In a few moments, we will be partaking of the elements of Communion, which signifies the Blood and Body of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Whose own body was broken, and whose blood was shed, as He laid down His life for the sins of all mankind. The act of Communion is not foreign to most believers, and it should never, never get old. It should never be done in a ritualistic manner. It can become, as many things, a "Spiritual habit," just like singing, or receiving an offering.
We recognize Communion because of the significance of the Crucifixion of Christ, and the relevance of the last supper He had with His disciples before His death. And though that particular instance took on greater meaning, there was really nothing unusual about the meal itself. It was the time for all Jews to observe Passover, which God had commanded them to do.
The Passover was merely a type and shadow of this last supper, and also of the Crucifixion and death of Christ, but was first initiated on a night of judgment, back in the land of Egypt. And there are, even for us, some very relevant and meaningful truths from that passage that I want to explore with you.
The Lord spoke by Moses and Aaron, and said, "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months..." Now I like that. Right in the middle of the year, God gives them a new beginning. The relevance of course, has to do with our SALVATION. Because, it doesn’t matter whether it’s June, October, or March, when you ask the Lord’s forgiveness for your sins, and the blood of Jesus touches your heart, it is right then the first moment of a brand new life for you! I thank God for a new beginning!
Let’s move on in the text, though, for there is great substance contained in these verses. The passage reveals that for the first ten (10) days, they were to do nothing. Just prepare themselves mentally, and inwardly, for what was about to happen. Judgment was going to fall, and only those where the blood of a lamb was applied would escape.
And it is the process of the preparation and partaking of the lamb that I want to deal with. In this, there are five (5) specific things I want us to look at.
1. THEY WERE TO KILL THE LAMB. This was prophetic of the death of Christ. This, as far as it relates to us, has already been done. The Lamb of God has been slain, crucified for the sins of the whole world. The sacrifice has been made, and the blood shed.
2. THEY WERE TO APPLY THE BLOOD TO THE DOORPOSTS. For man, this happens when they truly repent and ask forgiveness of their sins. At that very moment, the blood of Jesus Christ, however it may happen, cleanses their hearts by faith, and we are set free from the judgment and wrath of God which is to come upon the world. The blood, therefore, must be on the door of your heart for you to escape.
3. THEY WERE TO STAY IN THE HOUSE. Verse 22 says, "And none of you shall go out of you house until morning." I believe that we are to stay in the house of God. We are to stay in fellowship with God and with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are to remain in the house. We all need the house of God, for it’s a place of sustaining substance, of power and prayer, of exhortation and encouragement. We need to stay in the house!
4. THEY WERE TO EAT THE LAMB. This is extremely important, especially as it relates to Christ and the Church. We are not only to get saved, to ask forgive-ness, and have the blood applied, but we are to continue to partake of the Lamb. It is also very interesting to me, that, none of the lamb was to be wasted. Nothing was to be kept until morning. We, then, must consume Christ, eat and partake of His substance daily, and not let any of Him go to waste! I want more of Him! I want ALL of Him!
But notice this fifth and final thing....
5. IF THE LAMB WAS TOO MUCH FOR ONE HOUSE TO CONSUME, THEY WERE TO CALL THEIR NEIGHBOR INTO THE HOUSE AND SHARE THE LAMB. That’s the call for us, as well. Jesus Christ, Who is the Lamb of God, is so vast and great, so eternally enormous, that we are to call our neighbors, sharing the slain Lamb, the atoning and preserving sacrifice!
When you look into the New Testament, and see that Jesus came to the Jews first, or, to His "own house of Israel," and then was shared with the Gentiles, we can see that there is no need that another sacrifice be made. Exodus 12:3 says that "If the lamb is too large for one house to consume, then, gather others together and share the lamb!"
Well, when God’s Lamb was slain, He was so vast and large, that God did more than call all of Israel together. God called together all the nations of the world to come to His Table of Grace, and partake of the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world! And guess what? he was and is so vast, that, PEOPLE ARE STILL EATING HIM TODAY!
Whosoever will can come and eat, and partake, and feast on the Lamb of God. And I believe that more and more people will, if we will obey the command to call our neighbors into the house!
One final note, that speaks great volumes of truth out of the text (KJV). In v. 3 it’s "A lamb," in v. 4 it’s "THE lamb," but in v. 5 it’s "YOUR lamb." That’s the progression of Passover. "A" Lamb, must become "THE" Lamb, but then He must become "YOUR" Lamb.
And when A Lamb, becomes THE Lamb, that has now become YOUR Lamb, Communion will become more significant, and you will have a new PERSPECTIVE ON PASSOVER.
