Desiring to Take the Passover

Thank you, and good morning to all of you. It's a pleasure to be back. I feel like I'm getting to be a normal substitute in some ways. As we said, it had an interesting drive down, but you're all having the same thing that we did.

I thought it would be nothing but rain once we got a little way south of Cincinnati, but it's been an exciting time. I think I'm doing okay now. I'll warn you, my voice has been a little in and out. It's something that's been about a month or so ago. I came down with a cold, and I felt kind of bad for about two, maybe three days, and my voice was shot for about two and a half weeks. It was the strangest thing. It just kept wanting to go out on me. I've had times, you know, you heard about the personal appearance campaign that our Beyond Today presenters were out in California for about ten days.

So we did some substituting for classes, because they also teach at ABC. I know I had one, one, I think a week ago Monday. They were just coming back that evening, so I had like six of the seven class hours scheduled that day. It wasn't intended that way. Anyways, I'm talking about myself when I don't need to. I will mention, though, it's been kind of exciting thing in a class. You know, they're building the studio on, and this week they were putting up the walls.

I don't know if you saw some of the photos. It's interesting. They've had that steel frame skeleton, and what they did is the walls are stressed concrete. They poured them off-site, so there was a big crane, and they were just lifting them up, putting them in place, and welding them on. Within about two and a half days, all the walls are there.

It's amazing. Although, at one point I was teaching class, and suddenly there's this boom, boom, boom while they're setting walls in place. But we're progressing well, and I'm excited to get to see the final result in a few months. But moving on, it's no surprise to anyone that we're in the Passover season, and obviously that's something we're focusing on.

And, you know, we have certain feelings, but if you're like me, some years have been different than others. I don't know if you've ever had one of those years where you weren't as enthusiastic as maybe you thought you were, or thought you should have been.

And sometimes it's a matter of just things happening. You know, you're wondering, when can I find time to get the leaven out of my house, and my car, and, you know, can I do that? And then who knows what pre- Passover trials might come up.

And it's funny, I've had that happen sometimes where I didn't even, I got so caught up, it's like, oh, Passover is coming. I guess this qualifies as a pre- Passover trial. But sometimes they take your attention away, and which I think is Satan's intent. But it can make you not as enthusiastic. And then relating to what Mr. Burton spoke on, that the whole idea of examining yourself. Some years it seems easier than others. And I remember when I was younger, and I know this probably wasn't the intent, but there were sometimes I felt like I got the impression from some ministers that if I didn't just dig deep down and see myself as worthless scum, I must not be doing it right.

That I should dive down to the lowest low, and then be able to come up to the higher high. And I'm pretty certain looking back that that wasn't the intention of anyone in the ministry. That we do need to check ourselves. We need to examine. We need to approach the Passover in a worthy manner. It's a serious, it's a solemn occasion, but it's not meant to be something that we dread.

It should never be something we're just putting up with. Thinking about the meaning, that's something that should fill us with an inner joy. Even, you know, happiness and anticipation, but still making sure we don't treat it with any disrespect. And that's... I wanted to focus on some of how we feel looking forward to the Passover.

And I thought we could learn a lot first by looking at how Jesus Christ anticipated at least one very special Passover. So I want to turn to the book of Luke. And we'll start in verse... chapter 22.

I had marked that I was going to start in verse 15, but it might be worth starting a look... well, actually, I think I'm going to start there and move a little further down than I intended. But we'll start in verse 13, because, of course, before that, he tells his disciples, you know, go and prepare for us to keep the Passover. Well, where do we prepare? And he sends them on...

it seems almost one of those scavenger hunts. Go in, look for a guy carrying a pitcher of water. Ask him, you know, he'll take... follow him to this upper room and say, the Master wants to keep the Passover here. So they prepare and get ready. In verse 13, they went and found it just as he had said, they prepared the Passover. When the hour had come, he sat down and the twelve apostles with them.

And he said to them, with fervent desire, I've desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. I say to you, I'll no longer eat of it until it's fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

And he goes right on. This is what I wasn't going to read, but it's always good for us to remind ourselves of how we keep the Passover now. He took the cup and gave thanks. He said, take this and divide it among yourselves, for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.

And he took bread and gave thanks and broke it, saying, this is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me, showing when the Apostle Paul said what he... wrote what he did in 1 Corinthians 11, he was going back to exactly what Christ taught.

Verse 20, likewise, he also took the cup after supper, saying, this cup, meaning the wine that's in it, is the new covenant in my blood which is shed for you. So that's the meaning of the Passover. And Christ had his mind on that very intently. As part of our service, we always read several chapters in the book of John, where John, writing his account, we believe many years after the first three Gospels that we call the synoptics, John filled in details that others hadn't about what Christ taught them, that that last night he had together with them.

And that's what brings to mind, maybe some of what he said is because he realized it was the last night they would spend together, at least as they were, with him in flesh and blood. And that's where we see in verse 15, with fervent desire, I've desired to eat this Passover with you. The Greek word that's used there for desire and desired is the same word. It's epithelia. Epithumia. It means a longing. It can even be translated as a craving. More often, especially in the original King James that was translated in 1611, it was translated into the word lust.

Now, of course, Jesus Christ never lusted in a bad way. The word lust didn't always have the negative connotation back in the 1600s that it does for us today. More often, now, in modern times, we translate that word epithelia into desire or very earnest desire. Matter of fact, that's the exact same phrase we've used when we look at Deuteronomy 14 when it talks about how to spend our second tithe. You know, bind it up in your hand, go to the place where God puts his name, and spend it on whatever your soul earnestly desires.

The old King James would say, lusted. And what I'm getting at is Jesus had strong feelings involved in keeping this Passover. He really wanted it. He desired it. And I thought it might help to see what that means by looking at some other places where that word is used to help us get a feeling for it. Back in... well, actually, we can turn to Luke 10. I've got a... it says the same thing in Matthew 13 verse 17, but I noted here that in Luke 10 and 24, Jesus used that word describing the prophets of old. In Luke 10 and verse 24, and I'm breaking into a thought, he says, I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired Epithumea to see what you see and have not seen it and to hear what you hear and have not heard it.

Can looking at the way some of those prophets described how much they wanted to understand, help us to understand how Jesus felt about keeping the Passover? I'm thinking maybe so, and I want to pull out one particular example in the book of Daniel. Daniel will turn to chapter 9. Daniel 9, beginning at the start of the chapter in verse 1. You will remember that Daniel was greatly beloved by God. He was going to be told that. He had been in captivity. He lived a long life.

This is probably late in his life. He's an older man in his 70s or perhaps 80s. He's been studying God's Word. He's close to God. Let's see what it tells us here. In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, which always had trouble, and we believe that was Xerxes, is the way the Greeks wrote it. Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of Chaldeans. In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood by books the number of years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish 70 years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

And of course, you can find that prophecy back in Jeremiah, where God said that the children of Judah will be in captive 70 years and after that be able to return. Daniel is probably counting up and thinking, it's about 70 years. I really want to know what this means. What should I be looking for? So it says in verse 3, I set my face toward the Lord God to make requests by prayer and supplications, fasting, sackcloth and ashes.

And I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession. And note the words, because this is Christ used the word Epithumea to describe how the prophets wanted to understand. And I think that's describing how Daniel feels. He says, Oh Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and mercy with those who love him and with those who keep his commandments. I want to skip ahead because I want to focus on the way Daniel felt. So if we go to verse 18, still in chapter 9, but Daniel 9, 18, he says, Oh my God, incline your ear and hear, open your eyes and see our desolations in the city which is called by your name.

For we do not represent our supplications to you because of our righteous deeds, but because of your great mercies. Oh Lord, hear, oh Lord, forgive, oh Lord, listen and act, do not delay. For your own sake, my God, for your city and your people are called by your name. And I don't think I do it justice.

We see someone praying with great heartfelt desire. He really wanted to understand and he, you know, it was coming out in his words and his feeling to God. Sadly, remember what Christ said is some prophets desire to understand the things that we get to and didn't. Just to close that thought, we could turn a couple pages over to Daniel 12. Daniel 12 in verse 8. Because following that heartfelt prayer, of course, God sent the angel Gabriel who gave Daniel tremendous, a tremendous revelation of things to come from his time all the way until Christ returned.

And yet, Daniel didn't have the historical context to really understand those things. And so it turns out in verse 8, he says, although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, my Lord, what shall be the end of these things? He said, go your way, Daniel. The words are closed up and sealed to the time of the end.

Now, that part's not related to the Passover. But, as I said, I think it's when we see the way Daniel described his words in this heartfelt prayer, it might help us to understand the way Christ desired to keep that Passover. You know, he had a strong feeling. There's one other example. I'll look at that before we examine some of why Christ felt that way. It's in 1 Peter chapter 1. 1 Peter 1 and verse 12. I'm trying to remind myself sometimes people write the Scripture down so they want it all and then start turning.

1 Peter 1 and 12. Here, Peter had been referring to the prophets. In verse 12, he says, to them it was revealed that not to themselves but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you. So, a lot of those prophets, that explains why they desired to understand and couldn't because they're riding ahead for us.

So, those things which have been reported to you, those who have preached the gospel to you, by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. And then he adds things which angels desire to look into. That word again desires epithelia. And I learned actually one of the things that ambassador, when I was preparing to teach the general epistles class, the phrasing here in the Greek where it says angels desire to look into. That look into could be interpreted as look to the bottom. So, if you see a barrel full of like rainwater and it's bending over and trying to see what's at the bottom and looking intently.

So, the angels have been around for a long, long time and it seems to be saying sometimes they really want to know what's going on. God, what are you doing with these physical creatures down there? Where is it going to end up? They really wanted to know some things that Christ revealed that we do. And again, this is to come back to that strong meaning intent in the words that Christ used that night when he said, with desire, I've desired to keep this Passover and with you, with his 12 disciples, that strong emotional drive.

What was motivating that? Why did he feel that way? I think we can attach that desire to two particular things and I think I'm right in this but I'll point out this isn't strict doctrine that we can say the scripture says exactly this.

But I think one of the things was to spend that time with his disciples. He was, he knew at that point that the next day he was going to end his physical life and he'd be in the grave three days and three nights then he'd be resurrected and get to briefly see them and teach them but he was going to go back up to the Father's throne at his right hand. So the adventure they'd been on for three and a half years was coming to a close. And think about that.

They traveled together. Probably many times spending nights out in the open camping, I can imagine them having a campfire, sitting around telling stories, perhaps singing psalms. You know, I wonder what tunes they might have had to go to some of the Psalms of David. And Jesus Christ teaching them.

Teaching them about why they were born, about this wonderful world to come. And these were fairly young men. Men of destiny, excited about what they were going to get to do. And I imagine Jesus probably, as the master, noted their progress. You know, some of them were pretty raw when he first called them. And over the course of three and a half years, you can learn a lot.

As a matter of fact, it becomes more apparent to me as they're at Ambassador Bible College. We have students come in for nine months. And sometimes we see a fair bit of progress in just that time. Imagine how Jesus had become attached to these men. And that night, you know, he wanted to have that time with them. Now, I can think there are examples of times we might feel that. I think, and I think because we've had soldiers overseas now for years, you know, you see stories on television sometime of, you know, a soldier who has to leave his wife and children behind.

Boy, it's emotional. And I've never done that, and I hope I never do. But, yeah, it's easy to feel that. One thing I can relate to, well, I mentioned the students that we, that they come in as somewhat strangers. Otherwise, actually, this year, I knew half of them before they came.

I'd worked with them at summer camps or met them here or there. Actually, I think a couple of them were from my hometown. It's amazing for me to think it's like I knew their parents. We were teenagers together, and now, you know, I'm old enough to be teaching their kids. That explains the gray whispers, I guess. But let us decide my growing attachment to them. Many of them, I've seen them come together.

They don't know each other, but they're sitting in that room together, sort of like we are here. But imagine you come together and do this five days a week for eight hours, and you eat lunch together. And then a lot of times in the evening, they'd get together and do activities. You take trips.

They bond together. And I found that when it's coming down to the end, as we're coming to now, there's this hesitation to part. Yeah, they're excited about what's going on ahead. Some of them are going back to, some of them are going back to college. Some are starting graduate school. Others look forward to getting married. Things like that. But there's that attachment. So when there's a chance to do something together, you want to have that. And I think that might... Jesus Christ probably had that, and then some.

So when he said he had fervent desire to spend that time with them, he wasn't exaggerating. Maybe the words are understating it. But we want to consider another aspect of Christ's desire that I think was probably all the greater. And Jesus said specifically, with earnest desire, I've desired to keep this lap, this Passover with you before I suffer.

Certainly there's no way he could have taken his eyes off of what was coming. What he was going to go through, but also the gold. You know, he was going to suffer and become the sacrifice. I've got a quote from Adam Clarke's commentary, which I didn't bring the clunky book in, but I just typed it up. Because he says that the phrase, with desire I have desired, was not only that word epithelia, but there was a translation of an idiom in Hebrew. So there was a certain figure of speech in Hebrew, and he explains it to mean this.

Having purposed to redeem a lost world by his blood, Jesus ardently longed for the time when he was to offer himself up, because he had such great love for the human race. And I wanted to quote that, as I said, I don't know that I could have put it in those words, but he's saying, because of Christ's great love for the human race, and because of what he was going to accomplish, he was eager to get to it. Which, in some ways, is amazing, because of how much he was going to suffer. But it's worth noting, my first point was, oh, they've grown really close.

They're going to have this special time. I think that was a part of it, but Christ wasn't just about having a fun time, you know, with his friends. Again, as Mr. Burton said, it's not get the best wine, and let's have some and enjoy ourselves. This wasn't a party, you know. What made the time so special was what was going to happen next, and what the Passover, he was teaching them, symbolized. Which, I'm sure they heard the words, you know, breaks the bread, this is my body.

They're probably, I wonder if they were just as confused as earlier. You see in John's fix, where he says, that person has to eat my flesh and drink my blood. And they're, like, what? People thought he was teaching cannibalism, and many of them left. So, maybe the disciples didn't fully understand yet, but we know they very soon after did. But, yeah, that makes it so meaningful. Christ said, this cup is the new covenant in my blood. He wanted to teach them that. And if you'll turn with me to Romans 5, Romans 5 will begin in verse 6. It's worth just thinking about what it was that Jesus Christ was anticipating so much.

Romans chapter 5, beginning in verse 6. For when we were without strength, which is all of us before we were called, spiritually, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. He died for the ungodly. And Paul says, for scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love toward us, and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than, having now been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. Yeah, we can be justified and saved from wrath, saved from eternal death, through Jesus Christ's sacrifice. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. I read several verses there, and you could probably easily build out a whole sermon just on those. I mean, this is the heart of Christianity, that Jesus Christ died for us, and he reconciles us to himself and to the Father. And another important aspect, I still remember coming to the understanding of this when I was in Ambassador College, where it says, yeah, we're reconciled by his death. Our sins are paid for, but it says, we're saved by his life, meaning his life in us. Galatians 2.20 mentions that Christ lives in us through the Holy Spirit, so we become that new creation, the new creature that can not only stop sinning, but not want to sin, become a spirit-born child of God. As I said, all of it's caught up in this. Jesus died for our sins, you know, so that we could live and be in God's family. And think, it must have meant so much for him to be at that point. With that goal, he's almost like standing at the starting line. He'd been waiting. Matter of fact, one of the understandings that we believe we have that not all churches have is that this was the purpose and plan from the very beginning. Some seem to have this misunderstanding that, you know, when God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, somehow that snake slipped by his defense. Like the fence was, you know, the fence had a hole, the snake got in, talked him into eating the fruit, and God said, oh, what am I going to do now? I got to think up a new plan. Oh, how about if Christ dies? No, that wasn't it. Matter of fact, it's worth turning to a couple of scriptures. You know, 1 Peter 1, verse 19 and 20. I think we all know these, but it's worth looking at them. 1 Peter 1, verses 19 and 20.

Of course, again, there's this fundamental, central truth. But with the precious... Oh, actually, I should start in verse 18. Knowing you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold from your aimless conduct, received by tradition from your fathers. So we were redeemed not with silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb, without spot, without blemish. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifested these last times for you. So before the foundation of the world, we take that to mean that before this earth was created, God's plan was thought out. Christ was going to die for our sins. I won't turn there, but Revelation 13, verse 8 says something very similar. It refers to Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world.

Blain from the foundation of the world. But I will turn to one other scripture in 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy 1.9.

2 Timothy 1.9. Of course, in verse 8 it mentions, he's speaking of our Lord and the power of God, but it says, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works. Of course, we don't deserve the the calling and we can't save ourselves, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. That's an amazing thought. Before time began, this plan was there. How long ago was that?

Actually, I wish I could answer that question, or maybe I don't. I think we could drive ourselves absolutely crazy trying to figure that out. It's not hard to picture that we might live forever. As a matter of fact, when you're young, it starts being hard to imagine that you'd ever die, but then we get older and we see that coming. But the fact that, you know, God the Father and the one who is called the Word who became Jesus Christ, always existed. You know, my mind staggers at that. But perhaps one way of looking at it, because there was a time, apparently, when time began. And before that, this plan was there. One of the ways it helps me think of this is, I say, time, we measure by change. You know, we look and see the stars and the moon moving, the sun goes up, the sun goes down. More modern methods of keeping time might use radioactive decay or even atomic motion, but it all has to do with change. And in Malachi, I believe 4-6, which is in my notes, God says, I change not. You know, God, before He created matter and energy, never changed. So it's easy to say time didn't exist. And at one point it did. It started. But even before that, this plan was in place. How long? Maybe it's not an appropriate question or a meaningful question. But it's a long time from when time started until Christ was sitting there in that upper furnished room with His disciples, saying, boy, I earnestly desire to keep this Passover.

Because now He's hours before His crucifixion. You know, I think, if you remember in Mark chapter 1, I believe, when Christ started His ministry, He says, the time is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel. Boy, if the time was at hand, then now at the end of His three and a half years ministry, the time is at hand. He's about to go through the most important event in human history. And He didn't dread it. He desired it. Although, He had some dread. He knew what was going to happen. But, you know, we, you know, how many of us have experienced similar feelings when we've been waiting for something and preparing for it? Now, one of the examples I wrote in my notes, Mr. Burton, could share with me today, anytime you have a speaking assignment and you pray about it, your research, you start writing, you know, and you go through all this and then you look over your notes and by the time it's here, it's like, let's start servicing! I don't want to go! You know, I'm ready! You know, and there's other things. Just a couple days ago, Sue and I are, for the first time since before we had Connor and our family, we're going to get to go overseas for the Feast of Tabernacles. So, because of that, I was able to call and make our housing reservations. And it's like, wow, we're planning now! It's six months out and we're going to put a lot of work in thought. And when the Feast of Tabernacles comes, we're going to be ready. Let's go! We desire it! You know, it's easy to look to something that you enjoy and see that desire. What about when it's something you don't enjoy so much? You know, easy to anticipate the Feast of Tabernacles. What about atonement? Yeah, but I know if you're like me, and well, most of atonement, most aspects of it, I love. I love getting together with brethren, hearing a good sermon. But, you know, anytime I'm going to fast, I've got a little bit of a dread. You know, my body doesn't enjoy that. But I don't, and I might be weird in this, but actually when it starts, or it's right about to start, I start feeling kind of good. Mostly because I'm one of those people when something bad is going to come, I think about it way more than I should before it comes. And I find that anticipating a fast often is worse than the fast itself. So, you know, that night atonement, starting the sun goes down, it's like, okay, we're in it. I don't have to think about it anymore. It's here. Maybe it was like that for Jesus to some degree. You know, He's there. It's like, it's finally here. I've been waiting for, what, not thousands, not maybe billions of years. For this time, you know, He was going to have that sacrifice for mankind. Talk about feeling of relief. Now the time is at hand. As a matter of fact, there's a scripture I think He hinted at that back in Luke, Luke 12 and verse 49.

Luke 12, 49. This isn't about the Passover, but it gives the feeling of when His ministry was going on that He was ready to have the result. Luke 12 and 49, He says, I came to send fire on the earth and how I wish it were already kindled. It's like Jesus, I think, and we wonder, is He referring to what's going to happen to the church during the years waiting for His return? Or we could speculate maybe He's thinking of the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord. And that's another thing, you know, we pray for Christ to come, but I'm never that excited about the Day of the Lord and the Great Tribulation. I pray, please bring the good parts after that. But I think, you know, Jesus was kind of like that, perhaps, when He said He earnestly desired this. It wasn't because He was earnestly desiring getting scourged or being raised up and impaled and having His life's blood drain out, but He was earnestly desiring what would come as a result and the very good times after that. And I use the analogy, it's like He's standing on the starting line. That comes to mind because, well, when I was a teenager, I ran track and field, and then later I decided I got, you know, it's been a distance runner. I said, I want to see if I can run a marathon. And I've run, you know, more than one of them, but not for a long time. But, you know, you do a lot of preparation. And I tell people, you don't have to be a super athlete, you just have to be able to invest the time to go on out and putting all those miles in. And you do that over weeks and months, and you get closer. And then the day of the race, you set your alarm and get up at like five in the morning so you can get down to the starting line. I remember the last time I did it was the flying pig in Cincinnati.

Sue drove me down there, and he crowd into the street, and there's thousands of people as far as you can see. And you're there, you're stretched out, you're like, shoot that pistol! Let's go! We want to start! That's probably still pales compared to how Jesus Christ felt.

He'd known, as I said, all this time that he was going to have this great undertaking. He must have had a fervent desire to get to it.

But let's remember, as I said, he's not only going to get past that anticipation, the dread of what's going to come, but I said the good things afterwards. He was looking forward to reconciliation of all mankind.

Now, from the time of Adam and Eve's sin in the Garden of Eden, man has been separated from God. I made a note to mention Isaiah, 59 verses 1 and 2. You can turn there if you like, but it's where it says God is telling Israel, my hand isn't shortened that it can't save, my ears aren't dull of hearing that they can't hear, but what's the deal? Your sins have separated you from God. And that's been true of mankind since the Garden of Eden. Jesus had a fervent desire to end that estrangement. He wanted the reconciliation.

We think, you know, most of us have been at odds with someone we love at one time or another. You know, if you've ever had a close friend or a family member wrong you, and it builds that there's something between you. Oh, I wish it were resolved. You know, I want just come and apologize. I'll be eager to forgive. I want to restore the relationship. You know it's going to be hard, but you want it to be, you know, you want it to happen. You know, and, you know, I've had times, matter of fact, I'll admit there's been more than one time where I knew this is coming and I found myself kind of avoiding the person because of how hard it was going to be. But usually when it did happen, oh, what a relief. You know, when you came, yeah, we worked it out.

That's probably, again, a very small taste of what God's looking at. You know, He's being for, you know, He's been looking forward to reconciliation. And, of course, at baptism we cross a line in that regard.

But it's the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that would ever make it even possible at all. Jesus Christ was going to make possible human reconciliation with God. No wonder He desired it with fervent desire. I talked about how there was the negative. Matter of fact, we can...

Well, actually, I'm going to go to John because I want to make a point that even though He dreaded, all of the other accounts, all of the other gospel accounts mentioned when He's in the Garden of Gethsemane, He's realizing how heavy this is going to be. And He says, Father, please, if it within your will, if there's any way to let this cup pass from me, take it away. I don't want to be beaten to a pulp and die and be humiliated. But He always came back and said, Nevertheless, not my will, not this human desire to avoid suffering, but God your will, because God the Father's will on Jesus Christ inside was to be reconciled, to put away human sin. And that's why I wanted to add John 10 verses 17 and 18. This is, of course, before the Passover, but He's showing that He's not being pushed into this. The Father is not saying, Too late, buddy, you've got to do it anyways. Here in John 10, 17, He says, Therefore, my Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. He says, No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. Again, not even God the Father was forcing Him to do this. I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down. I have power to take it again. This command I've received from my Father. So Jesus, He was looking past, saying, Yeah, I know this is going to hurt. It's going to be harmful, but I also know the Father has a way for me to live again. And He's going to, I'm going to wake up again. And I think, what faith? That reminds me of, you know, even with the strongest faith, it's easy to be a little put off by the thought of death. I remember actually being down in Kentucky reminds me of someone I came to call a friend, Mr. Raleigh Collins. Many of you met him, and I was privileged to know him in his last years. And I don't know if I've ever met a man with more faith. And yet, when death was approaching, you know, it was a little fearful. I don't think he doubted he would be raised, but still it's just built into our flesh and blood. Jesus Christ had that. That's why He said, if it's possible, take the cup from me. But still, his faith and his trust in the Father said, Nevertheless, not my will, but your will.

But I want to turn a corner in a sense, though, because I mentioned if we have someone that does us wrong, and we wish they would come and apologize, we want to be reconciled. You know, we're not in that position very often, though. At least, I'm not. Most of the time, I'm the one that did someone else wrong, and I know it. You know, and I want to be reconciled. And then it's tough. You know, I got to go in and admit I'm wrong, and I have to ask for forgiveness. And there's that fear. You know, okay, I did so, you know, I treated him so badly, is he going to accept my apology? What if I go to this fella and he yells at me? You know, what if he throws things? I'm saying that, fella, that never happened with Sue. More or less.

You know, but have you ever put off going to someone that you wanted to reconcile with? You know, because that's a harsh, unfavorable situation. And then you think, well, have you ever hesitated going to God? No, I can't believe I did that. How can I go ask him to forgive me? Or I can't believe I did that again. And he's forgiven me so many times, but when is the patient's going to run out? How can I, you know, and that's true repentance is uncomfortable. Very much so. But I know with a person, when you do go talk to that person and apologize, especially when you see it in their eyes, they wanted you to come. They were eager to reconcile. I have been through that. And boy, it's a really good feeling. I think it can be, it should be, the same when we go to repent and repentance to God the Father. You know, we should trust that he does want us to come. Even though I have those feelings in my mind, oh, I can't go ask for forgiveness for this again. That's not what his word says, you know. Matter of fact, when Christ said, with fervent desire, I desired to have this Passover, I get the feeling that staying fervent desire applies to wanting us to come and use what the Passover accomplished, what his sacrifice accomplished, the Passover symbolizes. Jesus and the Father desire reconciliation so much, they made that sacrifice. Let's read in Colossians. Colossians chapter 1 beginning in verse 18.

I've been trying to put it in my words, but a lot of times it's better if I put it in the Word of God.

So, Colossians 1 beginning in verse 18.

And of course, speaking of Christ, he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he may have to preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in him all fullness should dwell, and by him, that is by Christ, and we could say through his sacrifices it'll say, by him to reconcile all things to himself by him, whether things on earth, things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of his cross, and you who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now he has reconciled. That's powerful. It's already been done. We could say he's already reconciled us in the body of his flesh through death to present you holy and blameless and above reproach in his sight, if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. So Paul is bringing that back around. It's like, okay, the reconciliation has been done. Stick with this. Don't hesitate. And that's where you think of those, if there's a year when the pre-passover trials are bogging you down, and in self-examination, maybe you're thinking, you know, can I take this in a worthy manner? Paul's saying, you've been reconciled already. God wanted to so badly, he made this sacrifice. Don't shy away. Don't hesitate. Take it in a worthy manner, and we want to examine ourselves. You know, I often think in the comment of vernacular, it might be check yourself. Make sure you're keeping the right attitude. Don't go strutting in there. Don't think, hey, I'm so good, God's letting me into the party. I gotta watch out. I'm teaching 20-year-olds, too. Every now and then, I try to be too modern and vernacular. But, you know, we want to go in humbly, knowing that we can't earn or deserve God's forgiveness. But he loves us so much, he's not about to not give it to us.

That's why Jesus Christ did it so willingly, and why we should never hesitate. You know, we should want the same thing. You know, we might worry when it's another person, how are they going to react? Will they accept my apology? You know, do they want to reconcile? Well, with God, we don't have to think that. It's a sure thing. Matter of fact, we can turn and see that in 1 John chapter 1. 1 John 1 verse 9.

This is a scripture worth memorizing. Matter of fact, I might have it, you know, we have weekly quizzes with the students where we we have so many scriptures that they had to memorize, and I read it, and they have to say where it is. And I tell them, think of this as being like mental push-ups. You might not keep those in your mind forever, but you'll know that the Bible somewhere says this. And this is one that we did. It says, 1 John 1.9, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It says, God's faithful in this. You know, if we confess, if we admit we've sinned, if we ask forgiveness, He will forgive. It's a guarantee. It's a deadlocked promise. There's no doubt to it. So the hesitation is all on our part, but we need to put ourselves in that humble attitude and go before Him. Of course, I could add, we don't save it all up for Passover, and then go and say, you know, list all the sins I've committed the last year. I think we know that. You know, we want to repent as soon as possible. And even, you know, I've done some studies, yeah, where I think God's Word shows that we're under grace, even in that time, sort of in between. God is imputing the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Sort of an aside, but I was explaining that to some students recently about how, you know, as soon as we sin, God doesn't take His Spirit away from us, and we're destined for the lake of fire. I think of that example of David and Bathsheba. I guess maybe God allowed that sin to happen because it's such a wide-reaching example for us. But, you know, we know in Psalm 51, in that heartfelt repentance that David expressed, one of the things he said is, take not your Spirit from me, I pray. Which is a strong indication that David did have the Holy Spirit, and also that he still had the Holy Spirit, even when he was caught up in a sin. And if we remember, he's writing this after Bathsheba had given birth to the child that she conceived. So he'd been in a state of sin for nine months, or possibly more, and yet still had the Holy Spirit. It goes to show that, you know, God doesn't just yank it out from us. He's faithful and just to forgive us. He, you know, he's on our side, you know, and he'll wait for us to come around to repentance. Now, that's not to say we can't lose the Spirit. You know, we're admonished to not quench that Spirit. But I like to think it's not so easy to quench. I think because God's not willing to let us go. You know, He's not going to let go of our hand. And He's saying, I always love you. I always want to forgive you. And that's why it says here, He's faithful and just to forgive our sins. God wants to reconcile with us. And so He wants us to come to Him in prayer. And He wants us to come to the Passover and desire it the way Christ desired it.

Oh, I've got to... I want to turn to 2 Corinthians 6 at this point. 2 Corinthians 6 verse... I'm not sure if that's 18 or 48, but I don't think there's 48 verses in 1 Corinthians... 2 Corinthians 6. Turn there and see. That's what happens when my handwriting gets involved. 2 Corinthians 6, 18, He says, I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let's cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness and the fear of God. So we're saying, we've got this promise. We know the way God feels about us, so let's just do it. Don't hesitate.

There's another example I thought of where Paul used that word, Epithumea, that might be useful. It's over in Philippians chapter 1. Philippians 1 verse 23. Now, this isn't regarding the Passover, but it is regarding the result of Christ's sacrifice.

Where Paul says, Philippians 1, 23, he says, I'm hard pressed between the two. Boy, I've got two tough decisions. Having a desire. That's the same epithelia where Christ said, I desire to keep the Passover. Paul says, I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ, and that's far better. Nevertheless, remain in the flesh is more needful for you. Paul is expressing a strong desire, not only to be reconciled to God, but to literally get this physical life over with and be with God. Talk about faith and the resurrection. Paul had it. He knew that after he died, his next waking moment would be, you know, rising up out of the grave and meeting Jesus Christ and being there. So he wasn't dreading death because he was looking very clearly to what came after it and wanting what came after it.

You know, now, again, as I've said, most of us aren't that eager for death. We're not quite where Paul was, but I think we can understand some of that desire to be in the kingdom of God, especially, you know, we watch the evening news most nights, and it's getting more and more to the point where he said, I kingdom come. We need to get out of this evil, wicked world. That's the desire Christ had to make it possible. You know, okay, I wanted to have this Passover because he wanted to keep the Passover ceremony, but remember, during that 24-hour period that was the Passover, he would suffer and die, but then it would be accomplished.

Reconciliation, the payment for sin. And that's where I think it's good for us to focus our desire on being in God's kingdom for it to come. Oh, I'm glad I put on my glasses. I wrote a little note. You know, that's why we want to see how important the Passover is. I remember the story from when I was probably a young teenager. You know, before I understood a lot of things that I've come to understand, but it was in the pre-Passover time of the year, and Bob Dick was actually our pastor up in Columbus, Ohio for many years, and I heard him explaining this. It stuck in my memory all these years. He said, somebody arrived a little bit late, and they got there in the Passover. The doors were closed and locked, and you said, here, eight o'clock those doors are going to be locked. And he said, he found out later this person didn't want to make a fuss, so they sat outside and waited, and they didn't go in and keep the Passover. And he said, brethren, let's not be that way. He said, if it had been me, he said, I'd have been looking for a two-by-four or anything to bash down that door, because I've got to get in there, and I've got to take the Passover. So, I hope nobody's late, and the doors here get broken down. But again, as I said, I heard that story probably 40 or so years ago, and it stuck with me that that's the attitude I need to have when I'm able to take the Passover. Don't let anything keep you from it. It's not something casual that we just let it by. Jesus had that desire. I think he wanted his disciples to have it. Matter of fact, in Luke 1722, he showed his confidence that they would have a similar desire.

Luke 1722. This is a short just indication. Luke 1722. Then he said to his disciples, the days will come when you'll desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man. You won't see it. And there's a number of ways you could explain this. Of course, Jesus knew that his time on earth as a flesh-and-blood human being were limited, you know, that he would be gone, and the disciples would carry on, and they'd miss him.

Now, we don't have that same experience. We didn't have that three and a half years walking from town to town, dealing with the crowds of people, having Jesus teach us in person. So we don't miss being with him as a person. But it can in some ways apply to the body of Christ that the Church is. You know, we get to spend time with God spiritually and with his people.

And I wonder, in the days ahead, as I said, we look forward to a time of tribulation and difficulty. You know, are there going to be days when we'll long for being able to come and meet together on the Sabbath? You know, maybe we'll be isolated and lonely. There's an example of that in the story of Elijah. We can turn ahead to 1 Kings chapter 19. 1 Kings 19. But you remember, I'm breaking in after the biggest story that we know of in Elijah's life. After being hidden for three or so years of famine, God tells him, okay, go show yourself to King Ahab. And he shows up, and he does, and he says, bring all the prophets of Baal. Let's go to Mount Carmel and let's have it out. And he tells the priests of Baal, oh, there's lots of you and only one of me, so you guys go first. Build yourself an altar, sacrifice a bull, you know, and I'll do the same for the eternal God. And we'll see. Whichever God answers by fire, he's the true God. And I'm fast-forwarding, of course. They had all day, they chanted and sang, they cut themselves. Nothing happened.

Elijah said a few seconds of prayers, and fire comes down, burns it all up.

And then he prays earnestly, and God ends the drought. Rain comes.

So, but then we see Elijah have a letdown. You know, he's had all this, and then a little time goes by, and Queen, you know, and he basically, I forgot to mention, he has the people kill all the prophets of Baal. But now, who? Have you ever had that? You have this big event. Sometimes we do, I think after the Feast of Tabernacles, sometimes you come home and you just, oh, I feel drained. I don't know much left in the tank. And he gets word that the Queen Jezebel is going to kill him.

She's taking out a contract on him, and he just, suddenly after facing all of them, he's fearful, and he takes off. I'm getting out of here. Partly, he's probably thinking, I've been doing all this, I'm still alone. Because we see what he says in 1 Kings 19, and actually, yeah, beginning in verse 9.

Yeah, he says, he went into a cave, he spent the night in that place.

Behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said, what are you doing here, Elijah?

I've been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts, for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant. They torn down your elders, killed your prophets with the sword, and I alone am left.

I'm the only one, and they're trying to kill me.

Elijah was down in the dumps, but he had been very zealous.

But he was longing for fellowship with people of like mind.

And I'll just use that example. Now, God would let him go a little further and show him his great power, and then, you know, with a calm, still voice, explain to him, Elijah, no, you're not the only one. I get 7,000 out there who haven't vowed the knee to bail. Now, now that you know that, let's get back to work. You know, you got to go anoint this guy, you got to train this guy to take your place. I got work for you to do. But it was in his, you know, he wanted to make sure he knew you're not alone. And Elijah had a strong desire to fellowship, not only with God, but with the people of God. And that's something I think we can share. You know, we want to reach out. We want a desire to fellowship and to share these experiences. I wrote down Psalm 42, verse 1. I'll just reference it because you've read it and we've got a hymn in our hymnal where we sing it. And Psalm 42, 1, is where it says, as the deer pants for the water, so my soul pants for you, O eternal. That's a fervent desire. The same kind of desire that Jesus Christ had to keep the Passover. So it should be for us. Now, I've been describing that, but I could ask, does that come naturally? Sometimes it does, but there are times when it doesn't. You know, when, you know, I know I should have this fervent desire, but I feel like I'm falling short. I'm looking at myself and maybe it's not there. As I said, I might be like Elijah where I was zealous and now I'm kind of down.

You know, I think when we reach that point, at least acknowledging it, that's a good starting point. Okay, I should have more fervent desire than I have. I need to know where to go to get it. And that's again, turning to our Heavenly Father, going to Him in prayer and saying, I need something that I don't have. We already do that when we come comes to His righteousness. God, I need your Holy Spirit. I need to be righteous and turn away from sin and I can't do it on my own.

We need reconciliation. We need to desire that. And if we don't have it already in our hearts, we can go to God and ask for that too. One of the ways I see that, I derived that from a verse in Acts 11. Sorry, I should have mentioned Acts 11. We could have been turning there. Acts 11 and verse 18.

And again, I'm going to break into a thought. Somehow I'm in Acts chapter 18.

Acts 11. Yes, in Acts chapter 10 is where God used Peter to show that he was going to call Gentiles into the church. He sent them to a centurion named Cornelius, gave them the Holy Spirit. And then, of course, later people asked Peter about it. What are you doing going eating with Gentiles? What are you doing spending time with them? And Peter explains the story.

And what I want to get to is in verse 18 of chapter 11. When they heard these things, they became silent. They glorified God, saying, Then as God also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life. That God granted repentance.

I find it interesting. It doesn't say granted forgiveness of sin. Now that comes, but forgiveness always comes after repentance. But I find it kind of striking to repent in the first place. Sometimes we need God to start us off to understand that we are in a state of sin that we need to repent.

Matter of fact, one more scripture. It's only a few pages away. Romans 2.4 mentions that in passing.

Romans 2.4, speaking of Christ, it says, declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection of the dead. Oh, no wonder I'm reading the wrong chapter. Sorry. Romans 2 verse 4, not 1. Romans 2.4, Do you despise the riches of his goodness and the forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? God leads us to repentance.

So, I see that as telling me, if I don't have the urgent desire for repentance, for reconciliation with God that I should have, I can ask God, please lead me to it. Please help me to have that.

And we understand, and I'll just reference Ephesians 2.8 says, By grace you've been saved through faith. And that's not of yourself, it's a gift of God.

God gives us that faith. He gives us grace. We don't work it up on ourselves. Matter of fact, many of you have been around long enough to remember Mr. Armstrong saying, you can't work up faith. You know, God will lead us to it. He'll give us faith in the first place. And Romans 10, 17 says, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Matter of fact, sorry, I'm trying to think it up. Yeah, let's go back to Luke. Luke 11.

Luke 11 and verse 13 to remind us of how much God wants to give us these things, how much He wants to lead us to repentance.

Luke 11 and verse 13, we're breaking towards the end of a long lesson by Jesus Christ. He says, if you then being evil, you know, humans that are naturally evil can still give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?

God wants to give us the Holy Spirit. He wants to give us faith. He wants to lead us to repentance.

A page over in Luke 12 verse 32, it shows us something else that He wants to give us.

Luke 12, 32, do not fear, little flock. It's your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

How much He wants to give us that? He wants to forgive us of sins.

He wants us to take the Passover and apply the blood of Jesus Christ to our sins. You know, Christ, one thing I remember, as a matter of fact, I pointed this out to young people counseling them for baptism. When I say, by the way, you know, you have to understand that the weight of Christ's sacrifice and what happened, but it's already done. He's not going to be sacrificed again just for you. He already was. So you repenting, you know, you might as well repent. He's already paid the price. Get in on this. Don't let it slip by. And that's the attitude we want to have. You know, if we understand all this, who wouldn't fervently desire the Passover?

And I'd say the answer is sometimes all of us, you know, we're just, I've been talking about a goal. We should all fervently desire it, but realize sometimes we might be lacking a little. You know, I found sometimes I have a fervent desire to have the desire. It's like, God helped me to get worked up there where I want. But when I feel that way, I've learned that I can ask God. You know, if I'm having trouble asking God for His mercy, I can ask Him, please lead me to repentance. Help me to feel the way I should. Help me to have the same desire for our reconciliation that you already have.

You know, God already has the fervent desire that Christ spoke of.

And God reached out to all of us, and that's an important thing. He called us. None of us could be here if God the Father hadn't, you know, perhaps literally spoken our name and said, I want that one. And so He called us to repentance, baptism, and then once a year He wants us to memorialize our participation in that. So this one time of year is coming up in a few days that we will do that. So, brethren, let's earnestly desire that Passover.