Siblings,
It was Passover.
The time when God’s Chosen dropped everything to commemorate their salvation from Egypt. Centuries had passed, but the Feast was not forgotten. The Passover Feast reminded the Israelites that blood was substituted for their salvation. A covenant perhaps? You decide.
That night in the Upper Room, a new blood covenant was introduced by Y’shua. Initially, it was shared with His intimates. But it has since been extended to you and me. This Feast of the Passover season, during this Passion-tide, we also remember and participate in the new covenant in Christ’s blood. Consider Today’s Holy Nougat.
Matthew 26:27-28 CEVDCI
[27] Jesus picked up a cup of wine and gave thanks to God. He then gave it to his disciples and said, “Take this and drink it.
[28] This is my blood, and with it God makes his agreement with you. It will be poured out, so that many people will have their sins forgiven.
The New Covenant 2
If we extend our understanding of blood covenants to include God’s actions on behalf of humanity, and not just single individuals and their generations; then there are two other critical covenants presented in Hebrew Scripture that foreshadow Christ’s death.
The first took place in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3 tells us that after confronting the man and woman about their disobedience, God covered their nakedness – not with stronger fig leaves, but – with animal skin. Since there is no way to skin an animal without blood, we know that Elohim substituted the total death sentence that the couple should have faced with those animals.
We recall that this coverage came after God’s verdict was passed to the serpent, the woman and the man. As we listened to the verdict with our hearts, we would hear the prophetic word about the future generation who would override sin’s penalty (see Genesis 3:15). That act of covering Adam and Eve’s sin was the first covenant. [Did you see the parallel – the covenant in His blood for the forgiveness of sin?]
The second covenant is less about direct sin, and more about freedom. On the night before their release from Egypt, the Children of Israel got clear instructions. The angel of death would effect a final act that would force the pharaoh to release the Children of Israel. That act was the foundation of what we now refer to as the Passover. Death was certain for the firstborn males in all of the land. The firstborn was the one in whom all family fortunes and future were vested.
But those who trusted in God were warned. Their children would be saved IF the sign of God’s covenant was on the door. It was instruction to the angel to pass over the bloodied house – a sacrifice had already been made. The spotless lamb was a substituted for their firstborn sons. After the angel of death had passed through Egypt and passed over the bloodied homes, there was wailing throughout Egypt. But, the next morning, those Children of Israel were freed.
Freed to worship as YHWH’s Chosen
Freed to experience Sabbath rest
Freed to experience abundant life
Feed to live in the Land of Promise
They were ‘bought with a price’ – the blood of spotless lambs.
Self-Check
Would we have believed God would save us after 400+ years of bondage? Would we have painted the door posts with blood?
Application
The Children of Israel did not initiate their freedom. In fact when Moses intervened in his own strength, it cost him his life in the palace. Again we can see the Passover as a covenant between God and humans. And it can be seen as foreshadowing Y’shua’s death. Y’shua, the Lamb of God, was sacrificed for our freedom. His life was substituted for ours. And, as God’s firstborn, it’s His blood for our blood, His life for our lives.
His blood seeped into those two wooden beams like the blood of the lamb over the door posts in Egypt. His words from the cross, recorded in Luke 23:34, Father forgive them fulfilled the Adamic covenant. His death meant that the terms of the Genesis 3 covenant were met.
When we think that a) Y’shua died on the eve of the Passover feast, and b) because of His death we are freed from sin, and offered abundant life (see John 3:16; 10:10); there is no doubt that He is that Passover Lamb who brings us from death into life.
In Y’shua, we are
Freed to worship as YHWH’s Chosen: in Spirit and in Truth John 4:23-24
Freed to experience Sabbath rest found in Christ Hebrews 4: 9-11
Freed to experience abundant life, as He promised
Feed to live in the Land of Promise: the new Heaven John 14:3
His words at the Supper, This is my blood, and with it God makes his agreement with you. It will be poured out, so that many people will have their sins forgiven, affirms that Christ has paid our debt in full. We’re only required to believe in Him. Truly, His shed blood prevents the angel of death stopping at our heart’s door on the day of reckoning.
So what’s ‘new’ about the covenant, you ask? That’s for tomorrow’s reflection.
As we wait, let’s celebrate the most significant Passover ever, Y’shua’s blood shed so that we can enjoy abundant life and full freedom with God.
Point to Ponder
Will we accept this blood covenant offered by Christ?
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May all we seek be found in Christ
