The words of John 3:16 have always been powerful to me. But one day they gripped my heart like they never had before. It was one morning, sitting at the kitchen table, reading a devotional with my four year old son. I read the words of this well known verse, and froze. I have read it hundreds of times before. But in this moment, the words shook me to the core. For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only son…I read it again and looked at my one and only son sitting next to me. I was overwhelmed by the sacrifice of Jesus. I was overwhelmed by the reach and depth of God’s love. I squeezed my son and looked in his eyes and told him, “Jesus loves us so much. One day His love will capture your heart like it has mine. Today He has shown new depths to His goodness.” And then I told my son how much I love Him and spent the next several hours praising God for who He is. Don’t forget how loved you are brothers and sisters. Praying that you too will be refreshed in that love and see it anew today.
No one is beyond the need for God. It is part of our brokenness that drives us to do life on our own. When problems arise, we think we can fix them. When relationship are difficult, we think we have the power to make ourselves and the other whole. As a man, I can say that I have struggled so much in the area of feeling the weight of providing for my family, and have often carried it on my own. the weight is crushing. Sin, when admitted, is often seen as an area kept to ourselves, to be fought on our own terms. Many people in the world think they can get by on their own merits. That they can live a life where the good somehow outweighs the bad. That they are the so called captains of their own fait. But the reality is, it was never meant to be this way. In the book of Romans, chapter three, it says that ALL sin and fall short of the glory of God. This is one of those self evident truths. We don’t have to look beyond ourselves to see just how true this statement is. You are broken and imperfect. I am broken and imperfect. There isn’t a single human alive who can attest to any kind of perfection. The Christian minister, the Buddhist monk, the Catholic Pope, Islamic Imam, and the front line philanthropist, all need God…and equally so. Our standing with God, is only established by the grace of God, through our faith in God. We are all His creation but so much in us tries to deny that deep-seated need for our Creator.
No on is beyond the reach of God. It would be a sad tale if the story ended with our need and dependency on God in order to be whole. With that need comes a promise. In that same chapter of Romans, it says that all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Our need finds it’s fulfillment in Jesus. It’s not in a career, our kids, wealth, our good deeds, or any sort of success we have in this lifetime. While all of those things are good, they can never bring wholeness. Only Jesus can do that. Because only Jesus and impart holiness onto every single broken human in this world. All we have to do is recognize that…choose Jesus…and allow the brokenness to be mended. I have been following Jesus for a very long time. I am still not a perfect person. But I am holy. Not because of myself, but because of Him whom I swear allegiance to. I do have purpose and meaning to my life and it far supersedes any temporary achievement, no matter how great it may be. I have a hope that can never be shaken no matter what happens to me or those in my life. Because it is not based on circumstances, comfort, or control. And I have that because God reached me. Just like He can reach you, and those you know. And God is reaching people all over the world. Christianity is the fastest growing faith worldwide. The top ten countries with growing believers are, Nigeria, China, The Philippines, India, Brazil, Indonesia, Kenya, South Africa, Ethiopia, and Tanzania. Literally thousands of mosques have closed down in Iran because people are leaving Islam for Jesus. Some estimates have it as high as 60% of the total number of mosques have or will be closed. The Bible itself is full of stories of lost and sinful people being redeemed by Jesus and their lives being used for godly purposes. God has a long history of reaching prostitutes, murderers, liars, adulterers, sexually immoral, thieves, and many more.
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
2 Peter 3:9
No one is beyond the love of God. I try and tell my children every night that I love them always, no matter what. I want them to see God’s love reflected in the way I love them. I want them to know that His love is far greater than anything they will experience on this earth. He loves you. He loves everyone. Always no matter what. The problem is, far too few actually love Him in return. Far too many reject Him and deny Him and in the end will spend eternity separated from Him. Imagine how that pains God’s heart. Especially when he went to the greatest lengths possible to show the world His love. Jesus, being God in the flesh, allowed Himself to be beaten, mocked, and scorned, and after all of that, allowed His own creation to nail Him to a cross. Jesus, Perfection, died in the place of imperfection. Holiness in the flesh hung on cross where you and I belong. Why? Because He loves us. With a love that is so difficult to grasp. A love that pursues it’s enemies in order to die in their place. A love that denies self at the greatest cost so that unworthy people can receive the greatest gift. If He loved us enough to do that, there is nothing we can do or have to do in order to earn it. But we do need to choose Him. To choose His love. To allow ourselves to be loved and to be driven by that love.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 ESV
I read a really good quote the other day. It said that God may have assigned you this mountain to show others how it can be moved. It made me think of some of the difficult interactions of my life and how God has brought me through them. In almost every case, I have been able to use it as a testimony for the benefit of others. In the moments it seems crushing. Those trials were painful, and at times, they felt desperate. But I can honestly say, the hardest of circumstances are the ones that have brought me closer to the Lord. Through the gospels, the same theme is presented. It’s when the waves are threatening to drown the disciples, or a dear friend in Lazarus has died, or Christ is being crucified, or persecution is all around and people are being tossed into prison, that faith is being deepened and mountains are being moved.
“Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.”
Mark 11:23 ESV
No mountain is permanent. Through time and faith you’ll see them cast into the see and your path cleared. In that moment we can find others facing their mountain and testify of God’s goodness and faithfulness. We can stand along side them, and encouraging, listening to, and praying for them. Our experiences on this faith journey are meant to make us better equipped to serve and help those around us. Don’t undervalue your story and how it could empower others.
“And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,”
John 17:19-22 ESV
In the hours before Jesus went to the cross, He prayed. He prayed for those who had followed Him. And He prayed for those yet to follow Him. This prayer speaks volumes about His heart for the world…for us…for you. Jesus, wants His followers to enter in to communion with each other, and most importantly, with Him. And He had to go to the cross to make that happen. His sacrifice makes the way for us to be one with Him. His glory is imparted to sinful, yet humble and repentant, faith-filled humans. Our brokenness is replaced with His beauty. Our emptiness is filled with His Spirit.
No matter what your 2023 looked like. All your pain, your hurt, your loneliness, your mistakes, your sin, and your failures…they can all be brought to the cross. There. they meet with redemption, love, and grace. If distance is what you’ve felt, it’s time to come close. If your year was full of joy, success, new relationships, and promise…they can all be brought to the cross. There they are met with a gratitude for the One who made it all possible. If you’ve been close this year, it’s time to get closer. Wherever you find yourself at the close of this year, take your next step towards Jesus.
“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.
Matthew 21:28-32 ESV
It matters far less where we’ve come from, or even where we find ourselves than where we are headed. God is in the business of reconciling lives. He rescues and redeems. He takes broken and imperfect people and restores them and uses them in the story He’s writing. I believe that this parable of Jesus illustrates that. The two sons described are then related to sinful people and religious people, but not in the way they would have expected. Jesus confronts the religious leaders of the day who refused to see the Kingdom of Heaven standing before them in the person of Jesus and continued in their spiritual blindness to operate contrary to the call of God. Then there were the tax collectors (one of the most hated in society) and prostitutes (one of the most dejected in society). They were the broken and lost who saw the Kingdom of Heaven in the person of Jesus and believed and surrendered their lives to Him.
Obviously, we have a stark contrast between these two groups of people. But I believe the point Jesus is making, is that He is the source of life and salvation, and even those of us who started off life with the worst possible choices, can still find redemption through Him. Even today, if you find yourself in a lifestyle contrary to the God’s calling on your life, you can choose Jesus and find life and restoration. No one is beyond His love. No one is beyond His grace. No one is beyond His reach.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
John 3:16-17 ESV
The whoever means whoever. I was once living a life apart from God. Self-seeking. Pleasure-seeking. Honor-seeking. But not God-seeking. But just as the first son did, I changed my mind. I have gone to work in the vineyard where the True Vine is and where I hope to be for the rest of my days. And the grace I have been shown I hope to never take for granted. Do you know someone who is living the way I once did? Walk with them. Listen to them. Speak life to them. Pray for them. Live a life that reflects Jesus to them. They aren’t ever beyond hope. None of us are. Let’s choose life and finish strong!
In the first part of this series, I focused on how Jesus is a reflection of the living water that first appears in the Garden of Eden. Today’s post looks at another image that shows up in the Garden: The Tree of Life. You can see it introduced in Genesis 2:9. Both the river of living water and the Tree of Life also show up at the end of the text in Revelation chapter 22, specifically verses 1-14. If you’d like a little more context, check out my previous post.
The Bible uses tree imagery repeatedly. Look at Proverbs three. “Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed. Proverbs 3:13-18 ESV This is contrasted with the idea of seeking wisdom on our own. Essentially, that’s the choice that Adam and Eve had in the beginning. There were two trees in the middle of the Garden. One of them represented man reaching for understanding on their own, apart from God. The other led to life, and that life comes in the form of godly wisdom. Later in Proverbs eleven, we see another reference to the tree. “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.” Proverbs 11:30 ESV. Righteousness, in simple terms, means to live rightly. How do we do that? Through godly wisdom. By not determining right and wrong on our own. By eating from the right tree.
So what does that mean for Jesus and for us? What other tree do we know of in scripture that holds great significance? How about the cross? The cross is also referred to as a tree…a tree that carried great significance. That significance is portrayed all the way back in Isaiah 53:3-6. “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds, we are healed.” Isaiah 53:3-5 ESV. Because we continue to eat from the wrong tree, just as the first humans did, God came down and planted yet another tree that would heal our brokenness and provide the life that the original Tree of Life was meant to do.
Let’s look at this in another way. In Psalm 1:1-3 people are compared to a planted tree. “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” Psalm 1:1-3 ESV. Perhaps this is a great description of the one who has first experienced the gift of the Tree of Life and now reflects that through their very own life.
So what’s the main idea that both of these objects, the water and the tree, are putting forward? We have the tree of LIFE and the water of LIFE. And Jesus is our source of LIFE. Remember back to Colossians chapter one?
“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”
Colossians 1:16-17 ESV
Or back to John chapter one?
“All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.”
John 1:3-4 ESV
Jesus is the source of the Water. Jesus is the Tree. Jesus is the one who both authored and offers life. Jesus, Himself, made so many statements about this subject.
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6 ESV
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
John 10:10 ESV
In John chapter six Jesus makes several comparisons between Himself and the bread from heaven that gave life to Israel in the wilderness.
“For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world…“I am the bread of life.”
John 6:33 & 48 ESV
We are left with the same option as the first humans. We can choose one tree or the other. We can drink from the water of life or dig our own cisterns. The results of our choice will be revealed throughout our lives. Being connected to the vine will result in bearing good fruit. Drinking from the water of life will cause life to spring forth from us. The question that the Lord is asking all of us is, “Will you take the life I offer you? Will you drink from the waters and eat from the tree that I give to you? Or will you try and find your own way? A way that doesn’t lead to life, but away from it.” Choose Him. Choose life.
In John chapter five, Jesus said, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me.” Later in that same chapter, He says, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.” In Luke chapter 24, after His resurrection, it says, “Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.” He explained, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” The Bible, from front to back, is a story that leads to Jesus. This is according to what Jesus testified to Himself.
In this series, we are going to look at a few themes from the Book of Genesis, the Garden of Eden specifically, and what they tell us about the character and mission of Jesus. Let’s start by seeing how these two passages, separated by 64 books, overlap.
“then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers.”
Genesis 2:7-10 ESV
Now look at this passage at the end of scripture.
“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”
Revelation 22:1-5 ESV
What are some things that these two passages have in common? For starters we are going to look at the Water (or River) mentioned and a Tree of life. This first post will just break down significance of the waters and trace that theme through the Bible and how it relates to Jesus and us.
One of the early examples of living water in the Bible comes from Jeremiah 2:13 where God says, “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”
Later in Jeremiah 17:13, Jeremiah says of God, “Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.”
Isaiah also speaks on the topic. “”Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” Isaiah 12:2-3.
Here in these passages we see that something about the water equals salvation and the source of those waters is God Himself. So what does this mean for Jesus and for us?
In John, we see Jesus at the Feast of Booths (or Tabernacles). On the last day of the feast there was a tradition to pour out water as symbolism of the springs of life provided by God. Enter Jesus…
“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'””
John 7:37-38 ESV
Jesus, here, asserts Himself as the source of living water. In an earlier passage of John, He said something similar during His conversation with the woman at the well.
“Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.””
John 4:10-14 ESV
When mankind sinned, they were exiled from the Garden. They were separated from the living water. God continued to offer it throughout the story of Israel. But over and over again they filled to drink from the waters. They built their own cisterns. They went their own way. So God came to them, in the person of Jesus. And Jesus, being the Word of God made flesh (John 1), through whom all things were made snd hold together (Colossians 1), can offer that living to every heart surrendered to Him. Jesus brings the river to you and me and says come and drink. The water of life brings life. Jesus brings life since He is the source of that water. In Revelation it says that the waters flow from the throne of God and of the Lamb. That leaves us with the invitation. Will you come and drink? Will you take the invitation to life?
The Gospel is intertwined throughout the pages of the Bible, from the Book of Genesis to the last page of Revelation. The Bible is a story of God’s heart towards an imperfect humanity. It is ultimately His story, revealing His perfections. In comparison, humanity has proven itself totally far from the mark in every way. In light of that, God has proclaimed the good news of His love, pursuit, and salvation for a world in need. The Apostle Paul was excellent at reminding his readers of this good news. In one of his letters, in particular, Paul walks through the gospel in 10 concise verses. This passage is a go-to for myself. I also like to take youth groups through the reflection of Ephesians Chapter two. I would invite you to set aside some time, grab a cup of tea, remove distractions, and sit with this passage and these questions.
MY PAST
And you were dead in the trespasses and sinsin which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
Ephesians 2:1-3
There is no doubt that without God…before God intervened in our lives…we were in a desperate situation. We were in BIG trouble! It’s powerful to remember who we are apart from God and the person He’s rescued us from. When we made the choice to follow Jesus, it came with a cost. We made the choice to lay things down, live for a different purpose, and make different choices. We chose to let Him in.
Reflection: Take some time to contemplate who you once were before God and who you may struggle to be now without keeping your focus on God. In what ways were you dead? What else do you need to be rescued from?
MY PRESENT
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesusso that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus
Ephesians 2:4-7
The greatest invasion in world history was Christ’s invasion into the world of darkness. His victory over death has not only set the world free but has set you and me free. He breathed life into creation back in the early pages of Genesis, and He did it again when Christ rose from the dead. Death no longer has the final word. As if that wasn’t enough, God never stops at the cross with His children. He continues to love, nurture, guide, protect, prosper, and bless us. He does this so that we will know along with the world, that He has immeasurable kindness and goodness.
Reflection: Take time to thank God for His amazing grace in your life…for His unfailing love and mercy. It always helps to write them down. If you don’t already have one, maybe create a gratitude journal. Take some time to pray, sing praises, and maybe even take Communion.
MY FUTURE
…For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:8-10)
Ephesians 2:8-10
God has a future for all of us. He has prepared one for you. The cross opens up a new door for us. Jesus, Himself said that He came to give us abundant life (John 10:10). God promised that He has plans for us that are good and hopeful (Jeremiah 29:11). There is a plan and a life ready for us to embrace.
Reflection: What is your future hope? What is your purpose? What makes you come alive and how can God use that? How can you be used by your Savior to make a difference? What are your talents and how can they be used to point others to Jesus?
Always remember, you are loved more than you could ever know. Peace in Christ brothers and sisters.
Listen! The Lord’s arm is not too weak to save you, nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call.
Isaiah 59:1 NKJV
For behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah,’ says the Lord. ‘And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.
Jeremiah 30:3 NKJV
“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
Matthew 23:37 NKJV
Even in the midst of their depravity, God looked upon Israel with compassion and a desire to save them from themselves. He sent prophets to them such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Ezra, Micah, and several others. These prophets gave stern warnings to the people and encouraged them to abandon their sinfulness. They reminded the people of God’s love for them and His future glory that awaits. Even once Israel was taken away to bondage God used prophets such as Daniel to speak words of hope.
As prophecy was being fulfilled and the people were being gathered by God from captivity, He raised up more prophets such as Ezra and Zechariah to remind them of God’s goodness and His call on their lives as they enjoy their newfound freedom. But as Jesus states in Matthew 23, God was so much desiring His children, and they would not listen.
Despite our hard hearts at times, God is still whispering (sometimes shouting) His love in our ears. In my darkest days, I still saw God moving in my life. Even at my worst, God still loved me and didn’t abandon me. Whether you are started down a bad road, caught up in bondage, or experiencing your freedom in Christ, God is constantly after your heart. The stories of the prophets are just that much more of a reminder that God does not leave us nor forsake us. It is also a good lesson in listening to God, heeding His voice, and following His path which will keep us from stumbling. God and His word will never leave us no matter our circumstances because His heart is always seeking the redemption of our souls.
What is Passover about? That’s really the question that I want to answer in this post. I am aware that some of you may fully know what the Passover is. And the idea of the Passover is not a new one, nor do I want to present a brand new concept around what the Passover is. But in answering my initial question, that is, what is Passover all about? I am going to attempt to answer a couple of other questions. The first question I want to look at is, in the Passover, did Israel deserve to be saved? The second question is, why did God rescue Israel in the Passover?
You can read about the story of the Passover in the book of Exodus, starting in chapter 3 with the call of Moses and through the 10 plagues. However, I would argue that the theme that the Passover represents was not new with the event of the first Passover nor did it end with the first Passover. What are some of the themes of Passover? Some big themes that stand out are redemption, rescue, salvation, and God saving Israel from slavery.
This brings us to our first question: Did Israel deserve to be saved? The simple answer is no. Let me classify. In both Joshua 24:14 and Ezekiel 20:6-9 Israel is described as a people who served the gods of Egypt were rebellious, and set detestable things before their eyes.
I think it’s easy for us to think of Israel as a godly people in captivity. But they were essentially a pagan idolatrous people by the time that Moses hits the scene. Moses doesn’t even know who God is when they meet at the burning bush. Moses wants to know what to call God when he tells Israel about Him, most likely because the people of Israel would have lost connection with Him over the previous 400 years.
So we know Passover is about redemption and rescue and is not deserved in any way. I say that, not to single out or harp on the people of Israel. Lord knows you and me would have most likely been the same way had we lived then. The undeserving element, in my opinion, adds so much encouragement.
Now for our second question: why did God rescue Israel in the Passover? When God is speaking with Moses He says things like…He was watching over them and that He remembered the covenant with Abraham.
“The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,”
Exodus 34:6 ESV
This verse is how God describes himself. And His track record more than proves it. God delivered Israel for the same reason He delivers anyone, He is abounding in love and faithfulness. He makes promises and He keeps promises. God promised Abraham, back in Genesis 15:12-14, He would rescue his descendants. There was no stipulation tied to it. God’s faithfulness to His promises is why the Passover happened.
In addition to His faithfulness, another reason for the Passover is God’s desire to make His name known. In Speaking with Moses, God said that He will send plagues in order to make His name known. God also wanted to make Himself known to Israel. And through Israel, He would be made known to the world. And in Exodus 12, we see not only Israel going out of Egypt, but a mixed multitude of other peoples with them. God’s wonders humbled the most powerful kingdom in the ancient world at that time, rescued an entire nation of people from slavery, and convinced a multitude of non-Israelites to go with them.
Now let’s go back to our overarching question: what is the Passover? It’s salvation, initiated by God, towards undeserving people, out of His love and faithfulness, to make His name known. What does that sound like? The Gospel right? Look at these New Testament passages.
He saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace…
2 Timothy 1:9a ESV
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”
Romans 3:23-24 ESV
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,”
Ephesians 2:8 ESV
This is our message. The one that God has been telling since the beginning. God sacrificed an animal to cover Adam and Eve after they sinned (Genesis 3). God rescued Noah and his family (Genesis 6-9). God saved Israel time and time again through the Judges from Othniel to Samuel (Judges and 1-2 Samuel). God brought Israel out of Egypt and out of Persia (Ezra and Nehemiah). God preserved Israel through Esther and Mordecai while they were still in Persia (Esther). He has been in the business of rescuing and redeeming undeserving people since the beginning. Passover is a major expression of that. And one that pointed to a future Passover in which, not just a lamb, but the Lamb would suffer and die.
“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”
Romans 5:6-10 ESV
I don’t deserve Jesus. You don’t deserve Jesus. That’s the point. Thank you Lord for the Passover. Thank you Jesus for loving us and saving us. Help us grow in gratitude for all you’ve done.
“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. For I tell you I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”
For Common Ground 