[Steve Myers] We had a question come in from a viewer regarding a recent program that we did on the real meaning of Christ's birth. Here was their question, "We know the early church commemorated Christ's death on Passover, but how did the early church commemorate the resurrection? Of course, we know you don't commemorate it by keeping Easter." Important questions.
[Darris McNeely] It is and since it was my program, I think I'll go ahead and give a try to answer that Steve. We observe the death of Jesus Christ by keeping the Passover, which is the way Christ instructed the church to with the symbols, the new symbols of the bread and the wine. The resurrection of Jesus Christ which came after, of course, three days and three nights after His death, is observed as we keep the festival called the Days of Unleavened Bread.
That is a seven day festival that follows after the Passover, mentioned in Leviticus 23 (Leviticus 23:4-8). In 1 Corinthians chapter 5 we find the Apostle Paul instructed the church, a Gentile church, at Corinth and he said to them "Let us keep the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (1 Corinthians 5:8). Very clear instruction to observe that festival, to do it with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth…
[Steve Myers] So we had to do it, that's the amazing part to begin with.
[Darris McNeely] That's exactly right, it was carried over. But it was carried over with a new meaning, a deeper meaning, and that meaning is anchored in the fact of Jesus Christ's resurrection as a spirit being, as the Son of God, and His life now is in us. In John chapter 6, Christ referred to Himself as the Bread of Life. He said, "I am the Bread of Life, and whoever eats my flesh has My life within him" (John 6:22-59)
Now we understand that flesh is a symbol of the unleavened bread that Christians should eat during the Days of Unleavened Bread to picture Christ's life within them. And so that is how we commemorate, we observe, however you want to term it, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We do it for seven days through that festival, which Christ put within the church and that the Apostle Paul maintained as a prime teaching of the church. That's how we observe the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That's one of the key aspects of the Christian life today.
[Steve Myers] Yeah, so if we're to summarize, our sins are forgiven through that recognition of the Passover, you know, Jesus Christ's death. Well, then after that we have the Days of Unleavened Bread and we are to live with Christ in us. We have the power…
[Darris McNeely] A new life…
[Steve Myers]…A new life, the power of the resurrection. How do we overcome sin? We do it because Christ is in us. He is the hope of glory.
[Darris McNeely] Right. We don't do it by ourselves, we do it through Christ's power and His help.
[Steve Myers] That's BT Daily. We'll see you tomorrow.
