Christ Our Passover
This paper deals with the various aspects of Jesus Christ being our passover. The Israelites experienced a literal, life saving, “passover”. We are given the promise that Jesus Christ is our life saving passover. But, how and when does our life saving passover take place?
1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
We are very familiar with the understanding that the holy days are a shadow of things to come. And many understand that, as these shadows are fulfilled they represent the bench mark elements of the entire plan that God has for the salvation of all mankind. But the shadow, by definition, does not picture the extent of the future reality that it is in reference to.
Col 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Col 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Col 2:17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
The original passover, is a physical forerunner of a spiritual manifestation. The original passover was, you might say, a blue- print that provided a certain understanding of the wonderment of its spiritual fulfillment. There are several factors that dramatically make this point.
Timing: The death of the lamb occurred some time before the blood of the lamb provided it’s intended purpose. Christ died before its intended purpose could be applied. The intended purpose of his death was to make it possible to have our sins taken away. And that purpose would be applied only at the time a person repents, and is baptized. Receiving the Holy Spirit and literally having Jesus living in us is a result of Gods work with us after our sins are taken away at baptism.
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Life: The first born Israelites physical lives were saved. Christ has provided for the way that all mankind may be saved.
Duration: The first born Israelites lives’ were saved on that fateful night, only to die some time later as a result of being physical. Those who accept the new covenant and have Christ living in them are given the promise that they may live forever.
We know when the first born of the Israelites were saved by being passed over, but do we actually know when a person receives the passover of Jesus Christ?
It’s incumbent upon us to again consider the following verse since there are those who think that our passover may occur at the time of taking the Lords Supper.
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
It doesn’t say passovers as in two or more. It has been suggested that on the annual night that we take of the Lords Supper, the unleavened bread and wine, that we are once again purified and receive a passover since Christ is our passover. But, there is not one word that would lead one to think that taking the bread and wine purifies us and provides us with eternal life. Also, this idea does not take into account that we have an advocate that is CONTINOUSLY available, throughout the year, to plead our case if necessary.
1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
The taking of the bread and wine is a REMEMBERANCE of all Jesus has done and is doing for all mankind.
1Co 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
1Co 11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
Many believe that Jesus became our passover at the time of his death. But we have already seen that Christ died and shed his blood before its intended purpose could be applied. That intended purpose was to make a way for our sins to be taken away. That
would only occur at the time a person repents, and is baptized.
1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
How are our sins taken away? By accepting Christ’s sacrifice for us when we symbolically die to our old (sinning) ways, at our baptism. How many times can we do this? ONLY ONCE, if we had actually received the full scope of truth and accepted it.
Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
Heb 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
Does the fact that our sins are taken away guarantee us entrance into eternity? No, not at all. There is so much more to it. We have to receive the Holy Spirit to be able to grow into the nature of Jesus and his Father. It is only having Christ in us that will provide the avenue to eternity. See the paper titled “The Lords Supper”. In this regard the following verses are very important to consider.
Heb 2:1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.
Heb 2:2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
Heb 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
1Th 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
1Th 5:19 Quench not the Spirit.
This is dramatic evidence that the idea of “once saved always saved” has simply not a shred of credibility. We must be very careful not to think that we are guaranteed salvation because we have accepted Jesus Christ as our savior, are striving to put him into our lives and are keeping his commandments. Paul, who obviously did all this, gave us the sober reality of our “salvation”.
1Co 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
There are those who would have to conclude that we could be given TEMPORARY “LIFE” (referencing eternal life) at our baptism or at the taking of the Lords Supper or at the time of Jesus Christ’s death ---- that can be taken away if we should become a castaway. But we do know better. Ezekiel 18:24 also gives us Gods thinking that relates to this issue.
Eze 18:24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them
shall he die.
I believe there is something very significant in regards to the last passover observed by the disciples and Jesus. The emphasis was put on "eating the passover". Seven times it was referenced that the disciples were to "eat the passover". One time, it was stated, they were to keep or observe the passover. On the original passover all of Israel was instructed to "eat" the passover lamb. In their obedience they were all saved from the power of Pharaoh. In "eating (symbolically) Jesus", we take in more and more of that divine nature and in the "eating" we will become a new man. Whereas all Israel was "saved" from Pharaoh, all mankind has the potential to be saved from an eternal death.
Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
But, it does take time and trials to actually grow into the Spirit minded person who has fully recognized the futility of the spirit of the natural man and has rejected it.
Jas 1:12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
Act 14:21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,
Act 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
Repentance, baptism and the laying on of hands is so very precious. But it is also the very beginning of God's earnest expectation for us. For some that expectation will be realized at the sound of the seventh trump. For all others, who have grown into the Spirit of God, that expectation comes later.
1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
1Ti 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
For a fuller significance of taking in of the "bread and wine" see the paper titled "The Lords Supper".
So then, how and when are we saved? What does “being saved” actually mean? We aren’t saved by partaking of the Lord’s Supper or by our baptism or by the death Jesus. So when are we fully “saved”? It will be at the time that Jesus will fulfill his promise to be our passover.
The term Passover can mentally take us directly to the night when the death angel went through Egypt and passed over those who had obeyed the instructions given by Moses. The meaning of Passover has been changed through the new covenant that was instituted by Jesus. So then how should we picture the circumstances relating to the change??? Isn’t it reasonable to consider a destructive force passing over us? When you think about it, there is only one destructive force spoken of in the New Testament that has a far reaching impact on all mankind. I’m speaking of the “lake of fire”.
All Bible believing peoples don’t want it to be their fate --- to be cast into that lake. Moses gave the Israelite first born confidence that they would be saved from the death angel. We have been given a confidence that we may be saved from the lake of fire. The whole of the New Testament is complete in its content on how that end can be avoided.
Rev 21:7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
Rev 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
The death of the “first born” in Egypt shows us that “passover” is related to being saved from “DEATH”. We see in the above verses that there is a death that faces mankind, all
mankind ----- except for the “overcomers”. ----- The overcomers will be “passed over” from the everlasting fate of being cast into the lake of fire.
This brings a credible understanding to the statement in 1 Corinthians 11:20 that states that Christ is our passover. (not was our passover as so many are apt to say). The only way we may be an overcomer is to have Gods Spirit helping us to take more and more of Jesus Christ into our lives by growing in the understanding of the “word of God” and live our lives through that word as we learn to love that word.
Jas 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Jas 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
This last part of this paper provides the frame work that helps us understand great significance of the second death as it relates to everyone.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
This last verse prompts a question. We know the “first fruit” become the bride of Jesus and then the wife of Jesus and will reign with him over 1,000 years as spirit beings. The question is --- do the words “whosoever was not found” in Rev. 20:15 indicates that thosewho become Jesus’ wife would be found in the book of life? Evidently it does. The following verses are very critical in order to gain an understanding of the importance of the occurrences relating to the time of the lake of fire.
Rev 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death
This was written to everyone in the churches. The letters to the churches show a likelihood that not all would be a first fruit. But we know that the overcomers eventually become the wife of Jesus. Why then was it necessary to say that his wife, being overcomers,
and who will have been spirit beings for over 1000 years at the time of the second death, wouldn’t be hurt by it? I see it as pointing to the awesome importance of what would happen at that time. Then this same consideration is given in the following verse, but with
more clarity.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Everyone who has Jesus Christ “dwelling” in them and written in the book of life will be passed over from being cast into the lake of fire. We should now ask the following question. What makes the last day of the “feast” (of tabernacles) great in the following verse?
Joh 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
Joh 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
That great day represents the time when all mankind who have died, will live again and be given their opportunity to receive Christ during the time of the “great white throne judgment”. That will take a period of time for repentance and growth in God’s way. The result will most likely be billions who enter eternity as children of God. See the “The Eighth Day” paper beginning at page nine. .
We know that Christ’s presence, in any of us today, is the work of the Father and Jesus!!! All the work they had done for all of us and in all of us, at the time of the second death, makes it possible for the promise to be fulfilled that Jesus would be our passover. Also, with that passover comes LIFE as an UNALTERABLE reality. It is when death or any threat of death, ceases to exist. That passover occurs on the last feast day known as “The Eighth Day”. --- see the "eighth day papers".
Our annual memorial of the Lords Supper is not a passover, or Paul would have called it “passover”. --- see the "Lords Supper " paper.
1Co 10:21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.
1Co 11:20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper.
This memorial is a serious time without parallel when we may deeply look into the love God has given us. That love that made possible the sacrifice of Christ and the gift of our opportunity to replace our nature with Christ’s own nature. John was the closest to Jesus in Spirit and deeply understood the significance of the symbols of the bread and wine given during Jesus’ last passover. The death of Jesus reconciles us to himself, but it is taking in the literal nature of Jesus Christ that saves us. The focus on the last passover was the new understanding of how it would be possible for mankind to grow into the love of God. This understanding was fully provided in John ch. 6 and then in John chapters 13,14,15,16 and 17.
Joh 17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.
In the final analysis, everyone who has been judged worthy of escaping the lake of fire has been proven worthy of sharing eternity with the Father and his Son.