Its Over.

1. What is Passover

• Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is a Jewish festival commemorating the exodus from Egypt and the Israelites’ liberation from Egyptian slavery (Exodus 12).
• The Feast of Passover, together with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, is the first among the festivals commanded by God for Israel to observe. Seder, symbolic elements of the exodus 
• Passover is one of the three “pilgrimage” festivals in Scripture, requiring Jews to travel to Jerusalem and celebrate together. It occurs in the spring during the Hebrew month of Nisan, usually aligning with Easter in Western countries.
• The book of Exodus narrates the origin of Passover, with God promising to redeem His people from Pharaoh’s bondage (Exodus 6:6). God always promises to deliver his people. 
• The night of the first Passover marked the tenth plague, where the Israelites were instructed to sacrifice a spotless lamb and apply its blood on their doorposts. The blood served as protection, and the firstborn in marked households were spared (Exodus 12:21–23).
• The Israelites followed God’s command, but none of the Egyptians did. The unmarked households experienced the death of the firstborn, leading to Pharaoh releasing the Israelite slaves (Ex 12:21–32).
• Alongside the application of the lamb’s blood, God instituted a commemorative meal, including fire-roasted lamb, bitter herbs, and unleavened bread (Exodus 12:8).
• Jews worldwide continue to celebrate Passover in obedience to God’s command. ITS OVER
  

2. What does it matter to Christians

• Does Passover matter to Christians? Yes and no. We are not required to do a seder meal or take part in the Passover any longer because we are  no longer under the ceremonial law. 
• There is value in remembering and honoring our history. Seders are a great experience
• There is a huge spiritual connection between passover, Jesus, Sin, covering, deliverance etc. 
• John the Baptist was the first to announce that Jesus was the Lamb of God!
• 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!
• The Book of revelation declares that we are covered by the Blood of the lamb!
• Revelation 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation
• To understand passover as a Christian, is to understand death. How did it enter? Through Adam 
• Adam and Eve were told to not touch the tree of the knowledge of good and evil
• This is an ongoing thought- You don’t get everything, have it all. God has limits. 
• Genesis 2:17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
• They did in fact eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God never intended death. He wanted life. But, thanks to Adam, sin and death entered the world. 
• Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned 1 Cor 15:21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
• Everyone, including Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses were born into the sin nature of Adam and it must be dealt with. It must be atoned for. It must be covered. 
• Blood as an atonement before God has always been the way. Blood is life. 
• Genesis 4:3-5 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
• What is interesting, and I often come back to this- is that making an offering to God with blood predates the law. (like tithe, immorality)It doesn’t tell us how they knew to make an offering or be made right, but they knew it intrinsically (sidenote- Abel was first murder after offering-first shepherd v Great shepherd) Sacrifice and atonement always included blood. Had to be. 
• The sight of other people’s blood doesn’t bother me as much as my own- cant watch draw
• Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.’
• Hebrews 9:22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.
• Only Blood can atone for sin. Nothing else. God had to cover adam and eves sin through blood
• Covenants were made in blood. We have a bloody religion. It is costly. 
• So anything that Isn’t done with the blood when it comes to atonement and forgiveness, doesn’t work. You can’t atone for your own sins. There always is an intermediary. 
• Only through God can we have life. Actual life, breathing life- you are only alive because God wanted you alive. Praise God that you are alive! 
• And only God can give eternal life. No one else but him. W/O Jesus, death reigns in your life. 
• And so Death comes to those who are not covered by blood. In the Passover scripture- it shows that the Hebrews that covered their door posts with blood, were “passed over” by the Lord and then he killed all the first born who were not covered by the Blood. Blood is a protection!
• Today, Jews still celebrate the Passover to commemorate their deliverance, they still eat the flesh of the lamb and do other ceremonial things as well to always remember God’s deliverance from DEATH and escape from Slavery.  
  

3. Jesus Our Passover

• two things Jesus did for us as our Passover: Deliver us from Death. Release us from Slavery
• Spiritual death brought by our sins, and Slavery to those sins! Jesus is our deliverer! 
• Jesus died during Passover and now he is our covering from sin and deliverance from bondage
• 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!
• This declaration from John was a declaration for the reason for Christ’s arrival! 
• Christ didn’t come to be your buddy, give you purpose, give you a destiny, but to TAKE YOUR SIN
• This idea of our Sinful nature having to be dealt with is central to Christianity. 
• 1 Jn 3:5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.
• It is not a subject that people love to talk about. Many preachers stay away from it
• But it is the truth! We had a sin problem, since adam, that needed to be dealt with. OUR SIN
• Isaiah 53:7 Says that- He was led as a lamb to the slaughter
•  consecration of the high priest,  day of atonement, all blood sacrifice. And all of these animals had to be the best, without blemish. (destroying an old car- what if a new? New has value)
• 1 Pe 1:19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
• And because he was perfect and without blemish, we are forgiven of our sins
• Hebrews 9:12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
• Hebrews 10:11 And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,
• 1 John 2:2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. (and because of this- We escape death- We live now and eternally- unlike world)
• Because we have life, live eternally, we have a different existence. We are above the world. 
• 2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.- THIS IS THE GOSPEL. The CENTER of our FAITH
• So what does Jesus do?  Jesus instituted communion during a Passover meal (Seder) and instituted communion for the believer to never forget what Jesus did for us as our passover 
• Luke 22:20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.
  

4. Jesus our deliverer

• Israelites were under the bondage of the Egyptians. told to never forget that they were in bondage. To never forget. Many Christians forget- Become demanding instead- deserve MORE
• Deuteronomy 5:15 And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm
• It was God that delivered them from their sins! 
• Now, we celebrate our deliverance from the bondage of Sin through Jesus! ITS OVER- DONE
• We are no longer slaves to sin- we are to be slaves to righteousness. We have been set free!
• Ro6:16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
• Whom we present ourselves to is who we are going to be slaves to
• My whole life I’ve heard Christians say “I’m just a sinner” no. such WERE some of us. 
• Why identify with sin? When you get out prison, are you still a prisoner? NO you WERE-OVER
• Never understood repeat offenders. First time, enough time. I would move away, change name
• The truth is- Yes, I still sin. I still struggle with sin. But I don’t need to call myself a sinner to give me some sort of comfort in my sin. I don’t need to be coddled, I need to be convicted!
• Jn 8:34 Jesus answered them-Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.
• I don’t want that to be me! I don’t want to be controlled by anything but the HS- KILL THE SIN
• READ 2 Peter 2:18-21 This is what false teachers do- They promise to lead people to liberty, but they entice them back to what they have already been delivered from and end up worse
• Romans 6:12-13 READ do not let sin reign and do not present your members 
• Ro 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. SIN IS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE DOMINION OVER US. ITS NOT- Not just forgiveness-FREEDOM
• When you keep talking about and identifying w sin, how can you be delivered from it?
• 1 Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
• Weapons cleaning in basic. Every inspection fail- Demoralizing. Why are we doing this? They will always find somewhere on it that needs cleaning. The purpose isn’t perfection, its that if you’re not constantly cleaning, the weapon will be rendered useless in battle. (This why talk about sin)
• 1 John 2:1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
• You’re going to sin! And you have an advocate before the father for it! But why identify with your sin? You say sinner? Why not use the nastiness of your sins verbally? Lust, actions etc?
• When God delivered the Israelites from the bondage of slavery he delivered them
• They still had a bit to do and learn before the promised land but they were delivered
• We’ll see them miraculously cross over the red sea. The enemy will be destroyed. 
• But they were required to remember what God had done. ITS OVER- Worship like it 
• God wants us to have VICTORY over EVERYTHING in our LIVES- Walking in faith and victory!
• 1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (oh wow- Faith and Victory)
• 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
• You, me, we, much like the Israelites are in that desert, awaiting the end of all things
• We may not see perfection on this side of heaven,  there’s no reason we shouldn’t yearn for it. 
• Rev 21:4  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
• God always makes provision for us and that provision requires ACTION. The Israelites HAD to apply the blood- They didn’t just say “well, he said he would do it” we HAVE to come to CHRIST
• And this action, always includes a bit of faith, what is blood going to do? What is going to the Altar going to do? Raising my hand? It was an act of faith. ( I do the hand raising thing because I think its polite. The bible way would be to come up front and declare publicly your desire)
• But its all on FAITH- ITS OVER
• God’s protection came to Israel to escape death and we escape through Jesus Christ
• Walk in the deliverance of the passover lamb. Praise God you escaped death and can live. Praise God that you have been delivered from the slavery of Sin.