“And when the hour came, he reclined at table, and the apostles with him. 15 And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you I will not eat it[b] until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he said, “Take this, and divide it among yourselves. 18 For I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 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.” 20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”
Luke 22:14-20 (ESV)
“…knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”
1 Peter 1:18-19 (ESV)
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,”
Ephesians 1:7 (ESV)
PASSOVER
As we enter this Thanksgiving week, we reflect on all that God has done this year and remind ourselves of how blessed we are. We remember God’s goodness to us.
In traditional Jewish holidays, we see a recurring refrain: take time to look back at what God has done and thank Him for what He is doing. As we go through this week, I would like to bring a few of these holidays—ones that date back through the history of God’s people—to our attention and consider how we can learn from these long-held traditions.
I think it is fitting to start with Passover. Passover is the celebration in which the Jewish people remember how God set them free from bondage in Egypt. The name comes from the final plague in Egypt, where the angel of death passed over the land and struck down the firstborn in each household. The only exception to this judgment was for the houses where the Jewish people, following God’s command, had placed the blood of a spotless lamb on their doorposts. This final act of judgment broke Pharaoh’s will, leading him to release the children of Israel from slavery.
Thus, the Jews celebrate Passover to acknowledge that God saved them when they couldn’t save themselves. Passover is also a celebration of the founding of Israel as a nation. Before Passover, they were slaves; after Passover, they became a nation.
It is also important to note that at Passover, Jesus initiated the remembrance we now call the Lord’s Supper. As He and His disciples reflected on that great deliverance in Egypt, Jesus revealed that a new covenant was coming and that His blood would save them.
Today, take a moment to celebrate your salvation in Jesus. Thank Him for saving you from the bondage of sin when you could not save yourself. Thank Him for being the perfect Lamb whose blood redeems us.
Chris Boggess is the Next Generation/Family Pastor at NorthStar Church. He grew up in St. Albans, West Virginia, and still cheers for the Mountaineers. He and his wife, Heather, have two grown children and one granddaughter.
