – Mark 10:34
If you count 3 days from Friday – you do not end up at Sunday morning…
The day after the Sabbath…
Nowhere in the Bible does it say Jesus was crucified on Friday…
Friday crucifixion is a church tradition – one most likely started with – Mark 15:43
We are told Jesus was buried the day before the Sabbath…
The Jewish Sabbath was on Saturday – so the assumption is Jesus died on Friday…
EXCEPT it turns out Saturdays were not the only Jewish ‘Sabbath days’…
The 1st day of the ‘Passover’ feast – was a special ‘High Sabbath day’…
Matthew 28:1–“After the Sabbath[s], as the first day of the week began to dawn.”
After the two Sabbath days – on Sunday – Jesus was resurrected!
So there is a good chance Jesus was crucified on a Wednesday!
Traditions vs. truth…
That does not mean we celebrate Jesus crucifixion on the wrong day – Friday…
The Biblical timeline does seem to point to a Wednesday crucifixion…
But it is not important what day Jesus died – it is that He dies for our sins…
Yet so often we have traditions – and we do not even know why…
We believe a tradition – or superstition – because… (that is the only reason)
We do not take the time to find out if a tradition/superstition is true or not…
That is why we study/read our Bibles – to learn what is true and why!
4th – The Passover meal… vs. 14-20
Jesus sat down with the 12 Apostles (sent out)…
The time had come for Jesus to fulfill His purpose for coming to earth – the cross…
The time had come for the 11 (not Judas) to be sent (Apostles) to spread the Gospel
Jesus had been REALLY looking forward to having this ‘Last meal’ with them…
It would be the last time they ate together – before Jesus had to go the cross…
Jesus began the supper by taking the first cup – the Keddush – the cup of blessing…
The Last supper was in every way the celebration of the Jewish feast of Passover…
Jesus took the first of four cups that were a part of the Passover ceremony…
He gave thanks – and then gave it to the twelve to divide among themselves…
He told the Apostles – he would not drink again till the Kingdom of God had come…
It was a sign of the friendship and love Jesus had for those He now called friends…
John 15:15 – “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.”
Jesus looked forward to when they would eat together again – not in sorrow…
But in joy – when the work of salvation was complete – and they were all in heaven!
Communion…
Jesus took the bread – Matzah – bread without leaven (yeast)…
The Matzah is always pierced and stripped…
Isaiah 53:5 – “He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”
Without Leaven (a picture of sin) – Jesus is perfect – without sin…
Jesus was pierced / striped / and broken – so that we could be made whole again!
Jesus took the cup after supper – Ha-Geulah – the cup of redemption…
This was the 3rd of 4 cups that were part of the Passover celebration
Jesus took the cup of Redemption – and said this is my blood shed for you…
We are all sinners and there is only one payment for sin – death – Romans 6:23…
We are the ones who should have died – we belonged on the cross…
But Jesus – the only sinless man – went in our place and paid the price for us!
The New Covenant…
In His broken body and in His shed blood – He established a New Covenant!
We need to ask – if there is a New Covenant – what was the Old…
The Old Covenant was all about what we had to do – the ‘to do’ list…
It gave us 613 commands – all of which we had to follow – every day…
If we made one mistake – broke one law – deserved judgment – James 2:10…
The New Covenant (promise) did away with the Old…
Hebrews 8:13–“When God speaks of a new covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and ready to be put aside.”
It was the Covenant of ‘Better promises’ – Hebrews 8:6…
God will write His word on our mind and in our hearts – Jeremiah 31:33-34…
He will be our God – we His people – forgive our sin and remember it no more!
The New (better) covenant is no longer about what we have to do…
It is instead all about what God has already done for us…
Because Jesus body was broken – we no longer are under the Law!
Because Jesus shed His blood – we have forgiveness of all our sins!
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