United Church of God

The Passover Covenant

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The Passover Covenant

Perhaps you have heard of the Passover that Jesus observed with His disciples on the night before He was crucified.  He told them that “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”  Jesus showed the twelve apostles how they and those who would believe in Him through their word should keep the Passover from that year onward.   He took wine, gave thanks and told them each to drink of it.  He told them “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.”  You can read of these things in your own Bible in Luke:22:14-20 and Matthew:26:26-28.  In 1 Corinthians:11:23-26 we see that this same manner of keeping the annual observance of Passover was taught and practiced by the Church that Jesus built after His resurrection.

Have you ever wondered what the “new covenant” is—what kind of covenant it is?  Having a “new covenant” implies there was an earlier, or “first covenant.”  In Isaiah:54:5 and Jeremiah:31:31-33, it is quite clear that the first covenant was a marriage covenant between God and the nation of Israel, which included all twelve of the tribes of Israel.  The verses in Jeremiah 31 show that very well, and then look forward from that time to the time when the Lord would make another covenant with His people.

Most people don’t realize that the Lord who led Israel out of Egypt is the one who later “became flesh and dwelt among us,” (John:1:14), and is, in fact, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  You may enjoy reading the following verses:  Exodus:24:1-10, where Israel affirmed the covenant with “the God of Israel.”  Then turn to 1 Corinthians:10:1-4 and see that the God who led them out of Egypt was Christ.  It was Christ with whom Israel had a covenant of marriage, and it was Christ who gave the wine at Passover to His disciples saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood…” 

Could it be that the “new covenant” is also a covenant of marriage?  Let’s see from the Scriptures some aspects of what is inspired about this covenant. 

Hebrews:8:6-13 reveals that the new covenant is “established on better promises.”  It also shows that the fault in breaking the first covenant was with the house of Israel, and that the first has been made obsolete.  That means the first marriage covenant is no longer binding.  These points are clearly addressed in Romans:7:1-4, where God inspired the Apostle Paul to write about how a marriage covenant is bound and unbound.  As long as the husband lives, the wife is bound to her husband, but if the husband dies, the wife is free to remarry.  Verse four makes the point very clearly—“Therefore, my brethren (this is written to the members of the church), you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another, even to Him who was raised from the dead…” 

When we read these verses and prayerfully consider what they so clearly say, we begin to realize that the new covenant, the covenant that Jesus said should be part of the annual Passover observance by those who are members of His church, is a marriage covenant.  To gain a fuller understanding of this concept and what it means to us, you may wish to read Ephesians:5:25-32, where marriage is shown as an analogy of the relationship between Christ and His church.

Where does this lead us?  All the way to the Kingdom of God, and to the marriage of the Lamb, and His wife, who will have made herself ready.  See Revelation:19:7. 

The United Church of God observes the Passover every year, just as Christ taught and the Apostles passed on to the next generations of Christians.  The depth of meaning in this special observance is truly one of the foundational teaching of the Bible, an essential aspect of the gospel of the kingdom of God that Jesus Christ preached and taught, "leaving us an example that you should follow His steps" (1 Peter:2:21).  If you would like to learn more, please read our booklets "The Road to Eternal Life" http://www.ucg.org/booklet/road-eternal-life/ and "Tools for Spiritual Growth" http://www.ucg.org/booklet/tools-spiritual-growth/.  You may also call me, at 801-676-9273.  I'd be glad to answer your questions on this and other biblical topics. 

 

Sincerely,

Roc Corbett, pastor