Passover – What Does This Mean?

Lamb of God, Pure and Holy

Encore Post: The night God delivered his people from slavery in Egypt, the Hebrews selected perfect lambs from their flocks. They had no injuries, blemishes or birth defects. These lambs were slaughtered, their blood smeared on their doors, their meat roasted for a feast. That night, the Angel of Death passed over their houses as the firstborn of all Egypt perished.

The evening of the day God delivered us all from sin, death and the power of the devil, the disciples arranged a Passover meal for them and for Jesus. John the Baptist had called him the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. He took bread and said, “this is my body given for you” and wine and said, “this cup is the New Testament in my blood.” St. Paul calls him “our Passover who is sacrificed for us.”

The Lord’s Supper, then, is our New Passover. In it God gives us his grace, the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. The Angel of Death passes over us. In baptism, we are united with him his death on the cross. We enter the Red Sea of death with him and rise to new life when he breaks the seal of the grave.

Once again these three days, we follow the Lamb of God, as he goes to his death willingly. We pray as he takes each step,

Lamb of God, pure and holy,
Who on the cross did suffer…
Have mercy on us, O Jesus.

Rev. Robert E. Smith
Concordia Theological Seminary
Fort Wayne, Indiana

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Jesus and the Money Changers

Encore Post: When Jesus entered Jerusalem, it was through a gate that opened into the temple. In the Court of the Gentiles, he saw many businessmen in booths they set up to sell goods to the pilgrims arriving for Passover. In Jesus’ day, the High Priestly family allowed businessmen to sell sacrificial animals there, just outside the temple proper. They would, of course, do this for very high prices and pay the High Priestly family for the privilege.

Another business, money changing, also went on in this area. Roman money bore images of the Emperor and pagan gods. These could not be carried into the temple, the High Priests ruled, since they broke the first commandment. Naturally, these moneychangers would charge a fee to change money into temple money.

When Jesus arrived, he saw this going on. He saw it for what it was — stealing from God’s people as they came to worship. He drove these people out of the temple with a whip made of cords. This made a deep impression on the people — and stiffened the resolve of the priests to see him killed.

After he did this, Jesus and his disciples returned to Bethany, likely to spend the night with Mary, Martha and Lazarus.

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Concordia Theological Seminary

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Sunday School: King Hezekiah Celebrates Passover

Encore Post: Every year, Jewish people celebrate Passover. This festival remembers the time when God freed the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt and led them through the Red Sea to safety. It remembers the night when God commanded their ancestors to sacrifice a lamb, place its blood on their doorposts, roast and eat the lamb with unleavened bread and prepare to leave Egypt. That evening, God sent the Angel of Death through the land to kill the firstborn son of every Egyptian from the Pharaoh to the lowest slave. When the Angel saw the blood on a doorpost, he passed over the home.

When the father of King Hezekiah died and he became king of Judah, he resolved to restore the worship of God according to the traditions of his ancestors David and Solomon. (2 Chronicles 29-30) His father had neglected the worship of God and allowed the people to worship the gods of other nations. King Hezekiah ordered the priests and Levites to perform the rituals commanded by Moses to make themselves holy, to cleanse the temple and make it holy according to the rules set down by Moses, Solomon and David. He ordered a large scale sacrifice to atone for the sins of the people and restore regular prayers and sacrifices there. Because the priests were caught by surprise by this, not enough of them were ready.

Eager to celebrate Passover again, Hezekiah and the people decided to celebrate it late — in the second month rather than the first (April into May) They invited everyone in Israel, including the survivors of the invasion of Assyria in the conquered northern kingdom of Israel. They people celebrated so joyfully, they decided to extend it to a second week.

For Christians, Jesus is the Passover Lamb, whose blood saves us from eternal death. In the Lord’s Supper, He gives us His body with the bread and blood with the wine. In it we receive the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. So we celebrate it with joy, because God set us free.

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Concordia Theological Seminary

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Blog Post Series

Sabbath as the Day of Salvation

I have been thinking about the Sabbath and how the Israelites are to remember how the Lord brought them up from the land of Egypt, the land of death, by his mighty arm .

What a wonderful thing to think about every Sabbath, every week, to never forget what the Lord has done, saving them from slavery and death. But we know the story all too well. They did forget. They didn’t listen to the Lord’s word. They despised it especially when the prophets were sent to call them to repentance. And eventually because of their disobedience and faithlessness they were exiled, and the temple was destroyed.

While we were not there in Egypt with the Israelites at the time of the Passover, we too have been brought from the land of death. It is through the work of Christ. The act of the Lord on behalf of Israel pointed forward to the greater act of salvation, Christ’s saving the world from sin by his death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead. The Lord Christ went into the land of the dead and was victorious over sin and death for you and me. That is something to get excited about and hear on a weekly basis. We need it because there is plenty of things that take our time. There is always plenty of “work” to do. But on the Sabbath, the Lord’s Day we get to be fed and nourished with the Word of God, where we hear again the wonderful news of Jesus Christ and what He has done for us and for our salvation. Not only that but we get fed with Christ’s own body and blood for the forgiveness of sins and the strengthening of our faith. So don’t miss out. Come and remember what the Lord has done for you in bringing from death into life.

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
St. Peter Lutheran Church, La Grange, MO