PASSOVER/EASTER/RESURRECTION is such an amazing miracle working time! I have been really breaking down the passover the past couple of days. Passover is March 30Th. Passover focuses on a mind set of breaking free from the past! The Jewish culture come together to Praise God and remember the Exodus from Egypt after 400 years of slavery! They celebrate and remember that it is a time of New Beginning! I am so amazed how an ancient Jewish ritual that exist in the old testament has so many things that point us to the passover lamb Jesus Christ! Jesus is the New Testament PASSOVER!
In Exodus chapter 12:14 it states "This day (passover) shall be to you a memorial, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout all generations" I feel like God was reminding me to REMEMBER the significance of PASSOVER on a personal level!
My friends I can really remember my Egypt, my time of bondage and hurt. I kept all things and all sin balled up inside. It was such a personal suffering I was my own slave. I am so happy for my NEW BEGINNINGS in JESUS CHRIST! ALL THINGS HAVE PAST AWAY AND ALL THINGS HAVE BECOME NEW!
I am thankful for Passover and to understand that it is not just a Jewish ritual for the Jewish the culture.
Passover is truly a mindset in which I remember my personal salvation experience and PRAISE GOD for my salvation in Jesus Christ!
I had some bondage girlfriends! Christ became my Passover sacrifice so I could CROSS OVER into the new promised land he has prepared for me! Now I understand why God says in Exodus chapter 12 to "remember" the passover and make it a memorial! The difference is that it is about my relationship with God and not a religious ritual! AMEN SISTERS!
Now I found several things very interesting in how the Jewish culture prepares for their Passover meal called the "Seder Meal" I would love to share a couple of interesting observations and show you how these observations all point to Jesus Christ! I hope this makes your Easter celebration a bit more interesting!
The first thing that takes place the day or so before the Passover week begins is a HUGE SPRING CLEANING! They are very serious at cleaning in all the corners of the house to remove all the leavened bread from the home. They clean their ovens and even use blow torches to burn the "chametz". The reason the leavened bread is such a symbolic item is because back 400 years ago when the Hebrews were released from Pharaoh and freed from their bondage as slaves they had to leave in a huge hurry and could not wait for their bread to rise! I do not think we can relate to this in 2010 sisters! We would probably identify more with our flat irons or our coffee pots!
Anyway I like the idea of SPRING CLEANING! A time and season to get ready for a new beginning in life. I think we should set a time aside and ask God to create a clean heart in us. Psalm 51:10 "create in me a clean heart, O God; and RENEW a right spirit within me". We must take time and Spring Clean and prepare for a new beginning!
The coolest thing I learned was the 4 questions that the Jewish children ask during the Seder dinner and these questions create a framework for telling the story of Exodus. I think these four questions became very personal to me and I could see my salvation in each question! WOW! Please take a look at the four questions and personalize them and reflect or remember the framework of your personal Passover story! If you do not have one maybe this is your NEW BEGINNING!
1. Why is this night different then all the rest during the whole year?
Answer: Because it is a time to set aside and make it a memorial and REMEMBER what God did! Do you remember what God did for you? or is God trying to get your attention and show you something new?
2. Why is it that on all other nights of the year we eat all breads but on this night we only eat Matzoh?
Answer: Matzoh is unleavened. It does not have the ability to rise. It is a reminder of what they had to leave behind when they fled in a hurry.
I began to remember the things that I had to leave behind when I left to follow Christ. I also believe that leavened bread is a picture of pride and puffiness! We need to remove all pride and puffiness from our lives and give Jesus priority in our life to lead us out into the personal promised land he has created for us.
3. Why is it that we only eat BITTER herbs on this night during passover?
Answer:To remind us of the "bitter"rude way Pharaoh treated the Jewish people
when they were slaves in Egypt.
I was pondering the bitterness I had in my heart because of past circumstances before Christ set me free!
4. Why do we DIP our herbs twice in salt water this night?
Answer: To remind us of all the hard work it took in laying brick in building
Pharaohs buildings.(They also use cut up apples and smashed nuts during the
meal to represent the materials of brick and mortar that they labored with) The salt water reminds them of all the
tears they shed during this bitter time!
I was reminded of Psalm 56:8 " Lord, You put my tears in a bottle" The Lord knows of all our tears! maybe when we get to heaven we will be given our bottles at the Passover wedding feast! LOL!
The final question of the evening is Why on this night do we eat in a reclining position or leaning on a pillow?
Answer: To be comfortable and remind you of your freedom!
I have to say I am very thankful Christ came to SET ME FREE!
HE IS MY PASSOVER PILLOW!
May this season be a memorial to you that Christ Came so you may Cross over into more then you can Dream or imagine!
Maybe this will be the first season that you really come to know Christ and understand the cross! Ask Him to be your personal savior! He will lead you out and into amazing things! What a great memorial it will be!
Happy Passover friends
Love ya
Heather
