Passover 5767

If you ever happen to look at the little Hebrew calendars I post on my blog each month, you may notice that some of them have little pictures beside the phases of the moon. This month, those pictures correspond to the passover and the days of unleavened bread. I will explain it briefly below, but just keep in mind that the days go from right to left or you will be horribly confused.

The first symbol is on the 14th of the month and it represents the passover (Exodus 12:6, Leviticus 23:5, Numbers 9:3, 28:16). I have used a picture of a cross because Jesus is our passover (1 Corinthians 5:6-8).

The seven days following it are the days of unleavened bread (Exodus 12:15,19) from the 15th to the 21st (Exodus 12:18, Leviticus 23:6, Numbers 28:17). I have used a picture of a goblet (of wine) with unleavened bread to represent this.

The first of the seven days of unleavened bread is a sabbath (day of rest) and so is the seventh (Exodus 12:16, Leviticus 23:7-8, Numbers 28:18,25). These two sabbaths are annual sabbaths or high sabbaths which can fall on any day of the week, unlike weekly sabbaths which are every Saturday. This year, they just happen to fall on Wednesday and Tuesday. If you notice, you can see that I have labelled them "שַׁבָּת" (Shabbath) as I have also done to each weekly sabbath on all my calendars.

As a side note, I believe that in the year which Jesus died, the first high sabbath was a Thursday, and He died on the Wednesday passover preparation of that day (John 19:14,31). This might sound strange if you are used to the Good Friday-Easter Sunday tradition, but you try to fit three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40) between Friday afternoon/night and Saturday night (which is before sunrise Sunday: Matthew 28:1, Mark 16:2, Luke 24:1, John 20:1). It can't be done! Even if you improperly apply inclusive reckoning at its heaviest, you can only stretch the Easter tradition from one day and two nights to three days and two nights. I'm happy to show you a lot more evidence for why this is a more sensible Biblical view if you are interested.

I'm always disappointed whenever I don't get a chance to share the passover with anyone, and it's not just because I have no one's feet to wash but my own. They would be impressed with how saturated it is with symbolism pointing to Jesus which has been repeated for thousands of years for apparently no reason all the way down to the stripes on the unleavened bread. Why, for example, do we break the Afikomen (desert) from the middle of three pieces of unleavened bread, wrap it in a cloth and hide it to be recovered later?

When it comes to the horseradish, I like to use the Japanese kind (wasabi) and mix it with things like hot English mustard. When I feel like I can't endure it any longer and think I'm going to faint or something silly, I remember how willingly Jesus already endured much worse pain for me than just taste, all the way to the most excruciating death while I was still a sinner, before I even accepted His free gift. I have no right to think He can't forgive me for the things I've done to Him if I give Him my own life.

When I keep passover, I remember that I was in bondage to sin and what Jesus paid so that now I am completely free. This passover (April 3rd, 2007), I realised that I had forgotten my freedom. I had become afraid of how disobedient I was last year. I had been swallowed up by the consequences and filled with despair that I would again be imprisoned. But during the passover I remembered what Christ had suffered so that I don't have to suffer. Since this year's passover, I have felt constant peace. I also remembered that I used to be in another bondage. I remembered who I am and what I've been through and how God miraculously brought about my escape from Hell and I was reminded of who Jesus is and how He has already gone through the worst of the worst so that I don't have to.

This happens every year. The passover brings me back to reality when the devil tries to make me forget and feel like I have to keep fighting him on my own. How many times does God remind us where we came from, that He saved us and command us to remember and warn us not to forget? Here are just a few places:

Exodus 13:3; Exodus 13:14; Exodus 20:2; Deuteronomy 5:6; Deuteronomy 5:15; Deuteronomy 6:12; Deuteronomy 7:8; Deuteronomy 7:18; Deuteronomy 8:2; Deuteronomy 8:11-20; Deuteronomy 13:5; Deuteronomy 13:10; Deuteronomy 15:15; Deuteronomy 16:3; Deuteronomy 16:12; Deuteronomy 24:18; Deuteronomy 24:22; Joshua 24:17; Judges 6:8; Judges 8:34; 1 Chronicles 16:12; Psalms 77:11; Isaiah 46:9; Jeremiah 34:13; Micah 6:4; Ephesians 2:11-13; Hebrews 10:32

At the beginning of the ten commandments, God identifies Himself: "I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage." - Exodus 20:2, Deuteronomy 5:6.

I just saw my two favourite movies recently too. The Shawshank Redemption and Edward Scissorhands. Why are they my favourite? All my favourite movies are about escaping some sort of prison. My next favorite is The Man in the Iron Mask. Another one is Chicken Run. See? The way I see it, The Shawshank Redemption is about the bondage and escape. Edward Scissorhands is about the catastrophe of the freedom which follows.

Anyway, I saw Edward Scissorhands again recently, and identified with Edward all over again. He had just found freedom and had to deal with the world. He took everything literally. He was covered in scars. He was constantly feared, mistrusted and misunderstood. He was "cursed" with a deadly razor sharp creative power and tried to protect his loved ones from it by withdrawing from them.

But in the end, he gave up! I no longer identify! I've often said, "I don't know how to give up, and I don't want to learn." But Eddie went back home! I was so close to doing that lately, and I was in a pretty dark place. It's a beautiful movie, but it has a sick ending. It made me very depressed this time, but I think it showed me the finality of it. This is how it ended for Eddie. This is what everyone will remember. Everyone who hates this movie, hates it for this reason. Someone (I won't say who) said, "Mathieu, how can you love that movie? Johnny Depp "died" without getting laid! It was appalling!" Usually I just love this movie because I can identify so well. I first saw it in black and white before I even escaped and I loved it then. This time, though, it kind of reminded me of the morbid crossroads I was at in knowing I could wind up back in the world of the forgotten and non-existent.

Then I saw The Shawshank Redemption again, and I began to remember who I am. I began to remember where I've come from and that before I escaped I've been through 500-times worse than what I went through last year. I remembered how heroic I used to see myself, and how much hope I had. That I was swimming out of slime and none of it could touch me. I remembered why I escaped. That I had a mission and only saw my prison castle of despair as a minor hiccup which was fun to scorn and sabotage until it was time to go.

I remembered my purpose on this planet. Why I held out so long to come back. It's hard not to be intense when you remember why you're free, but I was already aiming "impossibly" high before my bondage, I just have more catching up to do now, as well as having proof that I can endure it.

Well that's enough praising myself with my new-found/remembered sense of self-worth. Perhaps you've experienced something similar and would like to comment.

In the meantime, I usually watch The Passion of The Christ after the passover supper but would you believe this time I fell asleep half way through. I always hear of those are shocked at how violent it is (which it is, don't show the kids) and how they think that it was exagerated, but they obviously don't know their history. Mel Gibson watered it down... a lot!! I won't go into detail here.
I feel, though, that Mel left out the guts of the story, and missed the point of why Jesus died in the first place. I suppose that's what happens if you take the passion out of context with the rest of the story. Still, I think he could have picked some more relevant flashbacks. If you want a better balanced movie, make sure you get your hands on this one! Both movies have a lot to offer. I want to make my own version some day. I'm currently writing the script. I think I'll work on it every Abiyb.

Anyway, to get you reading: The feasts are listed concisely in Leviticus 23. The original story of the passover can be found in Exodus chapters 11 and 12. The other 9 plagues are in chapters 7-10. The instructions for keeping the passover, besides being in Exodus and Leviticus, are also given in Numbers 9, Numbers 28 and Deuteronomy 16 but remember that there are no more sacrifices because they "can never take away sins, but he [Jesus], when he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;" (Hebrews 10:11-12). Non-Christian Jews do not sacrifice in the common era either, because there is no longer a temple in Jerusalem. Therefore, just about no one eats lamb on passover.

Jesus is our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:6-8). You can read the story of that passover and His fulfilment of at least 30 ancient prophecies on that day alone (He fullfilled all of them, by the way) in the last three chapters of any of the four Gospels (except for John it's the last nine chapters). I recommend, though, that you read through an entire Gospel or it will be like reading The Passion and wondering what's going on all over again. There is more evidence to the historical accuracy of each of all four of these bibliographies than for any other ancient document in history outside of the Bible. Here are some more verses to help with your escape plan:

Exodus 13:3 Moses said to the people, "Remember this day, in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand Yahweh brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.

Exodus 13:14 It shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What is this?' that you shall tell him, 'By strength of hand Yahweh brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage;

Deuteronomy 6:12 then beware lest you forget Yahweh, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Jonah 2:7 "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Yahweh. My prayer came in to you, into your holy temple.

John 8:31-36
31 Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, "If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples.
32 You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."
33 They answered him, "We are Abraham's seed, and have never yet been in bondage to anyone. How do you say, 'You will be made free?'"
34 Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin.
35 A bondservant doesn't live in the house forever. A son remains forever.
36 If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

Romans 6:5-6
5 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection;
6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin.

1 Corinthians 5:6-8
6 Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast leavens the whole lump?
7 Purge out the old yeast, that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed in our place.
8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old yeast, neither with the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Galatians 4:3 So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elements of the world.

Galatians 4:8 However at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to those who by nature are no gods.

Galatians 5:1 Stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and don't be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

Hebrews 2:14-15
14 Since then the children have shared in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same, that through death he might bring to nothing him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
15 and might deliver all of them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

James 1:23-24
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man beholding his natural face in a mirror;
24 for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.