The Passover is a memorial of the death of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The baptized members of the Church of God will be coming together to wash one another’s feet and to symbolically take in the body and blood of Christ. Each year before we take those symbols we are given a reminder of the seriousness of our commitment to God that we made at baptism:

“Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world” (1 Corinthians‬ ‭11‬:‭27‬-‭32‬).

This passage serves as a warning and an encouragement to look at ourselves personally before we take the bread and wine at the Passover service. The word “examine” especially jumps out. There are various passages in the Bible that remind us to examine ourselves, not just directly before Passover, but on a regular basis. This internal self-examination isn’t meant to bring us down, but instead to help us search the scriptures for how God defines righteousness, to be reminded of the gift of salvation through Christ’s sacrifice, and to continually make internal changes in ourselves.

What are some Bible verses or passages that personally help you go through this examination process, especially as we approach the next Passover?