PASSOVER CEREMONY
CEMc 3/15/99
INTRODUCTION:
Good Evening. We are here to commemorate the Passover in the manner and pattern
instructed by Jesus Christ.
Matt 18:10-14
We live in momentous times. We are in the very last days of man's allotted
period of rebellion against the government of God.
Mankind faces utter destruction--except for the intervention of the Almighty God through
Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord.
This Passover is a sobering occasion, because we are reflecting on the suffering and
death of our Savior Jesus Christ. Yet, it is also an encouraging time because
of God's love and Sacrifice for us.
This is our annual reminder of the Victory of Christ over Satan and sin, by
way of the ultimate sacrifice of His Life--by the cruel instrument of crucifixion.
This service is a renewal of our faith in Christ. and a re-commitment to him.
Tonight we are here to express our faith in the sacrifice of Christ for our sins--and to
renew our commitment to Christ and our Father. And to renew our covenant with Christ to
let Him live his life in us.
The final Passover of Christ consisted of 3 parts.
1. The Passover Meal.
The traditional meal of the slaughtered lamb--Which was a type of Jesus
Christ.
2. A Service of Humility. Enacted by Jesus-- the washing of
the disciples feet.
3. The institution of the covenant symbols--The bread and the wine.
Historical account of this Supper...
I Cor 11:23-30
John 6:32-37 A Very personal relationship with Christ and his
disciples.
John 6:38-58 Here we have the introduction of Christ's teaching that He
is "the Bread of Life."
John 13:1-17 INTRODUCTION of a NEW service to His disciples....
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[At this time we now have the foot washing service. We segregate into two
groups--men in one room, and women in another.]
THE BREAD--symbol of the broken body of Christ.
In Luke 22... We will pick up with the account of the Passover service where
Jesus is introducing the breaking of the bread for a Symbol of His sacrifice.... the
Sacrifice of his body:
Luke 22:14-15; 19
The Apostle Paul continues and adds more to this in I Cor 10:15. Paul wrote to
the church at Corinth.
I Cor 10:15-17
Please note: We become one body by partaking of that bread of life.... who is
Jesus Christ. Christ lived his life in us through the indwelling of the Holy
Spirit.S. ... that spiritual body of the Church of the living God.
The begotten family of God.
This bread that we eat is a symbol of Jesus' body broken for us.
Many years later the Apostle Peter wrote to the churches...
I Pet 2:20-24
At this point I might note that there are 2 aspects of this sacrifice:
1st is the Spiritual--which we all have received. We trust that we have been
spiritually healed.
2nd is the Physical... when Jesus Christ was on earth, part of his ministry
was demonstrating that he was indeed the Son of God, and that he had the power to forgive
sin.... and part of that forgiveness was the healing of physical diseases.
We are to have the attitude of Love to one another, at all times... always.…
Christ's suffering set an example for all Christians that we should suffer one for
another.
He willingly suffered tremendous pain and agony in the flesh so that ultimately.... all
men might be released from the suffering that results from sin.
Christ's stripes were a part of his total perfect Sacrifice to pay the penalty for our
personal and collective sins.
Eating this Unleavened Bread at the the Passover Service demonstrates our total commitment
to God and His way of life.
[Remove Napkins from the Bread.... Ask Gods blessing on the Bread as a Symbol of
Christ's broken body for us. For the Healing of Physical and Spiritual Sins.)
Prayer:
This Bread is a symbol of Christ's Body broken for us.
Healing of our our hearts and minds
Forgiveness of all of our sins...
Give thanks for the Love of God. (The Father)
Who sacrificed His Most Beloved Son for us...
Thank God for His Mercy and His Spirit.
Break Bread Serve it.
THIRD: Partaking of "the cup" that is, the wine representing
His shed blood
Matt 26:27-28
Heb 9:11-15
I John 1:7
Eph 1:7
Col 1:20-22
I think we should appreciate the awesome joint sacrifice of almighty God our Father and
Jesus Christ on our behalf when Jesus Christ was on the Cross or Stake. Jesus
cried out to the Father in Prayer....
"My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me..."
I think it is very important to note Jesus Christ's willingness to accept our Guilt and
Our sin... and in that moment in time Jesus Christ was bearing our sins--the incredible,
awesome, magnitude of all sins of all humanity on his shoulders.
The great God, His Father and our Father, turned away and allowed Jesus to bear those
sufferings, and to bear that experience alone.
Jesus recognized that he was bearing those sins for all mankind... and he was at that
moment cut off from God.
It is very difficult for a father who has the power to intervene to watch a son in
suffering and pain, to turn and walk away. Almighty God our Father walked away in
order that you and I might be reconciled, that Jesus might make that supreme sacrifice for
us.
That we also might be begotten and be ultimately born sons in His Family. The magnitude of
the Sacrifice of Jesus and God our Father is beyond comprehension to any human mind.
I think it is important, at this time, to try to appreciate, as much as possible,
the incredible sacrifice that has been made for us individually and for all humanity
collectively.
[Uncover Wine]
Give thanks for the Wine for it's intended use as:
A symbol of Christ's shed blood for the
remission of our sins. This wine is a symbol of Christ's shed blood shed on our behalf. We
thank God for Christ's shed Blood for the Remission--our sins, so that all of our sins can
be forgiven, and our confession that we have sinned and we do accept our savior's
sacrifice for our sins.
We ask your blessing on this wine for this sacred use as we accept Christ's shed blood for
the Remissions of Our Sins.
Having now gone thorough the service set by Jesus--this commemoration of the Passover
observed with NEW SYMBOLS instituted for the New Testament Church, we review the
subsequent events:
Judas Iscariot went out to betray Jesus to the religious authorities....
John 13:28-38
John 14:1-31
Jesus has mentioned here that God the Father has been a distinct "entity" apart
from himself, and yet he and the father are one. They are one in
Spirit and Mind... and they are one Family.
John 15:1
Again note the dichotomy of the 2 distinct individuals. Christ is the true
vine and the Father is the vine dresser.
John 15:2-4
It is a temptation on the part of many of us to believe that belonging to a particular
nominal body, belonging to a particular "Church of God" group...
keeps us in the body of Christ. Yet Jesus clearly shows us the True Church of
God is a Spiritual unit... the Spiritual body, and we who are of the same spirit and mind
as Jesus Christ--which is the mind of God the Father--are indeed one.
Just as a husband and Wife are to be totally dedicated to one another, to have one purpose
and one Goal in life, we who are in Christ are to be one flesh.
John 15:6-15
He said, I include you...
Notice that Jesus has not withheld from his friends the purpose and nature of God the
Father.
Jesus Christ came to reveal the Father.... to make Him known,... to show Him to us... to
Explain to us the mind of the Father.
John 15:16-17
There is a great deal of animosity and hatred in the world today, because the
persons who have chosen not to obey God but to seek and obey traditions of men are
sometimes finding themselves at odds with their families or their friends who do obey
Him--those who have truly devoted themselves to God and who have put God and Jesus Christ
first, ahead of their families.
This animosity we must bear... We must be willing to accept the suffering of Christ if we
are to be a part of the body of Christ.... as true servants of God...
John 15:18-19
A personal note... If you have come out of the world. You will
find yourself at odds with the ways of this world. You will find you are at odds
with those that have chosen to go back into the world and the worlds ways. And those
who have chosen to accept the traditions of men and the world, we understand the blood of
Jesus Christ was shed for them..... when they repent come to him.
We have to forgive, we must forgive... We must seek to help them understand
the truth of God... And pray for them....
John 15:20-21
Because they do not know God the Father, they proclaim to only know Jesus.
"They do not know him who sent me;" because they do not know
God the Father, they will persecute you.
John 15:22-27
John 16:1-9
That is they do not believe the very message of Jesus... the Message that Jesus brought.
the gospel of the coming Kingdom of God... the Ruler ship of God...
John 16:8-33 (to end)
John 17:1-26 This is the true Lord's Prayer. for us.
Notice as we go through John 17, that there are two separate "beings," The
Father and The Son.
When Jesus came to this earth he lived for 33 ½ years the human
experience--followed by offering His blood for our sins. He revealed the relationship
between himself and the Father, and between Himself and us, so we can understand his
very special relationship. We, at this time of year, remember our covenant with God
and with Jesus, our Savior.
And as we look forward to His Kingdom that is coming.… not already established
on this earth but represented by those who are true ambassadors of His Kingdom, servants
of God and Christ.
We look forward to that true Kingdom of God on earth when Jesus Christ will come in Glory,
and Power, from heaven to the Earth to bring Peace to all mankind, to suffering humanity
over all the earth.
When He comes for the first time in almost 6000 years there will be peace, happiness, and joy on earth--because of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ--and because of the One who was sacrificed living in those who will repent and accept Jesus Christ. Those who accept what he taught, and accept what he lived--those who accept the message that he brought, and live it, will reign with Him for a thousand years.
May God hasten that day.
**** We will close with a Hymn.