This is day two of the seven day reading plan, It Is Finished. My prayer for you is draw nearer to our Saviour Jesus Christ this Easter. In Jesus’ precious name I pray. Amen.
To understand the significance of the meal Jesus shared with His disciples the night before His arrest and His ultimate sacrifice, we need to travel back to the Old Testament, to another spring night centuries earlier.
The night before God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt, He gave them a special ceremony to perform. This came at the end of God sending horrible plagues upon Egypt because their ruler Pharaoh wouldn’t listen to God to free the Israelites.
That night, God struck down every firstborn of the Egyptians, but not of the Hebrews. The Hebrews were to put a mark of blood on their doors so God would “pass over” their homes and not touch their firstborn. In honor of God passing over the Hebrews, they would celebrate this special meal every year.
Centuries later, when Jesus sat down with His disciples to share The Last Supper, He was once and for all offering the precious blood that would mark us as His. If we accept Him as our Lord, He puts the mark of His blood over our hearts so that we don’t receive the punishment for our sins.
Because of His sacrifice, we don’t have to cringe under red-tinged doors. We can approach His throne with confidence.
If you get the opportunity to partake in communion this week, take some extra time to reflect on the Lord’s supper. Rest in the ultimate Passover sacrifice.
The price has been paid.
Ex. 12:21. Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover. 22. And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. 23. For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you. 24. And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. 25. And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. 26. And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? 27. That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped. 28. And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.
12:29. And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. 30. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.
Exodus 12:21-30 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/exo.12.21-30.KJV
Mt. 26:17. Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover? 18. And he said, Go into the city to such a man, and say unto him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples. 19. And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover. 20. Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. 21. And as they did eat, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. 22. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord, is it I? 23. And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. 24. The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. 25. Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.
26:26. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28. For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.
26:30. And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
Matthew 26:17-30 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/mat.26.17-30.KJV
Heb. 4:16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/heb.4.16.KJV
