Good morning and welcome to our
study of the book of Ezra. Ezra chapter 6 this morning and
I'd like to begin reading with verse 15. Ezra chapter 6 and
verse 15. We looked at that verse of scripture
last week for a few minutes and I just want to start there and
read it and just make a comment what a blessing it was and what
a blessing it is to see a finished work. And this house was finished
on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth
year of the reign of Darius the king. And the children of Israel
and the priests and the Levites and the rest of the children
of the captivity kept the dedication of the house of God with joy. underline that word joy as we
see the work of these folks in a historical statement The house
the temple there was rebuilt and it was dedicated and they
did it with joy How the church rejoices today in the finished
work of Christ we look at it from all standpoints throughout
the scriptures from the very beginning to the end and It's
a declaration of the finished work of Christ, the promise of
the finished work, the accomplishment of the finished work. And we
rejoice in the completedness of that finished work in the
elect as he sends out the gospel through his gospel preachers.
And they declare the word and this one and that one, God saves,
Holy Spirit regenerates, and they become part of the finished
work. And it will all be finished in due time. verse 16 the children
of Israel the priests and the Levites and the rest of the children
of captivity kept the dedication of the house of God with joy
and offered at the dedication of this house of God a hundred
bullocks or oxen 200 Rams 400 lambs and for a sin offering
for all Israel 12 he goats according to the number of the tribes of
Israel and Over in the book of 1st Kings, when Solomon dedicated
the original temple that was built, there were 22,000 oxen
and 120,000 sheep were used to dedicate that. That's found in
the book of 1st Kings chapter 8 and verse 63. Well, in verse
18, we have here in this passage of scripture in the book of Ezra
chapter 6, and they set the priests in their divisions and the Levites
in their courses. for the service of God which
is at Jerusalem, as it is written in the book of Moses. What a
statement is made here about the book of Moses. It was written in the book of
Moses, which is the book of God. The Holy Spirit come upon Moses
in a very special way. Holy men of God spake as they
were moved by the Holy Spirit. And all the books of the Old
Testament and all the books of the New Testament were given
in such manner as God came upon those folks. And we find that
the folks that were used to write the Bible, We're not holy in
themselves, but they were only holy and the holiness of Christ
the holiness of God They had been saved by the grace of God
They lived only because of Christ and They look to him as we do
today and these words that were written the first five books
of the Old Testament Genesis Exodus Leviticus numbers in Deuteronomy
the books of Moses the Lord said They're in the New Testament
if they'll not believe Moses. They'll not believe though one
rose from the dead So the gospel is declared throughout all of
these books all the Old Testament the New Testament They're the
declaration of the Lord Jesus Christ. And the difference, the
difference is who or what are you looking for when you read
the Bible? Are you looking for a works-oriented gospel? Well, you're going to find that.
You're going to find a few verses that you'll agree with there.
But if you're looking for Christ, you'll find that he is the completed
work. He is the completion of our salvation. He is all in all. So what are
you looking for as you go to the word of God? Are you looking
for hope? Look to Christ. If you're looking
for help, look to Christ. If you're looking for self-satisfaction,
you'll find those folks that are in the Bible that did their
own thing, and they were thankful they were not like other men,
and particularly not like this sinner over here. They satisfied
themselves by their own works, and that goes on today. So we
just leave you that point. What are you looking for? These
folks, they're following what was written in the book of Moses.
Can we follow what's written in the book of? Genesis to revelation
that's our calling follow that and we can only do it as the
Spirit leads us And then it tells us here in verse 19 the children
of the captivity It's an interesting term everyone that's ever been
saved have been children of the captivity and We've been captivated
by sin. We've been held in captivity
by sin, and now we are bond servants or bond slaves of the Lord. We
have a captivity there, and he will not loose his hold upon
us. He will not relinquish us or
release us into that bondage of sin again. He's paid the price,
and his people are free in Christ. So here it says, the children
of the captivity kept the Passover upon the 14th day of the first
month. I'd like to spend a little time
today on that thought of the Passover. The children of the
captivity, they kept the Passover. This verse is one of ten recorded
passages in the scripture when the Passover was observed. There
are inferences to other places the Passover was observed, but
there are ten passages in the in the bible that we find that
the passover was observed and their significance about each
of those places so i'd like to quickly this morning go through
these ten places and we're gonna have to do this hurriedly and
uh... will will not make a lot of comments
but we want to make a few the first one that we want to turn
to is is the place you know about we all know about over there
in the book of exodus chapter twelve exodus chapter twelve
we find a number of chapters here in the book of Exodus the
Lord had been bringing these plagues upon upon Israel and
Excuse me upon Egypt and Israel had been exempted from those
plagues There was light in Goshen when there was no light in Egypt
and how the Lord protected his people Well, it's approaching
the time of the fulfillment of the promise to Abraham. The children
of Israel, his people, would be in bondage for 400 years,
and we're approaching that time. Now, God has a magnificent timepiece. It's always on time. It needs
no correction, and it is approaching the time. God made a promise
to Abraham, and God's promise is going to be fulfilled, and
this last plague upon Egypt This rich blessing upon Israel is
recorded here in the 12th chapter of the book of Exodus and it
tells us in 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
you 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 to his house take it according to the number of
souls. Every man according to his eating shall make your account
for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish,
underline that. A male of the first year, underline
that. You shall take it out of the
sheep or the goats, underline that. And you shall keep it until
the 14th day of the same month. It's going to be a lamb without
blemish, male of the first year, sheep or goats, and you shall
keep it until the 14th day of the same month. So for these
days, from the 10th day to the 14th day, this lamb was set aside,
and then it tells us in verse six, the whole assembly of the
congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. The whole
congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. This
lamb was set aside not to become a pet, but to become a sacrifice. then we read there that after
the lamb you shall keep it in verse 7 you shall take of the
blood and Strike it upon the two doorposts and upon the upper
doorposts of the house wherein you shall eat it They shall eat
the flesh that night roast with fire and unleavened bread and
with bitter herbs. So you eat it and Then it tells
us here in verse 12 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 Against all the gods of Egypt will I
execute judgment I am the Lord and the blood shall be to you
for a token upon the houses Wherein you are and 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 now drop down with
me to verse 14 there says this day shall be unto you for a memorial
and You shall keep at a feast to the Lord throughout your generations.
You shall keep in a feast by an ordinance forever now verse
40 of this chapter verse 40 of the 12th chapter of the book
of Exodus verse 40 now the sojourning of the children of Israel who
kept who dwelt in Egypt was 430 years and it came to pass at
the end of the 430 years even the self same day it came to
pass that that all the hosts of the Lord
went out of the land of Egypt. So they kept the Passover, it
says, at midnight, and after midnight, they all left the land
of Egypt. That 30 years was the time period
that Joseph was alive, and the 400 years was from the time he
died, and the king put them in captivity, into bondage, into
slavery, until they were set free, and God sent unto them
this wonderful, significant picture, this type, this shadow of who
truly will set his people free, and that's the Lord Jesus, the
Lamb of God. is going to set them truly free,
and there are many among them, or some among them at least,
that knew the significance of this over in the book of Hebrews. It said, by faith, Moses kept
the Passover. Now our faith, the only place
that we have real faith is in Christ. It wasn't that he had
faith in that lamb. It wasn't that he had faith in
anything else. He had faith in Christ the Lord. He had faith in his Messiah.
And that's the only place that we can have faith in. Real faith
is going to be in the object that God Almighty set up, and
that is the person Christ Jesus. So they were there for these
400 years in slavery, 430 years total, and it tells us that they
were there and God set them free. Not to the Egyptians, but to
Israel. In verse 43 of that 12th chapter. It says the Lord sent him to
Moses and Aaron. This is an ordinance Passover
there should be no stranger eat thereof and We read on it says
they must be circumcised if they're going to eat no stranger and
this really sets Us to looking the true Passover those who truly
have an interest in the true Passover in the Lord Jesus Christ
is mentioned over in the book of Romans chapter 2 so I'd like
to Before we go on to the book of Joshua and see the second
instance or the second observance of the Passover, turn with me
over to the book of Romans. I just want to put this in here
because the Passover was not for strangers. It was for the
children of Israel. And it tells us a little farther
in that same chapter that it was those who were circumcised.
And we get over here to the book of Romans chapter 2 and verse
28, we find out the Definition for this in the Old Testament.
This was also observed by God. We have the Apostle Paul sharing
with us and then and enlightening us through the Holy Spirit of
these things that were Mentioned in the Old Testament Romans chapter
2 and verse 28 for he is not a Jew which is one outwardly
neither is that circumcision which is an outward in the flesh
and But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly. Now the only people
that ever have an interest in the real, true Passover, the
Lamb of God that takes away the sin of his people, the only ones
who ever have an interest, a real interest in that, not self-motivated,
but God-motivated, is the Lord Jesus, and it says, it goes on
there and says, and circumcision is that of the heart, in the
spirit, that's regeneration. The only ones that will ever
have any real interest in Christ are those who are born again,
regenerated, and in this passage of scripture, it's just speaking
of another way of doing it, circumcision that is of the heart and the
spirit and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men but
of God. So we have the institution of
the Passover. It was very significant to those folks because that night
they left Egypt. the very same day, 400 years
after God had promised that they would go out, just like he said,
they left, and we look back and we see the significant observance,
and a lamb was taken, set aside, and we find, and killed. And
the blood was put upon the door posts and the side posts, and
when God came through that land, so often we have people assume
it was some angel. It was the angel of the Lord.
God came through that land, and when he saw the blood, he passed
over that house. When he didn't see the blood,
there was death in that house. So, we can really say that in
every household in Egypt, Jew or Gentile, Egyptian or Jewish,
there was a death. In some it was a substitute,
the Lamb. In others, it was the individual.
All right, let's go over to the book of Joshua as we look at
this second observance that's recorded in the Word of God.
Now, this is going to be 40 years later. Now, no doubt during the
travels as the children of Israel encamped that there were times
that they observed the Passover through those years of wandering.
Yet the Spirit remains silent and is pleased to give us this
next time in Joshua chapter five. Why he remains silent about the
Passover? That's his business. We're just
going to say, he was silent. We don't have it. They were to
observe it, and we're going to assume that they did. In the
book of Joshua chapter 5 and verse 10, it says, and the children
of Israel encamped in Gilgal and kept the Passover on the
14th day of the month at Even in the plains of Jordan. And
they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after
the Passover, unleavened cakes and parched corn on the self
same day. So from the time that God gave
them this wonderful picture of the Lamb of God slain for his
people, the Passover, in the book of Exodus chapter 12, we
have 40 years to the day we're observing it, and the children
of Israel are encamped in Gilgal. They're in Crossover, Jordan.
And it's going to be the right time, the right place, with the
right instruments, the right lamb, and all the things that
went with it. Joshua is going to observe that.
So we see it carried on 40 years. If you'll turn with me to the
number three place, number three. Now, I don't hold a lot of stock
in the numbers or the dates that some people put on different
places of the Bible, but I did look up in a reference Bible
that it was 1451 BC when Joshua observed this. Now I mention that because the
same person has done some study, and we're not going to set any
doctrine on it, but there are times, over time, we find these
things happening. So in 1451 BC, Joshua, and in
the book of 2 Chronicles chapter 29, 2 Chronicles chapter 29,
we have the next observance that's mentioned in the scripture of
the Passover. 2 Chronicles chapter 29. Now, we're going to read
chapter 29, just a couple of verses here to set the stage.
2 Chronicles chapter 29 verses 1 and 2, it tells us that Hezekiah
began to reign when he was 5 and 20 years old, and reigned 9 and
20 years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Abijah,
the daughter of Zechariah. And he did that which was right
in the sight of the Lord according to all that David his father
had done. Now, we don't find this very
often as we go through the Kings and the Chronicles, that someone
did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Now, it wasn't because
he was a good fella, it was because God looked at him as redeemed. That's the only way God can look
upon us and say we're right in the sight of the Lord. Our works
don't make us right, it is only the blood of Christ, it is only
what God has done for us that makes us right. So Hezekiah began
to reign, he did that which was right. Now let's go to the next
chapter here, 2 Chronicles chapter 30, and there in verses one through
three. Hezekiah sent to all Israel and
Judah and wrote letters also to Ephraim of Manasseh that they
should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem to keep the
Passover until the Lord God of Israel." So, in his studies,
as it was brought to his attention, he realized that they needed
to take care of the Passover. They hadn't been doing it. And
in verse 2, where the king had taken counsel and his princes
and all the congregation of Jerusalem to keep the Passover in the second
month. for they could not keep it at
that time. I want us to notice here that as God reveals these
things to us through the writer of the book of second Chronicles,
that it was not specifically the day that was important. That
was important. It was a new day for Israel over
there in the book of Genesis, excuse me, Exodus. And we find
it was the same time over in the book of Joshua. But here
in the book of second Chronicles chapter 30, they kept the Passover,
but it was in the second month. It was not the day, but the subject
that was so important. It was the same lamb slain. Now, the reason they could not
keep it on the first month is that they were not prepared.
They were not cleansed. They were not sanctified for it. So
they have permission to go ahead and have it here at this time.
It says in verse three, The priest had not sanctified themselves
sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together
in Jerusalem. So they're going to do it in
the second month. Well, hallelujah. What would it happen if we all
could only meet on Wednesday or Thursday or Sunday? Well,
it's not the day. It's who we worship. We worship
the Lord God Almighty and not the day. I recognize the fact
that we observe on the first day of the week, the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus Christ. But if that's the only day you
observe the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and not on
Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday or Thursday or Friday or Saturday,
we are miserable people. We observe it every day when
we pray if you really pray Then you have observed the resurrection
of Christ because he sits at the right hand of the father
making intercession for us in 2nd Chronicles chapter 30 verse
5 look there So they assembled or established a decree to make
a proclamation throughout all Israel from Dan bear Sheba even
unto Dan That they should come and keep the Passover until the
Lord God of heaven Israel at Jerusalem for they had not done
it for a long time in such sort as it was written So they've
been remiss but now we have someone that says we need to come back
to the gospel We we've allowed it to be so separate from us
We've allowed other things to come along those Kings that led
us astray, but now we're going back to the way We're going back
to the truth. We're going back to the the life
And the picture of it is the Passover that nobody that knows
anything is going to trust that lamb, that animal, to be their
salvation. They will trust the one it represents.
Well, as we look down through in verse 10 now, So they sent
out the evangelists, the posts. These are the postmen of the
day. They sent them out to pass from city to city through the
country of Ephraim and Manasseh, even unto Zebulon. And we notice
the common result of hearing the gospel, they laughed them
to scorn and mocked them. That's the common result. It
is uncommon when we read verse 11, nevertheless, some diverse
of Asher and Manasseh and Zebulon humbled themselves and came to
Jerusalem. Here we have the nevertheless,
those few that came. You would think that those of
Judah and Benjamin would come. They'd be the first in line,
yet it was some of Asher and Manasseh and Zebulon that came. Why? The Spirit of God moved
upon them. Why? Because they were God's
people before the foundation of the world. They at least typified
and picture that. We find the strangest of people,
the Apostle Paul, strange person, Saul of Tarsus, nobody wanted
him. Around him he was such a evil
wicked man, and he was angry to the bone and yet in God's
good pleasure Nevertheless he heard the gospel and God brought
him the fourth time we find this Wonderful occurrence of the Passover
again as 2nd Chronicles, but it's in chapter 34 2nd Chronicles
chapter 34 and There in verse 1 and 2 again. We have a king. He's 8 years old he begins to
reign Reigns in Jerusalem 2nd Chronicles chapter 34 and verse
1 Josiah He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord
And he reigned in Jerusalem 101 in 30 years verse 2 he did that
which was right in the sight of the Lord and walked in the
ways of David his father and Declined neither to the right
hand nor to the left. How what a leader that would
be not to give in to any Influence on to the right or to the left
but to go straight forward. Well in Move to 2nd Chronicles
chapter 35 now and we see what he did just wanted to introduce
him there in chapter 35 and verse 1 moreover Josiah kept a Passover
unto the Lord in Jerusalem and they killed the Passover on the
14th day of the first month well in There's enough prepared that
they can do it on the 14th day of the first month. But we notice,
just like in all the Passovers past during the times of the
Lord Jesus, they killed the Passover. They killed the lamb. It was
set aside. They killed the lamb. They kept
the Passover. And if you'll look with me in
verse 7 of this, Josiah gave to the people of the flock, lambs
and kids, all for the Passover offerings. Josiah the king isn't
it wonderful for us to discover that it is the king that gives
the lamb It is God that gave his only begotten son That it
is he is the true Passover lamb, and he has given he was selected
by the father He was chosen by the father. He is made in the
covenant of grace to be the Lamb of God They kept the Passover
there in verse 7 the king provided all the lambs all for the Passover
offerings For all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand
and three thousand bullocks, these were the king's substance.
And then if you'll turn with me to verse 18 and 19 of this
passage of scripture, it says, and there was no Passover like
to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet. So we have an assumption here.
During the times of Samuel, they were doing the Passover. We don't
have the record of it. The Holy Spirit has been pleased
to remain silent about those, but he did bring out here when
we have this Passover during the days of Josiah, that no Passover
was like that since the days of Samuel. What a wonderful observance
that was. The lamb was killed. There was
a whole bunch of people saying, what does this mean? And those
were able to say, this is a picture of the Redeemer. This takes us
back down to Egypt when we were in bondage, and God set us free. When he saw the blood, he passed
over us, and we moved out into the land, and we took over the
land eventually, and here we are. Now we've come back to the
truth. We've come back to the true Passover
the Lord Jesus no Passover was like this one verses 18 Yeah,
it says there's just Josiah kept in the priest and the Levites
and all Judah and Israel were present in the inhabitants of
Jerusalem So everybody that was appointed to be there was there
all all Judah and Israel were present you know how many will
be present in eternity all of Spiritual Israel will be present
all the church will be present. None will be left out. It doesn't
look like Much is happening, but there will be a number that
no man shall number and they will be assembled So all Israel
will be present and then as as we move along we find in verse
19 in the 18th year of the reign of Josiah was the Passover kept
and So he's a very young boy when he takes over. But in the
18th year of the reign of Josiah, the Passover is kept. He did
that which was right in the eyes of the Lord. And the only way
we can do that is to have Christ as our savior. Well, the fifth
time that we find in the scriptures is the one we read about in the
book of Ezra, our passage of study today. And it tells us
there that the children kept the Passover. So the spirit is
pleased to remain silent with regards to the days of Ezra to
the New Testament. We have no record of it through
all that time. There is a mention in the book of Ezekiel about
the Passover, but we're gonna move on to the book of John chapter
two and verse 13. Excuse me, Luke chapter two.
Luke chapter two, wanna go there first. We find that it was a
custom, it was a custom of Mary and Joseph to go to the Passover. It tells us right here in the
book of Luke. chapter 2 and verse 41. Luke chapter 2 and verse
41. And his parents went to Jerusalem
every year at the Feast of the Passover. So it's their custom
to go down to Jerusalem and to observe the Passover. And it
tells us in verse 42, and when he was 12 years old, they went
up to Jerusalem after the custom of the Feast. So we have record
of the Lord Jesus going down to Jerusalem, and there are the
observance of the Passover. There was the lamb slain, there
was the blood shed, just like we find out throughout all the
Old Testament. Now we notice it wasn't so much
the day that it was kept, but the object. What is the object? The object is the slain lamb,
the lamb that was set aside, the lamb that was kept. And then,
on the 14th day of the month, they slew that lamb. They killed
that lamb. There was not one lamb that was
ever given a reprieve. That lamb was slain. And we're
going to find that with the Lord Jesus. I've had people tell me,
if I lived in the days of the Lord Jesus, I would not have
let him be killed. Well, Peter was going to say
the same thing, but he learned what it was. We need this Passover
lamb. When God sees the blood, he'll
pass over us. Without that, he will not. So those that are without
Christ, he will not see any blood, and he will not pass over them.
He will judge them in accordance to his law. So at the age of
12, the Lord went to Jerusalem for the Passover. And we find
here that wonderful instance where he tells us in verse 49,
He tells his mother and his stepfather They they lost him they couldn't
find him among the family and they go back to Jerusalem and
they find him in the temple and there the doctors are asking
him questions those doctors of the law are Asking him question,
and you know what he's answering them. Why because he's God on
His mother's side. He's 12 on his father's side. He is eternal He is the eternal
Son of God so he's answering And their questions are being
asked and he is answering them and then when Mary and Joseph
come in In verse 49, he said unto them. How is it that ye
sought me? Wished you not that I was about
my father's business. So he is there being the Picture
of the future of his life. He is the Passover lamb. It's
not his time yet It's not his time. His time would come. All
right, now John. John chapter 2. John chapter
2 and there in verse 13. John chapter 2 and verse 13.
It says, and the Jews Passover was at hand and Jesus went up
to Jerusalem. This is after he has begun his
ministry and being about 30 years of age and he goes down to the
Passover. He goes down and four times to
the Passover. The last time he goes, he observes
the Passover. We'll read about that. He does
it with his disciples. And then, he is turned over to
the religious and the political leaders, and he is condemned
to death, even after they have said, we find no fault in him.
And truly, we'll see him as the Passover lamb. All right, John
chapter two, verse 13. The Jews' Passover was at hand,
and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Can you imagine the Lord Jesus,
the Lamb of God, observing what was going on and saying, my time
is coming, I will fulfill this. All the types, the shadows and
the pictures, from the book of Exodus down to this very time,
I'll fulfill them. They were a type and a shadow
and a picture, but I will be the real Lamb of God. John chapter
five now, John chapter five, and there in verse, 1 John chapter
5 and verse 1 after this there was the feast of the Jews and
Jerusalem Jesus went up to Jerusalem and He goes there is the juice
Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool which
is called in the Hebrew tongue Beth Bethesda having five porches
He goes up to the Feast of the Jews, the Passover, and then
he does this wonderful thing for this one. Will you be made
whole? Rise, take up your bed, and walk. In John chapter six,
John chapter six, and there in verse four, John chapter six
and verse four, the Passover, the Feast of the Jews, was nigh.
And verse five, when Jesus then lifted up his eyes, he saw a
great company come unto him, and he saith unto Philip, when
shall we buy bread? that these may eat. Now, I've
read this passage of scripture a number of times, but I never
connected it with an illustration of the Passover. He truly is
the Passover. He's the bread of life. And he
demonstrates that nobody can do what he did. Nobody can multiply
fish and bread like he did. We just can't, it's impossible
for us to do that, but nobody can be the lamb of God like he
is. Not even a lamb animal can be
the Lamb of God as he is So and then would you turn back with
me to the book of Luke? Luke chapter 22 Luke chapter 22 In verse 1 Now the feast of unleavened bread
Drunai, which is called the Passover. Luke chapter 22 and verse one.
The feast of unleavened bread, Drunai, which is called the Passover.
So here we have this wonderful Passover, this last Passover.
I know a preacher that went and observed the Passover, and I
didn't even know the gospel, but I knew that was wrong. We
don't need a physical Passover anymore. It's been done away
with. They can do it all they want. There's no significance
in it. There was no significance in the temple any longer, and
that's why we have it destroyed in AD 70. Why people want to
have that rebuilt when we have the true temple is beyond me.
The pastor I had in religion said we're going to reestablish
animal sacrifices during that time. Even then, it was just
nonsense. But when you're saved by the
grace of God, that stuff is just put away. My goodness, we have
the temple. And we have the sacrifice of
the Lord Jesus. We don't need animal sacrifices
reestablished. We don't need a physical temple
anymore. Our temple is Christ. And his church is the temple
of the Holy Spirit. So we have it. But here in the
book of Luke chapter 22, now dropping down to verse 7, then
came the day of unleavened bread when the Passover must be killed. The Passover must be killed.
And he sent Peter and John saying, go and prepare us the Passover
that we may eat. Now this is the only time in
the New Testament that we have the Lord Jesus doing these things. This is the last Passover. Go
prepare the Passover. The Passover must be killed.
His time is approaching. And they said unto him, Where
will we find that we prepare? And he said unto them, Behold,
when ye are entered into the city, there shall be a man. Meet
you bearing a pitcher of water, follow him into the house where
he entereth in. And ye shall say unto the good
men of the house, Master saith unto thee, where is the guest
chamber where I may eat the Passover with my disciples? And he shall
show you a large upper room furnished there make ready." Isn't that
something? How the Lord Jesus influenced this man without even
visiting with him. The Holy Spirit influenced. How
are God's people influenced? By the Spirit of God, we wonder,
where did that come from? How did I get to see that? It's
of the Holy Spirit. Thank God for His Spirit, and
the Spirit of God is all-powerful, just like the Father, the Son.
Sometimes the Spirit is given so little ability, He just is
not able to do, we gotta make Him successful, so we're gonna
go through all these charades. Well, thank God for the Holy
Spirit, who is all-powerful, He touched this person, here's
the room, make ready. And then verse 13, and they went
and found it as he had said unto them and they made ready the
Passover. And when the hour was come, he sat down and the 12
apostles with him. And he said unto them, with desire,
I have desire to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. Now
this, this very night, the Lord Jesus will be Betrayed this very
night the Lord Jesus will be Taken out and crucified and we
find that is he's trial goes on These folks that are they
don't want to enter in because they'll defile him and they won't
the religious people. They'll be defiled They won't
be able to observe the Passover. Well, here he is taking care
of that and We have noticed a number of things concerning the Passover
its institution its keeping sometime on the 14th day of the first
month and sometimes not. Sometimes it was forgotten. Sometimes
it was mocked. Yet with each one recorded there
was a commonality. A lamb, a male of the first year
without spot or blemish. And this lamb was killed, not
one was spared at the last minute. The Passover was for a specific
people, not for strangers. The Passover observance never
changed until the final recognized one with the Lamb of God, the
antitype of all the lambs, was offered to ransom His people. This Lamb, the Lamb of God, was
the antitype of all those lambs, and He offered Himself to ransom
His people. This special observance was very
significant. Though so many ages, the shadow
of the Lord was observed so religiously, with such exactness. It was very
important to be on this day. Once in a while we couldn't,
so they moved over here. But the Lamb was always there. The Lamb
slain was always there. The Lamb killed was always there.
How infinitely monumental must be the Passover of Jesus' blood,
if this was so significant over all those years. from the institution
in Egypt down to the days of the Lord Jesus Christ. Their
remedy has never changed. The blood of the lamb, the message
of the gospel has never changed because man and his nature has
not changed over time for the better. In fact, we could probably
say it's got worse. God has not changed. He is just
to slay the sinner because of sin. He will excuse none. The sin debt must be paid in
full, or eternal death is the result. The shed blood of the
Lamb is the only item that will prevent the just condemnation
to hell and eternal punishment. His blood has to pay all our
sin, and it will pay for all the sin of all His chosen. If
He doesn't pay for one sin in us, He's paid for none of them.
He must pay for them all, and He has. The requirement is the
shed blood of the true Passover lamb. Now the Apostle Paul brings
this up in the book of 1 Corinthians chapter 5. 1 Corinthians chapter
5. 1 Corinthians chapter 5 and there
in verse 7 we find as the Apostle Paul is used by the Spirit to
send some help, spiritual help, guidance, direction to the church
at Corinth, his brethren, his friends, He tells us there in
verse 7, Purge out therefore the eleven, that ye may be a
new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover
is sacrifice for us. He is identified as the Passover
Lamb. John did the same thing. He says,
Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
Those that understood what John was saying, just the words of
it, understood What he was intimating when he pointed out that Jesus
is the Lamb of God. He was intimating, he was telling
whether they believed it or not. And you know, people don't believe
because they don't understand the definition of words. They
don't believe because they're unbelievers. But once you have
been given the belief, you understand that the Lord Jesus is the true
Passover Lamb. He is the one that sets us free.
He must die. And he did die, but no man took
his life from him. He laid it down of himself that
he might take it up again. And it was God the Father, God
the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, the Godhead, that bruised the
Son. That's the covenant of grace.
It was they that bruised him. It was he that received it. After
all this, Christ our Passover sacrificed for us. So after all
this time, the gospel has not changed. Many have tried to add
or to take away from it, and yet it has not changed. God still
has a requirement. There must be the Lamb of God. His blood must be shed for scriptural,
spiritual Israel, and all those shall leave the captivity of
sin and be set free. He is their Lamb. In His grace
and by His shed blood, his absolute payment for all the sin and sins
of his people. And in due time, all the ransomed
will assemble at the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ, and there
will not be one empty place. All will be there. All Israel
shall be there. All spiritual Israel. Those who
have been circumcised in heart. Those who are the true children
of Abraham. If the subject of redemption
was so interesting then, as we find it brought out, Exodus 12,
Joshua, 2 Chronicles, twice throughout the Old Testament and the book
of Ezra, through a figure and a type, what ought it be now
when Jesus, the whole sum and substance of it, has come and
finished it by His own blood? Much more significant is that
now in closing read with me a verse in the book of Hebrews Excuse
me Hebrews chapter 11 You know that
chapter what a statement it is everybody and then they're in
there trusted Christ as their Savior That's what faith is trusting
Christ for all my salvation If that's not what faith means to
you, you have not real faith. It tells us here in Hebrews 11,
verse 28, speaking about Moses. By faith, he came of years, refused
to be called Pharaoh's son, and down here he forsook Egypt. And
in verse 28, through faith, he kept the Passover. Through faith,
he kept the Passover. the sprinkling of blood Lest
he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them by faith. What did he believe he believed
God? He believed God when God spoke
to him He had absolute faith in God's Word because God had
given him the new birth. He'd regenerated him the faith
is always towards the supplier and object of the supply of Christ
and Our faith is in no other direction. It's not in ourself.
It is in the Christ, the living God, the Passover lamb, the one
that was so significantly spoken of in types and shadows and pictures
since the book of Exodus down to the time of Christ, and he
became the true Passover lamb. He was the Passover lamb. He is the Passover lamb, and
he shall ever be the Passover lamb. He is the only one of all
the lambs that were slain, provided by themselves or provided by
the king, he is the only lamb that ever came from the dead. He was roasted as they were.
He had not a bone broken in his body. He was there hanging on
the cross in his wholeness. His blood was shed and it was
he that said it is finished and gave up the ghost. And yet we
find this lamb so much different than the physical lamb. This
lamb came out of the grave, came out of the tomb, victorious over
all the opposition of the church, all sin and all death and all
hell and all the grave. He became victorious over it
in his resurrection. So he kept the Passover. He sprinkled his blood. So that
when the Lord comes, he will see the blood and will pass over
us, his blood. And we don't sprinkle it, he
does the sprinkling. Well, God bless you as we conclude
this message on the Passover, the Passover of the Lord Jesus
Christ, our Passover lamb. Amen.