Passover is also an encouraging time of Victory

To many brethren, this year's pre-Possover season has been very tough, maybe even the toughest ever. Indeed, every year it seems to be getting tougher and tougher. The pressure is building up.

We all know it is. And we all know Satan is angrier and angrier day by day. He knows his time as the God of the swelled is but ending soon and he is furious. A number of things are happening around us. There are natural disasters. We are on the verge of a civil war. And this is not just nationally, but many other nations are in similar situations. If you turn with me to Deuteronomy 28, and that is one of the two chapters about the blessings and cursings, in Deuteronomy 28, verse 43, we read, The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower.

I don't think I have to say much about that, particularly in this country, for you to draw pretty serious conditions of what is going to happen soon. We read a bit further in verse 47, and it says, Because you did not serve the Lord your God.

Our nation, in fact, we have set a bad example to the whole world, and the whole world is not serving God in great part because of our bad example. We have not served God and did not obey the voice of the Lord your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. And then in verse 47, Sorry, Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness.

And that's the problem. We're not serving God with joy and gladness in heart for the abundance of everything. Think about it. It's lack of gratitude. We have been so blessed, taken it for granted, and we've rejected God. And so the time is coming as we read, for instance, in verse 49. The Lord will bring a nation against you from afar.

From the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand. Brethren, I don't have to read more because we know it's coming. A major catastrophe. It's soon. If we read in 1 Thessalonians 5, starting in verse 1, but concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, peace and safety, and even amongst all these things, people say, oh well, things will work out okay.

Then sudden destruction. Sudden destruction. About a week ago, you saw on TV the bridge in Baltimore suddenly being destroyed. Suddenly, because of a huge ship that was malfunctioning, suddenly destroyed. This country is malfunctioning, and destruction will come suddenly. But as as brethren, as in the church, and the society as a whole, the stress is just building up. And as we approach the Passover, Satan puts even more pressure.

And therefore, it is right for us to once again look at 1 Corinthians 11. 1 Corinthians 11, and we're going to start from verse 23. 1 Corinthians 11, verse 23. For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the same night which he was betrayed took bread. And that's what we do, brethren, on the night that he was betrayed.

Not after he was killed, on the night that he was betrayed. And when he had given thanks, oh yeah, gratitude. We need to be grateful for what we received. And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, Take it. This is my body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me. In the same manner, you also took the cup off the supper, so also off the supper, you do this above, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood.

Just do as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you will proclaim the Lord's death till he comes. 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 every man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the wine. Because he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

Reverend, as these things are happening around the world today, and as we see these things just exploding or on the edge of exploding, and as we approach the time of Passover, today I want to reflect on the Passover ceremony's symbolism and how it personally applies to you and I. But I want to conclude, brethren, by showing you that yes, it is a solemn occasion, but it is also an encouraging time, a time of Christ's victory over sin and death for us on our behalf.

And therefore, the Passover is also an encouraging time of victory. As we turn into Philippians 2 and start in verse 5, Philippians 2 and verse 5, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider the robbery to be equal with God. Yea, we have Christ, Christ's mind, which is one of service, and He was equal to God. And then he says, But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a man, or a born servant, coming in the likeness of man. So He was a servant. He served. So, yea, we have Christ serving.

And in verse 8, And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. So He served, He suffered, and He died. And brethren, those are the three symbols of the Passover ceremony. Service, foot washing, suffering, bread, dying, the wine. And these symbols apply to us, because we need to serve, we need to also suffer, and our old man must also die. And keep in mind what Christ did, He served us.

If you just stay there in Philippians 2 verse 3, says, Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each other esteem others better themselves. That is service. That is service. Now brethren, every year, maybe when you go to the feast, or maybe every year when you come to Passover, you come to realize as you look back that there are a few people that are not there anymore.

And I'm not talking about because they passed away physical death, but I'm talking about that they left the faith. It's sad. Could it be because as we read in Luke 14 verse 26 and 27, they did not count the cost? Turn with me, please, to Luke 14 verse 27. And one important thing about cutting the cost, quite often we focus on a portion of that. That Luke 14, it says, whoever verse 26, if anyone comes to me and does not hate his mother, which means love less his mother or father and his wife and children, brothers and sisters, we can't often focus on that part.

But you know that the last but not least is his own life also. His own life also. He cannot be my disciple. Could it be that those people that have left, they do not count the cost of their own lives because they've got to put God first? Could it be that maybe the example is in Matthew 13 verse 22. And in this section he's talking about the parable of the sower and going out and planting the seed. But specifically in verse 22 he talks about, he who received the seed among the thorns, is he who hears the word and be cares of this world and the seedfulness of riches, choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

Could it be that some people left the church because they just got bogged down with the day-to-day life of making money and having a job and put that first in front of God? Or could it be because iniquity abounds, as we read in Matthew 24 verse 12, and indeed today there is so much iniquity and corruption, and he says, and because lordlessness, iniquity, will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

Whatever the reason is, Satan is attacking us where you and I are most vulnerable. Satan is going to attack you on your weakest spot.

He's unmerciful. He's going to go you where he's going to hurt.

In 2 Timothy chapter 3, we see what the society is like because Satan obviously uses peer pressure and society. And in 2 Timothy chapter 3, we know that in the last days, perilous times, difficult times, really difficult times, will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy. Brethren, you and I can see these things in the world today. Unloving, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control. Brutal, despises of good, traitors, hit strong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Having a form of godliness. Have you considered that it could be affecting you and I? Having a form of godliness.

But denying its power. What is that? Oh yeah, it could be, for instance, get very involved with technical little points about the Bible. The biblical tweaks. Causing hurt and division. That could be one thing. But denying the trunk of the tree. The power. And so what is this power? And brethren, this is a direct implication of Passover. Let's just briefly look at Romans chapter 5 verse 8. Romans chapter 5 verse 8.

Romans chapter 5 verse 8. It says, but God demonstrates His own life towards us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. That is smack on what the Passover is all about. It's His service serving us, suffering, and dying for us. And then it says, verse 9, Much more than having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 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.

What has that got to do with denying the power and coming to it? Because turn with me to John 16 verse 7. John 16 verse 7. John 16 verse 7. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away. It is to your advantage in many ways that I've been serving you, I became a human being, I'm serving you, I'm suffering, and I'm going to die. But not only that, that I'm going to go away because, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I depart, I'll send the Helper to you. The Helper is God's Holy Spirit. God's Holy Spirit is God's power, and people have a form of religion but deny its power. And so the power is twofold. It's Christ that died for us, set as an example of service, humility, of suffering with his body, and of dying for us. But in addition to that, he sent us his God's power to help us overcome our weaknesses and frailties. We cannot deny the power that God has given us through Christ, through what he did, what God the Father did through Christ, by, because of what he did, sending us his power. And his power is the power of sanctification, a sanctification of the Spirit for obedience, as you read in 1 Peter 1, verse 2. And that sanctification for obedience means it's the power to help you and I to put on the new man. The old man must die and must put on the new man. Look at Colossians chapter 3, verse 8. Colossians chapter 3, verse 8. But now you yourselves are to put off anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you've put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge and according to the image of him who created him. You and I can only do this with the help of God's Holy Spirit, which is God's power. And so we cannot have a form of religion and deny its power, which is God's Holy Spirit. We've got to put it into practice. And don't think, oh well, society and what's happening around, it's not going to affect me. Because it does. In 1 Corinthians chapter 10, 1 Corinthians chapter 10, verse 12 and 13, 1 Corinthians chapter 10, verse 12 and 13, therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. Don't think it's not going to affect you. Because if you and I think that, it's going to hit us. Because Satan knows your and my weak points and he's going to go with it. He's going to zero on it when you least expect it. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man, but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you're able, but with the temptation will also make a way of escape that you may be able to bear it. It does not say that he's going to remove this trial. He may. We can pray and ask him according to his will, but he does promise that he will make a way of escape.

He will help you to get through it. That's why I say it, that you may be able to bear it. I mean, you can look at it from a health point of view. You can look at it from different angles, even from a national point of view. When there is a crisis going to be, God is going to provide to you and I a way of escape if you and I are not denying its power. If you and I are using God's early spirit and trying to become more and more like him. Let's go back to 1 Corinthians 11, where we were a moment ago. We read in verse 28 and 29, this is, Let a man examine himself. I have come across so many people that when a situation happens, they say, Well, but you see, I reacted this way because she did this or he did this. That's not examining yourself. That is examining the other. It doesn't say, Examine somebody else so that it justifies your action. It says, Examine yourself. I need to examine myself. And then it says, And as we take the Passover in the correct manner, having examined ourselves correctly, otherwise we're not discerning the Lord's body. Now, discerning the Lord's body is dual. Because it is the Lord's body, but it is also the Church of God, which is the body of Christ. There's a dual action of discerning. If we just briefly talk about discerning the Lord's body physically, let's start by reading a few verses, a few sections of Mark. So I'm not going to be jumping from one to another. I'm just going to stay basically in Mark, starting in verse 14. Mark chapter 14.

And let's start in verse 43. Mark 14 verse 43. What do we have here? It says that Christ was betrayed by Judas. And it says, yeah, and while he was still talking, Judas, one of the twelve, one of his own close friends, one of his own, let's call it, inner circle. And he came with a great multitude of swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders, and his betrayer, Judas, had given them a signal saying, whoever I'm going to kiss, he is the one. And then verse 45, and as soon as he came, he said, Rabbi, Rabbi, and he kissed him. And then they laid their hands on him and took him. So as we discern the Lord's body, the first thing is he was betrayed. Then he was taken to the high priest, and you read that in verse 60 through 65. And as he was taken to the high priest, and the high priest said, Are you Christ? And he said, I am, and you'll see the Son of Man sitting. He says this in verse 62, sitting at the right hand of the power and coming with clouds of heaven. And when the high priest saw that, he said, What else do I need? Blasphemy! Blasphemy! And then we can see in verse 65, they struck him with the palms of their hands, and they spit on his face, and they blindfolded him and said, Hey, who's who's slapped you? And then you read in Mark 15, then he was taken to Pilate, and then you can see in verse 10 that Pilate soon realized they were brought in there because of envy. He says there in verse 10, Mark 15 verse 10. And then he says, Well, let him go. And he says, No, crucify him, crucify him. You know the story. I'm not going to go into all the details. But then you see verse 15. So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released the barabas to them, and he delivered Jesus after he had scourged him to be crucified. And they mocked him. You read from verse 18. They mocking him. And they beating his head, which has got thorns. So he suffered. And then we read in verse 25. It was the third hour, that's nine in the morning, and they crucified him. And then you read a little bit later in verse 33. And when the sixth hour had come, that's about midday, there was darkness over the whole land. And brethren, this was not a solar eclipse, because solar eclipses happened during the period of the new moon, when the moon is in the sky with the sun. But this was not a new moon, because this was Passover, which is roundabout, which is the fourteenth, which is roundabout time of full moon. So this was not a solar eclipse, this was a miracle, a miracle, a real miracle. And then at the ninth hour, Jesus cried, Elie Eloe Eloe Elama Sabachthani, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? We can see, amongst other possibilities, that Jesus Christ was a full human. And you know, when you suffer, and when I suffer, and we're not healed, you may ask, God, why are you not healing me? Why are you forsaking me?

And Christ has compassion for you, because He knows what it feels like. That could have been one of the meanings, yeah. And so, He suffered, He became a human being, He humbled Himself, He served, He suffered, and He died.

So brethren, we need to discern His body because of what is done. And if you read Isaiah 53, verse 4-6, for instance, where He talks about His suffering, because He suffered and He died. It was not just the death, the blood, symbolized by the wine, but it was the suffering that came before, which symbolized by the bread for our healing. And so, we analyze Christ's suffering, His body, physically. But as we read back in 1 Corinthians 11, verse 29, 1 Corinthians 11, verse 29, let's go back there.

It says that we need to discern the Lord's body. But then in verse 30, it connects it, For this reason many are weak and seek among you, and many sleep, because He has the duality that the Lord's body are our brethren, members of God's church. And if we don't treat one another in a loving way, if we sometimes hit back with a word that we should have not said, if we offend our brother in Christ, sometimes unintentionally, even worse, if it is intentionally, we affect the body, and then people get hurt emotionally, and some have died. So, we need to understand that we are part of the spiritual body of Christ. And that is the whole meaning of baptism. Turn with me to Romans 6, which is a beautiful scripture explaining the meaning of baptism. In Romans 6, starting in verse 3, it says, he says, do you not know that as many of us are baptized into Christ Jesus? Many of us are baptized into Christ Jesus. It's not saying you're baptized in Jesus' name. Yes, we are baptized in Jesus' name, but in this instance, it's not talking about being baptized in Jesus' name. In other words, it's not talking about being baptized by Christ's authority. It's talking about being baptized into the spiritual body of Christ, into Christ Jesus. Therefore, it says, we're buried with Him because we're part of that body, and symbolically we're buried with Him in the watery grave through baptism into death. That's just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father through God's power, Christ was raised. Even so, we also should walk in the earnest of life because baptism is a commitment. It's a vow. It's a contract that you sign, I will from your onwards walk in a new life. And you are symbolically, but in a sense, literally becoming part of Christ's spiritual body, and you are part of that body. And so we have to discern the body of Christ. Granted, in this very chapter, at the end of this chapter, verse 23 says, The wage of sin is death, and we all have sinned. You and I, we all have sinned.

Even Paul himself struggled. In Romans 7, in the latter part, Paul explains how he struggled. Look at verse 14. He says, For we know that the law is spiritual, but I, Paul, I, Paul, am carnal. Now, if Paul says, He is carnal, you and I can put our name in there and say, I am carnal, sold and the sin. And you can read that section there in Romans 7, and then at the end of that section, Paul says, in verse 23, I see another law in my members. This is Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ for many years, saying, I see another law in my members, in my body, worrying against the law of my mind, bringing me into the captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members. Paul is saying, it's not just what I do, but it's what I am. You and I have to repent of what we do, but we've got to repent of what we are. And in verse 24, he says, our wretched man that I am, do we say that of ourselves? Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thank God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Yes, you and I will be delivered from this body of death. We are repent from what we are, because we are a body of death. And here is the good news, brethren. And here is the very good, exciting news. Thank God that God has done this for you and I through this Passover. That is the encouraging part of the Passover, because Christ was victorious over sin and death on my behalf, on your behalf, for you and I.

That is encouraging, brethren, because I can't do it, you can't do it, but Christ did it for us. And it's a ceremony, the Passover, albeit solemn. It's also a ceremony of victory.

Therefore, chapter 8, verse 1, Therefore, there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. There is no condemnation on you and on me, provided you're not denying the power, using God's help, God's Holy Spirit, so that we can remain in Christ, we can be overcoming, that we are not walking in the flesh, but we are following the lead of God's Holy Spirit. There is no condemnation for us. What a joyous occasion it is! Oh yeah, every year we get to Passover, sermon upon sermon, we kind of were beaten down. But I want to encourage you, brethren, because at time of encouragement, it's a time of victory. As it said at the end of chapter 7, verse 25, I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. We are led by God's Holy Spirit, as we read in Romans 8, verse 14. And as we are led, therefore, we are not denying the power. Remember where we read a little earlier on in 2 Timothy 3, verse 5? It says, having a form of godliness, but denying its power. If you are working, you are in Christ, and I am in Christ. If we are striving, if we are putting on the new man, if we are really being led by God's Holy Spirit, we are not denying the power, which is God's power.

And then, still in Romans chapter 8, verse 15, it says, because we do not receive a spirit of bondage, but receive a spirit of adoption, or, as I believe, it's a better translation of sonship, by which we cry, Abba, Father, Dear Beloved Daddy, Abba, Father. And then it says, we are the children of God. And if children is, is of God, and co-is with Christ. Brethren, but it says, at the end of verse 17, if, if we suffer with Him, then we'll be glorified together. You see, Christ died and sacrificed for us. In Hebrews chapter 9, that section in a way was addressed during the sermonette, which I appreciate. In Hebrews chapter 9, verse 26 through 28, it says that Christ suffered once. And then in verse 28 it says, for our sons, but if we are eagerly waiting for Him, if we are not denying the power, if we are working on being a new man, He will appear a second time, when, at the first resurrection, when we'll then be resurrected at His coming, apart from sin, we will be changed, apart from sin, for salvation, for eternal life. In chapter 10, in verse 9 and 10, it says, Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, says Jesus Christ. He takes away the first, then He may establish the second. You see, there's a new covenant, which is far better. By that will, the will of the Father, we have been sanctified. Through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all. You and I have been set apart as God's children, once for all. But it is a process. We've been set apart because of the meaning of the Passover. But there is a following on Scripture that I want to draw your attention to because it is so encouraging. And that is in verse 14 of Hebrews 10. Verse 14 of Hebrews 10. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. He has perfected you forever. It's as good as done. That sacrifice is sufficient to complete the job. But it's for those that are being continuous, present, today, being sanctified. Yes, in verse 10, it said, we have been sanctified. We have been set apart. But we are still being sanctified by the Holy Spirit, the sanctification of the Spirit for obedience. It's a process.

But the encouraging part is, it's as good as done. It says, by one offering He has perfected forever you. It's as good as done. All that you and I have to do is keep on keeping on. You know, all you have to do is not give up. That's why it says in verse 19, having boldness to enter the holiest. In other words, God is very thrown when you pray, you have boldness to enter by the blood of Jesus. He's given it at the Passover. And by a new living way, which He consecrated for us through the veil that is His flesh, His body, and the body of Christ. Again, the duality and His being in the church. And we have a high priest over the house of God. He is backing you up, intervening, panting for you. Verse 22, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith. Do you have absolute trust in God that He's going to do His part? Well, He's done the most difficult part. He sent His Son and He died for us. There was the most difficult part. The rest for Him is like a piece of cake. He's done it for you. All that you have to do is not throw it away. Not deny the power. You see, the Passover is an encouraging time of victory of a Son and death for us. Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, sprinkled how? You know, the blood of Christ. And our bodies washed with pure water. What's water? Symbolized of the Holy Spirit that is changing us. Let us all fast the confession of our hope without wavering. Don't waver. Because He, God, who promised it, is faithful. God does not lie. It is encouraging time, brethren. Let us therefore consider one another to stir up love and good works. Let's be careful how we treat the rest of the spiritual body of Christ. Fellow brethren, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. Oh, now with post-COVID, we can just watch on Zoom. Well, if you live too far away, thank God we've got that option. But if you're nearby, you should not forsake the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some, as easy as the manner of some. For if we don't do it, if we don't do it, if we're not considering one another to stir up the love of God, the love and good works, if we forsake the assembling of ourselves together, if we do that, we're sending willfully. Are we? After, so it could apply to that, obviously it's got a far greater application. We've got to be careful that we're using the power to overcome and change. Because if we do that, then there's big trouble. Verse 35, Therefore do not cost away your confidence, which is great reward. For you have need of endurance. We need to endure. And after you've done the will of God, you may receive the promise of eternal life. Brethren, be confident. The Passover is also not only a solemn time, but is a time of encouragement, because Christ has been victorious over sin and death for us. And so let's keep the Passover of a deep gratitude in a positive and encouraged frame of mind, celebrating this time of victory over sin and death, which is given to us by God through our Lord Jesus Christ.