Maranatha - Awaiting Christ's Return

1 Cor. 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Author: Kate Plourde Page 30 of 59

Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed – Feast of Weeks

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On December 9, 2022

In Devotionals, Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed

Leviticus 23:15-22  And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:  (16)  Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.  (17)  Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.  (18)  And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD.  (19)  Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.  (20)  And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.  (21)  And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.  (22)  And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.

Good morning! As I research the different feasts, I stand amazed at how merciful God is – He gives people countless opportunities to “find” Him! I’m so thankful that God knows how desperately we need salvation and He reveals His plan in so many ways!

Today, we cover the Feast of Weeks as shown in Leviticus 23. We will start with a little bit of background on this feast. It is one of three feasts that requires all Jewish males to travel to Jerusalem to attend the feast. (Exodus 23:14-17, 34:22-23, and Deuteronomy 16:16) It begins on a Sabbath and ends on a Sabbath: seven weeks (50 days) after the Feast of First Fruits. This is where Pentecost (meaning 50) is derived (Acts 2:1). It is one of the harvest feasts and new grain was offered to the Lord (Leviticus 23:16). In fact, it is the only feast that uses leavened bread, which we will cover later in this post. Today, this celebration is called Shavuot, which is Hebrew for “weeks.”

It is a beautiful foreshadow of the coming Messiah and His redemptive work! In fact, we know that each of the Feasts reveals God’s redemptive plan through Jesus Christ! Jesus was the Passover Lamb and arose on the Feast of Firstfruits. How exciting is that!!! Afterwards, Jesus spent 40 days teaching those disciples He would leave to carry on His work. Jesus then ascended to Heaven, as recorded in Acts 1:6-11. When we count 50 days after Christ’s ascension, we arrive to the day of Pentecost (Feast of Firstfruits). The Holy Spirit was given to continue Christ’s ministry and to give power to His Church.

One of the exciting aspects of this Feast is that two loaves of leavened bread were used as a wave offering. This is a foreshadow of God’s redemptive plan being for both Jew and Gentile (Ephesians 2:14-15). On Pentecost (Feast of Weeks), the “firstfruits” of the church became a reality after Peter preached the gospel and over 3,000 were saved in one day! God’s new Covenant through Christ and His Holy Spirit began and we continue to experience firstfruits!

Don’t these symbolic points of these Feasts excite your spirit? Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ, personally or do you only know of Him? He is the true sinless Lamb of God! I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed – First Fruits

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On December 7, 2022

In Devotionals, Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed

Leviticus 23:9-14  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  (10)  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:  (11)  And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.  (12)  And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.  (13)  And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin.  (14)  And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

Good morning, reader! Have you been blessed by this series so far? I love finding the Lord Jesus Christ throughout each book in the Bible. Even in Genesis 3:15, we see the “Scarlet Thread of Redemption” given to us! God created a perfect man and gave him a perfect place to live. But man chose to sin, despite the God’s perfect creation. It’s not God’s fault that man had the free will to sin and chose to do so! It is our nature to sin by choice. Praise the Lord for our Saviour, the perfect Lamb of God, who gave Himself for us.

(Galatians 1:4)  Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

(Galatians 2:20)  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

(Ephesians 5:25)  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

(1 Timothy 2:6)  Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

(Titus 2:14)  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Now on to today’s feast: The Feast of First Fruits! This feast was to be celebrated the day after the Sabbath (which is the first day of the week), once they arrived in the Promised Land! (Leviticus 23:10) They were to give to the priest a sheaf from their harvest and the priest would wave it (Leviticus 23:11) before the Lord. They would also offer a year-old male lamb without blemish. The food and drink offering was also given as a sign of fellowship with God (Leviticus 23:13-14). This was all to be done so Israel would know that God should receive their very best. It also helped Israel to remember who provided their food! The mere fact that they gave God of their First Fruits would teach them to trust in His provision; who could know if it would be a sparse harvest. When we give God the very best and of our own first fruits of our labor, He will take care of the rest! This Feast reminds Israel of their fellowship and dedication

What is the principle behind the Feast of Firstfruits? The people of God were to know that they owe their best to God. Nothing they have did not come from Him. It was definitely risky for them to offer the first of their harvest to God. Who knew if there would be more harvest? But in doing so, they were to learn faith and trust in the God who has proven His faithfulness over and over again. For us too, this reminds us that we don’t just give God the best, we are also to give God first. This is His due and our priority. This Feast was also to mark their dedication and fellowship with Jehova-Jireh, the God who provides. 

The Feast of First Fruits was also used as a provision for the priests. Numbers 18:2-13 gives us that account. So we see Israel giving of their first fruits to God; then God provided for the priests using these first fruits. We use this same method today – we pay our tithes and offerings to God, Who in turn provides for the man of God and the running of His church house.

So how does this feast reveal Christ? We know that the Lord arose on the first day of the week. (Matthew 28:1-10) Jesus was also the first fruit of those who had been dead and having the resurrection of life! (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23) Christ received His new glorified body and when He comes in the clouds to rapture His church, the dead first and after them, we will receive our new glorified bodies!!! Jesus Christ is the first fruit of rising above death’s sting. Without His resurrection, we are most miserable (1 Corinthians 15:19)! But because we know that Jesus arose, it encourages us that we will follow!

Do you see the Lord in this particular Feast? Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ, personally or do you only know of Him? He is the First Fruit through His resurrection, which gives every man an opportunity to participate in the Rapture!! I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed – Unleavened Bread

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On December 5, 2022

In Devotionals, Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed

Leviticus 23:4-8  These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.  (5)  In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’S passover.  (6)  And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.  (7)  In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.  (8)  But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

Oh what a joyous time of year this is! 😀 Although Winter appears fruitless with its frigid temperatures, we celebrate the Saviour’s birth! His birth leads to the salvation of mankind!

I’ve learned so much doing the research on this series! I sorta knew the basics of the Feasts but never really dug deeper. In doing so, I see the Lord Jesus in every aspect and it excites the spirit within me! I absolutely love God’s Word and how it blesses us over and over! (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Today’s Feast is that of Unleavened Bread. We covered this in part in the posts about the Seder meal. Today is strictly about the Feast itself. This Feast was seven days long and during that time they could not eat any bread that was made with yeast (leaven). Let’s park there for a minute and concentrate on the word “leaven.” Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines leaven as:

LEAVEN, n. lev’n. [L. levo, Eng. to lift.]

A mass of sour dough, which, mixed with a larger quantity of dough or paste, produces fermentation in it and renders it light. During the seven days of the passover, no leaven was permitted to be in the houses of the Jews. Exo 12.

Any thing which makes a general change in the mass. It generally means something which corrupts or depraves that with which it is mixed.
Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Mat 16.
LEAVEN, v.t. lev’n.

To excite fermentation in; to raise and make light, as dough or paste.
A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 1 Cor 5.

to taint; to imbue.

Think on this definition for a moment. Yeast/leaven produces fermentation and changes the texture and the size of the bread. If we regard leaven as a symbol for sin, it clearly opens up the purpose of this Feast, don’t you think? If we allow sin into our lives, it doesn’t just sit still. It produces more sin. It also has its repercussions! To the believer, it causes our relationship with the Lord to suffer. (Psalm 66:18) From the time of Adam and Eve, when sin was first brought into the Garden of Eden, sin has continued to grow and has created a depraved people. It has hardened the heart to its effects. It also reveals that even a tiny amount will cause an entire lump of dough to rise. Jewish tradition has it that women would actually get on their hands and knees sweeping with a feather every nook to rid their homes of any leaven. Wow, what would our Christian lives look like if we took the same painstaking effort of ridding our lives of sin!!?? The more sin there is (size), the harder the heart becomes (texture).

The Apostle Paul reprimanded the Corinthian church for defiling their church with sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 5:1-8). The church, as we know it today, is not like the church of yesteryear. Sin has crept into the church willingly and it is accepted. We see this all the more today! Allowing known sin to abide in the church is like adding yeast to the dough. A little will cause the all of the dough to rise – a little sin will multiply and the church will not be pure and chaste. (2 Corinthians 11:2)

But there is Good News in this Feast for all! The Good News is that the Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins! He lived that sinless life – He is the true unleavened Bread of life – He is the perfect sacrificial Lamb! But the best news of all is that He arose and is sitting with the Father awaiting His return for the Church (His Bride) at the Rapture! Oh what joy for the believer!!

Do you see the Lord in these Feasts? Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ, personally or do you only know of Him? He is the true Unleavened Bread – the sinless Lamb of God! I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed – Passover Seder Part 4

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On December 2, 2022

In Devotionals, Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed

Good morning! I can hardly believe that we are in our last month of 2022! Where has this year gone? Could it be that we will see the Lord coming for us at the Rapture before the end of the year? How exciting would that be???

As we finish up on the Seder meal, we see something which is not shown in the picture above. These are the four cups of wine which are used at various points during the meal. The first of the cups is called the “cup of sanctification.”

Exodus 6:6  Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:

1 Corinthians 1:30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

Sanctification? What is that? Noah Webster defines the word “sanctification” as:

SANCTIFICA’TION, n. [See Sanctify.]

  1. The act of making holy. In an evangelical sense, the act of God’s grace by which the affections of men are purified or alienated from sin and the world, and exalted to a supreme love to God.
    God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. 2 Th 2. 1 Pet 1.
  2. The act of consecrating or of setting apart for a sacred purpose; consecration.

Sanctification is the act of making one holy, setting us apart from the world. It doesn’t all happen at once, as all believers know. The Holy Spirit’s endless job of sanctifying each member of the Church and making us “mirror” Jesus Christ. The Church is to be a unique kind of people that reflects that work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit diligently works in the heart of all believers to convict their hearts of sin, and to help them live a life that glorifies God!

1 Peter 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

The second cup of wine is the “cup of judgment.” As we see in Exodus 6:6, God promises to rid Israel of their years of bondage! Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ delivers us from our bondage of sin! (Romans 6:20) We are no longer judged for those sins because Jesus paid for all of them on the cross of Calvary. We are no longer under the bondage of sin but have liberty through Christ! (Romans 8:15, Romans 8:21) We don’t have to sin – if a believer does sin, it is because he chooses to sin. That hurts God and breaks the sweet fellowship we have with Him. It is very much in the same manner as when a child does something against his parents’ wishes. That child is still a member of the family but the parents are hurt and disappointed. Fellowship isn’t quite the same until the child asks for forgiveness and that sweet fellowship is restored.

The third cup is the “cup of redemption”! I love that word redemption! Exodus 6:6 shows us that God will redeem Israel of judgment. Galatians 3:13 also tells us that Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law. He became the curse for us. (Deuteronomy 21:22-23) He paid the price for our wicked sin – this is a price that we all must pay unless we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Messiah of mankind. If you do not accept Him as Saviour, you will pay that price for your sins which results spending eternity in a burning lake of fire!

The last of the cups, the fourth cup, is known as the “cup of praise”! Exodus 6:7 tells Israel that God has taken them as His people and He will be their God. He also reminds them that He is the one that brought them out of Egypt to relieve them of their burdens. Oh what praise that is to the God who delivered them! Jesus spoke of this cup in Matthew 26:29. He would drink it new with us in His Father’s kingdom! His resurrection brings praise to the lips of everyone who believes on Him! The Jewish people look forward to their acceptance into the Kingdom and Christians look forward to being welcomed by our Yeshua the Messiah to be with Him forever!

As we finish the Seder and its beautiful symbolism, do you see Jesus in each of the details we covered? Do you know the Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ, personally or do you only know of Him? I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jewish Feasts and Jesus Revealed – Passover Seder Part 3

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On November 30, 2022

In Devotionals, Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed

Good morning, dear reader! As I dwell on the Passover feast and the Seder, it makes me so appreciative of Christ’s work on the cross so that we may be saved! Is there a greater gift than this? (Romans 6:23) We are approaching the season where we celebrate the Saviour’s birth and without His birth, there would be no death or resurrection, amen?

As we look at the other elements of the Seder plate, we’ll see that they are reminders to Israel of their slavery in Egypt. Each element plays a traditional role which helps them to remember what God did for them. The next element is the vegetable, which is called the karpas. It’s usually parsley dipped in salted water. It’s a “picture” of the hyssop that was used to paint the blood of the Passover lamb around the door frame. The salted water represents all the tears shed during their enslavement in Egypt and how God parted the Red Sea. As a Christian, this reminds me of the hyssop that was used to give vinegar as a drink to the Saviour as He was hanging on the cross. (John 19:29) When I think of my Saviour enduring the agony of the cross, I can’t help but cry.

The next element are the bitter herbs, called “maror” in Hebrew. Exodus 12:8 tells us that this was commanded to be a part of the Passover feast. Today, they usually use horseradish, which is one of the most bitter herbs. This element reminds the celebrants that they could not offer sacrifices to God and that was more bitter to them than their enslavement in Egypt. For me as a believer, my life here on earth is bitter compared to my eternal life with Christ. I also see it as my life before I knew Christ. It was quite bitter until He became my Lord and Saviour and He now produces sweet fruit in my heart!

Another element on the Seder plate is the charoset. This is a mixture of apples, nuts, wine and spices. Charoset represents the mortar used in building by the Israelites during their enslavement. My Jewish friend said that was everyone’s favorite part! 😁 It is the only sweet element on the Seder plate and is a reminder of their hope of redemption! (Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:14, Hebrews 9:15) For the believer, does this bring to mind the beautiful hymn “Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus”? Yes, it is sweet to have Jesus in our lives. There is none greater and none who can bring the joy and peace that He brings! Praise God for His redemption!

The last of the elements is the hard-boiled or roasted egg, which in Hebrew is the baytzah. Jewish tradition says that those who mourned the loss of a loved one ate hard-boiled eggs. The roasted egg in the Seder reminds the participants that they mourn the loss of their temple. To the Christian, it could represent that we are the temple of God and no longer need that temple made with hands. (1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19)

Oh dear reader, do you not see Jesus in each of the details we covered today? Do you know the Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ, personally or do you only know of Him? I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jewish Feasts and Jesus Revealed – Passover Seder Part 2

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On November 28, 2022

In Devotionals, Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed

Good morning! I hope you are being blessed by this new series. As I learned about this beautiful tradition, it made me wonder why the Jews can’t see the Lord Jesus Christ depicted throughout. I understand that we are looking back to the Cross but there are so many prophecies that were fulfilled through Jesus, our Messiah; it’s hard to believe they don’t see it. It encourages me to pray for the veil to be lifted from their eyes so they can recognize that their Messiah came to pay the ransom for their sins and that He is coming for His church at any moment! (Matthew 20:28, 1 Timothy 2:6)

Another symbol of Christ on the Seder plate is the matzoh. Matzoh is unleavened bread; this bread does not contain yeast. The fact that there is no yeast in their bread reminds the Jews of how quickly they left Egypt. (Deuteronomy 16:3) They didn’t have time to put yeast in the flour, hence unleavened bread. It brings to mind that yeast is also symbolic of sin. Just one sin corrupts the entire body! (Galatians 5:9, Matthew 13:33, Luke 13:21, 1 Corinthians 5:6)

Now this next point is quite a blessing to me. Matzoh is also a picture of the Messiah! The matzoh is placed in a bag which has three sections (or pockets). This is called an “echad” which in Hebrew means “one”! (Genesis 2:24) A piece of matzoh is placed in each section of the bag. The first section isn’t used in the Seder. As well, it is not to be seen or touched. The second section is a matzoh which is broken in half at the beginning of the Seder: half remains in the bag and the other is placed on a linen cloth. Then lastly, the matzoh in the third section is to be eaten with the other items on the plate. The Jews believe the three pieces of matzoh represent Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But they can’t explain why they break the second matzoh (representing Isaac) in half and putting half back in the echad; the other other half on a linen cloth.

For Christians, it’s a beautiful picture of the Trinity (three sections in the echad). The first matzoh remains in the echad, which represents the unseen Heavenly Father. The second matzoh represents Christ’s broken body (1 Corinthians 11:24). The half that is put back in the echad reveals Christ’s divine nature next to the Father. The other half, which is placed on a linen cloth, represents the Lord’s life while He was on earth as well as when He was placed in the linen burial cloths. The third matzoh represents the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us and is a part of our every day lives.

An interesting point about the half of the matzoh which is hidden in the linen cloth really blessed me. This is hidden somewhere in the house and after the children have eaten, and they go searching for it. Once it’s found, it is held as a ransom!!! I got goosebumps when I learned this! It’s a fulfillment of Matthew 19:14, 1 Corinthians 11:24, and Mark 10:45! With child-like faith, we are to search for the Saviour whose body was broken so that He could give His life as a ransom for us! Thank You, Jesus my Saviour! ❣

The last point of the matzoh is its preparation. Not only must it be unleavened, but it must be striped and pierced! Are you jumping out of your skin yet? 😀 The stripes represent Christ’s wounds, which heal us spiritually! (Isaiah 53:5) Furthermore, the matzoh is pierced representing Christ’s hands, feet and side being pierced. (Psalm 22:16, John 19:34, John 20:25) Isn’t this a beautiful picture??!! Of course, this isn’t what the Jews see as they partake, but you and I can see it clearly as believers in Christ Jesus! Jesus is our bread of life, Christian! (John 6:33, John 6:35, John 6:48, John 6:51)

Do you know the Messiah, Jesus Christ, personally or do you only know of Him? I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jewish Feasts and Jesus Revealed – Passover Seder

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On November 25, 2022

In Devotionals, Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed

A good morning to you!! As we continue studying the topic of the Passover, we see that the Jews celebrate a meal that they call the Seder. This is something that Jews do as a memorial of their exodus from Egypt. I watched a Messianic Jew perform the Seder where he explained each phase. Although it’s nice to know how Christ is represented in each phase, the Seder is not for Christians. We are not required to keep the Feasts because we already know Christ as our Messiah. The only thing that was required of the Christian Gentiles to follow were told to us in Acts 15:28-29. The Feasts point the Jews TO Jesus so they will see that their Messiah is revealed in each of these.

So let’s discuss the Seder. The Seder is the traditional dinner that Jews celebrate during Passover. The definition of Seder is “order.” As you can see in the picture above, there appears to be an order in the food displayed. There’s also an order in the prayers and songs. Each food item on the plate represents an aspect of the Jews flight out of Egypt and being freed from slavery. It’s really quite touching. It’s a wonderful reminder of what they went through! It’s also pretty amazing that Jews all around the world are celebrating this Seder in the same manner.

As a Christian, we look at this tradition as our school teacher and rejoice that Christ is our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). Do you see the bone in the picture above? This is known as the shank bone of a lamb. Christ is represented in this very shank bone as it relates to the lamb that was slaughtered for the Passover. We also can correlate it to John 19:36 where not a bone of Christ’s body was broken while He was on the cross. As the Passover lamb provided salvation for the Jews out of Egypt, so does our Passover Lamb provide salvation as we come out of Egypt (a type of the world) into the glorious promised land of Heaven! This is why John the Baptist said in John 1:29, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

On the next post, we will cover other aspects of the Seder. Think about the whole purpose of the Passover and how it relates to Christ and the salvation He provides to all. Do you know Jesus Christ, the Messiah, personally or do you only know of Him? I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed – Passover

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On November 23, 2022

In Devotionals, Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed

Blood on the Doorposts: Passover Thoughts | All is Well

Good morning to you! 😀 I’m hoping that you enjoyed the series on the Prophecies of the Messiah and how Jesus fulfilled them all! I thought it would be interesting to continue in the same “light” and study how Jesus shows Himself in the different Jewish Feasts. One can find Jesus on every single page of the Bible if you are searching; more specifically in the major doctrines of Israel and the Church. Jesus only taught from the Old Testament and He revealed Himself, not only through the prophecies, but in each of the details of the Feasts that God required Israel to follow. We see Jesus’ hand in creation, salvation and where we will spend eternity! God knew from the beginning that the Feasts would point to His Son and would reveal the Yeshua Mashiach, Messiah Jesus Christ, in each of the Feasts? Do you know why? Because salvation is of the Jews and was preached to the Jews first!

(John 4:22)  Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

(Romans 1:16)  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Salvation is of the Jews because Jesus Christ came to earth as a Jew to preach salvation to the Jews first, then to the rest of the world through His apostles. It’s important to know the reason why we believe what we believe, amen? Any Christian who doesn’t love the Jews, doesn’t love the Lord Jesus Christ.

So let’s see what blessings we can learn from the different Feasts which are celebrated by our Lord’s people! We started the series with the Sabbath. We learned that although it’s not a Feast, it is the Fourth Commandment and considered holy. Therefore, it should be included, amen?

The first of the Feasts is the Passover. If you are not familiar with the Passover celebration, you are in for a real treat!! First let’s get a picture for why this Feast is celebrated and read the verses in Exodus which explain it.

Exodus 12:1-14 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,  (2)  This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.  (3)  Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:  (4)  And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:  (6)  And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.  (7)  And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.  (8)  And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.  (9)  Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.  (10)  And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.  (11)  And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S passover.  (12)  For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.  (13)  And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.  (14)  And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

Leviticus 23:5  In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’S passover.

We see in our reading that when the Jews were about to leave Egypt, God was going to bring His judgment on Pharaoh and all the land. The first born was going to die unless they obeyed the command of God to kill an unblemished lamb and use its blood to paint around the doorposts (as shown in the picture at the top of this post). When the angel of death passed over the houses, death would not come upon the house that was covered with the blood of the lamb. What a beautiful picture of the Christian’s sins being covered by the blood of Jesus Christ, amen?

The Passover (Leviticus 23:5) pointed to the Messiah as our Passover Lamb, as described in 1 Corinthians 5:7, whose blood would be shed for our sins. Jesus was crucified during the Passover (Mark 14:12). Christ was the “lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:19) because He lived a life that was completely sinless (Hebrews 4:15). As the Jews were released from enslavement in Egypt, so are we free from the slavery of sin! (Romans 8:2). Praise the Lord!!

In my next few posts, I will cover the meal at the Passover and how Jesus is depicted in each of the steps taken to prepare the Seder meal. It means so much more now that I know what each part means. As a Christian, I can look back to see how all those “pieces” are fulfilled through Jesus Christ. The Jews are still awaiting their Messiah and do not fully understand.

Do you see Jesus in each of the details we covered today? Do you know the Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ, personally or do you only know of Him? I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed – Table of Contents

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On November 21, 2022

In Devotionals, Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed

This series doesn’t contain many posts but it covers the Jewish Feasts and how the Messiah, Jesus Christ, reveals Himself through these Feasts. Although the first post on the Sabbath is not actually one of the Feasts, it IS considered holy and is the fourth listed in the Ten Commandments.

The SabbathThe PassoverPassover Seder
Passover Seder Pt 2Passover Seder Pt 3Passover Seder Pt 4
Unleavened BreadFirst FruitsThe Feast of Weeks
The Day of AtonementThe Feast of Tabernacles

Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed – The Sabbath

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On November 21, 2022

In Devotionals, Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed

Exodus 20:8-11  Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.  (9)  Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:  (10)  But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:  (11)  For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Leviticus 23:3  Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.

Good morning! I’m excited to embark on this new series! I’ve always wanted to learn about the Jewish traditions since our Lord and Saviour was Jewish. As well, I’ve heard so many discuss how Christ reveals Himself throughout the different Feasts. This first post is going to be a tad long but bear with me. It’s important to know the Sabbath of the Old Testament and then we will talk about how Jesus fulfills that Sabbath.

God created all things in six days and rested on the seventh. He commands the Hebrews to keep it as an holy convocation in the Law (the fourth of the Ten Commandments) which was given to them. Jews have honored the Sabbath ever since. Resting on the seventh day would give the body a chance to rest from six days of work. It also gave their beasts of burden a chance to rest as well. The Word says that God made the Sabbath for man. Jesus said:

Mark 2:27  And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

Although the Sabbath was given to the Hebrews for rest in their bodies, we Christians find our rest in Jesus Christ. I’m not saying we do not need physical rest – our day of rest is on the first day of the week, which is Sunday. So what does rest have to do with Jesus? I view it in the sense that we don’t have to work for our salvation as the Jews did and are still doing. They are not serving God by faith but by following the Law. In fact, many religions have a form of “works” in order to reach their god. But the Scriptures still say in Ephesians 2:8-9 that salvation is a gift from God, NOT OF WORKS – it is by FAITH. Notice that it says NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast. Works takes away from Christ’s work on the cross and makes it His death inadequate. It puts man’s eternal life in man’s own hands. Believe me, you will spend eternity in one of two places: Heaven or Hell.

So the Sabbath represents the rest we get when we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are going to Heaven. John 3:3 tells us we must be born again in order to go there. We cannot go back and be born of our mothers again. That’s silly. So what exactly does Jesus mean? He is saying that we must be born of the Holy Spirit and sealed for eternity (John 6:27, 2 Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 4:30). Once we are born again, we have that rest that we never have to worry about where we will spend eternity! Jesus has guaranteed this through His shed blood for our sins!

Jesus promises us rest over and above our secure salvation. He gives us rest in our Christian walk as well! He is always with us and will guide us through all of our daily lives. He has left us His Holy Spirit to direct us. The Apostle John is the only one to refer to Jesus’ words describing His Holy Spirit as the Comforter. Four times, John shares this with us: John 14:16, John 14:26, John 15:26, and John 16:7. To me, rest indicates comfort and vice versa, amen?

Matthew 11:28-29  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Hebrews 4:3-5  For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4  For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. 5  And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.

Hebrews 4:9-11  There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. 10  For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. 11  Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

God rested from His work on the seventh day. Jesus’ work on the cross for the forgiveness of the sins of mankind was complete and only by accepting Him as Saviour can our “Sabbath” rest be found. Our rest is in Jesus and HIS work on the cross, not our own works. HE is the Provider of all rest! When we cease to work our way to Heaven and by faith believe on Him, we cease from our own works and rely on HIS work only. My dear Catholic friends, please don’t take offense. God’s Word doesn’t mention working for our salvation. You can do as many penances as you want, do the stations of the cross every day, attend mass every day; none of these will gain you entrance to Heaven nor will these give you rest. You may think you’ve done your religious deeds, but all those deeds are nothing compared to Christ’s blood shed for your sins. Find rest as Jesus told us in Matthew 11:28.

As a result, Jesus fulfilled the Sabbath and HE is our Sabbath – we rest in Him! If you are not born again, there is no rest. You can keep all the Sabbaths you want but that results in your own works. True rest can only be found in Christ and Him alone! Does this excite you, reader? It surely does me! I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

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