April 13, 2025
Greetings and blessings to all of you. Passover begins this year from April 12th to the 20th; celebrating the Israelites liberation from slavery in Egypt, as described in the Book of Exodus. Passover or “pesakh” in Hebrew is the night when God’s protective love held back death. And after this first time, Moses instructed the Israelites to observe this meal as an annual feast. It has been celebrated every year since. Should Christian find the Passover relevant to them? Yes and Yes again. Let me explain. Christ is the God-Man meaning even though Christ became fully human, He also retained His full Deity. It is known as the Hypostatic Union. He was not half God and half man; he was fully God and fully Man. In I Peter 1:19 the Word says, “for you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from the fathers not with perishable things like silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. He was chosen BEFORE the foundation of the world but was revealed at the end of times for you who through Him are believers in God who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory so that your faith and hope are in God.” Christ shed his blood to rescue His people. We need to be covered or justified by the blood of the Lamb to be rescued from condemnation. Christ is the Lamb that takes away the sins of the world. Are you now seeing Christ in the Passover? In the Book of Exodus, the blood of the sacrificed lamb was applied to the doorframe the lintel and side posts. Because of the covering of blood, the houses full of Israelites families was spared from God’s plague. God/Christ gave His people a way to escape the destruction; the blood of a perfect lamb was used to Passover the houses that were marked…for the death that was to come. The Passover is deeply rooted in themes of redemption and freedom, Jesus Christ last supper prefigures the Passover. The Gospel of John emphasizes the connection by aligning the timing of Jesus crucifixion with the preparation of the Passover lambs deepening the symbolism of Jesus as the ultimate and final Passover lamb whose sacrifice delivers believers from the bondage of sin. And Christians can now identify with the themes of oppression with the hope of liberation. So join in a Seder this year remembering Christ in the Passover.
With the Love of Christ
First Lady Vivian C. Currie
Pastor ALC