“CHRIST   OUR   PASSOVER”   (1 Cor. 5:7)

Oct 2, 1997

Mar 16^th,  2003

                                               

Int. We have to look back to Egypt for the background of our message today.

 

1.       Like Israel, we were down in Egypt under hard bondage.

 

2.       Like Israel, we were under such bondage that our groans arose up to heaven.

 

3.       Then the Word of God struck the blow to our sin;

 

4.       God gave Jesus to be our sacrifice and delivered us from all those years of bitter bondage.

 

5.       We have had our wilderness experience.

 

6.       We have had our battle with the Amalekites.

 

7.       We have trodden the fiery serpents.

 

8.       We have been scorched by the heat and frozen by the snows of time.

 

9.       Our hearts have at times even longed for the leeks, the onions, and the flesh-pots of Egypt again.

 

10.     But thanks be to God, we have never been brought into slavery again.

 

I.       JESUS   CHRIST   IS   TYPLIFIED   HERE   BY    THE    PASSOVER    LAMB

 

        A.       CONSIDER   FIRST   OF   ALL,   THE   VICTIM----THE   LAMB.

 

                  1.        (Exodus 12:3)  "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:"

 

                  2.        Only a lamb could be a perfect type of Christ.

 

                            a.        (Hebrews 7:26)  "For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;"

 

                            b.        The poet wrote:

 

                                      “A humble man before his foes,

                                      A weary man and full of woes”

 

                            c.        (Luke 22:15)  "And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:"

 

                  3.        What tortures have sheep borne for the human race!

         

                            a.        Their skin is dragged from their backs, their wool is shorn to give us clothing, they are slaughtered for food.

 

                  4.        There were seven requirements in keeping the Passover.

 

                            a.        Roasted Lamb. (Ex. 12:8) (Pictures Christ slain) (1 Cor. 5:7)

 

                            b.        Bitter Herbs. (Vr. 8)         (Repentance)    (Luke 15:10)

 

                            c.        Unleavened Bread. (Vr. 8) (Sinless nature of Christ)

 

                            d.        Girded Loins. (Vr. 11)   (Surrendered life)

 

                            e.        Feet Shod. (Vr. 11)        (Ready to move)

 

                            f.         Staff in Hand..(Vr. 11)   (Pilgrim Character)

 

                            g.        Eaten in Haste.  (Vr. 11) (Anticipating His coming) (Rev. 22:20)

 

        B.       NOTICE  THAT   IT   WAS   A   LAMB   WITHOUT   BLEMISH.

 

                  1.        For sacrifice, not the slightest speck of disease or wound would have been allowed.

 

                  2.        So our Dear Lord Jesus was without blemish from his birth.

 

                            a.        Born of the pure Virgin Mary.

                            b.        Begotten of the Holy Spirit without taint of sin.

                            

                  3.        Listen to the testimonies concerning His perfect life.

 

                            a.        (2 Cor 5:21)  "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

 

                            b.        (1 Peter 2:22)  "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:"

 

                            c.        (1 John 3:5)  "And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin."

 

d.       (John 8:46)  "Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?"

 

        C.       NOTICE  THAT  THIS   LAMB   HAD  TO   BE  A  MALE   OF   THE   FIRST YEAR.    (Ex. 12:5)

                  1.        This lamb would be in the prime of life.

                  

                            a.        So our Lord Jesus was in the prime of life at Calvary.

 

                            b.        Not a boy, not a lad, not a young man, but a full man, that he might give his soul for us.

 

                  2.        (Acts 26:26)  "For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner."

                                     

        D.       THIS LAMB WAS TO BE SELECTED FOUR DAYS BEFORE IT WAS SACRIFICED.   (Ex. 12:3, 6)

 

                  1.        This lamb was set apart from the flock for two reasons.

 

                            a.        It’s constant bleatings put Israel in mind of the feast to be celebrated.

 

                            b.        That they might inspect this lamb for any spot or bleminsh.

 

                  2.        So Christ was separated from his father’s house for four years before dying on Calvary.

                  

                            a.        Here He went into the wilderness and was tempted.

 

                             b.       Four years after his baptism, he was sacrificed for us.     

 

                            c.        Four days before his crucifixion, He rode in triumph through the streets of Jerusalem.

 

                            d.        He rode on a donkey up to the Temple so that all might see Him as Judah’s Lamb.

 

                                     (1) .     (Rev 13:8)  "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

 

                  3.        It was during these four days that Jesus spoke some of His greatest statements.

 

                            a.        “Let not your hearts be troubled,”

                            b.        It was during these four days that He uttered the Lord’s Prayer.(Jn 17)

 

                  4.        It was during these four days that the Lawyer asked Him which was the greatest comandment.

 

                            a.        Notice His answer: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart...”

 

                  5.        It was then that the Herodians questioned him about the tribute money.

 

                  6.        It was then that the Sadducees tempted him concerning the resurrection.

 

                  7.        After all the testing, they had to conclude: “(John 7:46)  "The officers answered, Never man spake like this man."

 

                  8.        (Luke 23:4)  "Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the people, I find no fault in this man."

 

        E.       NOTICE   WHERE   THIS   LAMB   WAS   TO   BE   SLAIN.

                  

                  1.        The first Passover was held in Egypt, the second in the Widerness;

 

                  2.        The Passover was not celebrated anymore till Israel came to Canaan.

 

                  3.        The Passover Lamb was no longer allowed to be slain in their house.

 

                            a.        (Deut 16:5-6)  "Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee: {6} But at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt."

 

                  4.        (John 4:20)  "Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship."

 

                            a.        Jerusalem was the place where the Altar smoked, and there only must the Paschal Lamb be killed.

 

                  5.        They would have pushed Him over a cliff in Nazareth if possible, but:

 

                            a.        (Luke 13:33)  "Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem."

 

        F.       CONSIDER   NEXT   THE   MANNER   OF   HIS   DEATH.

 

                  1.        Only Crucifixion would answer the picture  of the Old Testament sacrifice.

 

                            a.        (Ex 12:46)  "In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof."

                  

                            b.        (John 19:36)  "For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken."

 

                  2.        The Romans sometimes would pierce a man clean through, but that would have been too quick to picture the “roasting by fire”.

 

                  3.        Sometimes they would decapitate their victim, but this included breaking of the neck bone.

 

                  4.        Sometimes they would hang a victim, but this would not suit the picture given by David.

 

                            a.        (Ps 22:17)  "I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me."

 

II.      NOTICE: “CHRIST   OUR   PASSOVER   IS   SLAIN   FOR   US.”

 

        A.       The O. T. Jew could not say that; he could say “a” lamb, but Christ was not yet slain.

 

                  1.        Only those that have looked to the Lamb of God can call Him “Our Passover” or “My Passover”.

 

                            a.        (John 1:29)  "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world."

 

        B.       THE   O.   T.   SAINTS   DID   TWO   THINGS   WITH   THE   LAMB.

 

                  1.        They sacrificed it to the Lord God.

 

                  2.        They ate the Lamb. (So we feast on Christ through His Word)

 

                            a.        Many   today   feast   on  their  experiences, but true saints feast on the Lamb that was slain.

 

                            b.        Some feast on their worthless “good-works”

 

        C.       THOSE   WITH   THE   LAMB   WERE   PROTECTED   FROM   THE   ANGEL   OF   DEATH.

 

                  1.        (Exodus 12:30)  "And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there  was not one dead."

 

                            a.        Imagine the wailing that went on in Egypt that night.

 

                  2.        “Bold shall I stand in that great day!

                             For who aught to my charge shall lay?

                             While through thy blood absolved I am

                             From sin’s tremendous curse and shame.”

 

                  3.        Imagine some of those under the curse of the Angel of death.

 

                            a.        There’s one you used to drink with, 

                            b.        There’s one that sat on the pew beside you in church.

 

                  4.        Listen to the screams:

 

                            a.        (Hosea 10:8)  "The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us."

 

b.       (Luke 23:30)  "Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us."

 

                            c.        (Rev 6:16)  "And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:"

 

Conclusion:   Are you saved today?

 

1.       (Ex 12:7) says:   "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."

 

2.       (Exodus 12:22)  "And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning."

 

        a.        Imagine someone saying, I don’t want the blood on my Lintel or door post; they are made of mogohany.

 

                  Note:  LINTEL   A   wooden   crossbeam   over   a   doorway.

 

        b.        Imagine a father saying, bring me the blood and mix some water with it so that it won’t stick to my new Lintel or door post.

 

                   Thy precious blood I plead,

                   That fountain opened wide,

                   That blood that flowed so free,

                   From Jesus' wounded side.

 

                  Note: (Heb 9:22)  "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission."

 

3.       (Heb 11:28)  "Through faith he    (Moses)  kept the passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them."

 

4.       (Ex 12;13) “.....when I see the blood, I will pass over you...”

 

The blood that purchased our release,

And washes out our stains,

We challenge earth and hell to show

A sin it cannot cleanse.