You've heard it said, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Indeed, there are things we can grasp by means of a visual aid far easier than we can in any other way.
When God taught His covenant people, the Jews, He used visual aids. For over 400 years, they'd been slaves in Egypt. As slaves, they weren't privileged to learn how to read or write. It's likely the only one who could read or write was Moses, who had been educated in the home of Pharaoh. So God gave the people various laws and rituals to observe. Eventually, the Jews became one of the most educated people on earth. But for 1,500 years, they learned about God through visual aids.
But the Bible makes clear, these were to be shadows of a reality yet to come. The time would come when they would put away these symbols and enter into the spiritual reality they portrayed. The transition from shadow to reality, was provided through the person of Jesus Christ.
"Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." - Colossians 2:16-17 (NIV)
Now, this doesn't mean the visual aids given in the Old Testament are no longer valuable to us. Indeed, as we're able to now examine them with 20/20 hindsight, we not only see clear portrayals of Christ, but can be helped to learn significant truths about our Savior. That's why today, we're starting a series on seeing Jesus in the seven feasts of Israel. One of the clearest visual aids given the Jews was their religious holidays.
Leviticus 23 lists the seven feasts of Israel, and they are centered in the Lord Jesus. In this chapter, you find the phrase "unto the Lord." Jesus is at the center of it all. Let's start with the Passover.
The Israelites were held as slaved in Egypt. They cried out to God, and God sent Moses to lead His people out of Egypt. But Pharaoh's wanted to keep the Israelites enslaved. So a series of 10 judgments came against Egypt, culminating with the death of every firstborn male child. As a result, Pharaoh let the Israelites go, then change his mind and pursued them with his armies into the Red Sea, where God destroyed them. But our focus is on how they escaped the judgment of having the death angel take their firstborn male child.
In Exodus 12, God gave steps to be taken so they wouldn't be struck by the final plague. They were to select a year old male lamb without flaw or defect from the flock on the 10th of the month Nisan and keep it until the 14th. Many believe this was to allow time for the family to grow attached, so when it was killed, it wasn't just a lamb, it was their lamb. This made the sacrifice very personal. Then on the 14th, the lambs were killed and the blood applied to the doorpost of each home. The blood made it possible for God's judgment to "pass over" them. So God instituted the Passover as "a night of solemn observance to the Lord for bringing them out of the land of Egypt" (Ex. 12:42).
1. The practical significance of this feast for Israel.
The Passover involved a lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs; and would answer questions so the Exodus story could be passed to each generation. Several centuries before Christ, a traditionalized Passover service emerged, called the Seder, from the Hebrew word meaning "order." It prescribes the order of the Scripture readings, prayers, symbolic foods and songs. It's observed still today. This is the order:
The first cup - Four cups of wine are used to reflect the fourfold joy of redemption. The leader pours the first cup and recites the Kiddush, a prayer of sanctification. Jesus, as the leader of His disciples, said the
Kiddush: "Then He took the cup, and gave thanks" (Luke 22:17).
First hand washing - A pitcher of water, bowl, and towel are given to each person. This is a symbolic act of purification. It's probably here that the Bible says Jesus "got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him" (John 13:4-5). This demonstrated that He was to become the suffering Servant, who would provide for their cleansing (Isa. 53).
The dipping of the karpas (green vegetable) - Usually a piece of lettuce or parsley, it's a reminder of the hyssop with which the door posts were smeared with the blood of the Passover lamb. It's dipped into a bowl of salt water, which is a reminder of the tears shed in Egypt and of the deliverance through the Red Sea.
The breaking of bread - There are three pieces of unleavened bread on the table. The leader removes the middle one from the linen bag to break it in half. Half is put back and half is wrapped in a linen napkin and hidden away in the house while the children cover their eyes.
The four questions - The youngest asks the questions: On all other nights we eat either leavened or unleavened bread; why on this night only unleavened bread? On all other nights we eat all kinds of herbs; why on this night only bitter herbs? On all other nights we need not dip our herbs even once; why on this night must we dip them twice? On all other nights we eat either sitting up or reclining; why on this night do we all recline? Often they recline on the leader. John reclined on Jesus at their Passover: "One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him" (Jn. 13:23). John sat to the right of Jesus and was the youngest, so he asked the questions that night.
The second cup - The first part of the Hallel (Psalms 113-114) were sung. Then the second cup of wine is poured, and in response to the four questions, the leader recites the history of Israel up through to the great deliverance commemorated by the Passover. As the story unfolds, the symbolic elements are explained; and while telling the story, the leader dips his finger into the wine and lets it drop from his finger as he mentions each plague, to symbolize the suffering of the Egyptians under each plague. This symbolizes the fact that God takes no pleasure in judging the wicked. He shed tears as He judged the Egyptians. Can you imagine how Jesus felt at this point, with the drops of wine falling from His finger? He knew He was going to the cross to take the judgement of mankind upon Himself for this very reason. The cup is then drunk. This cup is called the cup of Haggadah, which means "explaining" or the cup of plagues.
The sop - In preparation for the meal, hands are washed a second time. Then the remaining unleavened breads and the remainder of the one that was previously broken in half are broken into pieces and distributed to everyone. Each person eats a piece dipped in horseradish (a reminder of the bitterness of Egypt) and charosheth - an apple mixture. The latter would have sticks of cinnamon in it. This reminded them of the clay and the straw with which they had to make bricks.
It was here that Jesus foretold that one of the disciples would betray Him (John 13:21-27). Peter motioned to John who was reclining against Jesus to ask who Jesus meant. Jesus said it would be the one to whom He gave a dipped piece of matzah. Jesus dipped the matzah and gave it to Judas Iscariot.
The meal - Dinner is served. In Jesus' day, it would have consisted of roasted lamb, served with bitter herbs and unleavened bread.
The afikomen - After the meal is a third and final hand washing. The children are sent out to find the broken half-matzah that was wrapped in linen. When they return, the one who found gets a reward. After a blessing, a piece of the afikomen is broken off and eaten by everyone as a reminder of the Passover lamb. This would be the moment when Jesus said "Take and eat; this is my body" (Matthew 26:26).
The third cup - After another prayer, everyone would drink from the cup of redemption. This would have been when Jesus said, "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 26:27-28).
The fourth cup - Called the cup of Hallel (praise), this would be the cup to which Jesus referred when He said, "I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom" (Matthew 26:29).
A final song - The Passover ends with singing of the rest of the Hallel (Psalms 115-118). This is the "hymn" mentioned in Matthew 26:30.
2. The prophetic significance of this feast for Christians.
The most prophetic significance relates to the afikomen, which means, "the coming one," a clear reference to the Messiah. Why there three pieces of matzah? Because there are three members of the trinity. Why is the second piece broken in two with one part left with the other two matzahs while the other half is hidden? To symbolize that God the Son laid aside His deity and took on flesh. The half that remains represents deity He laid aside and the half hidden represents the humanity taken on. And God the Son, left glory to take on flesh only to be broken on the cross for our sins. Why is that part hidden and then brought back out? To symbolize our Savior's burial and resurrection! That's why Jesus waited until this portion was brought out to say, "this is my body." Of course, the third cup, the cup of redemption, symbolizes our Savior's blood that was shed for our redemption from sin.
3. The personal significance of this feast for me.
Jesus Christ is the Passover Lamb! Both are examined during the month Nisan, between the 10th and 14th (Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the 10th and was betrayed by Judas on the 14th day of Nisan). Both are young males who were unblemished. The bones of both were to remain unbroken. Both were offered in the place of another. The blood of both were applied across wooden beams (The doorposts of houses and the beams of the cross). The blood of both does supernatural work for those who believe. Including you and me! Have you trusted Jesus as your Passover Lamb? Believe on Him!
Finally, the deliverance brought about by the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb was remembered by an observance as is the deliverance brought about by the sacrifice of Jesus. An observance we will participate in today. Let's celebrate Him!
