I love the way the scriptures all come together. From Genesis in the beginning of time... to Revelation at the end of time, we see the plan of God laid out before us. Track with me here as I follow this thread:
In Genesis, sin entered into the human race and God made a covering for their sin by the slaying of an innocent animal.
In Exodus, God had the Israelites kill an innocent lamb, perfect with no blemishes, and apply the blood to the doorposts of their house as protection from the final plague He was bringing on the Egyptians. If they did this, they would be spared…the blood would be their covering.
Exodus 12- “Announce to the whole community of Israel
Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel
They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses.
On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt Egypt
But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you.”
This seems pretty strange to us. I am sure it seemed very strange to them also.
But God had a reason..... He was setting up His plan.
All through history since that time, the Jewish people have celebrated the Passover…the time when God spared them from death and delivered them from their slavery in Egypt
…….God made a way to set them free from slavery and death.
As they traveled through the wilderness to the promised land, God instituted the sacrifices to be the covering for their sins. But these were only temporary...they had to be continually offered up…over and over again...
In the rest of the Old Testament....down through the years, they were constantly reminded of their sin and that they had to make a sacrifice to cover for it.
In the New Testament...on the last night with His disciples, Jesus was celebrating the Passover feast with them. When they came to a certain part of the meal, Jesus did something different.
Luke 22:19 He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then He broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying,
"This is My body, which is given for you.
Do this to remember Me."
After supper He took another cup of wine and said,
"This cup is the new covenant between God and His people—an agreement confirmed with My blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.
I wonder what they were thinking at that moment. They had been celebrating the Passover meal to remember how God had delivered their ancestors from slavery and death… through the death of an innocent lamb.
Now Jesus was saying something they couldn’t understand.
~Was He saying He was going to die?
~What about ushering in the kingdom and overthrowing the Romans who ruled over them?
~What did He mean ‘new covenant'?
I wonder if they remembered what John the Baptist had said at the start of Jesus’ ministry:
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
John was proclaiming Jesus as the Lamb….the sacrifice for the sins of the world!
~That would mean that Jesus would have to die!
~His blood would be poured out!
~That could not be!
Didn’t He make it a point to explain to them that He was the Shepherd?
The one who watched out for them and made sure they were safe and taken care of?
John 10:14 "I am the good shepherd; I know My own sheep,
and they know Me"
When did they connect the dots?
Genesis....sin brings death....death of innocent covers sin
Exodus....death of sinless lamb frees from slavery.....sacrifice brings life
John....Jesus the Lamb of God.
Was it as He was dying on the cross…or when He appeared to them alive again and connected the dots for them?
Luke 24:27 "Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself."
~Maybe that is when they remembered the rest of what He said about being the Shepherd.
John 10:14 "I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep."
~Maybe that is when they finally connected the dots…
........the Shepherd is the Lamb!
What a marvelous, wonderful mystery!!
Only God could have thought of a plan like that.
Hallelujah!
Rev 7:17 "for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes."
Thank You, Jesus!
Really great video if you have the time to watch...The Revelation Song
No comments:
Post a Comment