The Missed Passover Connection*

Passover is approaching in a few days. John the Baptist identified Jesus directly with the Passover by saying, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (Jn. 1:29, 36). He also identified Jesus as the Son of God (v. 34). Jesus said clearly that He was the bread that comes from heaven, that when eaten, brings eternal life: "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world." The crowd wanted that bread, and asked Jesus to give it to them. Jesus answered: "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst...and this is the will of him (meaning the Father) that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day." (Jn. 6:30-40, excerpt). Resurrection is the core of our Christian faith. We will see later on that Jesus connects this bread of resurrection with the Passover bread. While still slaves in Egypt, Passover also delivered from the power of death the Israelites who had obediently applied the blood of the lamb to their doorposts and lintels as Moses had commanded them from God. The Jews who were listening to Jesus, however, had trouble accepting the comment that He had come down from heaven. They knew His birth family, they reasoned, so how could He have come down from heaven? They were missing the Passover connection through unbelief. Jesus, knowing their murmurings said, "No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, And they shall all be taught of God (see Isa. 54:13-14, Jer. 31:33-34). Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me...Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life...that a man may eat thereof and not die." In the wilderness, the Israelites ate the manna that God had miraculously given to them, but they did eventually die. This bread, however, of which Jesus spoke, if a man ate of it, he would not die (Jn. 6:41-50). Then Jesus revealed the nature of this bread of eternal life come down from heaven: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of theworld...Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you."" (v.51-53). Those listening were repulsed by the idea of eating this Man's flesh, and drinking His blood, as they received this with their natural understanding, rather than by the Spirit (v. 63), and being "taught of God", as Jesus had mentioned. These were the same people who had witnessed Jesus multiply the fish and the bread to feed thousands, and had travelled around the Sea of Galilee to follow Him. Now He was telling them about the living bread of everlasting life, and they couldn't accept it. Jesus had also told them that His flesh as the living bread was given for the life of the world. He repeated again the truth of the living bread of His flesh, and His blood, sent by the Father, given for them: "...he that eateth me, even he shall live by me." (v. 54-59). Many who had been His disciples up to this point, could no longer walk with Jesus because of this revelation. Only the twelve, including the betrayer, Judas, continued with Jesus. When Jesus remarked on this, Peter said, "...Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life." (v. 60-71). Jesus Himself connected this living bread of eternal life, which was His own flesh, with the Passover. The Lord was sharing the Passover meal with His disciples (Mt. 26:17-18), and He took the two main elements from that meal: "And as they were eating, Jesus took the bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Mt. 26:26-28). The account of this same Passover event in Luke 22 tells us that the cup that Jesus took was the cup after supper (Lk. 22:20). This cup, taken after the Passover supper, has special significance here because it is called "the cup of redemption" by those who observe the Passover. Jesus also said that He would not partake of the wine again until He drinks it new with them in His Father's kingdom. Jesus knew that this would be His last Passover on earth, and be the night of His arrest, and then death (see Lk. 22:7), and that His betrayer was at the table with Him at that moment, and about to act (v. 21-25, see also Mk. 14:22-25). Jesus said that He would not be shedding that blood of the new testament for few, but for many, even in fact for the world - those who believe and have partaken of the Passover connection. He also revealed by this statement that we will be keeping the Passover with Him in His reign as King. When the Passover was first given to Israel by Moses for their deliverance from the last plague of death, they were told to select a male lamb without blemish (Ex. 12:5): "And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD's passover...And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and you shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; you shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever." (v. 11, 14, also see Num. 9). The Hebrew word used here for "it", referring to the Passover and the lamb, has the root word made up of the Hebrew letters aleph, tav, which are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In the Book of Revelation, Jesus referred to Himself as "The Aleph Tav", or "the Alpha and the Omega" when translated into the Greek. In the verses from Exodus and Numbers, a third Hebrew letter, the vaw, has been added to make up the word "it". This is the same spelling as used for the word meaning "sign", and the individual meanings of the three letters together mean "God nailed to the cross". This word is also used in Isa. 7:10-14, when the king is ordered to ask God for a "sign". The LORD provided the prophetic sign Himself in that passage in the form of a prophetic promise of a virgin giving birth to a son, and the child's name being called Immanuel, meaning "God with us". The aleph-tav sign of Passover, "God nailed to the cross", is to be a guide to the Church. Paul wrote to the church of Corinth for overlooking fornication within its congregation. The nature of the fornication was extreme, and Paul instructed them to turn the offender over to Satan. (The man would later repent and Paul then instructed the church that the man should be accepted back.) Paul warned the church about the tolerance of sin in their midst: "Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven (meaning sin) leaveneth the whole lump? 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." (1 Cor. 5:1-7). As the church today, like the Corinthian church long ago, ignores the destruction and death caused by sin, they are also missing the Passover connection. Both Jesus and Paul spoke of the Passover connection two thousand years ago. All who have received this truth since then have also received the promise of eternal life. Can anyone afford to ignore this? All believers are called to the wedding supper of the Lamb of God, but don't try to sneak in without your wedding garment, which is eternal life. As Passover approaches, we must examine our lives and remove the leaven, which is sin, while we reflect on Who our Passover is. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 3/26/23 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and END TIME SCHOOL, also on Facebook. You can also get a free ebook titled "The Shroud of Turin- A Perfect Summary" at www.TheShroudofTurin.org/freebook.

Renewal Not Resolution*

When I saw the thousands of people celebrating the new year, especially in New York City, I had great concern for the nation, including New York City, and for the Body of Christ. It is customary that when the new year begins, people make resolutions to change certain things in their lives and circumstances. However, scripture teaches something different: "...be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind..." (Rom. 12:2). Our minds are washed and renewed by one thing- the Word of God. One thing that can prevent the renewing of our minds is a religious mindset that refuses to hear the truth that is revealed in the scriptures, both in the Torah and the Prophets, and in the New Testament.Jesus healed a man on the sabbath of a Feast of the LORD, who suffered from infirmity for thirty-eight years, and was confined to a bed at the pool of Bethesda, by the sheep market. When healing the man, Jesus said to him: "Rise, take up thy bed and walk." (Jn. 8:1-8). The religious Jews who saw the cured man carrying his bed, scolded him saying: "It is the sabbath day: it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed." (v. 9-10). Instead of rejoicing in the healing blessing received by this man on the sabbath, they condemned him for carrying his bed away. They needed a renewing of their minds, because what they condemned as a sinful behavior was really the manifestation of the power and mercy of God. Later, when Jesus saw the healed man again in the temple, He said to him: "Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more , lest a worse thing come onto thee." (v. 14). Once we have received the grace of God, we are not to continue in sin. When the religious Jews found out that it was Jesus who had healed the man, instead of seeking Him out as the Son of God, they persecuted Him, and sought to slay Him for doing these things on the sabbath (v. 16). Unrenewed minds are dangerous. However, Jesus confronted them with not just the healing of God, but with the resurrection power of His Father placed into Jesus' hands: "Verily, verily...the Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do...For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father...hath committed all judgment unto the Son: that all men should honor the Son, even as they honour the Father...He that heareth my word, and believeth on him who sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life...The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live...Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." (v. 19-29, excerpt). Instead of believing Jesus, who could bring them everlasting life by the authority given to Him by His Father, those who had not renewed their minds in the Word of God (who was speaking to them) condemned Jesus again, this time for blasphemy for claiming that God was His Father. Jesus finally said to them: "...these things I say that ye might be saved...And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye may have life...But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you...Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?" (v. 34, 37-47). What Jesus was telling them in no way contradicted the Law of Moses, but confirmed and fulfilled it. All of scripture bears witness of Jesus, as He said. We keep the law because of Christ in us, not legalistically, but by understanding the intent of God. Man's resolutions often fail, but the Word of God, as we are conformed to it, and renewed by it, does not fail. The Bible is unlike any book written by man, because it is living and active, inspired by the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote that just because the Word of God is not believed, does not mean that it is of no effect: "For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true and every man a liar.; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged." (Rom. 3:1-5). God is true, and will judge the world by this truth, and not in injustice (v. 5). Life is not a New Year's Eve party in Times Square NYC, where everyone sings the John Lennon song, "Imagine". Unlike the lyrics of that song, there is a heaven, and there is a hell. As Paul wrote: "There is no fear of God before their eyes." (v. 18). Paul asked if faith makes the law of God void: "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law." (v. 31). The Law is not being destroyed by faith in Christ - it is being established. The sin that destroys us, and destroys the world, is not done away with by New Year's resolutions. Also, grace is not in place to continue covering a life of repeated sin. Paul wrote about the renewing of our mind regarding sin with this knowledge: "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid, How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.. Knowing this, our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin...Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom. 6:1-7, 11). We have died to sin in this body, and are alive in Christ in His resurrected body. We are not to continue in sin because we are under grace and not under law: "But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin , but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered to you. Being made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness...For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (v. 15-18, 23). In this renewal of our minds, we are not to think like the world. The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." (1 Cor. 3:16-17, 19, see also 1 Cor. 6:5-8, 19). What we were in the world, we are to be no longer by the renewal of Christ: "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God...For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1 Cor. 6:9-11, 20). This nation has turned its back on God, being full of abominations, and it cannot be fixed with New Year celebrations and resolutions. The Renewal we need is not in "religion", but in Christ. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 1/1/23 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and END TIME SCHOOL, also on Facebook. You can also get a free ebook titled "The Shroud of Turin- A Perfect Summary" at www.The ShroudofTurin.org/freebook.

Search the Scriptures*

In Acts 17, a special group of people in Berea were mentioned as those to whom Paul preached the Gospel. They were commended in this regard: "These (Bereans) were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed...". (Acts 17:11-12). The Bereans looked through what we call the Old Testament scriptures to verify what Paul was telling them about Christ and His suffering and resurrection (see v. 2-3). These scriptures caused them to believe. Jesus also said: "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me." (Jn. 5:39). If we search the scriptures, we will find Jesus. On this same occasion, Jesus spoke of His unbreakable connection to His Father in heaven: "For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth who he will...Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; and hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man." (v. 21-27). Jesus also spoke of the two parts of judgment: "...the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice; and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." (v. 28-29). There is a judgment for all. For those who believe in Christ, and live according to that belief and do good, eternal life awaits them. If we will search the scriptures, we will find that David spoke about this in Psalm 23. He spoke of experiencing the "shadow of death" without fear. Death has become just a shadow, rather than the reality, for those who believe and know the LORD as their Shepherd. Paul wrote, referring to the prophecy of Isaiah (64:4), that man has not seen, heard, nor understood the wonderful things that God has prepared for them that love Him. These things are revealed to us only by His Spirit: "...for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God." (1 Cor. 2:9-11). As we search the scriptures, the Spirit of God also searches on our behalf, to reveal to us those things that only God knows. Peter gives us an interesting look into how this mystery of Christ is revealed by the Spirit. He wrote to those who had never seen Jesus Christ, yet believed, and connected this to the prophets: "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." (1 Peter 1:8-11). It was the Spirit of God that revealed Christ to the prophets, not for their sakes alone, but to benefit us later. The very things that the prophets saw ahead by their diligent search of the Spirit of God, are the things that were revealed to us many centuries later for our salvation. We received this revealed Word by the same Holy Spirit sent from heaven for that purpose (v. 12). David, searching the Spirit of God, was given a prophetic revelation in Psalm 22, of Christ's suffering and crucifixion, a form of execution not invented until seven hundred years later by the Persians. Search the scriptures, and search the Holy Spirit as the prophets, the Bereans, and David did, and you will also find the Person of Jesus Christ, as Jesus said. This kind of revelation is to keep our minds, our soberness, and our hope, until the appearance of Jesus again (v. 13). Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost (see Acts 2:25-31) the prophetic revelation of the resurrected Jesus given to David. David wrote this revelation in Psalm 16: "I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." (v. 8-11). Peter said that David was both dead and buried (the Upper Room of Acts 2 is located above the Tomb of David), but, speaking to us as a prophet, and according to the promise which God had sworn to him, David was speaking of the Messiah to come, who would be the fruit of his loins, of his flesh, in a future generation of David's, to be raised from the dead incorruptible, and seated on David's throne (Acts 2:29-31). Those who search the scriptures are kept and made strong in the discovery of the prophetic promises and their sovereign fulfillment. Ezekiel prophesied of this same King and Shepherd, whom he called "David", even though David was dead long before this prophetic word came forth: "...Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen...and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation...; and one king shall be king to them all...I will save them out of all their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them; and they shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them." (Ezek. 37:21-24). The LORD also prophesied the everlasting covenant of peace that He will make with His people, and of His sanctuary that will be in the midst of them forever (v. 26). This refers to the millennial reign of Christ. The prophecy regarding David as their King and Shepherd immediately follows a prophecy shown to Ezekiel in which God will unite as one, Ephraim, the son of Joseph, and a tribe of Israel, and Judah, another tribe of Israel. Joseph's son Ephraim, meaning "doubly fruitful", was born of a Gentile mother in Egypt. The name's feminine form, Ephratah, refers to Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ, and the place where the Passover lambs are pastured during the year. The Book of Revelation confirms the prophecy of Ezekiel, and David as well: "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful." Rev. 21:3-5). Serch the scriptures, for His Word is indeed true and faithful. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 8/28/2022 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and endtimeschool, also on Facebook.