Wednesday is for Prayer
The Passover is a people-shaping event in the Jewish calendar.
- It celebrates God’s selection of the Jews out of Egypt.
- It celebrates God’s hearing the suffering of his people and acting for them.
- It celebrates God’s sparing the first-born child of Israel.
- It celebrates God’s providing for Israel in the desert.
- It celebrates splitting of a sea and passing through on dry ground.
- It celebrates the faithfulness of God to Israel.
- It celebrates the giving of land “flowing milk and honey.”
- It remembers chariots being defeated and the fearsome judgment of God.
- It remembers the giving of the law on Mt. Sinai.
- It remembers God’s faithfulness to his promises.
- It remembers and celebrates the placing of lambs blood on the door posts of Israelite homes so that the death angel would pass over their homes and only take the first born in Egyptian homes.
- It anticipates big-eyed boys asking “what is the meaning of this day.
- And reminds Israel that it was “by a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.
- It remembers, like Isaac before, God always provides the sacrifice.
It affirms the Jewish theology, that without the shedding of blood, there is . . .
- No forgiveness of sins
- No reconciliation with God
- No rescue from enemies
- No blessed fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham and his seed, that in Isaac’s rescued life, all the families of the earth will be blessed.
And as history and the plan moved forward . . .
- It is the night He asked the disciples to pray with Him, and they slept instead.
- It is the night He asked for the cup to pass, and it did not.
- It is the night that He asked that the will of the Father be done. And it was.
- And He knew, that as the night approached, He was going to suffer and yet He earnestly desired this night and this meal with His disciples.
Luke tells us: “And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. And he said to them,
I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. (Luke 22:14-15, ESV)
The Lamb is ready.
Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.