This day shall be unto you for a memorial and you shall keep it a feast to the Most High God

Exodus 12:14 (KJV)
14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.Exodus 12:3-14 (TS98)
3 “Speak to all the congregation of Yisra’ĕl, saying, ‘On the tenth day of this month each one of them is to take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. 4 ‘And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next to his house take it according to the number of the beings, according to each man’s need you make your count for the lamb. 5 ‘Let the lamb be a perfect one, a year old male. Take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 ‘And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then all the assembly of the congregation of Yisra’ĕl shall kill it between the evenings. 7 ‘And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. 8 ‘And they shall eat the flesh on that night, roasted in fire – with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 ‘Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire, its head with its legs and its inward parts. 10 ‘And do not leave of it until morning, and what remains of it until morning you are to burn with fire. 11 ‘And this is how you eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Passover of יהוה. 12 ‘And I shall pass through the land of Mitsrayim on that night, and shall smite all the first-born in the land of Mitsrayim, both man and beast. And on all the mighty ones of Mitsrayim I shall execute judgment. I am יהוה. 13 ‘And the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I shall pass over you, and let the plague not come on you to destroy you when I smite the land of Mitsrayim. 14 ‘And this day shall become to you a remembrance. And you shall observe it as a festival to יהוה throughout your generations – observe it as a festival, an everlasting law.

Today the Sabbath begins at 2.37 hours with Yom Vaw, 14 Nisan 5776 Ta’anit Bechorot (תענית בכורות), going in to the most important weekend of the year.

A person is required to involve themselves in the laws of Pesach and Yetzias Mitzraim and discuss the signs and wonders that Hashem did for our forefathers until he is ‘caught’ by sleep.{Shulchan Aruch in siman 481}

For the People of Israel the firstborn males over the age of Bar Mitzvah (13) are obligated to fast on the 14th of Nissan, in recognition of the fact that during the “Plague of the Firstborn” (which occurred at midnight of Nissan 15) God “passed over” the Jewish firstborn when He killed all firstborn Egyptians.

If there is a firstborn male in the family under 13, the obligation to fast rests with the father. The prevailing custom, however, is for the firstborn to exempt themselves from the obligation to fast by participating in a seudat mitzvah (a meal marking the fulfillment of a mitzvah), such as a siyyum–a festive meal celebrating the conclusion of the study of a section of Torah).

In Christianity we have a High Priest who has taken over the obligations and fulfilled all offerings people had to do. But him giving his body (flesh and blood) does not mean all laws where broken. Clearly rabbi Jeshua himself asked his disciples to prepare for the most important gathering of the year. At the table he too asked his faithful followers to remember that night he was with them and him taking the bread and wine as a signal of a New Covenant.

Too many Christians do forget that God ordered certain festivals, which we still have to remember. In the book of Exodus is spoken about the Most High Divine Creator Who passed through the land of Egypt on the night which was to be engraved in all the minds of God’s People, because then Jehovah was to strike every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, both man and beast. The “I Am Who is” יהוה Jehovah, the Most High All Mighty Elohim executed in the old days judgements against all the gods of Egypt. The blood on the houses, where the lovers of God were staying, got a distinguishing mark for them so that the angels of God could see the blood and God’s Power of destruction would pass over them. After all the plagues that came over Egypt no plague was going among God’s People to destroy them when God stroke the land of Egypt.

The firstborns of God’s People where saved and that has to be remembered for ever. God declared that day to be a memorial for the People of Israel, and told them they must celebrate it as a festival to the Almighty Adonai. Jehovah God asked them to celebrate it throughout their generations as a permanent statute. Having it as a permanent statue or a feast by an ordinance for ever, all lovers of God should remember that day.

But that “ordinance forever” (AV) this passover (with lamb) is no longer kept by Jews, because the means of sacrificing lambs has been taken away from them. But it is still being kept by the new Israel, and will be kept in kingdom. {Christadelphian Agora}

On that nigh of remembrance Jesus told his disciples he will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

Luke 22:16 (TS98)
16 for I say to you, I shall certainly not eat of it again until it is filled in the reign of Elohim.”

The Jews had to eat unleavened bread for seven days. On the first day they still must remove yeast from their houses and God warned them that whoever eats what is leavened from the first day through the seventh day must be cut off from Israel.

Exodus 12:15 (TS98)
15 ‘Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. Indeed on the first day you cause leaven to cease from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that being shall be cut off from Yisra’ĕl.

All those who want to be for and of God are to hold a sacred assembly on the first day and another sacred assembly on the seventh day and Christians should remember what their master teacher did. He also observed the Festival of Unleavened Bread because on that very day his heavenly Father brought the divisions of His People out of the land of Egypt and asked them to observe this day throughout their generations as a permanent statute.

Like there was a lamb to save the firstborns of the old world, heathen or gentiles also received a lamb to bring salvation over them. The blood of that unblemished lamb is the blood of the sent one from God, the Kristos or Christ Jesus.

Today we come together to hear the readings from the old as well as the new exodus, the liberation of both God’s People, the People of Israel and the People of the New Covenant. In Christ Jesus all those willing to accept Jesus (Jeshua) for who he is and for what he has done, can come under that “distinguishing mark” that makes that they can come under the Grace of salvation.

Let us rejoice for the Great Gift commemorated.

Though all life is only “vanity” – meaning a ‘mist’ which has no substance, it simply fades away. Jesus was nearing the end of his life but even in that difficult moment he gave not in and kept doing the will of God. When Solomon lamented that all life is only “vanity” and his vision and relationship with God had faded – so much so that he can write,

“It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with … all is vanity and a striving after wind” (Ecclesiastes 1: 13,14).

we know we may be busy with lots of worldly things but on days like this one we are all with God.

In total contrast with Solomon we see in John’s gospel a wonderful intimate account of his lord and master’s prayer in chapter 17; this is immediately before his arrest. And what perplexity followed! However, Jesus is command of the situation , but no one seems to realize this – except, perhaps, Pilate!

In the events that unfolded everything seemed to be dysfunctional – just like our world today! But those who know God’s word today see that God’s plan and purpose with is nearing its completion. The words of Jesus challenge us to think through them to fully grasp their sense: a wonderful unity of mind awaits us if we can do this.

Jesus prays for his disciples whom his is sending “into the world” and “also for those who will believe in me through their word …” (verses 18,20) We notice what he is particularly praying for,

“that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us” (verse 21).

The real nature of this one-ness is very clear – unity of mind – creating for us, a unity of vision of the plan and purpose of God. And now we must note the wondrous climax of this part of our Lord’s petition to his Father!

“I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me” (verse 23).

This surely also applies to all “those who will believe” in Jesus “through their word”.

So few in “the world” today “know” this: it is a perception in our hearts, let us make sure that we “know” it. Jesus further says,

“O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me” (verse 25).

May we be among those who “know” – and show that we do by all that we think, say and do, today and every day until our faith is turned to sight. And how wonderful our lives will then become!

Let us also bring the news of the Good Tidings, telling others what happened so many centuries ago and how we became liberated and have the path to the entrance of God’s Kingdom prepared for us.

Preceding particles:

Kingdom Visions of Rainbowed angel, Lamb in Mount Zion

Kingdom Visions of God’s judgements and Marriage of the Lamb

The Song of The Lamb #2 Sevens

The Song of The Lamb #7 Revelation 15

Why we do not keep to a Sabbath or a Sunday or Lord’s Day #3 Days to be kept holy or set apart

Like grasshoppers

Easter holiday, fun and rejoicing

A Great Gift commemorated