the Lamb

I am still reading through the book of Mark. This morning I was so moved and encouraged by both the biblical account and the thoughts that my bible study author shared that I want to pass them along to you. I was reading Mark 14:12-26, where Jesus is celebrating the Passover meal with his disciples (you can find the original instructions for the Passover meal in Exodus 12). But very quickly it becomes obvious that this is not the Passover meal of old. If you have a moment, grab your bible and read through both Mark 14:12-26 and Exodus 12:1-20.

Here are Tim's thoughts and reflections:

The first Passover meal was held on the night before a great deliverance - a deliverance from physical slavery. The Lord's Supper was held on the night before an even greater deliverance - salvation from sin and death itself!

This is a tremendous claim. Jesus shows a tremendous "audacity" in changing and revising a Passover meal that Moses said was to be done as a perpetual ordinance. He is saying something like this: "My death is the central and climactic event toward which the whole story of the people of God and the history of salvation has been moving. Every other deliverance by every other leader, every other sacrifice by every other prophet, priest, king, and hero - have all been pointing to this night. This is the climax of all history. I am about to deal with evil and sin and death once and for all."

What a powerful explanation of the truth of Jesus' death and resurrection! He is the fulfillment of every Old Testament prophesy and practice. He is my Passover Lamb, whose blood assures my safe passage into an eternity with my Maker.

Tim ends the study by saying:

If you stopped Israelites in those days and said, "who are you and what is happening here?" They would say: "I was a slave, under a sentence of death, but I took shelter under the blood of the lamb and escaped that bondage, and now God lives in our midst and we are following him into the promised land."

That is exactly what a Christian says today.

So, if you stopped me this very morning and asked, "Who are you, Erin, and what is happening here?" I would say this:

I was a slave, under a sentence of death, but I took shelter under the blood of the lamb and escaped that bondage, and now God lives in our midst and we are following him into the promised land.

My God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. . . and He will finish the work that He began in me, and in this world. Thank you for cross, Lord, and for the perfect spotless Lamb who paid our price and suffered our punishment. . . You are awesome.