HAVE YOU BEEN PASSED OVER?

Where are you in the Journey from coming out of Egypt to entering the the promised land? 
Before you answer that question even in your own mind, let's look at the historic Scriptural context. Scripture taken from Exodus 12 NIV unless otherwise noted. 

We just came through the season of the Spring festivals, a month ago and now we want to take a look at 

The first of the three Spring Festivals... 
Passover, initiated by God for His people.

"Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover."  Exodus 12:11b

I put this verse in right up front, for those who think Passover belongs to the Jews. Scripture uses the possessive tense here, the Lord's as in belonging to the Lord, not belonging to the Jews, but of course He shares His good things with His people.

First the Lamb must be Chosen 

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2 “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. 

Jesus came along centuries later on this very day and stepped in line behind the National Passover lamb, as it was being paraded through the streets of Jerusalem on its way up to the temple. As people waved their palm fronds for the lamb, they saw something different, they saw Jesus come riding on the foal of a donkey. And they went from just waving fronds for the lamb, to laying their garments as a pavement for the coming King. He followed the Passover lamb on this day of selection (Nisan 10), portraying Himself as the one 'chosen' to be the Passover Lamb by the Father. Whereas Riding on the foal of a donkey proclaimed him to be the soon coming King. 

Do you still think that Passover belongs to the Old Covenant Jews? 
If so, then which are you waiting for in HIS second coming? a Lamb or a King? Let me explain, in the first coming, within the context of the first covenant, Jesus came as the Lamb of God. In the second coming during the time of the second covenant, He will come as King of the whole earth.  
  
Second the Lamb must be Slain

6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them* at twilight. 7 Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the door frames of the houses where they eat the lambs.

Jesus and the Passover lamb were both slain in the same hour, on the same appointed Day of Preparation when all Lambs must be killed. He was chosen to be the lamb that was slain, even before there was a sin problem inthe garden.

 "whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." Rev. 13:8b (NKJV)

Third the Blood of the Lamb must be Applied 

In fact all the people declared His blood applied to their households, even though they did not understand what they were saying, when they said to Pilot "His blood be upon us and our children."

24 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person, You see to it.”And *all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.” Matthew 27:24-25 

Jesus looked at them from the cross and said "Father forgive them they don't know what they are doing." His forgiveness mixed with his shed blood is like the blood sprinkled on the mercy seat and it removed the curse they spoke over themselves when they said. "His blood be upon us and our children" and the veil was torn in the temple. 

Passover, release from the fear of Death, release from Bondage

We know historically the account recorded in the book of Exodus, namely that the Jews came out of generations of slavery in Egypt by powerful acts of God. God overpowered Egypt's false gods (demonic principalities and powers). He sent Ten (10) plagues, one right after each other, each plague displayed His power over one of Egypt's false gods. 

But the tenth plague was by far the most powerful, on the eve of Nisan 14, God took every one of their first born. This is a fore shadow of how God would give His own first born, to redeem men (spiritually in Egypt) on this very same Day (Nisan 14), Jesus would die not only as the Passover Lamb, but he would die in place of all sons and daughters. 

Scripture records that the children of God plundered Egypt, they asked their neighbors for items of silver and gold, a payment for all the years of slave labor which they had performed but had never been paid for. 

35 The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. 36 The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians.

What does Passover Mean for us?

As Israel did, we too must apply the shed blood of Christ (the Passover Lamb) to the spiritual door posts of our house. Then we are delivered from the pending plague of meeting certain death and destruction, at the hands of the death angel*. 
* (Abaddon (Hebrew) Apollyon (Greek) the destroyer - Revelation 9:11) 

We do this by recognizing our own sinfulness and our impending encounter  with death and destruction. Without the protection from the blood of Jesus Christ as the lamb of God slain for us, we are hopelessly vulnerable and death is the inevitable wages of our sin. 

As slaves to this world system we have only judgement to look forward to. But when we see the love of God shed abroad in our hearts, we respond to His love, and when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, we are saved redeemed, our name is written in the book of the Lamb.  

Maybe this is how far you have come in your journey... to the point where you are delivered from death, and you have fled the consequences of your sin into a new freedom in Christ. 

If that is the case, then we celebrate with you that you are His and He is yours. That you have decided to follow Jesus. This is cause for great celebration, it is no small miracle, to be freed from sin and death. 

But the Israelites' journey did not end here, and neither can yours. If you stay here the enemy can still reach you. Your past can still catch up with you. Your Salvation may not become secured. 

He who endures until the end will receive a crown of glory. 
three times the Scripture says and he who endures until the end will be saved 

 And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.     Matthew 10:22  -
But he who endures to the end shall be saved. Matthew 24:13 
And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. Mark 13:13 

Next time we will cover the second spring festival