Warm hellos to you dear brethren, co-workers, and spiritual family on the Coast of the Gulf of Mexico and scattered children of God, from our offices here in Spanish Fort.

I trust and hope this finds you all doing well, and that again your week has been blessed. As many are confined to our homes and not able to work, I pray we are using this time wisely especially as we come up to the Passover, NTBMO, and Unleavened Bread.

In four days we will again begin another yearly cycle of the observance of feasts or appointments of the Lord. This beginning is quite intensive involving three special celebrations. A large portion of the Jewish community misinterprets the correct timing of these celebrations. They combine several of them into one evening and label the event “Passover” and then observe their Passover or Seder meal on the evening of Abib 15.

Much of the Christian community observes a “Good Friday” and then Easter Sunday tradition that is both incompatible and contradictory with the Scriptural record and incorporates traditions that have non-Biblical origin.

Each of the three Biblical celebrations has an individual meaning and significance. Let’s take a closer look and do a review as we anticipate observing these soon coming festivals. Let’s start with the Passover.

There are seven Scriptural references that link the celebration of the Passover day with the fourteenth day of the first month Abib, (later named Nisan). Here is one.

‘On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the LORD’S Passover.” (Leviticus 23:5)

Notice it is called the Lord’s Passover, not the “Christian Passover” as some will call it. Most will say, “oh it doesn’t matter” but actually yes it does. When we refer to it as the Christian Passover, most of the world will simply say “oh, you mean Easter of course!”

The Hebrew phrase beyn ha arbayim is translated “twilight” above. When we analyze the use of the term in Exodus 16, we can conclude that this is a period of time between sunset and dark. It is approximately a little over an hour at that time of year. Let’s look at the original instructions concerning this festival.

Exodus 12 records the instructions given to Moses for him to pass on as instruction to all of the Israelites. In verses 1-5 we find the instructions for the heads of households to select a yearling lamb without blemish on the tenth day of the first month. They were to keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then all of the lambs were to be killed at twilight. (v.6) This implies keeping the lamb until the beginning of the fourteenth. The word twilight (NKJV) is again translated from the Hebrew phrase beyn ha arbayim – literally “between the evenings.” Twilight begins at sunset and therefore has to be associated with the beginning of the fourteenth day, not the end of the day.

The blood of the slain lamb was to be collected and then splattered with a branch of hyssop on the doorframe of each house of the Israelites. (vv.7, 22) They were to enter their homes, roast the lamb, and then eat it with unleavened bread and a stew of bitter herbs “on that night.” (vv.7-8) “That night” has to refer back to the fourteenth day of the month introduced in v.6. Whatever remained until morning was to then be burned in the fire. (v.10) They were instructed to remain in their homes all that night. “And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning.” (v.22) The Hebrew word translated “morning” is boqer and refers to “end of night, coming of daylight and coming of sunrise.” (Online Bible Hebrew Lexicon)

On that night of Abib 14 a powerful and incredible event took place! The Lord “passed through” the land of Egypt on the night of Abib 14 and around midnight He directed the death angel to strike dead the firstborn of man and beast whose homes were not marked with the blood of the slain lamb. (vv.12, 29) The death angel passed over the Israelite homes that were marked with the blood of the slain Passover lamb. (vv.13, 23, 27, 29) This was a very real test of faith and obedience for the Israelites. It was a test that it appears they all passed! As the Israelites emerged from their homes at day break they prepared to fulfill yet another event to be commemorated in the future.

John the Baptist recognized that Jesus came to fulfill this ancient ceremony we’ve just discussed when he exclaimed, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)

The apostle Paul too recognized the fulfillment of the ancient Passover ceremony. “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” (1 Corinthians 5:7) Jesus sacrificed Himself, shed His blood to cover and cleanse our sins, and to die in our place. The apostle Peter also comments on this. “knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Peter 1:18-19)

Friends, we have all sinned and earned the death penalty. (Romans 3:23; 6:23) Our merciful Father in heaven has passed over our sins because of faith in the sacrifice of His Son and our repentance and commitment to turn from sin and disobedience. “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed.” (Romans 3:23-25)

This ancient Passover ceremony focused on the death of slain lambs and placing faith in the lamb’s shed blood that marked the door frames of the houses of the Israelites to protect them from the death angel slaying the first born. The lamb was roasted for several hours and then consumed by those assembled on that night of Abib 14.

You and I place our trust and faith in the shed blood of the true Lamb of God, Jesus of Nazareth, Who left the God realm to become a human being, subject to temptation but perfectly resisting sin, and fulfilling the symbolism of the ancient unblemished Passover lamb. We also reflect upon and remember the intense emotional stress He went through, and the horrible agony He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane as He anticipated the events leading to His death.

As we spend these next few days examining our individual hearts and minds and our relationship with our Savior, may we also have a deeper understanding of what transpired on that Passover in Exodus 12 that reminds us of the forgiveness we’ve been blessed with and why we must continue to trust Him, follow Him, and let Him live in us.

May you have a faith-filled and awe-inspiring Passover celebration! Phil 2:5 must continue to be our focus, and in spite of all we see in this world right now, we must not take our mind or thoughts off of God and His plan and promises!

Arms up friends! Our prayers and thoughts are with you daily. Please do pray for us as well.