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.

Tag: Mark 10:45

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!

Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus – Day 17

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On September 19, 2022

In Devotionals, Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled By Jesus

Prophecy of Messiah:

Lev 17:11  For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

Good morning! As we continue our series, we see many of these prophecies revolve around His blood sacrifice and the reason it was needed. Today’s post rests on this same topic; however, it never gets old and it always blesses!

As we see in today’s Scripture, it’s all about the soul. The soul lives eternally, not at the moment of birth, but from the moment we are conceived.

Jer 1:4-5  Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,  (5)  Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

The destination for our soul is dependent on whether or not we are saved by the blood of Yeshua, Jesus the Christ: we will spend the rest of eternity either in Heaven or in Hell. There is no other choice. We don’t all just simply sleep, get reincarnated or just cease to exist. The Bible says in Hebrews 9:27 that everyone’s physical body dies but afterwards come judgment! And should you live until Christ’s return at the Second Coming and are not saved, you will be judged (2Timothy 4:1). The only way we can enter God’s Kingdom is if our sins have been atoned and forgiven by the blood of the Lamb of God. There is no other way.

Jesus Christ laid down His own life, shed His own blood and placed Himself on Heaven’s altar. The life is in the blood according to today’s verse. Therefore, His life and His blood were given in place of yours. There is only one altar that matters and that is the one which is in Heaven. As I wrote in the last post, that altar could only be accessed by the One and only High Priest who could offer the sacrifice which would forgive all of mankind’s sin.

Prophecy of Messiah Fulfilled:

Mat 26:28  For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Mar 10:45  For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Friend, Almighty God is Holy. He cannot and will not allow any sin in Heaven. He created man with a free will, placed him in a perfect utopian type world, and there man could live forever in fellowship with God. At the beginning, earth was like a terrarium. (Genesis 2:5) This “green house” was misted and watered in this manner. No bacteria entered and everything was pure, healthy and flourished. This is what God intended for His creation. But because man had a free will, man chose to listen to Satan and as a result, man sinned. God’s initial intention was for man to live in a perfect world where no one ever got sick. It was not intended for women to have pain when they delivered their child (see Genesis 3:16). Man was not intended to deal with weeds; he was tending to the gardens and weeds did not even exist (see Genesis 3:17-19). But because of their own choices, they were kicked out of the Garden of Eden and had to live in a fallen world where sinning would be easy. God could no longer walk amongst them because of their sin and because He is holy.

A price had to be paid at this point; a ransom had to be given. Prior to Christ, a sacrificial lamb had to be offered. Its life and shedding of blood would make an atonement for the soul of man. The whole process of the sacrificial offering was pointing the Jews to look for their Messiah. But they preferred to only see Him as the Conquering King, which He will be when He returns at His Second Coming. They didn’t want to see Him as a sacrificial Lamb, a suffering Messiah. Israel’s sacrificial offerings of the time was a picture of what was to come. Because they missed His first coming, the Gentiles were given the blessed opportunity to be saved. Today, we believers look back to the cross because Jesus was the Perfect Offering for our sins. Once He comes again at the Second Coming, Israel will recognize their King as the One who died for their sins. (Zechariah 12:10) Their eyes will be opened and they will see that He suffered, bled and died for them!

Jesus gave up His heavenly throne to come to earth in human form because He knew that we could not gain entrance to Heaven because of our sin (James 2:10). He lived a sinless life so He could be that perfect Lamb of God to shed His own blood and be that perfect sacrifice. We owe Him a lot, Reader! There is nothing we can do as human beings that will ever pay for our sins. Only Jesus Christ the Messiah can do that. Do you know Him 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!

Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus – Day 15

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On September 14, 2022

In Devotionals, Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled By Jesus

Prophecy of Messiah:

Lev 17:11  For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

Good morning, reader! What a wonderful way to start the day – sitting in quietness and meditating on God’s goodness to us! We do not deserve it but I’m so grateful that He loves me and has forgiven my sins!

It may be difficult for some to comprehend why God would require blood. It was required in the Garden of Eden when God created “coats made of skins” for Adam and Eve to wear (Genesis 3:21). It has been part of the redemptive plan ever since. Why did God choose blood to be a part of redeeming mankind? It all had to do with the giving of one’s life in order to bring mankind back into fellowship with God. All knowing God knew that mankind would not be able to earn that fellowship by their works. Their own works didn’t cut it. After all, Adam and Eve made themselves aprons made of fig leaves. Their aprons didn’t cover the entire body. But the coat made of skins covered the entire body. What a beautiful picture! I liken the aprons to the Jews’ sacrifices in the temple: they could not fulfill total forgiveness. However, the Perfect Sacrifice of Jesus Christ’s blood (the coat made of skins) not only covers our sins but forgives us for our sins! (Psalm 103:12, Micah 7:19)

If you recall, Adam and Eve lived in a perfect environment. They were created to live forever and to live in a perfect world. They were not created to die and go to Hell. But just as it was Satan’s goal for Adam and Eve, it is his goal for all mankind. In order for fellowship to be restored, God laid out this redemptive plan that I mentioned above. We see it throughout the scriptures and it culminates with Jesus, God in the flesh, giving His own blood; but His blood actually redeems those who believe in Him and brings us back into that fellowship with God which was initially intended for Adam and Eve. Revelation 21:3 reveals to us that God Himself will dwell with His people when the New Heaven and the New Earth are created after the millennium! Praise the Lord!

So let’s get back on track and see how the prophecy of Messiah was foretold in Leviticus 17:11. We are told that the life is in the blood and it is only with the blood that atonement for sins can be made. For this very reason, the High Priest sacrificed a spotless lamb and shed its blood so atonement for his own sins and those of the people.

Prophecy of Messiah Fulfilled:

Mat 26:28  For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Mar 10:45  For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Rom 5:9  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Just as it is life saving when an extremely sick person receives a blood transfusion, so is Jesus’ blood which is given for the remission of our sins. In this case however, it’s eternally life saving. Matthew 26:28 is such a beautiful depiction. Here it says that Jesus gave his life for a ransom for many. Noah Webster captures the meaning of the word as follows:

Ransom
RAN’SOM, n.

1. The money or price paid for the redemption of a prisoner or slave, or for goods captured by an enemy; that which procures the release of a prisoner or captive, or of captured property, and restores the one to liberty and the other to the original owner. 2. Release from captivity, bondage or the possession of an enemy. 3. In law, a sum paid for the pardon of some great offense and the discharge of the offender; or a fine paid in lieu of corporal punishment. 4. In Scripture, the price paid for a forfeited life, or for delivery or release from capital punishment. 5. The price paid for procuring the pardon of sins and the redemption of the sinner from punishment. 6. To redeem from captivity or punishment by paying an equivalent; applied to persons; as, to ransom prisoners from an enemy. 7. To redeem from the possession of an enemy by paying a price deemed equivalent; applied to goods or property. 8. In Scripture, to redeem from the bondage of sin, and from the punishment to which sinners are subjected by the divine law.

Noah Webster 1828 Dictionary

Oh my word! After reading each of those eight definitions, one can understand the true meaning of ransom and what Jesus did! The price for sin is eternal punishment in Hell burning for all eternity. Jesus paid that ransom, that penalty, for our sins because we personally could not do it (Ephesians 2:8-9). You may have heard this example but it is worth repeating. I commit murder and appear before a court of law along with my lawyer. The judge sentences me to death under the law of the land. My lawyer stands up and tells the judge that he (the lawyer) will take my punishment so that I can be set free. You may wonder why someone would take that punishment on my behalf? But that is exactly what Jesus did! We don’t deserve His mercy but I’m sure glad that He paid my ransom and took my punishment! He paid the price with His own blood and suffered the excruciating pain of the crucifixion so that I can be saved!

Do you know Him 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!

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