Judgment Passes Over

Theme: God delivered His people

Objectives:

Know: God struck down the firstborn of Egypt but passed over the Israelites who sacrificed a lamb and applied its blood to their doorposts. The yearly Passover celebration was instituted.

Think: Abide in the confidence that Christ's blood covers your sin and protects you.

Do: Trust in Christ, the Passover Lamb, whose shed blood washes away your sin!

Scriptures: Exodus 12:1-42

Notes and questions:

B1 Outline

• Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread Exodus 12:1-30
• Exodus Exodus 12:31-42
• Specific Instructions Exodus 12:43-51

B2 Exodus 12:1-11,

• When is Passover 2016? It began at sunset Friday, 22 April 16 and ended at sunset Saturday 30 April 16. The Passover celebration was at sunset 22 April 2016 and the Feast of Unleavened Bread was 23-30 April.  For 2017 see here. The whole time is considered the Passover.
• What is the Passover mean regarding the calendar? (It is the start of their New Year).
• What is the significance of the Passover? (It is the day that God begins the deliverance of Israel from Egypt.
• God warned Pharaoh and Egypt that He would kill their firstborn, because of disbelief in God's warnings and lack of repentance (change of mind which results in change of life). The lamb was killed and its blood applied to the doorposts as a sign of believing God and a substitute that died for them. How does 1 Corinthians 5:7 ("Purge out the old leaven, in order that you may be a new batch of dough, since you are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us") apply to us Christians? See also John 1:29.
• Why keep the chosen lamb for 4 days before slaughter? (The ancient Egyptians worshipped lambs. Taking a lamb, the Egyptians' deity, into their homes for four days, with the intention of slaughtering and eating it, was an act that was sure to be noticed by the Egyptians. It was extremely likely that they would be infuriated by this disrespect of their god. This act of courage, standing up for their beliefs and following G‑d's command in the face of possible danger, was a merit for the Jews, one that made them worthy of being redeemed. Nowadays, for the most part, standing up for our beliefs doesn't put us in physical danger. But we should still use the example set by our ancestors to inspire us to have courage in living according to our principles. Source)
• What is the importance of believing God?

B3 Exodus 12:12-13

• Why did God warn that He would kill the firstborn? (To Pharaoh, the first born would be the heir. Jesus Christ is the firstborn and the only begotten Son).
• How did God bring judgment of the Egyptian deities? Could Egyptians deities help people? Who could help them?
• What did God have to see in order to not kill the firstborn? What is the significance of this? (Humanity was doomed, without hope, to go to hell for eternity. Jesus Christ did not offer money to God, but His blood. The penalty that was to be meted to humanity was paid in full by the death of our savior, Jesus Christ, and the offering of His blood as proof of death).

B4 Exodus 12:14-16, why could they not work the first day and the seventh day, except to cook? (Probably to do holy work rather than physical work. It would also show defiance of the Egyptians).

B5 Exodus 12:17-20,

• Not having any leaven in the house was very serious to the Israelites. It represents contamination and thus sin. It spreads throughout the dough, so does sin.
• "Probably the most significant observance involves the removal of chametz (leavened bread) from homes and property. Chametz includes anything made from the five major grains (wheat, rye, barley, oats and spelt) that has not been completely cooked within 18 minutes after coming into contact with water (Ashkenazic Jews also consider rice, corn, peanuts, and legumes as chametz). The removal of chametz commemorates the fact that the Jews left Egypt in a hurry and did not have time to let their bread rise. It is also a symbolic way of removing the “puffiness” (arrogance, pride) from our souls. In fact, Jews are not only prohibited from eating chametz during Passover, but they may not own or derive any sort of benefit from it either, including using it to feed pets. This important stipulation requires Jews to sell all remaining leavened products before Passover begins, including utensils used to cook chametz. The grain product we eat during Passover in place of chametz is called matzah. Matzah is unleavened bread made simply from flour and water and cooked very quickly. This is traditionally viewed as the bread that the Jews made for their flight from Egypt. Matzah is also referred to as Lechem Oni ("Bread of Affliction"). The process of cleaning the home of all chametz in preparation for Passover is an enormous task. To do it right, most Jews spend several days and even weeks scrubbing down their kitchens, thoroughly cleaning the insides of stoves, fridges, and ovens, and covering all surfaces with foil or shelf-liner that came in contact with chametz during the year." From http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/holidaya.html

B6 Exodus 12:21-23, what is the importance of applying the blood? Why would God then not kill the firstborn?

B7 Exodus 12:24-28, for how many years was Israel to observe the Passover? How many years are we to remember what Messiah, Jesus, has done for us?

B8 Exodus 12:29-32

• Does God keep His word?
• Does socioeconomic status affect God's judgment?
• Who did the killing?
• Remember that God had warned them in advance, so they deserved their foolish decision. They did not believe God.
• Was Pharaoh truly humble and repentant? See Exodus 14:5.

B9 Exodus 12:33-36, what did the Israelites do? (They packed up and left, after asking and being given much riches).

B10 Exodus 12:37-39

• What might be a reasonable number for the crowd that left? (There were 600,000 men, probably 600,000 women, maybe 1,200,000 children, plus the mixed multitude. So there might have at least 2,400,000 but probably more than that).
• In light of Exodus 12:39, God had instructed them to be ready to leave. How was that warning relevant?

B11 Exodus 12:40-42

• What does the text indicate how long the Israelites had been in Egypt?
• When did the timing start? (Most believe it started with Abraham entry into the Promised Land. See http://www.biblicalcalendarproof.com/HebrewCalendar/430Years

B12 Questions from the study guide

• Think about your life before you came to Christ. What were you like? What sins were you in bondage to?
• Now think about your life since you came to Christ. What difference has Christ made in our life? How has He set you free?

The Day after the Crucifixion

Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And they rested on the Sabbath, according to the commandment. (Luke 23:56, EMTV)

Jesus died as was foretold.

Jesus was buried as foretold.

Now His body is in the tomb.



The Jews observed their Sabbath. What were the people thinking? It must have been a repeated conversation. For some they wondered about the prophecies of the Scriptures, for others perhaps fear. They did know the prophecies of the resurrection. They did not know specially that Messiah would rise from the dead but understood the resurrection to refer to all people. Nevertheless this first passage might have some hints.

1. Isaiah 53:9-12 ESV And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. (10) Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. (11) Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. (12) Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors." (Note for Messiah to see and experience the blessings of the last half of verse 10 through verse 12, He would have to be alive).

2. Daniel 12:2 NKJV And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.

There is the men traveling the road to the village of Emmaus who were talking about these things when Jesus joined them in their journey. This conversation, of course, would have been on Sunday after Jesus had risen.

Luke 24:13-24 NKJV Now behold, two of them were traveling that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was seven miles from Jerusalem. (14) And they talked together of all these things which had happened. (15) So it was, while they conversed and reasoned, that Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. (16) But their eyes were restrained, so that they did not know Him. (17) And He said to them, "What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?" (18) Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, "Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have you not known the things which happened there in these days?" (19) And He said to them, "What things?" So they said to Him, "The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, (20) and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. (21) But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. (22) Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. (23) When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. (24) And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see."

It would have been a trying of their faith, for they did not understand completely about the resurrection of Jesus even though He had foretold this at least 4 times.

1. Matthew 20:19 EMTV "...and they will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He shall rise again."

2. Mark 9:9 EMTV "And as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should relate to no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man should rise from the dead."

3. Mark 14:28 EMTV "But after I am raised, I will go before you into Galilee."

4. John 2:19 EMTV "Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."

God kept them safe during this short time and rewarded them with the sight of their previous Savior.

Luke 24:36-48 EMTV Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you." (37) But being alarmed and becoming fearful, they thought they saw a spirit. (38) And He said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? (39) Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have." (40) When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet. (41) But as they still disbelieved for joy, and marveled, He said to them, "Do you have any food here?" (42) So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. (43) And taking it, He ate it in their presence. (44) Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." (45) And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. (46) Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, (47) and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (48) And you are witnesses of these things.

We learn the lesson that some things are hard to understand but it is most reasonable to believe God and the Scriptures. Do not lose hope.

SS Lesson Jesus’s Passover with the Apostles

Final Passover and Betrayal

 

A1 Objectives

B1 How the final Passover, the Lord's Supper, is a remembrance of Jesus's death.

B2 How Judas's betrayal was part of God's plan.

 

A2 Scripture

B1 Matthew 26:14-30 The Parable of the Talents

B2 John 18:1-11 Betrayal, arrest, and trial of Jesus

B3 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 Institution of the Lord's Supper

 

A3 Notes

B1 Passover

C1 Initiated, described, regulations thereof given by God for Israel--"This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance." (Exodus 12:14 NRSV)

C2 Named after the "passing over" of the death angel--"...you shall say, 'It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt, when he struck down the Egyptians but spared our houses.'" And the people bowed down and worshiped." (Exodus 12:27 NRSV)

C3 The Hebrew word itself referred to a leaping over of something. Here it would the leaping over of the blood bought household.

C4 The death angel did not kill the first born, if he saw the blood of the sacrificed animal on the door posts. This indicated the death of the substitute. "Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go, select lambs for your families, and slaughter the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood in the basin. None of you shall go outside the door of your house until morning. For the LORD will pass through to strike down the Egyptians; when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over that door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you down." (Exodus 12:21-23 NRSV)

C5 This month became the first month of the new Jewish calendar. It corresponds to March-April.

C6 Ritual

D1 On the 10th day, the special lamb was chosen by the father of the household.

D2 On the 14th day, in the late afternoon the chosen lamb was killed.

D3 When evening started, then the 15th day started.

D4 On this evening the special sacrificial meal was eaten.

E1 Lamb--was not dressed. It was roasted whole. No bones were to be broken.

E2 Bread--made without yeast and dough saved to take with them. No leavened bread was to be eaten for 7 days.

E3 Herbs--bitter herbs.

E4 What was not eaten of lamb was burned to ash the following morning.

D5 The clothes they wore that evening were to be traveling clothes, so they could make a hasty departure.

D6 The Passover was to be celebrated every year.

D7 It was to be at the place God appointed as the place of worship.

D8 All adult males were required to be there.

C7 This could be eaten with another family if the families were small.

C8 Non-Jews could participate if the males were circumcised and recognized by the nation as qualified.

C9 Lasted 1 day.

C10 The Passover of Jesus's time

D1 Had the lamb killed at the Temple.

D2 Could be eaten with friends as well as relatives.

D3 A cup of wine was blessed by the head person and passed around to each person before and after eating the unleavened bread.

D4 Singing of Psalms.

D5 Lasted 7 days.

C11 See here: www

B2 Blood

C1 Animal VS Christ

B1 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins. (Hebrews 10:1-4, NKJV)

B2 The Jewish Law is not a full and faithful model of the real things; it is only a faint outline of the good things to come. The same sacrifices are offered forever, year after year. How can the Law, then, by means of these sacrifices make perfect the people who come to God? If the people worshiping God had really been purified from their sins, they would not feel guilty of sin any more, and all sacrifices would stop. As it is, however, the sacrifices serve year after year to remind people of their sins. For the blood of bulls and goats can never take away sins. (Hebrews 10:1-4, GNB92)

C2 Differences

 

Law	Christ
Bulls and goats	Christ
Image and shadow	The real thing
Yearly	One time only
Still feel guilty of sin	No guilt
Cannot take away sin	Takes away sin

 

B3 Last Supper

C1 Views (main source here

D1 Roman Catholic

E1 Eucharist is sacrament

F1 Word means thanksgiving

F2 Sacrament is

G1 "conveys grace to all who receive it worthily."

G2 Forgiveness of sin may be given and obtained.

G3 It is the bloodless sacrifice of the Savior, a real sacrifice.

E2 Consecration (when the priest does the mass)

F1 the bread and the wine become the actual body and blood of Christ.

F2 Transubstantiation is the term used for this.

F3 Christ's presence is in the elements (bread and wine) and is called the Real Presence.

E3 From the Council of Trent (1545-1563):

"...By the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. This change the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation."

D2 Orthodox

E1 Similar to Roman Catholic

E2 Called mystery rather than sacrament

E3 Does not define how the elements become the actual body and blood of the Savior

D3 Lutheran

E1 Named Consubstantiation

E2 The body and blood of the Savior are present around, in, under, with the bread and wine.

E3 The bread and wine stay bread and wind.

E4 Luther illustrated by an iron rod placed into the fire. Both are united in the red hot iron, yet both are still distinct.

E5 Eucharist does not make present the sacrifice on the Cross.

D4 Reformed and Presbyterian

E1 Christ is not present literally in the elements but is present spiritually.

E2 People receiving the elements receive the actual body and blood of the Savior through the Holy Spirit's power. This works through the sacrament.

E3 This view is called Receptionism.

E4 "The rule which the pious ought always to observe is, whenever they see the symbols instituted by the Lord, to think and feel surely persuaded that the truth of the thing signified is also present. For why does the Lord put the symbol of his body into your hands, but just to assure you that you truly partake of him? If this is true let us feel as much assured that the visible sign is given us in seal of an invisible gift as that his body itself is given to us."--John Calvin

D5 Symbolic

E1 Called the Lord's Supper or Holy Communion.

E2 No physical or spiritual presence of Christ at all. It is just bread and wine (or grape juice).

E3 It is a remembrance and symbolic only.

E4 This view is called Memorialism.

E5 Anglican and Methodist Churches have a wide variety of views.

D6 None

E1 Some like the Salvation Army do not have Eucharist at all.

E2 "The Salvation Army has never said it is wrong to use sacraments, nor does it deny that other Christians receive grace from God through using them. Rather, the Army believes that it is possible to live a holy life and receive the grace of God without the use of physical sacraments and that they should not be regarded as an essential part of becoming a Christian." Source: Waterbeach SA

C2 I Corinthians 11:17-33 Instructions on the Lord's Supper

D1 Failure due to

E1 Divisions--people angry and not speaking to one another. They are not unified to serve the risen Lord.

E2 People are eating the Agape Feast and the Lord's Supper as if at a restaurant, not celebrating and remembering what the Lord Jesus has done for us.

E3 People are not eating together. Some get their food early and chow down before others get any.

D2 Correction

E1 The Lord Jesus gave this info to Paul.

E2 Paul gave it then to the disciples.

E3 The night that the Lord Jesus was betrayed he

F1 Took bread

F2 Gave thanks

F3 Broke the bread

F4 And said, "Take, eat; this is My body which was broken for you.

G1 Thus all would know that it was bread that was a symbol

G2 All would remember what Jesus went through as our Savior.

F5 "Do this in remember of me." It was not eat me as if it was changed into His flesh.

F6 Took the cup after supper.

F7 Said, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood,

F8 "Do this as often as you remember me." Thus indicating that it is symbolic, not real flesh. It is in remembrance.

F9 It was for the purpose of the New Covenant sealed with His blood, just as the first covenant was sealed with blood (animal).

F10 We remember in this way the Lord's death until He returns.

E4 We are to

F1 Do this with reverence. That is in a serious, purposeful manner.

F2 We are to examine ourselves by the rules of the New Testament. If we see that we are not right and in accordance with those rules, then we must repent and get things right with God and man.

F3 If it is not in remember, with a serious attitude, and with a serious examination of ourselves with repentance if needed, then we are guilty of the "body of the Lord and of the blood of the Lord."

F4 We will bring God's judgment on us if we drink and eat irreverently.

G1 Might get physically sick.

G2 Might get physically weak.

G3 Are sure to be spiritually sick and weak.

G4 Some have died.

F5 The importance of judging ourselves is so that we will not be judged by God Himself later.

F6 If God does discipline us, it is so that we do not face that same judgment and fate of the world.

F7 Wait for one another when eating the Love Feast and taking Communion.

F8 If someone is hungry, eat at home.

F9 I sort out and do further instruction late, when I come to visit you.

 

A4 Questions

B1 In the plain, normal reading of 1 Corinthians 11:17-23, which of the above understandings of remembering the Lord's Supper is most reasonable?

B2 What are we to do before partaking of the Lord's Supper?

B3 What are we to do during the Lord's Supper?

B4 What are we to do after partaking of the Lord's Supper?