As Jesus approached the climax of the events leading Him to Calvary where His vicarious sacrifice would hold, He told His disciples where to go and what to do in preparation for the Passover. They “found (everything) as he had said unto them.” This shows that, though heaven and earth may pass away, Christ’s words shall stand.
Passover itself is of three kinds: There is the First Passover during which each family in Israel was to take a lamb without blemish and kill it at the appointed time. They were also to apply the blood at the lintel of their houses to avoid the plague that was to come on “all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast.” It means their redemption was based on the blood that was shed. “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.”
The Israelites continued the practice from generation to generation, as the Lord instructed, as a means of remembering how He saved and brought them out of the land of bondage. Thus, they were to “sacrifice the passover unto the Lord thy God” and not to Moses or any man. It was to be observed in “the place, which the Lord shall choose to place his name there.” Likewise, for us for whom the Passover has given way to the Lord’s Supper, we are not to observe it in any random place. Importantly, the children of Israel who were not circumcised, symbolising the cleansing of the heart, were required to do so in order to be fit to partake of the Passover.
The “unleavened bread” had a central place in the observance of the Final Passover, leading to Christ’s crucifixion at Calvary. Leaven represents sin; as such, it was not to be found in the emblem for the observance. The final Passover also denoted the hour “that he should depart out of this world unto the Father.” As Jesus knew that His hour had come, we must realise our time of opportunity to do what the Lord has appointed for us, in order not to misuse it. The Fulfilled Passover is observed, we must necessarily follow Christ’s commands and do as He instructs. He says:“Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” As we profess that Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us, we must keep the passover “with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” As New Testament believers who are under the blood of the Lamb, we must not have “the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.” We cannot excuse “a little leaven” or any appearance of evil. Holiness is indispensable to remain under the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. Otherwise, perdition awaits unrepentant people.
Jesus Christ pronounced, “woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed!”He warned Judas Iscariot, but he remained defiant. Judas called Jesus, Master, but he did not take to the Lord’s warning. Many come to church and call Christ, Master, but they are not saved. Judas had remorse for his action, but he did not repent. Instead, he “departed, and went and hanged himself.” To escape the judgment on the final day, we must be mindful of Christ’s warning.
We must not be willful sinners like Judas. He had become a backslider, apostate and betrayer. After being warned, he was still determined to betray the Master, regardless of what happened. People who are like him do not care about hell. They commit sin willfully. Judas had the effrontery to betray the Lord because Satan entered into him. He also “sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.” He feared the multitude more than Christ. For us, “if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for judgment and fiery indignation.”
The scripture spells woe repeatedly for betrayers such as Bible personalities like Judas, Cain, Balaam and Korah. For them and all such betrayers today, “is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.” They would not be able to “escape the damnation of hell” where they “shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.”
• Further reading (King James Version): Mark 14:1-21. Mark 14:11-16. Exodus 12:5,6,12,13; Numbers 9:2; Deuteronomy 16:1,2; Joshua 5:2,5,8-10. Mark 14:12; Luke 22:7-9,13; John 13:1. 1 Corinthians 5:7,8; Matthew 16:6,12; Galatians 5:9,19-21; 2 Corinthians 7:1. Mark 14:10,11,17-21. Mark 14:10,11; Matthew 26:14-16; Luke 22:3-6; Hebrews 10:26-31. Matthew 26:24,25; 27:3-5; Acts 1:16-20,25. Mark 14:21; Luke 22:21,22; Jude 1:11-13; Matthew 23:27,28,33; Revelation 14:10,11.
