Line Upon Line

UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF CHRIST’S SACRIFICE

It is obvious that Jesus is the Lamb of God and the true lamb of the Passover. Israel’s rescue from Egypt was simply a model for God’s rescue of all mankind someday.

John 1:1 NKJV 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:14 NKJV 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:29 NKJV 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Jesus’ sacrifice as applied to believers, will allow them to get a pass regarding the death penalty for sins. Our penalty will Passover over us. The day commemorating this event the New Testament Passover, begins with an emphasis on brotherly love and comradeship.

John 13:1-3 NKJV 1 Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end…3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God,

 

These were the final hours Jesus would have with his disciples before his painful death. It was a special moment in history for his disciples and Christianity.

John 15:4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

15:13-16″Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 “No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit,…

This close brotherhood and love of Christ is memorialized again every time we keep this sacred celebration of the brotherhood and suffering of Jesus on the 14th of Nisan each year. We also are included- not just the eleven disciples.

John 17:20-22 NKJV 20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 “that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 “And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:

Christ was preparing to save all mankind. This is a special moment for all of us. He was praying for us as well.

THE GREATEST ACT OF LOVE AND VALOR IN HUMAN HISTORY

The executive spokesperson of the God family ‘The Word’ became flesh and died for all mankind. This is remarkable because as the executor, He was the being thru whom the physical universe was created. This includes earth and all mankind, the universe ( maybe three trillion galaxies). Wow! The power and wonder of the God family is beyond our comprehension. Yet, Jesus as an act of love, sacrificed himself for us. He not only died for us but both father and son considered taking a somewhat easier path and chose the unbelievably harder sacrifice. Jesus is the Passover Lamb whose blood is protective.

Luke 22:42-45 NKJV 42 saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” 43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

 

They could have chosen the easier death, a quick, clean execution. But, to show their love for us, they chose the death of a criminal. Crucifixion on a stake was meant to be a terror tool. This was the Roman Empire’s worse form of slow, painful death to crush revolts. Sacrificing oneself without love is worthless. So says the Bible.

1 Corinthians 13:3 NKJV 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Therefore we know that Jesus’ sacrifice must have been motivated by awe inspiring love of humanity. Christ’s sacrifice on the stake paid the price for all of us. It may even have been harder for the Father than the son, Jesus. We believe that was the point of having of Abraham spend three days on the journey to sacrifice his very beloved son. As the father of the faithful, Abraham experienced what a difficult thing it was for God the Father as well. The death of Christ on the Passover was the greatest sacrifice and act of valor in the history of mankind.

Repent With Ever Increasing Depth Each Year

John says that if we cannot see any sins in our lives the truth is not in us. Note I John 1: 8-10. Good is faithful to forgive us of our sins no matter what we’ve done. Just repent and change course ! If we are determined to get to know God and get closer we must be committed to the commandments of God.

1 John 1:8-10 NKJV 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

1 John 2:2-4 NKJV 2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world. 3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Remember that sins can easily grab us. John advises not to love this current society and all its ways which are contrary to God’s laws. Grace and the law working together is an unknown concept to the world’s theologians. See Gal. 3:20 and Romans 6:1-2. Each year we should commit ourselves to greater depths of obedience and love of Jesus Christ. Paul explains that we should make a careful examination of ourselves and the work we have been given to do and to support.

Galatians 6:4-7 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For each one shall bear his own load…7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

Don’t be too impressed with self. We must be responsible for doing the best we can with our lives. Do not become weary of well doing. We are in a long race and God will not forsake us. We need to renew our commitment to God each year and especially at Passover Unleavened Bread season. A night for renewed closeness to the Messiah and then seven days to push for more purity and less leaven (a type of sin) in our lives.

Galatians 6:8-9 NKJV 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Return God’s love by attending the Passover in a repentant self-evaluating spirit.