I specifically prepared this
message for last Sunday. You'll see what I mean by that
immediately. And I wondered if the Lord would. Keep it on my
heart to feel led to bring it to you. Today and he has and
I pray it will be a blessing and I pray this will be a help.
Acts chapter 12, I'd like for us to look at one word in particular. This word is mentioned only one
time in the scripture. Just one time, that doesn't seem
like much. But even though it's only mentioned
one time, if God put it in the canon of His Holy Word, just
one time, It bears an eternal weight of
importance. If God mentions anything one
time, one time, that one word, one time will never fail. Not one word that he has declared
will pass away. So we're about to see something
of eternal importance. And I pray that we'll be able
to see what this word truly means. And specifically, I pray we'll
see what it means for us, for me individually. The word is
in verse 4, but let's begin reading in verse 1. Acts 12, verse 1. Now about that time Herod the
king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother
of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased
the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. Then were
the days of unleavened bread. And when he had apprehended him,
He put him in prison to deliver him to four quaternions of soldiers
to keep him intending after, and here's our word, Easter,
to bring him forth to the people. They were going to put Peter
on trial intending to sentence him to death. but they put him
in prison to hold him for a while because they didn't want to do
it on Easter. Easter was a day, verse 3 says,
days, then were the days of unleavened bread. Easter was a feast ordinance
that the Jews kept every year. And the reason they did is because
God told them to. If you go with me to Leviticus
chapter 23, It says in Leviticus 23 verse 4, These are the feasts of the Lord,
even holy convocations, which you shall proclaim in their seasons,
In the fourteenth day of the first month, at even, is the
Lord's Passover. And that's what the word Easter
means. When you look up the word Easter, it translates Passover. That is another word for Passover. Easter is in the Scripture only
one time. But it translates Passover, which is all through the book.
All through the Word of God. Verse 6 says, And on the fifteenth
day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread. And that's what we just read
in Acts chapter 12. Then were the days of unleavened bread. The feast of the Lord's Passover. Easter. God told Israel, He told
the Jews to keep this feast every year for a remembrance. as a reminder of the Lord's Passover. Go with me over to Exodus chapter
12. Exodus 12 verse 14. It says, "...in this day shall
be unto you for a memorial, and you shall keep it a feast to
the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it a feast by
an ordinance forever." Verse 17, "...and you shall observe
the feast of unleavened bread." For in this selfsame day have
I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore
shall you observe this day in your generations by an ordinance
forever." God said every year, I want you to observe this feast
to remind you of my Passover. This will remind you of my Easter. And he told them how to observe
the feast. And he said in verse 26, it shall
come to pass when your children shall say unto you, what mean
ye by this service? Why are you doing this? That
you shall say it is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover. He said, I want you to observe
this. So generation after generation after generation, will remember
my Passover, will remember my Easter. Why do we do things? Why do we do these things? Why
does something exist? He said, when they ask why you
tell them, this is the remembrance of my Passover. So every year,
Israel, according to God's commandment, observe the feast of the Passover.
Our Lord even observed the Feast of the Passover. Our Lord Himself
observed the Feast of the Easter. Okay? Turn with me over to Luke
chapter 2. Luke chapter 2 verse 21 tells
us that this is speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ. It says, And
when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child,
his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before
he was conceived in the womb. Verse 40 says, And the child
grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace
of God was upon him. Now his parents went to Jerusalem
every year at the feast of the Passover. And every year our
Lord went with them. Verse 42 says, and when he was
12 years old, They went up to Jerusalem after the custom of
the feast." He went every year, all the way up into His adulthood,
even through the three and a half years of His ministry. Every
year. Turn with me over to Luke chapter
22. Luke 22 verse 7 says, Then came
the day of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed. And He sent Peter and John, saying,
Go and prepare us the Passover that we may eat. And they said
unto Him, Where wilt Thou that we prepare? And he said unto
them, Behold, when you are entered into the city, there shall a
man meet you bearing a pitcher of water. Follow him into the
house where he entereth in. And you shall say unto the good
man of the house, The master saith unto thee, Where is the
guest chamber where I shall eat the Passover with my disciples? And he shall show you a large
upper room furnished, there make ready. And they went and found
as he had said unto them, and they made ready the Passover.
And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles
with him. Now I want to go right in to
the point of this message. I want to get right to the spiritual
point by considering these two things. Number one, what was
the Passover? What was the Passover? It was
not a feast. That's important to understand. It was not a celebration of an
annual feast. The feast was the remembrance
of the Passover. What was the actual Passover? And number two, what was the
significance of it concerning God's people? What did it mean
for God's people? What did it do for them? What
mean ye by this service? The answer to that begins right
here, Luke 22 verse 15. And he said unto them with desire,
I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. What is he saying in that? What
does he mean, before I suffer? Turn with me over to John chapter
18. John chapter 18, our Lord is
on trial before Pilate. And verse 38 says, Pilate saith
unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he
went out again unto the Jews, and said unto them, I find in
him no fault at all. But you have a custom that I
should release unto you one at the Passover. Will you therefore
that I release unto you the king of the Jews? Then cried they
all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was
a robber." Why did the Jews have a custom that one should be released
and another should die? Why did they have a custom that
one should be released and another should die? that has everything
to do with the Passover. Look at John 19 verse 13. When Pilate therefore heard that
saying, he brought Jesus forth and sat down in the judgment
seat in a place that is called the pavement, but in the Hebrew,
Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of
the Passover. and about the sixth hour. And
he saith unto the Jews, Behold your king." Do we understand
the significance of that? Here he is. For certain clarity, turn with
me to 1 Corinthians chapter 5. 1 Corinthians 5 verse 7, it says,
Purge out therefore the old leaven that you may be a new lump as
you are unleavened. You have been unleavened in what
this feast of unleavened bread represents. It says, for even
Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us. Christ is our Passover. John the Baptist was the one
that God chose to declare to the world who Christ was, why
He came, and what He was going to accomplish. John pointed to
Jesus Christ and cried, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh
away the sin of the world. all of the sin of all of the
people that God the Father chose throughout the whole world. Jew, Gentile, bond-free, male,
female, a people out of every nation, kindred, tribe, and tongue
on this earth. Behold the Lamb of God. He is the one who is going to
take away the sin. How did He do that? as God's Passover Lamb, how did
He save His people from certain death because of their sin? We
can see that answer in the actual event of the Passover. Alright,
we are going to read what took place in the actual Passover
and what God said concerning it. And as we read this, let's
remember that the Lamb is the Lord Jesus Christ. This Lamb
is Jesus Christ. Alright, go with me to Exodus
12 again. God said that He was coming through
the land to slay the firstborn in every house, every house,
every single house, because of the sin that had been committed
against Him. Every single house. But He said in chapter 12, verse
1, The Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months.
It shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak ye unto
all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this
month they shall take to them every man a lamb." Every man,
woman, boy, or girl needs this lamb. Everybody needs this lamb. Verse 3, Speak ye unto all the
congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month
they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the
house of their fathers, a lamb for a house. And if the household
be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next unto
his house take it according to the number of the souls. Every
man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
Your lamb shall be without blemish. This is the the person and the
character of the Lord Jesus Christ. Your lamb shall be without blemish. A male. Of the first year, the
first begotten. You shall take it out from the
sheep or from the goats. And you shall keep it up until
the fourteenth day of the same month, and the whole assembly
of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening." All the people killed this lamb. The whole congregation. Verse
7, And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two
side posts, and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein
they shall eat it." Your lamb must be slain. Your lamb's blood must be shed. And your lamb's blood must cover,
it must be all over the door of your house. It must cover
the posts of the door of your house. This physical body is
our earthly house. We came into it and we're going
to go out of it by way of, by the door of our soul. And God
said the only hope that we have of being spared is if the blood
of our lamb covers our soul. It must be all over, top to bottom,
every house. who is going to be spared. It
must be. Verse 7 says, And they shall take of the blood, and
strike it on the two side post, and on the upper door post of
the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the
flesh in that night, roast with fire. Your lamb must suffer the
fire of God's wrath. It must. Verse 8, they shall eat the flesh
in that night, roast with fire and unleavened bread. Leaven
represents sin, it represents pride, it puffs up, it represents
man's works. And God said, man is not going
to take any part in this. Christ is the sacrificed lamb. Christ is the heavenly bread
that was broken. And it was all because of the
bitter herbs of the sin of His people. Verse 8 says, They shall
eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire and unleavened
bread, and with bitter herbs shall they eat it. Eat not of
it raw, Your lamb must endure the fire. He keeps saying that
over and over again. Your lamb must endure the fire. Your lamb must endure the fire. Your lamb must endure the fire.
If there's any hope for you, your lamb must endure the fire. Without that, there's no salvation.
And the same is true concerning Christ, our Lamb. If He did not endure the fire
for us, there's no salvation. Verse 9 says, Eat not of it raw,
nor sodden at all with water. This work He accomplished, don't
water it down. Verse 9 says, His head but roast
with fire, His head with His legs and with the pertinence
thereof. That means the head and the body together. Christ
is our head and we're His body. When He died, all of His people
died with Him. Verse 10, And you shall let nothing
of it remain until the morning, and that which remaineth of it
until the morning you shall burn with fire. None of it shall be
wasted, none of it shall see corruption. Don't let any of
it, not one piece of the body and not one drop of the blood.
Verse 11, and thus shall you eat it with your loins girded,
your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand, and
you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. That means today is the day.
This cannot be put off until tomorrow. This cannot take a
second priority to anything. This is the one thing needful. This is life and death. This
is the Lord's salvation. This is the salvation that the
Lord has provided. Verse 12 says, For I will pass
through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the
firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, And against
all the gods of Egypt, I will execute judgment. I am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you
for a token upon the houses where you are. And when I see the blood,
I'll Easter you. When I see the blood, I will
pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy
you when I smite the land of Egypt." He said, when I see the
blood, one will be sacrificed and one will be set free. When
I see that one has been sacrificed, one will be set free. One who
did not deserve to be set free, one who is a sinner and deserves
death for his sins will be set free. Why is that? It's because
I'll provide a substitute. I'll provide a substitute, an
Easter sacrifice, a Passover sacrifice, a bloody victim to
die in his place pay his debt and set him free. What do you
think Barabbas thought as he stood off watching Christ hang
on that cross? That was Barabbas's cross. That
one was made for Barabbas. As he saw his substitute, the one who died in his place,
paid his debt and set him free. That lamb was Christ. That Passover was all because
of Christ. He was lifted up on a post. And God said, when I see the
blood on the post, if that post is your post, if that cross is
your cross, Barabbas thought, that's my cross. I know what I did to deserve
that cross. I was sentenced to die on that
cross. If it was your bitter sins that
put the lamb there. And if that lamb was not just
generally dying for other sinners who are out there. And that's
what many, many people believe about Jesus Christ on the cross. Well, He died for sins and He
died for sinners. Those who are bad people, we
can all, it's just a general, no, no, no. If it's me and Him. If He hung on my cross. If it
was my sin who put Him there. If that lamb was dying for me,
if that's my substitute, if I see Gabe Stoniker in that lamb, God said, when I see his blood,
I'll pass over you. If that blood is on your door,
I'll pass over you. I'll pass over you. And I will
not destroy you because He was destroyed for you." Now that's
an Easter. That is an Easter. That is a
glorious Passover. That is something to rejoice
in. That's something to remember
all the days of our life. We cannot close this message
without mentioning this. Every physical Passover lamb
that was slain at a Passover feast, they did it every year.
Every year. And every family had a lamb.
How many? How many? Every physical Passover
lamb that was slain died and remained dead. Until the very last Passover
sacrifice was held. The very last one. The very last
God-commanded Passover sacrifice was held on the cross of Calvary. That was the very last one. That's
why we do not hold a feast anymore. Otherwise, we would be taking
our vacation time from work to go to Jerusalem once a year and
observe a feast. But we don't do that anymore
because the very last The Passover sacrifice was held on the cross
of Calvary. We read in Luke 22 where our
Lord said, with desire I have desired to eat this Passover
with you. Why? Because it's the very last
one. There is going to be no more
death after this. This is it. It's finished. No
more death. Go with me to Hebrews 10. Hebrews 10, verse 1, it says,
"...for the law, having a shadow of good things to come, And not
the very image of the things can never with those sacrifices
which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto
perfect. For then would they not have
ceased to be offered? Had they accomplished redemption,
wouldn't they have stopped sacrificing? Verse 2, Then would they not
have ceased to be offered? Because that the worshipers once
purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those
sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the
blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore, when
he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice an offering
thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me. In burnt
offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Then said I, Lo, I come, in the volume of the book it is written
of me, to do thy will, O God. Above, when he said, Sacrifice,
and offering, and burnt offering, and offerings for sin, thou wouldest
not, neither hadst pleasure therein, which are offered by the law.
Then said he, Lo, I come, to do thy will, O God. He taketh
away the first, that he may establish the second. By the witch will,
we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus
Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily,
ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can
never take away sins. But this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God. That means our Passover Lamb
has risen. That's what it means. He lived,
He died, He redeemed, He accomplished a Passover for His people through
the grave. But this Passover Lamb has risen
from the very grave He lay dead in. Verse 13 says, From henceforth
expecting till his enemies be made his footstool, for by one
offering he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. He
has risen from his work of substitution and salvation. He is now exalted
in the heavens. seated on His throne, and every
knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ,
our Passover." Every tongue is going to confess that Jesus Christ,
our Passover Lamb. is Lord to the glory of God the
Father. John said, I looked and low in
the midst of the throne stood a lamb as it had been slain. A Passover lamb. He is Lord. He is Lord. He is risen from
the dead and he is Lord. Every knee shall bow. Every tongue
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. We're going to observe this table
in remembrance of Him. In remembrance of Him. The One
who the Passover points to. Because He was the One who accomplished
God's Passover. God's appeasement. By sacrificing
Himself. Let's take this bread and take
this wine remembering the Body and the Blood of Christ our Substitute
Lamb.