Millions of people over 2k years have been awakened to the reality of eternity in Christ following these practices of serving Jesus, dedicating our children and identifying with a congregational family! Somehow in our culture we’ve allowed so much of our rich history to fade into the background. All of it really matters!
On Palm Sunday Jesus fulfilled one of the most fascinating and measurable prophecies in all of scripture. Go to the blog to read an elaborate explanation but on March 14th of 445 B.C. a prediction came to pass that set a prophetic alarm clock into motion specifically saying 173,880 days later the Messiah would be revealed. Its measurable so count those days forward on the calendar and you come to April 6th 32 A.D. Palm Sunday when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. See the elaborate details of this prophecy at the very bottom of this blog.
The history of all of these things really matters! Jesus was riding into Jerusalem on the very day the Israelites were to be selecting their sacrificial lamb for that week’s Passover meal. It is as if the Father is presenting Jesus publicly as the Lamb of God, the ultimate Passover Lamb on the very day all the Jewish fathers were doing the same.
Passover is the celebration of God’s deliverance from Egypt when the angel of death passed over every house that had blood on doorframes (top, sides and bottom). With blood dripping from the top to the ground we actually find the imagery of the cross in the doorway.
(John 10 Jesus says, “I am the door.”) These slaves passed through this formation going to freedom and the Bible says none of them were sick or feeble.
Exodus 12:3-4 Tell the whole community of Israel…each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household…You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. (NIV)
Each man took responsibility to bring Christ to his home. This wasn’t Pastor Moses’ responsibility.
Exodus 12:24-27 Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. 25 When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. 26 And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27 then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians… NIV
Jesus didn’t cancel Passover, He kept. He fulfills it. Paul is addressing sexual immorality in the church but he uses the imagery here clearly communicating that Jesus is our pure and holy Passover Lamb. Notice his encouragement to celebrate this festival.
1 Corinthians 5:7-8 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. ESV
The purpose of Passover is found in Christ. The practice of Passover is found in Exodus. The principle of Passover is found in Genesis.
After the Fall God begins revealing the consequential pattern of something innocent dying so others can live. This is the theology that Passover later fulfills.
Genesis 3:21 God makes garments of skin for Adam and Eve. An animal died to cover their shame.
Genesis 4: Abel’s acceptable sacrifice was a blood sacrifice of the firstborn of his flock.
Genesis 6-8: Noah is inside the ark covered by what God provided as judgment comes.
Genesis 22: Father Abraham lays his only true son back on the wood to be sacrificed but God spares him providing a ram instead. Passover is a moment where the firstborn should die but a sacrifice dies instead.
The principle of Passover is found in Genesis. The practice of Passover is found in Exodus. The purpose of Passover is found in Christ. The way we choose to rehearse and remember what God was revealing in the principle, the practice and purpose really is up to us.
We want to commission you to a very simple expression of the Passover in your own homes.
Very easy to understand and easy to read script to walk this out. Nothing about this is “getting it right”. It’s about experiencing Christ in whatever efforts you make knowing that God will meet you there.
GP2RL: Host God’s a simplified expression of the Passover Meal in your home this week. Here is the simple guide:
SIMPLE SCRIPT FOR A PASSOVER MEAL:
(You simply need Four cups + Crackers + Parsley)
“Tonight, we’re experiencing a story God has been telling for generations. This is the story of deliverance—of God bringing His people out of slavery and into freedom. This story ultimately points to Jesus.”
Cup 1 – Sanctification: God calls his people out to be set apart for his purposes.
Exodus 6:6 I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. ESV
Before anything changes externally, God declares, “You are no longer defined by where you’ve been.”
(Pause)
“Let’s take the first cup together.”
Cup 2 – Deliverance: God’s people were slaves in Egypt—oppressed, stuck, unable to free themselves.
So God moved. He sent Moses to confront Pharaoh. He made a way for His people to be delivered.”
Exodus 12:13 The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. ESV
The blood of the lamb marked God’s people. Death passed over them. This is the moment of rescue was at hand so they had to bake bread quickly making it without yeast not having time to let their bread rise.
(Optional: hold up bread/herb briefly)
This bread reminds us they left in haste. These bitter herbs remind us of the pain of slavery.”
(Pause)
“Let’s take the second cup together.”
Cup 3 – Redemption
Now we focus on the moment all of this was pointing to as we look to the Lord’s Table.
1 Corinthians 11:23-25 …On the night when the Lord Jesus was betrayed, he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ESV
The blood of Jesus saves us. Not from Egypt but from sin and death.”
(Hold bread) “His body given for us.”
(Hold cup) “His blood poured out for us.”
(Pause — let it sink in for a moment)
“Let’s receive this together.”
Cup 4 – Restoration
Jesus said something surprising after the third cup. He disrupted what was commonly practiced. The final cup was the cup of consummation at the end of the meal as a way of completing the celebration. Traditionally they would drink this cup after the meal, during (psalms of praise) at the very end. Jesus stopped short of this.
Matthew 26:29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” ESV
Jesus didn’t drink the final cup at the Last Supper because the story isn’t over yet. There is a future table coming. A final celebration. A moment when Jesus will sit with His people again and everything will be made new.
Leaving the last cup on the table visualized the promise of that which was still to come. Jesus was saving the final cup to drink with us in the future, complete, and victorious Kingdom we read about in the book of Revelation:
Revelation 19:1-9 After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God… 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5 And from the throne came a voice saying, “Praise our God, all you his servants, you who fear him, small and great.” 6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready…9…Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. ESV
(Pause)
This cup represents all that we look forward to in the coming and fulfillment of God’s Kingdom on earth.
Invite reflection: Let’s take a moment for everyone to silently reflect on
Close with a prayer
“We remember what God has done.
We receive what Jesus has finished.
And we look forward to all that is still coming. Amen.”
Palm Sunday, April 6th 32 A.D. Prophecy Fulfilled:
Dan 9:24-25 "The Lord has commanded 490 years of further punishment upon Jerusalem and your people. Then at last they will learn to stay away from sin, and their guilt will be cleansed; then the kingdom of everlasting righteousness will begin, and the Most Holy Place (in the Temple) will be rededicated, as the prophets have declared. 25 Now listen! It will be 49 years plus 434 years from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One comes! Jerusalem's streets and walls will be rebuilt despite the perilous times. (TLB)
Notice that Daniel specifically states that it will be 49 years + 434 years = 483 years from the time the command is given to rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One comes. Who is the anointed one? This references the Messiah. Who is the Messiah? This is where this prophetic scripture gets very specific and leaves little room for question.
The sacred Year known to the Jews as 360 day year based on the account of Noah and the five months (150 days) of water prevailing upon the earth. Gen chapters 7 & 8. Daniel stated it would be 483 years. If you do the math you’ll find that 483 years of 360-day years will total 173,880 days. According to this prophesy in Daniel 9:24 there would be a command to rebuild the temple and this command would set a prophetic alarm clock into motion that would introduce the Messiah 173,880 days after the command was given.
Ezra 7 tells the story of when this commandment came forth to restore and to build Jerusalem.
Ezra 7:9 For on the first of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, because the good hand of his God {was} upon him.
Ezra 7:12-13 "Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect {peace.} And now 13 I have issued a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who are willing to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. (NAS)
The first of the fifth month according to the Jewish calendar would be 1st day of the month of Nissan. In our calendar this would be March 14th 445 B.C. If you take March 14th of 445 B.C. and add to that day the 173,880 days you will be able to come up with a very specific date in history. A date when Daniel prophesied the Messiah would be revealed. If you walk this out on a calendar you will land on a Sunday. This is not just any Sunday but this date is known as Palm Sunday, April 6th 32 A.D. This is the day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. You can read about this in Matthew 21:7-10.
The song all the people were singing was a very commonly known song “Hosanna – blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord”. This was the song they would sing to welcome their king. There are 430 prophecies of the first coming of the Messiah. All 430 prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
