Special Deliverance

Special Deliverance

Exodus 12; Matthew 26:17-29

Pastor Don Jones

Introduction

We approach the time when we are going to partake of the Lord’s Supper. Before we do, I would like a show of hands of people who need deliverance from something.

All of us, at one time or another, need to be delivered from something or someone. It might be a problem with a family member. It might be a problem with your health or the health of a loved one. It might be financial, marital, spiritual, or any of a myriad of problems we find in this life.

Deliverance

The children of God found themselves in a bit of a predicament. They needed deliverance from Pharaoh. God had sent Moses to deliver the bad news of the tenth plague. All of the first born would die.

The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. 6Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. 7Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.

All of the Israelites were to prepare a Passover meal. You remember, the angel of death would see the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and lentils and pass over those houses. I am sure each person made sure they had followed the instructions to the letter. If not, their firstborn would die.

They were also to prepare a meal, the Passover meal. Specific instructions were given as to how they were to prepare the meal.

That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast.

It was to be done each year so that the children would learn of the miraculous deliverance the Lord had done in the land of Egypt.

The "Bam" Is in the Bread, Cleansing in the Cup

It was to be a feast of bitterness to remind the Israelites of what God had done for them in Egypt. They were also to continue to consume this meal for generations to remind them of God’s deliverance.

I love to watch the food shows. No, I am not a great chef nor do I cook that often. But when I do, I know that the flavors of the meal come mainly from the spices used. My favorite chef is Emeril. He gets really excited about his food and his spices.

The bread without yeast and the bitter herbs were an assault on the senses. It was something that they and we can sense and smell. On the Passover night, the special meal was to be prepared as it had been generations before. The little children would ask why they changed the menu. It was at that moment, that teachable moment, the parents told of God’s deliverance.

In the New Testament we know that Jesus prepared for the Passover meal by sending His disciples to the upper room. Jesus began the Passover meal as usual. Many of us, the disciples being no exception, get to the point where things become habit. The original intent and meaning are dulled. People go through the motions.

But when Jesus got to the bread, He changed the script. I am sure it was at that point the disciples woke up. The probable thought, "It’s never been done that way before".

Jesus began to tell them the "new" understanding of the bread. He was doing something that was completely unfamiliar. "Take and eat; this is my body."

We know that Jesus was talking of giving his life as atonement for many. The new deliverance would come from "the Word that became flesh".

He took the cup later and said, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for the forgiveness of sins." Deliverance was to come through His sacrifice. Once and for all sin and death were going to be dealt with through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

What do you need to be delivered from? Is it yourself and the poor choices all of us sometimes make? Is it some physical malady? Is it that you’ve never accepted the sacrifice of God’s only Son? Whatever it might be, the Lord is ready. Psalm 34:17-18 says,

The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;

He’s ready to deliver you today?