The Advent of Easter Part XXII 2019. From Passover to Deliverance.

The first Passover prescribed by God was exceedingly different from the Passover the day of Jesus’ death. Yet, God provided the first Passover as a foreshadow of the ultimate release from the bondage of sin He planned for His people through His Son–that is through God Himself in the Second Person of the Trinity.

The first Passover, marked the deliverance of God’s people from the Egyptian enslavement. God instructed the sacrificial lamb to be slain after sundown on Nissan 14. (The month of Nissan is also referred to as the month of Abib). The blood of this lamb was smeared on the door posts of the homes of those who worshiped God, allowing the last plague God ordered for Pharaoh, death of the first-born male, to bypass the Israelite’s home.

The lamb that was slain was to be eaten that night along with bread made without any leaven. Leaven in the Bible represents sin. The family inside the homes were to eat the lamb in haste, ready to travel. While they ate, they no doubt heard the travails of families as the death angel took the life of the first-born male for all households without the blood of the lamb on their doorposts.

The next day for the ancient Israelites, the 15th of Nissan, marked their day of plundering the Egyptians as they gathered their belongings in preparation for their departure. Moses was their deliverer, showing the way out of Egypt, by following God’s leading in the pillar of smoke.

Contrast this to the day of Passover as observed by Jesus disciples. They had eaten their Passover meal in commemoration of the original Passover. They must have been reflecting on the faithfulness of God to deliver His people. Their anticipated evening of worship and reflection was interrupted by tremendous commotion in and around the city as Jesus was arrested, tried and sentenced to death. After seeing Him die on the cross the day before, now on the 15th of Nissan, they are to observe the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For the disciples and many of the women who followed Jesus, this day had to have been especially somber with no desire to celebrate. They were likely together, mourning Jesus’ death, trying to make sense of all they observed and had participated in during the previous three years.

The day before while they wanted to honor Jesus with a proper burial, the impending sabbaths prevented them. The 15th was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The 16th was the Day of Preparation for the weekly sabbath, followed by the sabbath itself on the 17th. Imagine how they felt—entirely perplexed at the events they’ve just witnessed and utterly alienated from a providing proper burial for Jesus. To keep their religious laws, they would have to wait three long days before they could approach His body, to honor Him with the burial customs of their day.

Assuming many were gathered in groups in some effort of consolation, what do you supposed they talked about? I imagine, the men operating between total silence alternated with snapping at any comment a person dared to make. I can visualize the women quietly talking under their breath to one another concerned for the decomposition of the body and the stench, the same way they were concerned for Lazarus. They had to be immobile with astonishment that Jesus who had demonstrated tremendous leadership, who seemed to be their long-awaited hope, was reduced to the grave in a matter of hours.

Chris Christian, Gloria and Bill Gaither provide image to the scene with the following lyrics:

They all walked away, nothing to say

They’d just lost their dearest friend

All that He said, now He was dead

So this was the way it would end

The dreams they had dreamed were not what they’d seemed

Now that He was dead and gone

The garden, the jail, the hammer, the nail

How could [the] night[s] be so long?*

No doubt these days and nights they must wait before experiencing any sense of closure were exceedingly agonizing. Yet, the God they serve would not leave them without understanding, or without hope.

In this Advent of Lent, as we ponder the actual events of Passion Week, let us put ourselves in the place of the disciples, who had heard all Jesus proclaimed, but were faced with what seemed like complete opposition. They had to dig deep to connect with what they confidently knew, in order to make sense out of what they didn’t yet understand.

Considering the realities for Jesus’ disciples after His death, will be the focus of the next post.

* “Then Came the Morning” by Songwriters, Chris Christian, Gloria Gaither, and William Gaither, with noted adjustment to reflect the three nights they would have to wait.

For April 17-18, 2019 read and meditate on the following Scriptures:
Deuteronomy 16:1-8; Matthew 27:32-61; Mark 15:21-47; Luke 23:26-56; John 19.

Scroll down below to access earlier posts in this series. To view the entire list of planned devotions, see the Introduction.

For author bio and schedule of posts for The Advent of Easter click here.