THE LAST PASSOVER

THE LAST PASSOVER…A NEW BEGINNING

                The Passover has been celebrated for somewhere around 3500 years now, or ever since Israel was delivered from Egypt. It was one of three feasts in which the men of Israel were required to attend in Jerusalem and so by the time that Yeshua came onto the scene Passover was already an old and valued tradition.

                However, that which had been celebrated for hundreds of years by God’s people was about to undergo a rebirth. Unknown to most of the world, Yeshua met with His disciples in an upper room, and there He breathed new life into an old tradition. As the rest of Jerusalem was awash in preparation for this event, Yeshua quietly did something that changed the world forever.

                Even as we celebrate Passover in what we now call the Communion service, we often take for granted the apocalyptic event that was taking place on that evening in Jerusalem. Not even His disciples could even begin to grasp what Yeshua was about to say and do. And so His words probably fell upon the ears of tradition. Little did they comprehend the fact that they were taking part in a supper that would divide world history into two ages.

                We traditionally use the birth of Christ for the division of time between B.C. and A.D. and that is fine, for it was no small thing that the very Creator of the universe, having an earthly mother and a heavenly Father was born into our dark world. But it was indeed on Passover week some 32 or 33 years later that the purpose of His coming was unveiled.

                It is amazing how God’s momentous acts go largely unnoticed by the world. Blood moons on Passover and Sukkot two years in a row…a total eclipse of the sun on the Feast of Trumpets… the great wonder in the heavens spoken of in Revelation 12 as the world unknowingly moves into a season of judgment… all of these things are soon brushed off and forgotten. But the wise remember and understand and the anointed ones continue to live in the light of day, even as the darkness of night closes in on a rebellious world. 1 Thess. 5:4-10

                2000 years ago, in an unassuming upper room Jesus made statements that would soon be followed by unthinkable actions. For on the very night when hopes were high for the arrival of Christ’s earthly kingdom… when the disciples were jockeying for positions in the kingdom, Yeshua lifted a cup of wine and said to His disciples: “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

                Yeshua had not been eagerly anticipating this Last Supper for a mere 30+ years. He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. He had been eagerly awaiting this Last Supper since the dawning of creation. And now He was walking it out in flesh and bones and human blood. This was no last minute event. It had been prefigured from the first lamb sacrificed by Adam and Eve, by the offering of the sacrifice by Abel, to Abraham’s giving of his son on Mt. Moriah to every animal sacrificed in every Passover service since Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, to the sacrifices of David, to Solomon, to the priesthood of the temple, to the festivals in Jerusalem that led to John the Baptist who suddenly announced with prophetic zeal, “Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world.” John 1:29

                And now, in the company of 12 unknowing disciples, Yeshua picks up the cup of wine and He finally says those famous words in real time. “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer…” “And having taken the cup, when He had given thanks, He said “Take this and share it among yourselves.”

                Morning by morning Bonnie and I celebrate Communion together until it has become the foundation of our marriage and the foundation of all that we hope to be in Yeshua. Everything in history past, present and future is embraced in that one covenant cup and that one bite of Covenant bread.

                One day this last week as we were about to eat the bread and drink the cup I asked the Lord;                    “Are we really making full use of this covenant that you signed with you blood? Did You offer this infinite sacrifice so that we could just “Get saved and then wait for Your return? Lord, You paid the greatest price that has ever been or ever will be paid to make this covenant possible. Are you waiting for your church to catch on to the powers therein and by them to bring in the final harvest? What is the church missing as it faithfully repeats this tradition from year to year?”

                Paul, in talking about the cup and bread of the New Covenant said: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly. FOR THIS REASON MANY AMONG YOU ARE WEAK AND SICK AND A NUMBER SLEEP.” 1 Cor. 11:26-30.

                Do we really understand what is contained in this covenant? In unchurched countries where they have never heard the Gospel, when they receive it, they leap up from their sick beds and throw away their crutches, and see for the first time and hear for the first time and then they go back into their villages and they heal the sick and preach the Gospel with great fervor.

                In heavily churched places like America very few miracles take place because so often the life changing words and acts of Yeshua have been lost to tradition.

                Luke 9:1, 2 says:” And He called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases. And He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to perform healing.”

                This authority He gave to His disciples in anticipation of His death and resurrection. Do we think that this authority was lost after the covenant was signed in His own blood? Has this covenant been discontinued? Did the blood lose its power after the first disciples and apostles died? Some teach this. Some say that healing and miracles are not for now. But on what authority do they say this since Yeshua has said that He would be with us until the end of the age?

                Has the blood lost its power, or has the church lost its power by turning living Kingdom authority into dead tradition?

                “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.” 2Cor 10:3, 4.

                “For we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from ourselves… always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” 2 Cor. 4:7, 10.

                “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints. And what is the SURPASSING GREATNESS OF HIS POWER TOWARD US WHO BELIEVE. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might, which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named, NOT ONLY IN THIS AGE, BUT ALSO IN THE ONE TO COME. And HE put ALL THINGS in subjection under His feet and gave Him as head over all things TO THE CHURCH, WHICH IS HIS BODY, THE FULNESS OF HIM WHO FILLS ALL IN ALL.” Eph. 1:18-23.

                Again I ask. Upon what authority do they preach that this New Covenant power has faded away? You can’t tell this to new converts in Africa and India.

                Jesus said to His disciples: “Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall injure you.

                “And I say to you, ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you. For EVERYONE who asks receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened… IF you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” Luke 11: 9-10, 13.

                Since we have been sharing communion together, our revelation of its meaning has grown in ways that can’t all be put into words. It is in a sense of security, of being sealed by the Holy Spirit. It is in the potential of a power yet to be released in its fullness.

                “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.” 2 Cor. 1:21, 22.

                “In Him you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation- having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance…” Eph. 1:13, 14a.

                The Sabbath is a sign, but it can never be the seal, for if it was that would mean that our salvation is based upon keeping the Law rather than on the blood of Jesus and Paul says that by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified. Rom. 3:20.

                But now, apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested being witnessed by the Law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.” Romans 3:21-24.

                You see; when we grow weak in our understanding of the Covenant in His blood, then we go back to depending upon our own ability to keep the Law and that is not what Jesus died to bring us.

                Our faith is now in Him and in His covenant which He signed with His own blood and bought with His own body in order that we might trust in Him and not in our own works. Do we obey Him? Do we keep His commandments? Of course we do. He is our King and Lord. We have been bought with the infinite price of His blood. But we don’t obey Him to be saved. We obey Him because we ARE saved. Obedience is a form of worship. Who would honor a king and then turn around and rebel against the principles of His kingdom? Kings have authority and either we submit to that authority or we don’t, but if we don’t we cannot rightly call Him our King and our Lord.

                This kind of treason is now being demonstrated in our country. The righteous people of the land voted in a president to stem the tide of evil that was carrying us into certain destruction and tyrannical rule. Against all odds he was placed in office by the hand of God to buy America a little more time to repent. But in doing this, we have seen every demon flushed out of hiding and the people who serve them and they riot in the streets. Both the past president and the one who was running for president have committed high treason on dozens of counts including selling 20% of our Uranium to our enemies and  paying billions of dollars to those who want to destroy us. Clearly they want to see the sovereignty of America broken so that they can usher in their global government… but it is the government of the antichrist and those of us who know this have prayed for repentance and revival, in this once glorious nation.

                It was on the basis of Yeshua’s blood covenant that God honored the prayers of His covenant keeping people. But this He did by grace for we have not fully honored His Covenant or lived by its power and authority. For this reason the prophesied judgments will yet fall upon this land and upon the world because a part of His covenant with us is that He will bring Satan’s kingdom to an end and He will return to rule and reign in righteousness and we, His covenant people with Him. Isa. 9:6, 7, Zech. 14, Mt. 6:10, Rev. 2:26, 27.

                Friends, Yeshua never placed restrictions upon the celebration of His covenant. He simply said that as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup you do so in remembrance of Me. 1 Cor. 11:25. “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death UNTIL HE COMES.” 1Cor. 11:26.

                This covenant in His blood will be the basis of our salvation all the way to the end of the world and even after that, when He will drink it anew with us in the age to come. Therefore we need to study more deeply into what this covenant entails in terms of our authority as believers. “And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” Romans 16:20

                This time around we need to operate in the covenant humbly rather than arrogantly. We want to get it right this time, not in the “name it, claim it prosperity” teaching that was all about us, but rather in the covenant of His blood that is all about Him.

                “Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” Gal. 5:24, 25.

                This covenant that Yeshua brought us is a covenant that is animated and empowered by His Spirit. It is testified to by all of the Law and the prophets. It doesn’t do away with the Old Covenant as such, but rather brings forth all of the promises to which the Old Covenant pointed. The New Covenant is built upon the foundation of the Law and the prophets. It is also built upon the foundation of those first apostles who shared that last cup of the Old Covenant with Yeshua, which also became the first cup of the New Covenant. In that one cup, the two covenants are forever married. In that one cup all of God’s promises are yes and Amen. When we eat His flesh and drink His blood we become a part of His Body… and the Head and the Body are all one and soon to be united. Let us now remember to be His hands and His feet. Selah.