Remember Christ Our Passover

Well, as you've been hearing in recent days, in the church we talk a lot about preparing for Passover.

And there is much preparation, of course, in the physical scheme of things. We do have to plan. We have to plan, you know, arrange our chairs and things. That's part of what we'll be doing next Sunday as we do live in the building. We need to make sure we're keeping the Passover on the correct day, according to Scripture. We must make sure we have water to wash our feet with. And, of course, the tubs, and then make sure we get the appropriate bread and the wine. And there's all these preparations, of course. But you should understand, when we talk about preparing for Passover, the most important thing we're talking about, although these are extremely important, these physical things are instructed to us by God's Word, and we will do these things. But it's also incredibly important that we prepare ourselves. And that's part of what Mr. Lucas was telling us in his sermonette, and I certainly appreciate that sermonette.

We prepare ourselves by examining, with deep introspection, using God's Word, asking God to help us and guide us, even as Mr. Lucas was showing through these verses, and we read with him in sermonette. We use the Bible and ask God to show us and guide us where we still have some cleaning to do within ourselves, where we still need to be doing some purging, which we can only really do well, of course, with the help of God and His Spirit. It is the time to examine ourselves. Are we holding true to our commitment we make at baptism? Are we continuing to live a life of repentance, rejecting the old life?

Are we still practicing that faithful obedience? And how, of course, can we do better? Because we can always do better, and we must. In preparing ourselves for Passover, we do need to be reading God's Word, and we do need to be remembering what God has done to make salvation in the kingdom of God available for humanity, for every human being.

We need to focus on an aspect of what we really need to be having in our hearts and minds as we examine ourselves. We need to remind ourselves of what our gracious God has done for us. Specifically, we're going to take time today to recall what Jesus Christ did as our Passover. What did Jesus Christ do as our Passover so that we might be forgiven for our sins, so that we might have a right relationship with God our Father, and of course, with Christ for all of eternity?

I've entitled today's message, Remember Christ, Our Passover. Remember Christ, Our Passover. I'm going to begin with the very basic question that is a very important question. That question is, who was Jesus Christ? Who was Jesus Christ? Now, before I even say another word about that, where exactly where do you begin? Where do you end? It's a huge topic. I understand that. In many ways, we're going to be touching upon things that we all need to delve into more deeply with the help of God's Word.

But I'd like to read, to begin answering this question, who is Jesus Christ? I'd like to read from John chapter 1. That is, to me, the right place to begin in answering this question. So if you turn there with me, John chapter 1. And I'd like to read a good deal of the first 18 verses. Verses 1 through 18 of John, numerous scholars have pointed out, those verses 1 through 18 act as a sort of prologue, as a sort of introduction to the entire book.

And as I look at it, it also becomes very much a really quick summary, if you can do that, about what Christ, who Christ was, and what he did. And we're going to look at some of that today. So here in verses 1 through 18, and as we begin verses 1 through 4, John proclaims the Apostle John, and he probably wrote this, we believe, towards the end of his day.

So he's looking back over nearly 60, perhaps 70 years, who knows how many decades of perspective. And so he's writing from a place looking back. And he proclaims that Jesus Christ was the incarnate word, the incarnate word, the Logos. He was the incarnate word. He was and is God. And through him he tells us the word, through him the word, God the Father created all things. And that's something we really need to think about as we consider his role as our Passover. And so we read verses 1 through 4, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. What John says here is somewhat similar to what Paul also says. And by the way, you might want to put a bookmark here in John 1.

We're going to be coming back there off and on during the sermon today. But so hold your place here, and let's look at Colossians 1, 15 through 16. And we see this echo, this reverberation, as it were. Paul concurs with John's words here. Colossians 1 verse 15, and he says, he is the image, and if you follow back the pronoun reference, he's speaking about Jesus Christ.

He, Jesus Christ, is the image of the invisible God. The Greek word image here is icon, E-I-K-O-N, icon, I guess we could call. Icon, that's probably where we get the word icon. I didn't follow the English derivations. It means image, yes. It can also be translated as exact living image of the invisible God. And so Jesus Christ was the physical manifestation, we could say, of the Father. He, and you see as Christ himself said, later, we can read later, you see me, you see the Father. And that's that idea he's talking about. That's what Christ himself said. He is the image of the invisible God, and referring that God would be Father, as he came to reveal him to us.

He is the image of the invisible God. He's first born over all creation. For by him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through him and for him. And of course that reminds us that, yes, he created all the spirit beings as well. And so Jesus Christ was and is God.

And here I just want to pause. I start reading my notes too fast. And so all things were created by the Word who was God and was with God. And John is telling us that he is he's the one who manifested himself.

He's the one who the Word manifested himself as Jesus Christ. And so if we think on that for a bit, I just want to take you through a little walk here and we look back at what else we are told in the Old Testament, especially. Well, what that would signify. And again, this is to help us appreciate Jesus Christ as our Passover.

And so we can think of, for example, Jesus Christ then was and is God who he had been as the Word. He was the one who created the heavens and the earth.

And he is the one in Genesis, and that was Genesis 1.1, he was the one then who rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. And then he blessed the seventh day and sanctified it because in it he rested from all his work which he had created and made. That's Genesis 2.2-3. That's what that would mean, wouldn't it? Likewise, that would suggest, and if you've read the book of Job lately, that the one who spoke to Job out of the whirlwind, that would have been the Word. That would have been the one who became, who would come later, as Jesus Christ. He is the one who asked Job out of the whirlwind, where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me. Tell me, Job, if you have understanding, who determined its measurements? Surely you know Job. Of course, Job didn't know. Job learned very quickly. We need to listen. That's Job 38.4-5. It is the Word who later came as Christ. It is he who commanded Noah to make that ark of gopher wood. Gopher wood. I'm not quite sure what gopher wood is, but he did it. That's Genesis 6.14. He did that to save humanity and save the animals from death. He was the one who set the rainbow and the cloud as a covenant sign that the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. It's Genesis 9.15.

And it was he, the Word, who promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in heaven in Genesis 15.5. And it was he, he was the one who asked, why did Sarah laugh, saying, shall I surely bear a child since I am old in Genesis 19.13?

It's also he who said Abraham, who called Abraham his friend. He called Abraham his friend, the Word who became Jesus Christ. And so then it's Christ is the one, Christ the Word is the one who instructed Moses about the first Passover and who killed the firstborn of Egypt, Exodus 12.23. He led the children of Israel through the wilderness. That's something Paul specifically says in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 4, verse Corinthians 10.4 Paul said, speaking of the children of Israel, that they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Christ. That rock was Christ.

It was Christ who on Mount Sinai gave to Moses two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone written with the finger of God. Ten Commandments, Exodus 31.18. And so it was the Word, it was Christ who prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Jonah 2 verse 17. Now again, our listing could go on and on, but I think we get the point. This Word, this is Jesus Christ, according to what John is telling us. This is Jesus Christ who came as light into the world. He is God. He was with God. He is God. And through Him, He is our Creator. Of course, anything He did, it was only by and through by and with the authority of the Father. Now if we go back to John chapter 1, another question I'd like for us to consider, because John talks about this, and this becomes an aspect of what he develops later on in the book, in the book of John. John tells us, tells, the question is, excuse me, the question is, second question, how did the world respond to Jesus Christ? How did the world respond to Jesus Christ? Well, John tells us in verse 5. John 1 verse 5.

John 1 verse 5. Let me get back there. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. You know, if we're wondering what is darkness talking about, what is that reference? Darkness is, we're going to see if we look down in verse 10, skip you down to verse 10. John equates darkness with the spiritual condition of men, of mankind and humanity, that mentality that began with Adam and Eve. He states in verse 10, John 1 verse 10, he says, he was in the world, the word, Christ was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own did not receive him. And so the word, John tells us, the word Jesus Christ came as a man. And again, we recall, he's called Emmanuel, God with us. He was in the world and among humanity, which he had created. But humanity did not know him, and most did not receive him. Now, the world refers to human society. It refers to the concerns of human beings, which are almost always, if they're totally without God, are certainly in rebellion to God in his way. Christ came as the light of humanity, but humanity rejected him, and even his own people, the Jews, rejected him. We'll be seeing some of that later on. Later on. But then if we continue on, verse 12 through 13, Psalm John says, did recognize him because they did receive him. He says, verse 12, But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And so those who received Christ, that would seem to refer to those whom the Father calls. God the Father begins the process of what we call the process of conversion, John 644. So those who received him would seem to have been those then that the Father had called. And these individuals then welcome his calling to them. They hear Christ's gospel about the kingdom of God and of salvation. And by faith they begin to believe and they repent. They are baptized through remission of sins and they receive the gift of God's Holy Spirit. That process is summarized in Acts 2, 38. And if they remain faithful to God in Christ, continuing to grow in grace and knowledge, continuing steadfast in faithfulness to God, well then at Christ's Second Coming they will receive salvation, being born again, but in the very profound and real sense as immortal spirit beings in God's kingdom, the family of God. They will then fully be children of God.

Now John further testifies in verse 14. He further testifies in verse 14. He says that, he says, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. This we refers to not just only John, but those whom John knew, the other apostles, the disciples, those who remained faithful to Jesus Christ who knew him. They had, we can read the accounts, they spent time with him. They walked the roads together, they ate together, they worked, they laughed, they probably cried together. They knew him in a very real way. But then John's additional comment in verse 18 might seem to be a contradiction of what he just says here in verse 14, that the Word became flesh, dwelt among us. Because in verse 18 he says, no one has seen God at any time.

Well, that seems a contradiction, but it's not. He says, no one is seeing God at any time, the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.

And so we understand that John is explaining that no one has seen God the Father. But it is the Father whom Jesus revealed to those who received him.

And indeed, Christ's sacrifice has made it possible for every human being, if they so choose at the right time, and God calls them and opens their mind to understand, Christ's sacrifice as our Passover has made it possible for every human being to have that relationship with God the Father.

Now, in proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom of salvation, Jesus declared clearly that his gospel in his words were not his own. They were the fathers. They were the fathers. And this is an important thing. He did not come declaring his own gospel, talking about himself. He is focused on the Father. Let's look at John chapter 12, 44 through 46. John 44, 46.

John 12, 44. And then Jesus cried out and said, He who believes in me believes not in me, but in him who sent me. And he who sees him who sent me. I have come as a light into the world. That's what John was talking about. He's taking the words of Christ. Verse 46, I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me should not abide in darkness. And if anyone hears my words and does not believe, I do not judge him, for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects me does not receive my words.

That's it. He who rejects me and does not receive my words, has that which judges him. The word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. Verse 49. And here's the really key point here as well. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me gave me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that his command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told me, so I speak. Again, Jesus not claimed to come with his own message. And so it's an important point that those who rejected him, the light of the world, were not just rejecting him. They were rejecting the Father. They were rejecting the Father.

Now again, let me just pause. What we're doing here is spending a little time thinking about remembering the true identity and the purpose of Jesus Christ. We're doing this because we need to be mindful of these things.

We need to let our knowledge of the true identity and purpose of Jesus of Nazareth to press upon our hearts and minds more deeply that sense of the wonderful thing he did for us and for humanity, but also to press upon us more deeply that sense of cruel injustice and hostility that Jesus Christ, yes, our God and Creator, willingly suffered at the hands of humanity. He paid our penalty of death for our sins. And our remembering of this fact prior to Passover should especially motivate us to more profound worship and praise and service to God.

And not just now, because it's Passover season, but forever. Absolutely forever. Now, let's shift our attention again.

Who did the people say Jesus was? Who did the people say Jesus was? And so now we're going to consider examples based on taking the idea of what John has given us in these verses 1 through 18. We're going to consider examples of how the world, the people of his day, rejected him, rejected him, Jesus Christ, the light of men. That's what John says they did. So who did people say Jesus was? Well, back to John chapter 1. We're going to read verses 45-46. You see, some people, at least at the first, they really thought Jesus was a nobody, it would seem. They thought he was a nobody. Some of us kind of like that because some of us are proud nobodies. Well, in the right sense of pride, we're humble nobodies. John 1, 45-46, we read how a man named Nathanael was really not impressed when he first heard about Jesus of Nazareth. He wasn't too impressed about Jesus of Nazareth. You see, Nazareth was a rather insignificant place. Verse 45, Philip, a friend of his, found Nathanael and said to him, we have found him of whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. You know, I was like, there it is, the big name!

Nathanael said to him, can anything good come out of Nazareth?

And Philip said to him, come and see. Oh, come on, let's go look, let's go see.

Now, in all fairness, we need to understand that Nathanael's regard for Jesus did change through time. You see, many think that Nathanael is the same person as Bartholomew. Bartholomew was one of the 12 apostles. And so it's interesting. At first, you didn't see, well, who's this man from Nazareth? Let's also look at Matthew 13, verse 54 through 58. Nathanael wasn't the only one that kind of had a questionable response to, a questioning response to Jesus of Nazareth. Matthew 13, verse 54 through 58. You see, some of the people of Nazareth, even they had little regard for Jesus or for his teachings. Matthew 13, 54. And when he had come to his own country, when he had come to his own country, he taught them in their synagogue so that they were astonished. And they said, where did this man get this wisdom? And these mighty works.

See, apparently they knew, they knew quite a bit about Jesus. They had perhaps seen him grow up. They knew who he was. They probably knew he'd never gone to one of the great rabbinical schools. So how is he here preaching from God's word and telling us these things with such great authority? Verse 55, continuing, and they asked this question. He said, is this not the carpenter's son?

He's just one of us from Nazareth.

It's not his mother called Mary and his brothers James, Jose, Simon, and Judas. And his sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things? And so they were offended at him. But Jesus said to them, a prophet is not without honor, except in his own country and in his own house.

Verse 58, now he did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. They already knew who he was. They're close-minded, not listening to him. Verse 58, this last sentence, in some ways, may be an understatement.

Luke's account adds an important detail. Look at Luke chapter 4, if you would. Luke chapter 4, Luke chapter 4. Luke chapter 4, 16, tells us this is the same time as Matthew 13. It's the same episode, same incident. Matthew 4, 16 says, so he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up and read. Gives a little more details, but the one I want to show us is verse 29. It adds that those in the synagogue, after they asked these questions, well, he's just one of us. Who's he? It adds that those in the synagogue were so incensed by Jesus' word, verse 29, that they were filled with wrath, and they rose up and thrust him out of the city. And they led him to the brow of the hill in which their city was built, that they might throw him down over the cliff.

Certainly, he was without honor in his own country by his own countrymen. He was a nobody. They didn't want to listen. Now, some others, another group of people, some thought Jesus was a glutton, a drunk, friend of sinners, and I know how we feel, tax collectors. Luke 7. And Jesus knew that a number of them felt that way about him.

He, you know, it's obvious that people were condemning him. You could see the looks. You can hear, see what they're doing. Luke 7, verse 34. And here Jesus is repeating what he knows they say. He says, The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, Look, a glutton and a wine-bibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.

Jesus said, but wisdom is justified by all her children.

Nice way of saying, don't rush to judgment. Look what I am doing. Look at the fruit. The fact is, Jesus gladly taught all who would receive him, all who had ears to hear the good news of God's kingdom of salvation.

Others said that Jesus was a sinner because he healed people, he healed people on the Sabbath. He healed people on the Sabbath. We see an example of this accusation and this anger, Matthew 12. Let's turn back to Matthew 12, verse 9 through 14.

Again, we're feeling in this picture, we're painting a picture, as it were, of who Christ was, what did people say he was, how he was received, what his purpose was, this whole scenario to help us better appreciate Jesus Christ, our Passover. When we look at Matthew 12, verse 9 through 14, what we find here, kind of the backstory, the Pharisees had set up a situation. They had set him up. They had set him up on the Sabbath at this synagogue so that they could accuse him. So that they could accuse him, in verse 9. Now when he, when Jesus had departed from there, he went into their synagogue. Verse 10, and behold, there was a man who had a withered hand, and they asked him, they asked Jesus, saying, is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath? No. Did they honestly want to know from the bottom of their hearts so they can correct themselves? No. Why did they ask that? That they might accuse him. That they might accuse him. It was a setup. And so you see, the Pharisees knew that Jesus could heal. They knew he could heal, and they expected that he would heal this man's hand. Just think how kind of twisted their hearts were. Can we say how dark their thoughts were? And so for him to heal this man would be to them, according to their interpretation of law. For Christ to heal this man would be to them a violation of the law, for the man's life was not in immediate danger. That's how they saw the only time you step in to help somebody is if they're about ready to die, if they're a life-threatening situation. This man's had a withered hand. We're not going to worry about that. He doesn't need to be healed on the Sabbath. But Jesus had a different light on the subject, we might say. Verse 11. And then he said to them, What man is there among you who has one sheep? And if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out? And of course the answer is, yeah, we'd all do that. And Jesus says, verse 12, Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath. And then he said to the man, Stretch out your hand. And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other. And the Pharisees' reaction, verse 14. Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against him how they might destroy him. Now other scholars point out, when you look at the different gospel accounts, it seems to have been this event that was the turnaround for the Pharisees. It was this event that made them start to plot a way of eliminating Christ. Somehow ruin his reputation, somehow we got to stop this. But going back to what we see here, we see that the man stretched out his hand. That man stretched out, or as he stretched out his hand, you see, he was demonstrating his faith in Jesus and his power to heal. And that healing was a miracle of God. But the Pharisees, they are enraged, and they began to plan to destroy him.

Destroy means, can mean to ruin or to kill.

You see, Jesus was becoming more popular among the masses as time went on, and we see that. We read these accounts often. We keep reading these accounts. As he became more popular among the masses, that was a threat to the authority and power of the Pharisees and the other powers that be, as we say. But sadly, this shows just how dark the hearts of the Pharisees were. You see, human suffering seems to have meant nothing to them. They weren't concerned about this man at all, but Jesus Christ was. And so it's not too hard to imagine another way some people perceive Christ, probably these same Pharisees, they accuse Jesus of working with Beelzebub. Now, Beelzebub can be another name for the devil. Beelzebub means Lord of Flies. You may have read a book about that years ago, but a more, probably more accurate term of Beelzebub, Lord of Flies, it's Lord of Menure, and that draws flies.

And so let's read Matthew 12.22. We're in the same chapter, Matthew 12.22. Matthew 12.22. It says, Then was brought to him to Jesus, then was brought to him, then, excuse me, I'm missing the subject, then one was brought to him who was demon-possessed, blind and mute, and he healed him so that the blind and mute man both spoke and saw. And all the multitudes, many people were amazed, and they said, could this be the son of David? Some people began to see some, they began to see the light. They began to realize, wait a minute, could this be the Messiah? The light began to dawn on some of them, it seems. Now when the Pharisees heard it, they said, this fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons. They quickly threw cold water in that idea, didn't they? And so again, we see that Jesus had great compassion and mercy. He acted under the authority of the Father and healed even those possessed by demons. But the Pharisees, alarmed that people might think he was the Christ, sternly disavowed that possibility. They called him this fellow. They couldn't even name him. They wouldn't name him. This fellow, this Jesus, I guess this guy from Nazareth. How could he possibly be the Christ? But the fact is, because they could not deny Jesus's miracle, he did a miracle, they wickedly attributed his authority to cast out demons to his being and league with the devil. They twisted everything around. They reinterpreted.

You know, perhaps you're thinking along these lines. Just an aside here, you know what? At times, it doesn't matter or won't matter what a person does, no matter how good or how righteous one's actions might be. There's going to be people out there they're going to hate. No matter what great work Jesus did, they kept hating him. And we wonder, well, how could that be? John's already told us. Some are in darkness, and some are receiving some of the light. Some couldn't see it or refused to see it.

Perhaps you've noticed things like that happen our day in age, too.

Now, should something like this ever happen to you, you do something good and you just get what trashmouthed about it and ridiculed and reputation damage? It's okay in one sense if you do some righteous things and get hated for it. Remember that it happened to Jesus Christ before it happened to you. That puts you in good company, doesn't it? It puts us in good company. Jesus understands. God understands. And Jesus Christ persevered through all the lies and the hate. And the good news is, so can we, because he's there to help us. He's going to help us.

Now, in all fairness, of course, as I referred to just now, not everyone's heart and mind. We're in darkness. Some individuals, even as we read in John 1-12, as many as received him, they saw the light. They could perceive some light. And so some people did seem to understand, or some consideration, that Jesus was a great man of God, quite possibly the Messiah. And we have this wonderful example in John chapter 9. Let's turn to John chapter 9. And the whole chapter, chapter 9, concerns this man, excuse me, this man, in John 9 verse 1, says, he was a man who was blind from birth. And he seems to have been someone very familiar to everybody who had spent time around the temple area. He was always out there asking for alms. And he was quite an old man now. His parents were still alive, but he was no child. He'd been around for quite a while. And you read the whole chapter, which we're not going to do, but I do want to highlight some things.

Jesus healed him. And at first, people didn't think that this was the man born blind from birth, because it didn't, whatever happened, it just didn't seem possible. They couldn't believe it. And so there's a ruckus about it. There's questioning, and who did this, what happened, and the Pharisees are right on top of it. They want to get to the bottom of this.

Verse 13. Let's just pick up a piece of this. Verse 13, John 9 verse 13.

And so they brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. Now here's the problem the Pharisees had. Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. Okay, we know what they thought about that. Verse 15. Then the Pharisees also asked him, so they're going to interrogate him in a sense. Then the Pharisees also asked him again, they did this again and again, it seems, how he had received his sight. And he, this man who had been born blind, he said to them, he put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see. Pretty simple, that's all they did. All Jesus did. Therefore some of the Pharisees said, well, this man is not from God because he does not keep the Sabbath. Now wait a minute, who created the Sabbath? Who established it? Others said, how can a man who is a sinner do such signs? And so there's a great controversy. He must have been a sinner, another saint, but he healed this man. How can a sinner do that? Do you see the controversy? Now I'll say this part now, what we're seeing here is almost a battle between the light and the dark. Light and darkness here. That's what it really is, it could be seen as. Others said, how can a man who is a sinner do such signs? And there was a division among them. And so in verse 17, they said to the blind man again, what do you say about him? Because he opened your eyes. And the blind man said, he said, well, he is a prophet. He's got to be a holy man. He's got to be a man of God. Obviously, the blind man can see some things. Jumping down to verse 24, so again, they called in the parents, they do more investigation. Verse 24, so they again called the man who was blind, because they cannot come up with a good answer, an answer they like anyway. So they again called the man who was blind. They said to him, give God the glory. We know that this man is a sinner. This man who healed you is a sinner. And he answered and said, that's very wise words, he said, whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see. He's just taking the facts. Down to verse 31, and the Pharisees are really agitated with him now. Verse 31, the Pharisees say, now we know that God does not hear sinners, but if anyone is the worshipper of God and does his will, he hears him. And you know what? They're right! So why can't the answers right in front of them, right? But they're blind. Their minds are dark. Their hearts are dark. They refuse or cannot see.

Verse 32, and he says, since the world began, it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was blind. And so that man says, if this man were not from God, he could do nothing. That's the blind man's response. And they answered and said to him, you were completely born in sins, name calling, right? And are you teaching us? And they cast him out. That's how they handled problems, answers they did not like. It's really amazing, isn't it? It was a miracle. This man, blind since birth, could now perceive light.

And we're not just talking about physical light or luminescence.

He saw something more, didn't he? He saw what he was seeing. He was seeing the true light from God. He was beginning to see something about that man who healed him, who later on finds out was Jesus Christ. It was the Pharisees who refused to see the simple truths this man explained to them, but they could not and would not see the light. They remained in darkness. It's a perfect example of what John was talking about in the first chapter, John 1. Now, there are many other examples that confirm what we read earlier in John 1 verses 10 through 12. It also says that the world and even his own people would not receive him. Verse 11, he came to his own, his own did not receive him. They broadly rejected Jesus. The Pharisees had accused him of being a sinner. Was Jesus a sinner? No. 2 Corinthians 5 21. 2 Corinthians 5 21. The Pharisees were powerful, influential people in their society. The people feared them terribly. And so, if they had a little light, they began to see something they'd quickly cowed before the force of the Pharisees and their authority. You know, it's hard to convince someone of the light if that someone already believes they have the light. They don't think there's anything more they need to see. And that can be a dangerous state of mind to be in. 2 Corinthians 5 21. Jesus never sinned. Paul makes that point. He attests to that truth. 2 Corinthians 5 21. For he, referring to the Father, for he made him who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. Faith in him. And so Jesus Christ was without sin. He was, just as John the Baptist had declared, he was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That's John 1 29. John 1 29.

Jesus Christ came among men as the perfect, flawless sacrifice for all humanity. He fulfilled the words of Isaiah 53. Let's turn back there. Isaiah 53.

Isaiah 53 5 through 7.

He fulfills the words we can see here. We read in verse 5, Isaiah 53 verse 5, speaking of the one who would bear the sins. But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon him. By his stripes we are healed, speaking of what Jesus Christ would undergo. All we, like sheep, have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted. Yet he opened not his mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, as a sheep before its shears is silent. So he opened not his mouth.

If we turn to Matthew 27. Matthew 27 provides a rather vivid historical account. of that prophecy, what happened. Matthew 27. This is a vivid account, historical account, eyewitness account, one of the eyewitnesses accounts of Jesus suffering and his death. In Matthew 27, let's look at verse 21 through 22 because it goes back to what John said in John 1. Here in verse 21-22, Jesus has been arrested, and he was to be crucified. But here in these verses, Pilate was offering to the Jews. He's making an offer. I'll release him. You choose. In verse 21, the governor answered and said to them, the crowd, the Jews, which of the two do you want me to release to you? The choice was Barabbas, the murderer for Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus who claimed to be, they said, king of the Jews. And the crowd said, Barabbas. And Pilate said to them, what then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ? And they all said to him, let him be crucified. I would say he was definitely rejected by his own people. And then continuing in verse 27, this historical account of that fulfillment of prophecy, verse 27, just a little bit here. And then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus and pray tore him. Now remember, we've already discussed who Jesus was. He is the incarnate word.

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and a reed in his right hand. And they bowed the knee before him and mocked him, saying, Hail, king of the Jews. Then they spat on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. Verse 35. Then they crucified him and divided his garments, casting lots that might be fulfilled, which is spoken by the prophet. They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. That prophecy is from Psalm 22 verse 18. It's a psalm of David. Let's not forget that David was a prophet, and this is from Psalm 22.

Verse 41. Likewise, casting lots for his clothes. Verse 41. Likewise, the chief priest, also mocking with the scribes and elders. These are the chief priests. And they said, He saved others, himself he cannot save. If he is the king of Israel, let him come, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. What if he had done that? Well, haters are going to keep hating. Isn't there a song about that? Haters are going to keep hating. They're in darkness. Darkness cannot comprehend the light.

And here, let's turn to Luke 23.34. Just one verse. Same account. Luke 23.34. Luke's account of the crucifixion. Luke's account adds one amazing detail, which I don't want us to overlook. It helps to give us a sense of the profound wonder we should have about Christ's sacrifice, our Passover. Luke 23.34. And then Jesus said, Then Jesus said, Father, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do. They don't know what they do. Again, these words reveal the astounding depth of Christ's love and compassion for humanity, even for those who are in the process of killing him.

It reminds us of John 1, verse 5. And so it was, The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. Darkness cannot comprehend light. And Jesus knew that none of those people who were so hating him and mocking him, none of those people understood. Especially they did not understand that they were executing a righteous and sinless man, let alone their Creator.

And he knew that this was all according to God's plan. This is all according to God's plan. So before we get to outrage that this was happening, this had to happen. This was part of the plan. If it did not happen the way God had planned and fulfilled, we would not be here preparing for Passover. We would not be here sobered but hopeful, anticipating Christ's return and rejoicing and grateful for what he did for us. Jesus Christ, the Word, the Creator through whom God the Father created all things, willingly died for mankind, his humanity, for his creation. And the Father willingly gave his only begotten Son so that humanity could be forgiven, so that they might truly live and receive salvation. And you know, in all this, we need to never forget that Jesus never begrudged what he underwent. He never begrudged. He never became bitter for what he suffered. Why can we say this? Let's look at Philippians 2, verses 6-8. Philippians 2, verses 6-8. And this is part of that section of Scripture where Paul, Philippians 2, he says in verse 5, actually, and it ties back to what Mr. Lucas was telling us, sharing with us in his sermonette today. Paul said, verse 5, Let this mind be in you, which was also in Jesus Christ.

Verse 6. Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery, something he should cling to, to be equal with God. But he made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. 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. Even the death of the cross. He never begrudged what he did. He did it according to God the Father's plan for love of the Father and for the love of humanity. So now, let's turn to Hebrews 9. Let's turn to Hebrews 9, 11-12. Christ is our Passover. He was the perfect sacrifice, no blemish without sin. He gave himself totally for all humanity. God the Father accepted Christ's perfect sacrifice. Hebrews 9-11 tells us, Christ came, Hebrews 9-11, but Christ came as high priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, his presence. That is not of this creation, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood. He entered the most holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption with his own blood. Also, Hebrews 4, 14-16. Hebrews 4, 14-16. It's Christ's perfect sacrifice. It's redeemed us from sin and death. That's justified us before God, so we might repent and approach God with confidence to receive help and mercy in his forgiveness. Hebrews 4, 14. Seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with their weaknesses. He knows them very well. But as in all points tempted as we are yet, without sin. So let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. And we always have need. Without Christ's sacrifice, again, we would only be facing death and no hope. And so yes, we need to remember Christ's love and sacrifice so we can more deeply appreciate the meaning of that bread and wine we're going to be taking on Passover. The bread and wine remind us of Christ's total and complete sacrifice for us and all humanity. Reminds us, he gives us the hope of salvation, which is only through Christ. John 6 53 56 John 6 53 56 These verses remind us again of that total nature of our total commitment to God.

Speaking about the flesh and blood of Christ. John 6 53 Then Jesus said to them most assuredly I say to you unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, referring to himself, and drink his blood, you have no life in you. And whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life. And I will raise him up at the last day. Of course, he's speaking figuratively. Verse 55 For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him.

And so when we eat the unleavened bread at Passover, we remember that we must be putting out sin from our lives and putting on sincerity and truth, which is that mindset, the life and the light of Jesus Christ. He must become an integral part of us in every way. And that's just and that's exactly what is said in 1 Corinthians 5 verse 7 and 8. 1 Corinthians 5, 7 through 8.

And we read this in the sermonette.

Therefore purge out the old leaven that you may be a new lump since you truly are in leaven. For indeed Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven or with the leaven of Malice. And wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. It's eating that flesh, that concept, an entire body. And when we drink the red wine at Passover, we remember that because of Christ's shed blood for us, he fulfilled the requirement of God's law.

Let's look at Hebrews 9.22. There's requirement that most things are made clean with a shedding of blood. You've got to have some shedding of blood to remove, to make things clean. Hebrews 9.22. Jesus performed that for us. Who better to do that than one without sin than the Creator Himself, who is God with us, who came in the flesh, that he might fulfill this necessary requirement so that we might have that hope of salvation. Hebrews 9.22. And according to the law, almost all things are purified. That means cleansed with blood. And without shedding of the blood, there is no remission, no forgiveness.

And so because of Christ, His shed blood, of Christ or Passover, as we've read already, we can come before the very throne of God in prayer for help in that time of need, anytime, anytime at all. And so Christ or Passover makes possible the transformation of our lives. We can come out fully. We can come out now fully from darkness.

Ephesians 5, 1-2. The last set of scriptures I'd like for us to read. Ephesians 5, verse 1-2.

Christ or Passover makes possible the transformation of our lives. We can now come fully out of darkness. We can only do it through Christ, through faith in Christ, and with His help.

Ephesians 5, starting in verse 1-2, tells us how, explains how. Verse 1, Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children. Imitate God. And walk in love, as Christ has also loved us and given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. And then skip you down, verse 8. This is again, it reminds us of what John was saying. Verse 8. Paul writing here, verse 8. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth, finding out what is acceptable to the Lord, and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. And we can do this. These are our marching orders, so to speak, but we can only do it with the help of God.

And so as Passover draws near, yes, we need to be preparing ourselves. Part of that preparation is helpful, if it'd be helpful, if we give considerable thought to what Christ has done. We've just scratched the surface, so to speak, today. So many things I've touched upon, and encourage us to go back and read a little more fully. And so I do encourage this prior to Passover, and of course, any time for that matter, especially prior to Passover, that we would take time. What shall we do? Action words, action statements. Here you go. Let's take time now to read the Bible. Read the Bible, read these sections, and think deeply upon Christ's words and what he did.

Think about how everything he did was according to the Father's will. He submitted to the Father. Everything he did was according to the Father's plan, so that every human being could be forgiven and receive salvation.

Now we know what happens if all we do is think. Thoughts aren't enough, right? We've heard this before? Yes, we have. And so even though these most profound thoughts we might draw from Scripture and be inspired, they're going to be worthless. They are worthless without action. And so let's allow our thoughts about Christ, our Passover, inspire us to express heartfelt prayers of gratitude and praise to God.

Now is the time to be praising and thanking our God. And let our thoughts that we read, we're inspired by, also motivate us to greater works of faith and repentance and obedience to Christ. And all this is for the glory of the Father.

And so we have many things to do, but nothing more important than preparing our hearts and minds. And so may we all then have a truly blessed Passover in a wonderful day, wonderful days of Unleavened Bread.