249 - The Passover of the Lord#
249 - The Passover of the Lord
(JP Text Group - Organized by Yun Dan Feng Qing)
Exodus 12:3-11
3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: On the tenth day of this month, every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight.
7 And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. 8 Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire, its head with its legs and its entrails. 10 You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. 11 And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for preparing this wonderful time to share Your words together here, renewing us through Your words, giving us a clearer understanding of Your words. Our celebration of the New Year is based on the Bible; we do not celebrate secular holidays, but see Your good will in this festival. Help each of us to gain something. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen.
Our sharing topic: The Passover of the Lord.
The customs of Passover have many similarities with the Spring Festival. We have mentioned before that we can list more than twenty similarities, with slight differences but many resemblances. Through the Passover established by God, we can see God’s intention, His protection, salvation, and provision for us. We do not celebrate just for the sake of celebration, but to see God’s grace in this festival and to tell those around us about Jesus.
You can take this opportunity to ask them: Do you know why we celebrate the New Year? Many people do not know; they think that when the time comes, everyone just celebrates together. There are many rituals during the festival. We pay special attention to the New Year, somewhat like the Jewish Sabbath, when all streets and shops are almost closed, and everyone stays indoors. During the Exodus, the same thing happened that day; God said not to go outside but to stay at home. On New Year’s Eve, we all stay at home.
You can talk about Jesus with those around you through these scriptures, allowing more souls to be released and enjoy His blessings in Jesus Christ. The blood of the lamb brought assurance to the people of Israel; God sent down ten great plagues, and the people of Israel were not affected.
Those who believe in God’s words are under His protection. Inside the house, the Israelites ate the flesh of the lamb. Why did they eat the flesh of the lamb? Because they were to welcome a new beginning, to regain strength, and to embark on a long journey. Think about it, why do we stay up on New Year’s Eve? Some people stay up late; why do they do it? They say it is to "see the old year out." Why see the old year out?
This has changed over time. On New Year’s Eve, we also want to eat well; now there is not much difference between what we eat during the New Year and what we eat normally. When I was young, this was very obvious; usually, everyone was not that well-off, and good food was saved for the New Year. At that time, I looked forward to the New Year because I could eat delicious food, and I looked forward to the New Year’s Eve dinner. Now we know it is for reunion, for everyone to come back together to celebrate the New Year.
God’s intention is to let this group of people enjoy the provision that God has given them under His protection. So they were eating the flesh of the lamb, and after eating, they were not told to sleep but to leave Egypt that day. On New Year’s Eve, we do not sleep; a few people gather to play mahjong, play cards, drink, forcing ourselves to stay awake, not knowing why, staying up until the next day to continue sleeping. This is not God’s intention.
God was telling the Israelites: Do not sleep that night because you are going to leave Egypt, to break free from the identity of slaves, to be completely free, to welcome a new beginning. On New Year’s Eve, we stay up until dawn, saying: The New Year has arrived. Today, through the words, I tell everyone why we do not sleep on New Year’s Eve. After the Israelites ate the lamb that God provided for them, they regained strength. A miracle happened that night; there was not one weak person among all the tribes. After eating the flesh of the lamb, many miracles occurred; the sick, the weak, and the elderly all regained their strength. When God allows you to welcome a new beginning, He has prepared everything for you and is about to turn your entire life around. No matter what state your life was in before accepting Jesus, once you believe in Jesus, at that moment of faith, everything in Christ is new and all the best. You must believe: Jesus Christ is your protection; He can free you from all bondage and curses and bring you into His blessings. Through this festival, meditate on what Jesus has brought us.
That night, they ate with their belts on their waists. Why the belt? The strength of a person is in the waist. When the belt is on, there is strength. What is your strength? The words of Christ are your strength! You should wear the words of Jesus Christ as the belt of truth. Shoes on your feet; in Ephesians, it mentions that the shoes on your feet refer to the gospel of peace. If there is no peace, would you dare to go out? If God does not open the way ahead of you, what you pursue is death. When they left Egypt, God had already opened all the paths.
With a staff in hand, the staff represents authority. The moment you accept Jesus, you have a belt around your waist, shoes on your feet, and a staff in your hand. The staff signifies that you have received the authority of Jesus Christ and should live a new life with that authority. From that time on, God was always with them, day and night, 24 hours a day, not leaving them. It was the beginning of their new life.
Verse 3: Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: On the tenth day of this month, every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household.
On the tenth day, they were to take a lamb. This lamb is the New Year’s lamb. Please note: it is one lamb per household. Why one lamb per household and not one per person? The spiritual meaning is God wants you all to be saved as a family! Through Jesus Christ, your whole family can be saved! That is the original intention! Today, there is a saying: If one person in the family believes in Jesus, the whole family will be saved. This saying is incorrect!
Acts 16:29-34
29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34 Now when he had brought them into his house, he set food before them; and he rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.
Does one person believing in the Lord mean the whole family is saved? No. Many times, we believe what others say without understanding. The Bible does say, “You believe, and you and your household will be saved”; but another part of the Bible says, “Whoever believes will be saved.” You cannot believe for someone else. Is this a contradiction? Not at all. We will understand this when we read the entire Bible.
Many people say: “I believe, I believe in the Lord, and my whole family is saved. I have prayed for them, and in the future, we will enter the kingdom of heaven together.” This is incorrect. Look at the context of this passage. When the jailer saw Paul, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas, asking what he must do to be saved. Paul said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” Paul meant that “you and your family must believe in Jesus to be saved.” They then spoke the word of the Lord to him and all who were in his house.
When we read the Bible, we must look at the context and not interpret it privately. Taking one verse out of context is dangerous. If one person believing in the Lord meant the whole family was saved, it would be too simple. Why would we need to evangelize to family members? As long as one person believes, it would be enough. The context is not like that; Paul had already preached the word of the Lord to him and all his family.
So the jailer took them into his house and set food before them. He and his whole family rejoiced because they believed in God. In the past, when we said one person believes in Jesus, the family is saved, it means: If one person in the family has already believed in Jesus, the chances of others being saved are very high because you can share the gospel with them, and you can influence them. The jailer influenced his family; it is not that you are saved and your family members are automatically saved. There is no such thing.
Through this lamb, God wanted to tell the Israelites: You are all eating one lamb together. God’s intention is not only for you to be saved but also to think of your whole family. If you are the only one in your family who believes in Jesus, but your family does not believe and even persecutes you, if your parents do not agree with you going to church or do not allow you to believe in Jesus, remember: because of you, your whole family is blessed.
We can accurately say: Because of me, my whole family is blessed, even if they have not believed yet, but God will bless my family because of me. Is there biblical basis for this? Absolutely, there are many examples. In Genesis, Joseph was a believer in God, and when he was in Potiphar’s house, Potiphar’s entire household was blessed because of Joseph. This does not mean Potiphar had to believe to receive this blessing; it was because Joseph was there.
When Jacob ran to his uncle Laban’s house, Laban’s wealth increased because of Jacob. Brothers and sisters, remember: If you are the only one in your family who believes in the Lord, first, you must be sure that because of you, God will bless your whole family. Although they may not understand now, one day they will realize that everything is because of you, and they will know that what you shared with them was beneficial. Do not be discouraged by current setbacks or persecution; bless and pray for them, and let them see the blessings of Jesus Christ in you.
No matter what discouraging things you encounter now, do not be disheartened. Stand up for Jesus and bear witness for Him. The New Year is the best time to evangelize; everyone likes to say nice things. At other times, people may say curses and insults, but during the New Year, everyone speaks kindly. The best blessing is Jesus Christ! You should share this blessing with them and say, “Our family will also be blessed because I believe in Jesus.”
Brothers and sisters, during the New Year, many families emphasize filial piety. How can filial piety be manifested? Some say that buying food and clothing for the elderly during the holidays is filial piety. Yes, but that is not the best. The best is to give them Jesus! Let Jesus take care of everything for them! That is true filial piety. Let their lives be saved, so that one day, you will be together forever. The best way to honor your parents is to let them know this God! When your parents believe in Jesus, your entire family will be completely transformed because of Jesus, and a covenant will be established because of you.
The passage we read today clearly tells us that one lamb is for the whole family. God will remember everything that this family has given because of this lamb. As you eat the flesh of the lamb, God will begin to give you strength. God did not say, “I will only give strength to those who have good faith, who have good behavior.”
God does not have these limitations. As long as the whole family is eating the flesh of the lamb, God will give you strength because of the lamb, heal you, and grant you wholeness. This is God’s intention because a covenant has already begun. God looks at you through this covenant. How is a covenant established? It is because of the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and lintel. That is a promise; because of this promise, God will bless all who are in the covenant. Your family is blessed because of you; you must believe this!
One lamb for the family is for everyone to eat. Salvation is not difficult at all, and it is free. However, the cost of salvation is extremely great. It may seem free and easy to you, but someone has paid a great price. Jesus went through suffering and shed His precious blood; this is the greatest price in the universe. The way to accept salvation is very simple. Some people complicate salvation, making you put in great effort to obtain it. Jesus has already paid the price, so you can easily receive it. Some people incorrectly teach that “you must do this and that to be saved.” Do not make it too complicated; salvation is the simplest thing. As long as you believe, that is enough. Although this method is simple, it does not mean there is no cost. The cost of our salvation is extremely great.
Verse 4: If the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of persons and according to each man’s need.
What do we see from this passage? If a household is too small to finish one lamb, let the neighbor help and share one. This indicates that if you are saved, your neighbor will also be blessed because of you, not that your neighbor is saved because of you. You can invite your neighbor to share in the blessings that come from the lamb, which means inviting friends and family to your home to share the good news of Jesus with them.
The spiritual meaning is to invite your friends and family to your home and tell them the good news of Jesus, which is evangelism. Why invite your neighbor? Because you cannot eat it all; this is God’s blessing. This blessing has become so abundant that your family cannot consume it all. God has given you so many blessings, which also proves that God’s provision is immense, and the grace of Jesus Christ is abundant. This is also a characteristic of the New Year: abundance!
Why do people insist on eating fish during the New Year? People make a fuss about abundance in food, hoping everything will be abundant. But this blessing comes from Jesus Christ. If God does not give so many blessings, eating fish every day is useless. The blessing of abundance does not come from eating one fish; it is given by God. The Heavenly Father has already given you abundant blessings through Jesus Christ; this is the characteristic of the New Year.
During the New Year, no matter whose house you go to for a meal, there is always a table full of dishes that you cannot finish. Why do they do this? To show that they are abundant. The moment you accept Jesus, your life becomes abundant. The four Gospels record that when Jesus blessed the people, it was always in abundance. The miracle of the five loaves and two fish left twelve baskets full after everyone had eaten. This is the blessing in Jesus Christ. You might say, “God has given me so many blessings; I can just enjoy them myself.” But when you are willing to give, not only will you not lose anything, but you will gain even more. This is the blessing in Jesus Christ.
When Jesus went to find Peter, Peter was blessed and received two boats full of fish, which was unexpected for Peter; it was given to him by Jesus. When you believe that God gives you abundantly through Jesus, even if you do not eat fish during the New Year, you are still abundant because God’s provision exceeds demand. Not only can your family be blessed, but your neighbors can be blessed too.
Verse 5: Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats.
Why without blemish? This symbolizes our Jesus Christ. The Old Testament is a shadow; the substance is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Passover lamb; He is perfect. God told the Israelites to take a one-year-old male lamb without blemish. Without blemish represents a perfect sacrifice, symbolizing that Jesus is perfect and sinless; He is the true lamb.
John 1:29: The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
In the Old Testament, a perfect sacrifice could cover people’s sins. What if there was no Jesus in the Old Testament? Every year on the Day of Atonement, the high priest would enter the Most Holy Place with the blood of bulls and goats, which could cover the sins of the people. This is why it had to be a lamb without blemish; because the lamb is perfect, in God’s eyes, the lamb replaces the sins of the people.
In the Old Testament, if I sinned, I would take a goat to the priest. The priest would not ask me what sins I had committed and say to confess well; after confessing, I would be forgiven. That is not how it works. The process is this: If I sinned, I would take the lamb to the priest. The priest would not look at me but would carefully examine the lamb to see if it was without blemish or defect. If it was a perfect lamb, what would the person offering the sacrifice do?
Now it is time to confess. The person would lay both hands on the head of the lamb and say, “All my sins are transferred to this lamb.” This is the transfer of sin. The priest would hand over the knife and say, “Kill it.” The priest would catch the blood of the lamb in a basin; this lamb replaces my sin. This lamb died and was burned on the bronze altar. I would be forgiven and could walk away happily, knowing that God had accepted me because the lamb had replaced my sin. This is the method of sacrifice in the Old Testament.
God looked at the Israelites during the Passover in the same way. The blood of the lamb had already been shed and was on the doorposts and lintel. The people inside were eating the flesh of the lamb, so God saw the people as forgiven. You must believe that Jesus is your perfect sacrifice. Jesus can take away your sins. When Jesus shed His blood for your sins on the cross, your sins were taken away. This is what John the Baptist said to the Israelites, and today this word is fulfilled in you: Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away your sin.
He was indeed the Passover lamb, and Jesus is indeed the Passover lamb. This lamb is one year old; why one year old? A one-year-old lamb is very cute. The one-year-old lamb should stay with people for a few days. Initially, we mentioned “on the tenth day,” they took a lamb, and on the fourteenth day, they killed it.
Verse 6: Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight.
They took it on the tenth day and killed it on the fourteenth day. This is a span of four days. During these four days, they were interacting with people. To be precise, it is three and a half days because it was killed at twilight. How long did Jesus work on earth? Three and a half years! During these three and a half years, He brought us joy, peace, healing, and the good news of the kingdom. We saw Jesus’ perfection, His love, and His grace, which brought us joy and peace!
Just like this lamb, it stayed in the homes of the Israelites for about three and a half days. The lamb was very cute, and after spending three and a half days with this lamb, they had to kill it themselves. This is also a foreshadowing. The little lamb would do whatever you asked it to do and would not resist you, bringing you joy. But when you have feelings for it, you have to kill it yourself. At twilight, the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel killed the lamb, and Jesus was crucified at that time.
Mark 15:25: Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.
Matthew 27:45: From the sixth hour until the ninth hour, there was darkness over all the land.
This was when Jesus was crucified. When did Jesus breathe His last on the cross? It was at twilight! Let me tell you these times: What time is the third hour? Jesus was crucified at the third hour, the third hour is 9 AM, the sixth hour is 12 PM, and the ninth hour is 3 PM. Remember these times. Jesus was crucified at 9 AM sharp and died at 3 PM on Golgotha, the highest place on Mount Moriah.
When the first nail was driven into Jesus, it was also Passover, and they were preparing the lamb. During the Exodus, the same thing happened. That evening, every household was killing the lamb, and there was the sound of trumpets. When the trumpet sounded, everyone killed the lamb, and Jesus died at 3 PM.
At 9 AM, the first nail was driven into Jesus’ body, and the first trumpet sounded. The first sacrifice was offered. Why did the centurion at the foot of the cross say, “Truly this was the Son of God!”? Because he witnessed everything. When the first nail was driven in, he could hear the first trumpet sound from the temple, indicating that the first lamb was offered, fulfilling the Old Testament Passover lamb; when the second nail was driven in, the trumpet sounded again, and when the third nail was driven in, the trumpet sounded once more.
Jesus breathed His last at 3 PM, giving up His spirit. After He died, the centurion noticed that the earth began to shake, and the trumpet sounded in the temple, indicating that the last lamb was offered. The Bible often mentions offering the evening sacrifice; it was at that time that the last lamb was offered, and everything about the sacrifices was fulfilled in Jesus!
1 Corinthians 5:7-8
7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
You are unleavened bread. “Leaven” in the Bible refers to sin. Before New Year’s Eve, everyone does a thorough cleaning. The purpose of the thorough cleaning is to purify the house. Before the Passover, the Israelites had a feast of unleavened bread, which involved cleaning every jar and bottle in the house, thoroughly cleaning the house, symbolizing the removal of all filth to welcome the Passover.
When you accept Jesus, He cleanses you of all your sins. Your sins have been cleansed by the precious blood of Jesus. All the sins in your life have been removed by Jesus. Jesus is the one who cleanses your sins. You cannot clean yourself, but Jesus can completely cleanse you. The Bible says, “You are unleavened bread,” which proves that you have been cleansed by Jesus. You should purge out the old leaven so that you can become a new lump, not by your own efforts to cleanse yourself, but by the blood of Jesus cleansing you.
This is absolutely not about your behavior but about your faith. By believing in Jesus, you can become a new lump, become unleavened bread. Why are you unleavened bread, a new lump? Because our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. You should let His blood cleanse you so that you can become unleavened bread, a new lump.
It is absolutely not by your own efforts to cleanse yourself; it can be done by believing in Jesus. “Therefore” is the answer. Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. This refers to Jesus Christ! The body of Jesus Christ is that unleavened bread. When can it be manifested? It is during the Holy Communion!
Why must the Holy Communion be taken with unleavened bread? Because it symbolizes the body of Jesus Christ. The body of Jesus has no sin; only the sinless can take away the sinful. The body of Jesus is the unleavened bread. When we keep this feast, it means do not use human things, do not use what you think is okay; use what God recognizes. Nor should we use malice, which refers to mutual attacks; the leaven of wickedness refers to mutual attacks and destruction, which is wicked leaven, sinful things. Because Jesus has cleansed us, when we gather together, we are all a new lump, a group of people cleansed by the precious blood of Jesus.
Those who have steamed buns know that a bowl of new dough will not rise by itself, but if you put a little yeast in, the whole lump will rise. If we keep this feast and hold onto some secular things, mutual attacks will make this feast meaningless. If in the church, one or two people spread discord and negative comments, the whole church will be affected. There should be no leaven in the new lump. We are all a group of people cleansed by Jesus, so do not speak negative attacking words. We should be a group of people who love one another. Only use the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, which means to focus on Jesus. No matter how many problems you have now, when you come to church, when you talk about and look to Jesus, your problems can be solved.
Verse 7: And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it.
This is the blood of the covenant. Once the blood of the lamb is shed, it becomes the protection for the people. Why did the destroying angel not enter the houses? It was because of the blood.
Zechariah 9:11-12
11 As for you also, because of the blood of your covenant, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. 12 Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.
The prophetic books often have a characteristic: When the people leave God and rely on themselves to live, they end up living very miserably. At that time, God says, “Come back, and I will heal you and bless you.” Zion refers to my people. Because of the blood of your covenant, God never looks at the behavior of the people. He does not bless them because their behavior is good; it is because of the blood of the lamb. I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. The prisoners refer to those bound by addictions to alcohol, cigarettes, etc. Many people are bound by pressure; these are all prisoners and captives. These people cannot break free by themselves. God says, “I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.” Jesus Christ can help us. Believe that the blood of Jesus Christ has cleansed all your sins, and also believe another thing: You have been released from all kinds of bondage.
When chatting with friends during the New Year, if you find they have similar situations, such as addictions to alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, or gaming, tell them: You can be released through Jesus Christ. It is very simple: Continuously listen to the word and the words of Jesus Christ, and you can be released. How can we be saved by God? As long as you have a covenant with God, believe that Jesus Christ shed His precious blood for your sins on the cross, you are a person with a covenant with God. If you believe this, God says, “I will take responsibility for you. I will save you from the waterless pit and from the place of captivity.”
Verse 12: You prisoners of hope, return to the stronghold. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you.
Think about it, the Israelites in Egypt were prisoners, but they were also people of hope. God was their hope. God told them: I will take you out of Egypt and bring you to a land flowing with milk and honey. I will bless you in that place. Brothers and sisters, we are all prisoners of hope. When you hear about Jesus, you have hope. You may say, “I do not believe now,” but that is still hope because you have heard this good news. Return to the stronghold means to listen to God’s words and return to the stronghold. God is your stronghold; Jesus Christ is your stronghold. Are you willing to repent and believe in Him? You have heard this good news, and you still have a choice: I want to accept Jesus as my Savior. Then you will return to the stronghold.
Just as God said to the Israelites: “Whoever is to put the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and lintel, you and your family stay inside the house and do not go out.” Going out means death; it has nothing to do with God. “Staying inside” symbolizes being in Jesus Christ, and God will protect you. No matter what happens outside, do not go out; it has nothing to do with you. This is the hope of all who believe in Jesus! The world may say, “You are going to die; there is no hope; there is no way to live anymore…”
But in Jesus Christ, we always say, “You are a person of hope; you are blessed by God; Jesus will take all your responsibilities.” This is being in the stronghold, not looking at how the world comments on you but looking at how God provides for you. You must believe that when you return to the stronghold, God will bless you.
I declare today that I will restore double to you. Before the Israelites ate the flesh of the lamb, God had already blessed them. They may not understand what eating roasted lamb can bring, just one one-year-old lamb; what is the difference from the lambs they ate in Egypt before? The lamb is still the same, and the bread is the same. The world can also make such bread, but it has no effect because we are people of the covenant! If the Egyptians had done the same but did not have the blood of the lamb on their doors, they would still die even if they ate the lamb’s flesh inside.
The point is not to imitate what others do but to see if you have a covenant with God! The blood is the true covenant. This is the Passover of the Lord; the focus is on the blood. When you have a covenant with God, everything inside you is sanctified by God. We have believed in Jesus; the bread is ordinary bread, but we separate it in the name of the Lord Jesus, and it is no longer ordinary bread; it can have extraordinary effects.
Exodus 12:8: That night they shall eat the flesh of the lamb, roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
That night the lamb had already died. When eating the flesh of the lamb, we must know what the spiritual meaning is. Jesus Christ has already shed His precious blood for us. Where did the blood go? It was put on the doorposts and lintel. God can see it. The key is that God can see the blood. Do not doubt your covenant with God; God sees more clearly than you do. As long as you believe in Jesus, you are a person with a covenant with God. At night, what the people in the house see is the flesh of the lamb. The flesh of the lamb is for eating, so you must eat the flesh of the lamb.
Let me tell you something directly related to us. On New Year’s Eve, we eat dumplings. In the past, the Israelites ate like this: lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs, all eaten together. Their bread was in pieces, like wrapping it up like Peking-style shredded pork. When it came to us in China, it was modified; dumplings are made with meat, vegetables, and bread wrapped together and boiled. But there is a problem; God said not to eat boiled ones. We do not understand, so we boiled them. Actually, they should be roasted. They must eat the flesh of the lamb, roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. This has many similarities with our dumplings, but we do not understand the significance of doing this, which originates from the Bible.
Verse 9: Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire, its head with its legs and its entrails.
Why roasted in fire? When we understand the spiritual meaning, we will know. What does roasting in fire mean? And it must be eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, not boiled. The head, legs, and entrails must be roasted and eaten. When Jesus was hung on the cross, He became that scapegoat, bearing all your sins and transgressions, including all of ours.
We say, “God is a God full of grace, but He is also a just God. He shows grace to us,” which does not mean He eliminates justice. His justice has never been lowered. If God wants to bless you, He must first solve your sin problem. God will not say, “Because I love you, it is okay if you sin.” The Bible does not say such a thing. God says, “You have sinned, but I bless you because someone has already solved your sin problem.”
Fire symbolizes judgment, the fiery judgment. Many people say our God is a consuming fire; that is correct. His fierce anger is directed at the unbelieving and sinful. This is God’s justice. When we preach grace, we must tell others where God’s justice is manifested. Why was Jesus hung on the cross?
It was to bear our sins. God’s fierce anger had already fallen on Jesus. When Jesus was on the cross, He said, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” The reason is that He bore all our sins. The Father poured His wrath upon Jesus and left Him; this is God’s justice! Why did God do this? So that you could be accepted by God. Jesus is the lamb that has been judged by God.
When the Israelites were roasting this lamb, this lamb was dying for them. It was now suffering the fierce anger of God until it was fully roasted. And Jesus bore our sins on the cross until all our sins were washed away. This is where God’s holy justice is manifested.
Sin must be punished; otherwise, God is unjust. To emphasize again: God’s justice is connected to grace! We always say God is love, and that is correct, but He cannot coexist with sin. This is why we emphasize that God sent His beloved Son into the world to die for your sins, to manifest God’s justice! Jesus bore all transgressions, all iniquities, sins, and evils. God’s holy requirements were fulfilled, and all of God’s anger towards sin was poured out on Jesus. Jesus bore all your sins.
After that, Jesus had completed the task of the sin offering and left His body for you. The purpose of this is: because of the punishment He received, you have peace; because of the stripes He bore, you are healed! Jesus is full of treasures; His precious blood flows out, and all your sins are cleansed. His body remains for you to receive healing!
Verses 11-12: You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. 11 And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.
Our Lord has made it very clear. If you cannot finish it, you must burn it, symbolizing that Jesus took our sins. Jesus was burned by God’s fierce anger; He bore all our sins. This Passover lamb is a foreshadowing. The way we receive Holy Communion is the same. After the Israelites received Holy Communion, they were not to sleep but to travel!
Today, no matter what problems you bring before Jesus, whether it is sickness, hardship, or pressure, after a while, when we receive Holy Communion, you will receive the flesh of the lamb. Through the flesh of the lamb, you will regain strength. You should eat the flesh of the lamb with your belt on your waist, shoes on your feet, and staff in your hand. When taking Holy Communion, think about the words of Christ, and you will have strength. Think about the shoes on your feet being the shoes of the gospel of peace. Think about the staff in your hand representing authority, and you can command the sickness on your body to leave immediately.
When the Israelites left Egypt, this is what happened. After they ate the flesh of the lamb, they gained strength. When you come before God, there is something beneficial for us: to regain strength! With the staff in hand, you must eat quickly. This is the Passover of the Lord. After they ate, they were to leave Egypt.
Today, as you hear the words of Jesus Christ and receive Holy Communion, you are to leave behind sickness, pressure, and negative thoughts and live a new life. You can actively expect that the new week will be different because you have eaten the flesh of the lamb. No matter how rugged the road ahead looks, you have the strength to overcome it. Even if there is a Red Sea in front of you, it can part now because you have the staff in your hand. You must take God’s words as your strength and always hold the staff of authority. The authority of Jesus has been given to you, and you can rely on His strength to overcome all problems in the new week. Let us pray for the words we have received, and each of you share about Jesus during the New Year with friends and family, praying together before God.
In the name of the Lord Jesus, I separate this bread as holy. From this moment on, it is no longer ordinary bread but the body of our Lord Jesus Christ given for me. This symbolizes the body of the Passover lamb. The Israelites ate it and regained health; I can too. I can receive healing within You. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for giving me Your body. I am willing to receive Your body to regain strength. Thank You, Heavenly Father, for such abundant provision.
(Part of receiving Holy Communion)
Everyone, think before the Lord: The Israelites received the flesh of the lamb, and they were restored; they regained strength and health. You can too! Through the Passover lamb, His body has also been given to you. What you hold is not ordinary bread; it is the body of Jesus Christ, more powerful than the flesh of the Old Testament lamb. In what areas do you need healing? Pray to Jesus now.
In the name of the Lord Jesus, you have received the body of Jesus Christ, and your bodies will receive the heavenly health of Jesus. No matter what kind of sickness you have, in the name of the Lord Jesus, I now command it to leave. You can regain strength through the body of Jesus Christ, just like the Israelites, being strong and healthy. In the name of the Lord Jesus, you have already received it. Thank and praise the Lord!
In the name of the Lord Jesus, I separate this cup as holy. Lord, we know this is the covenant that the Lord Jesus made with us. This covenant connects me to the Heavenly Father forever. At any time, I am a person in the covenant; the Heavenly Father will never forsake me. I am willing to receive all the blessings You have given me!
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, through this precious blood, know again that you are the captives who have returned. You are people who can return to the stronghold. God will bless you doubly! Let go of all your negative thoughts. Today, you will regain your strength, allowing you to receive His abundance in Jesus Christ.
Everyone, offer a prayer of thanksgiving before the Lord. In the name of the Lord Jesus, bless every child of God. Remember: No matter where you go, Jesus is with you, and the Holy Spirit is with you. He will never leave you. You possess the authority of Jesus. You have already put on the belt of truth around your waist, the shoes of the gospel on your feet, and the staff of authority in your hand. Use it.
Eat quickly; this is the greatest blessing given to you by the Lord. Live the new week with this strength, believing that He is with you on the road ahead. No matter what you encounter, He will help you. In the name of the Lord Jesus, you are a channel of blessing. Wherever you go, God’s blessings will be brought there. Wherever your feet tread, God’s grace will follow you. In the name of the Lord Jesus, I bless you! Amen.
In the name of the Lord Jesus, I bless you, and during the New Year, become a blessing to your family and friends. I bless you and your family in the name of Jesus Christ!