It\’s Friday; But Sunday\’s Coming!

$\"JesusThePassoverLamb\"$ Growing up the son of a pastor, this time of year was very special at our annual Spring Revival. We called it the \”Passover Festival.\” I looked forward to leading the song by Ray Boltz:

Go ahead drive the nails in My hands,
Laugh at Me where you stand.
Go ahead, and say it isn\’t Me,
The day will come when you will see,

\’Cause I\’ll rise again.
There\’s no pow\’r on earth can tie Me down.
Yes, I\’ll rise again,
Death can\’t keep Me in the ground.

It was during this season when the Jews celebrated Passover that Jesus was crucified. In fact, historically speaking, according to the Gospel of John, Jesus was crucified on the Day of Passover. What a coincidence! Or, in fact, it was not a coincidence!

Approximately ten days before the Day of Passover, the Jews would set aside a young, male lamb, without blemish. It was a time to remember what God did for the Israelites in Exodus 12, when God delivered them from Egypt. It was the last of 10 plagues that finally provoked Pharaoh to \”Let God\’s People Go.\”

During that famous time of Jewish history, God told Moses to set a young lamb aside to prepare to slaughter. Israel was to put the blood from the slaughtered animal over the door post of their houses because death would pass through Egypt. Everywhere death saw the blood of the innocent slain lamb, it would leap over that house. But, everywhere that the innocent slain lamb\’s blood was not applied, death would enter that house and cause destruction. From that time forward, Israel was grateful for the blood that preserved their families\’ lives. in honor of that divine heroic move, God commanded that Israel remember the Passover.

But also, the Passover was prophetic. It pointed to a day when the promised Messiah of the seed of Abraham would take upon Himself what it truly means to be the Lamb of God.

In the first century, Jesus was the Lamb of God, killed on a Day of Passover. How ironic! Or, it was not ironic! It was the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. There were many prophecies that pointed to that day. The one that I will mention here is Isaiah 53:7:

He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

Jesus became the Paschal (Passover) Lamb of God! He was slaughtered. His blood was poured out. And, where that blood is applied, death has no power. Even if this earthly tabernacle be dissolved, we have a new one eternal in the heavens (ref. 2 Corinthians 5:1).

Hallelujah!

Not only did Jesus die the slaughtered Lamb of God to preserve our lives; unlike the lamb in Exodus 12, Jesus rose from the dead with all power in His hands!

Indeed, death had no power of the Messiah. As Lamb, He was slain; as God, He rose again!

Jesus is our example that although there is doom and gloom, related to the crucifixion, sorrow is temporary. With Jesus we suffer; and with Jesus we rise again!

We often rush to Easter. Let\’s remember that the power of Easter is in the Passover. The glory of resurrection emerges out of the gloom of the betrayal, the hurt, the sacrifice. \”Oh how I love that Ole cross.\” It reminds us that evil will not triumph, even when evil is perpetuated in the name of God. In the end, the truth will win. Victory will be won.

Jesus is the Lamb of God, slain to give us a chance at eternal life; Through Jesus, we are able to triumph through the crosses of pain that we face in life to Easter where we discover that Friday is not the end of it all. Passover is the end of life as we new it; but Easter Sunday will bring to us a day of new beginning!

Go ahead drive the nails in My hands,
Laugh at Me where you stand.
Go ahead, and say it isn\’t Me,
The day will come when you will see, $\"easter-comments-9\"$

\’Cause I\’ll rise again.
There\’s no pow\’r on earth can tie Me down.
Yes, I\’ll rise again,
Death can\’t keep Me in the ground.