The Spirit And The Lamb

TEXT: Rev. 5:6 - And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

The feast of Passover is the celebration and retelling of the great story of how God redeemed the Jewish nation from enslavement in Egypt, a type of the believer's redemption from sin through Christ and Him crucified, was given to the Jews while they were still in Egypt.

The first Passover in Egypt centered around the Passover lamb, which was sacrificed and its blood put over the doorposts as a sign of faith and protection from that which the Lord would do in the killing of the firstborn of all who. The great promise of Exodus 12:10 - "when I see the Blood, I will pass over you," is the hallmark promise of what this writer believes to be Israel's greatest feast on her calendar - the beginning of months, the Feast of Passover. When we came to Christ, who brought us out of Egypt through His precious blood, we experienced a "first of months," or beginning spiritually as we became new creatures in Christ Jesus!

Exodus 12:1-3
And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, [2] This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. [3] Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:

2 Cor. 5:17-21
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. [18] And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation

Exodus 12:13-14
And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. [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.

The blood on the door posts was to be a token to all Israel that God would pass over those who placed their faith in the slain Lamb from which the blood came. It was a powerful prophetic eternal picture of the coming Crucifixion years into the future when Heaven's glorious Lamb shed His blood for the sins of all mankind. Holy Spirit through Paul declares that Jesus Christ is our sacrificial Lamb.

1 Cor. 5:7
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us:

The Passover lamb in Egypt was to be a "male without defect," a type of Christ, the "lamb without blemish or defect."

1 Peter 1:18-19 - For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

In addition, when the lamb was roasted and eaten, none of its bones were to be broken, speaking to us of the Psalmist's prophecy of the coming Messiah, whose death was both miraculous and prophetic in nature:

Exodus 12:46
In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.

Psalm 34:20
He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.

It was customary during crucifixion to break the leg bones of the person after a few hours in order to hasten their death. The only way a person could breathe when hanging on a cross was to push up with his legs, which was very exhausting. By breaking the legs, death followed soon by asphyxiation. However, in the case of Jesus, they broke the legs of the other two men, but did not break His, since He was already dead.

John 19:32-33
Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs:

John 19:36
For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.

The feast of Passover contains many symbolic and prophetic tones of Christ, our risen Lamb! Let me tell you this friend and I should have stated this sooner. The cross of Christ and His subsequent resurrection, of which Passover celebrates, is the only thing that stands between man and eternal hell. Men today don't believe in a hell but the fact of Christ's resurrection warns all men - without exception - that there is a life after this life we see in the natural. EVERY single human being will spend eternity after they die on this earth in either one or two places - heaven or hell. For the child of God death has no fear but a glorious promise. Because HE lives, we shall live also!

For the sinner without God, eternity does not hold such a promise of life but eternal death and punishment in the lake of fire, separated from God for all eternity. That sounds blunt but blunt is what this writer must be to express the importance in faith in the Passover Lamb we speak of. We no longer partake of a roasted animal but we partake of a LIVING CHRIST. John declared, "Behold, the LAMB of God, who takes away the sin of the World."

John 1:29 - The next day John saw Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.

During a normal Passover celebration, five days before the lamb was to be sacrificed, it was chosen by the head of the house. Jesus came into the city of Jerusalem five days before the lamb was killed in the temple as the Passover sacrifice for the sins of the people of Israel. Therefore, Jesus entered Jerusalem on lamb selection day as the lamb of God five days before He would lay down His life on the Cross for the sins of all mankind.

The nation of Israel did not understand the significance of this then and millions do not understand it today; with a fickle heart scores greeted Him with palm branches and hailed Him as King, shouting "Hosanna,"which means "save us." However, Israel's religious leaders were not looking for a spiritual Savior, but a political savior, and thus had rejected Christ's claim He was both Israel's Messiah and the Son of God. I ask you today, how many millions of people have their faith in a "political," or "social," or "racial," or a myriad of other Christs instead of embracing and having their faith in the Crucified Lamb of Glory, embracing His cross and walking after Him in self-denial, repentance and faith?

One cannot come to God except one come through Christ the Son; one cannot come to Christ except one take up his cross, deny himself and follow after the Lord. Denying one's self signifies repentance and crucifying the lusts and power of the flesh through yielding ourselves to the power of the Holy Spirit.

Luke 9:22-24
Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. [23] And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. [24] For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

Palm branches were a symbol of freedom and defiance, since Simon Maccabeus had entered Jerusalem with that symbolism years earlier. Christ knew the hearts of those welcoming Him in such a manner and He knows the hearts of all those who falsely accept Him today. His reaction was to weep as He recognized Israel's blindness in understanding His purpose in coming - the Cross. Israel wanted freedom from Rome; Christ came to give freedom from Satan, who controlled both Rome AND Israel at that time. Israel wanted a political saviour; Christ came to change the hearts of men, not change ruler ship over Jerusalem.

John 12:12-13 - On the next day the great multitude who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took the branches of the palm trees, and went out to meet Him, and began to cry out, "Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel.

Matthew 21:8 - And most of the multitude spread their garments in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees, and spreading them in the road.

I wander how much He weeps today over His church which little understands His purpose in coming as well! Israel stumbled over the Cross, called a "stumbling block," to the Jews and "foolishness," to the Greeks i.e. Gentiles, and millions stumble over the Cross today. There is an offense most don't want anything to do with. There was an offense in sprinkling blood to the door posts in Egypt but without the sprinkling of blood those outside the house lost their firstborn to the death angel. There is a death angel coming for ALL those not under the Blood today just as he came to the houses in Egypt so long ago.

1 Cor. 1:22-23 - For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: [23] But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; [24] But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. [25] Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. [26] For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

That is why we preach Christ Crucified! That is why we embrace the Passover Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ; that's why we preach about Him; that's why we sing about Him; that's why we write about Him!

To say it again - Christ did not come to deliver Israel from Rome but to deliver mankind from the powers of darkness! For nearly 1,200 years on each subsequent day the Passover Lamb was to be sacrificed, the priest would blow the shofar (ram's horn) at 3:00 p.m. - the moment the lamb was sacrificed, and all the people would pause to contemplate the sacrifice for sins on behalf of the people of Israel. At 3:00 P.M. when Jesus was being crucified, He cried, "It is finished" - at the moment that the Passover lamb was sacrificed and the shofar was blown from the Temple. The sacrifice of the lamb of God was fulfilled at the hour that the symbolic animal sacrifice usually took place.

John 19:30
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

At the same time, the veil of the Temple (a three-inch thick, several story high cloth that demarked the Holy of Holies tore from top to bottom - representing a removal of the separation between God and man. Fifty days later, on the anniversary of the giving of the law (Pentecost), God left the earthly temple to inhabit those who call on the name of Jesus through His Holy Spirit.

Matthew 27:51
And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

Hebrews 9:3
And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;

Luke 23:45
And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.

Unleavened Bread and First Fruits -Burial and Resurrection

Passover actually involves two other feast - the feast of unleavened bread, and the feast of first fruits - each speaking of the crucifixion; the feast of unleavened bread speaks to us of Christ's sinless perfection and His burial as a perfect sacrifice; the Psalmist says He did not see corruption while in the grave;

Psalms 16:10 - For Thou wilt not abandon my soul to Sheol; Neither wilt Thou allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay.

Psalms 30:3 - O LORD, Thou hast brought up my soul from Sheol; Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

Psalms 49:15 - But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol; for He will receive me. Selah.

Psalms 118:17 - I shall not die, but live, And tell of the works of the LORD.

The festival of unleavened bread began Friday evening (at sunset) when the Jews would take some of the grain - the "first fruits" of their harvest - to the Temple to offer as a sacrifice. In so doing, they were offering God all they had and trusting Him to proved the rest of the harvest. It was at this point that Jesus was buried - planted in the ground - as He said right before His death. Paul refers to Jesus as the first fruits of those raised from the dead in 1 Corinthians. As such, Jesus represents the fulfillment of God's promise to provide the rest of the harvest - resurrection of those who follow the Messiah.

John 12:23-24
And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. [24] Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

1 Cor. 15:20
But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.

1 Cor. 11:24
And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

John 19:40
Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

Isaiah 53:5
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

We also see Christ in the Passover Seder itself. Three matzahs are put together (representing the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit); the middle matzah is broken, wrapped in a white cloth, and hidden, representing the death and burial of Jesus. The matzah itself is designed to represent Jesus, since it is striped and pierced, which was prophesized by Isaiah, David,and Zechariah.

Zech. 12:10-12
And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. [11] In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. [12] And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;

Psalm 22:16
For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have enclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet.

Isaiah 53:5-9
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. [6] All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. [7] He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. [8] He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. [9] And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

Following the Seder meal, the "buried" matzah is "resurrected," which was foretold in the prophecies of David. It was during a Passover Sederthat Jesus proclaimed that the meal represented Himself and He was instituting the New Covenant, which was foretold by Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah.

Luke 22:15
And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:

Jeremiah 31:31-33

Behold, days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days," declares the LORD, "I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Ezekiel 11:19-20

And I shall give them one heart, and shall put a new spirit within them. And I shall take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances, and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.

Isaiah 42:6

I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations

The celebration of this covenant has become the ordinance of communion in the Christian Church known as the Lord's Supper which is in fact, an actual part of the Jewish Seder, which is what actually took place during the Lord's "last supper" with the disciples.

Luke 22:15
And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer:

At the end of the meal, Jesus took the unleavened bread, broke it, and said that it represented His body. Then He took the cup of wine, which would have been the third cup of the Seder - the cup of redemption. He said that it was the new covenant in His blood "poured out for you."

Thus, it is through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ ALONE that we are declared clean before God, allowing those of us who choose to accept the pardon, to commune with Him - both now and forevermore through the eternal life He offers. That is the message of Passover - the glorious declaration of Jesus the LAMB and what He did for us at the Cross and the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing Justification, Sanctification and Glorification to all those who believe.

This is why we celebrate Passover; this is why we preach; this is why we sing; this is why we praise God; this is why we worship; this is why we give; this is why we write; this is why we pour our lives out for the gospel's sake for it to go forth through whatever means necessary. I pray one day to be back behind a pulpit full time preaching the gospel and pastoring but until that time comes this website will be used as a pulpit to proclaim Jesus saves, Jesus heals, Jesus baptizes in the Holy Spirit and Jesus is coming again! The great message of redemption was bought with blood and praise God for it! It was not just any blood, but PRECIOUS blood, divine blood, yet human; it was human blood, yet divine. Christ was 100% man and He was 100% God at the same time.

Only the Heavenly Father could accomplish such! No wonder Paul called it a "great salvation." No wonder angels looked into this great plan of salvation and wondered in amazement at how fallen human creatures who come to Christ in faith could be redeemed, bought with a price through such love than no mortal tongue could even begin to describe it! This is the message of Passover! This is the glorious message of the Resurrection!

Hebrews 2:3
How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

Hebrews 3:1
Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;

1 Cor. 6:20
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Let the reader be clear: if one does not keep the Cross as the object of one's faith at ALL times, the result will be what happened to Israel - self-righteousness, which in reality was what the spirit within the religious leaders of the nation who put Christ on the Cross, which in the natural was the most despicable act in human history even though for those of us who have embraced it's glory was the greatest victory ever known to mankind and the most glorious! Israel's self-righteousness led to her demise and friend ANY faith that is not faith in the Christ will produce such that will lead to our demise as well!

Mark 15:33 -39 - And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. [34] And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? [35] And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calls Elias. [36] And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. [38] And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom. [39] And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God

It took heaven a little over six hours to finally secure man's eternal redemption through the death of Jesus Christ. The last three hours were the darkest of all as God Himself had to turn away from the awful scene of our sin laid upon His Son. In three hours all of hell shook with the cry "It is Finished," for in that cry - mankind was delivered from the powers of darkness forever and forever. All we must do to receive this deliverance is to believe and repent.

Rom 3:25
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

Acts 20:21
21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

The bedrock of the gospel message is the cross of Christ which testifies to BOTH the Jews and to the Greeks of "repentance," toward God and FAITH toward our Lord Jesus Christ! Notice that it's BOTH - not that works can save man but true faith always points man to REPENT and turn from sin! That is the message of the Passover Lamb who was slain upon a bloody cross to secure man's eternal redemption.

Heb 9:12-14 - Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Another by product of a lack of modern understanding of the Cross, we little understand the power of sin and darkness. Sin is more than act. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. ALL have missed the mark. No one is righteous, NO NOT ONE, says the scripture. Sin has a power to it that beggars description because it's more than just what we do or don't do, it's a NATURE. When Adam and Eve fell by disobedience, the eternal heavens shook with the force of their rebellion against God and throughout the ages every single human being that has followed since Adam has come under the same curse - DEATH. This death is more than just the breathing out of our last breath here on earth - but SPIRITUAL death which causes men to spend eternity without God in eternal hell.

Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:17-21
For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) [18] Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. [19] For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. [20] Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: [21] That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

When you see a man sitting at a bar drinking his alcohol and getting so drunk he don't know what day it is or what his name is - you're looking at DEATH. You're looking at the death of a home, the death of man, the death of another person perhaps and if that individual is careless and gets behind the wheel of a car. When you see a heroin addict jamming their arms with needles to get a quick fix you're looking at DEATH. When a man or woman commits adultery on their spouse and spurs a marriage covenant, you're looking at DEATH. Our actions carry consequences and if not repented of will bring eternal pain to the guilty. We just can't "sin" and get away with it. You just can't do your own thing and think "I can live foot-loose and fancy free" and nothing is going to happen to me. Those are the words of a fool; people with such views usually make a mockery of sin and rebellion. That's what America's attitude toward sin has become - a big 'joke' and 'punch line.'

Proverbs 14:9 - Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favor.

Sin is not a laughing matter. To hear comedians on our television make fun of adultery, drugs, stealing, and immorality it gives people a sense that sin is OK. SIN IS NOT OK neighbor and God is not laughing at America's Tom foolery. The WAGES OF SIN is death. Death. Death. Death. I ask you again, "What do we mean when we say death?" Are we talking about the mere cessation of breath in our bodies? NO! We're talking about something more horrifying and horrible than ANY casket would hold for the corpse that lays inside. I'm talking about eternal death - separation from God. Because of the power of sin's nature, man has no power to save or deliver himself from it's results and consequences - both physical and eternal.

After Adam and Eve's fall, God killed an innocent animal in the garden shedding BLOOD, which would forever and eternally speak of man's inability to save himself from his sin. Adam and Eve should have been smitten on the spot, but instead the one stricken was an innocent victim - more than likely a lamb and declared from that point until NOW that without the SHEDDING of BLOOD, there would NEVER be remission, or removal, or forgiveness, or deliverance from sin!

God's act in the Garden of Eden was the first message of the Lamb and the Cross; His second act was the night of Passover in Egypt; and His third act was the death of His Son Jesus Christ upon the Cross! Adam and Eve's children - Cain and Abel - carried this revelation of the shedding of blood a bit further when the two boys fully illustrated this eternal conflict between man's works and God's grace. Cain would become a tiller of the ground and offered up to God the things made with his own hands. Abel, the Bible said, who was righteous, learned the lesson from his parents - the way to God is through sacrifice and blood.

The revelation of the Lam in Genesis tells us that we all are alike. There is no difference between any of us underneath our skin. We are all sinners. Adam and Eve were the world's first sinners, not the first dysfunctional family. Cain was the first murderer, not the first "abused victim," of Adam and Eve's failures. And it is in this arena that man wrestles with the question of his eternal soul with God. Millions are in hell right now because they NEVER admitted they were sinners and in need of a gracious God. Many good people who probably never killed a soul, never stole a dollar, never drank a drop of beer, never smoked a joint, are in hell today. Why? Because we must ALL come to the realization that we are SINNERS and the only remedy for this malady in our souls is the CROSS of JESUS and the blood that was shed on that cross some 2,000 years ago.

Hebrews 9:20-22
Saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you. [21] Moreover he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle, and all the vessels of the ministry. [22] And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

There is no other way to God than through the blood of the Lamb. Let me repeat it again: Without the SHEDDING of BLOOD there is no remission, no removal, no taking away, no purging, no remedy for SIN. Modern society laughs at the notion that our kids are killing each other because they are demonically tormented but folks the root of the problem in the recent school shootings is NOT SOCIETY, it's SIN! The psychologists chairs are FULL of people trying to find out why they do such deranged things with their life and hurt others and themselves. THE REASON IS SIN! Couples go to marriage counselors seeking an answer why they are divorcing and committing fornication on one another - ITS SIN! The problem in our homes is SIN. The problem with our lack of ethics and morals is SIN. We may deal with symptoms and cure the symptom BUT ONLY THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST CAN SET THE SINNER FREE FROM THE POWER THAT IS CONTROLLING HIM TO DO WHAT HE IS DOING! Glory to God.

What can WASH away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. What can MAKE me whole again - NOTHING BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS! Oh, precious is the flow, that MAKES ME WHITE AS SNOW!! NO OTHER FOUNT I KNOW - Nothing but the blood of JESUS! Nothing but the blood can set the captive free. Nothing but the blood of Jesus can set the homosexual free. Nothing but the blood of Jesus can turn a drug addict around and put him in the ministry to preach the gospel. Nothing but the blood of Jesus can set a thief free and keep him from stealing anymore. Nothing but the blood of Jesus can calm a hurting heart and wounded spirit and give life again to a person who has lost all hope of living and has tried suicide to end their life. NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD! And it was at CALVARY where it was shed and the Lamb was slain. That is the message of Passover - the LAMB and the Cross!

Genesis 3:21
Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

In Genesis 3:21 God killed an innocent creature in order to clothe those who stood naked in His sight because of sin. In like manner, the Father gave up His Son, the innocent One, unto death in order to provide an atoning covering for the souls of men. An innocent victim would have to die; however, it would have to be victim who would be perfect in every respect, which would make a suitable Sacrifice in order that the sin debt be paid and the Righteousness of God be satisfied. Man could not furnish that Sacrifice, such being impossible to him; therefore, God furnished the Sacrifice Himself, actually becoming man in order to pay this terrible price, which He did at the Cross.

This of which we have just mentioned, was and is the greatest display of LOVE that humanity has ever known and ever shall know. Jesus did many things as it regards Redemption, which includes His Virgin Birth, which of course was an absolute necessity, and as well, His sinless, perfect life, never falling one time to sin in any shape, form or fashion. As well, He performed every type of miracle that one could begin to think; however, all of this, as important and necessary as it was, was ancillary to the main event, His DEATH ON THE CROSS. The Cross is NEVER to be looked upon as an incidental situation, in other words, just a part of all that Jesus did.

Listen closely friend. Had Jesus came to earth born of a virgin, lived a sinless perfect life, did all the miracles He did - ALL OF THESE THINGS COULD NOT HAVE REDEEMED A SINGLE SOUL! It took the CROSS, or DEATH to do that. We must ever keep that before us this Passover season. The cross was necessary for man's initial salvation AND IT IS NECESSARY FOR OUR CONTINUED VICTORY as CHRISTIANS today. All "abundant life," and "rest," Jesus promised to those who believed Him could come about only as a result of the CROSS.

Christian friend hear me good. It took what Jesus did at the cross to SAVE YOU and it will take faith in that Finished to KEEP you and Save you! When we say the "Cross" we are also speaking of the "Resurrection," and "Exaltation" of Christ. We are seated in that exalted place Christ has obtained - but we are only there in reality if we have embraced the CROSS.

ALL VICTORY IS IN THE CROSS. ALL OVERCOMING POWER IS IN THE CROSS. ALL ABUNDANT LIFE IS IN THE CROSS, meaning that every single thing we receive from the Lord from the time of conversion, comes through the FINISHED WORK OF JESUS! And the Holy Spirit works through the same FINISHED WORK. All that we receive from God comes through the Holy Spirit - who has come to earth to point us back to JESUS - AND HIS WORK AT CALVARY! THIS is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith!

1 John 5:4
For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.

The Church And The Cross

We have two extremes going on right now in the Body. The non-Pentecostal world has attempted for years to preach the cross without the Holy Spirit. That culminated with them preaching neither one, which is what is happening at present. Conversely, the Pentecostal Church world has attempted to preach the Holy Spirit without the Cross. As a result, they are preaching neither one. This leads us down a road that causes us to chase "spirits" instead of the HOLY SPIRIT because friends when we are listening to the HOLY SPIRIT HE IS ALWAYS LEADING US TO THE CROSS where the finished work of the SON was accomplished.

When we have major denominations, both Pentecostal and non-Pentecostal, supporting and advocating 12-step programs from the world of Psychology we are not listening to the HOLY SPIRIT! Believe me friend the HOLY SPIRIT will not lead you down a road with 12-steps in it - HE'LL SET YOU FREE!! Why? Because He will take you back to the CROSS OF CHRIST where the BLOOD WAS SHED 2,000 years ago that set man free and delivered him from darkness. It takes FAITH and REPENTANCE to find victory, not some advice from a new age guru dressed up in a suit and giving you a list of 12 things to do to get free!!

The Cross represents a losing of our lives and wills to DO HIS WILL and DO HIS PURPOSE throughout the earth. And the same Holy Spirit who leads us to Calvary will not lend Himself to things that would make professional wrestlers blush! We must come back to Calvary. We must come back to the source of man's freedom. And it only took a total of six hours.

The Third Hour

The Bible says Jesus was crucified at about the third hour of the day (which is 9:00 a.m.)

Mark 15:25 - And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.

Tradition tells the Jews divided their night into four watches, of three hours each. They also divided the day into four general parts. The first began at sunrise. The second three hours after. The third at mid-day. The fourth three hours after, and continued until sunset. Christ having been nailed to the cross a little after mid-day, <John 19:14-17>, and having expired about three o'clock, <Mark 15:33>, the whole business of the crucifixion was finished within the space of this third division of the day, which Mark calls here the third hour.

At a crucifixion the victim usually was nailed or tied to a wooden stake and left to die. Crucifixion was used by many nations of the ancient world, including Assyria, Media, and Persia. Alexander the Great of Greece crucified 2,000 inhabitants of Tyre when he captured the city. The Romans later adopted this method and used it often throughout their empire. Crucifixion was the Romans' most severe form of execution; so it was reserved only for slaves and criminals. No Roman citizen could be crucified.

Crucifixion involved attaching the victim with nails through the wrists or with leather thongs to a crossbeam attached to a vertical stake. Sometimes blocks or pins were put on the stake to give the victim some support as he hung suspended from the crossbeam. At times the feet were also nailed to the vertical stake. As the victim hung dangling by the arms, the blood could no longer circulate to his vital organs. Only by supporting himself on the seat or pin could the victim gain relief. But gradually exhaustion set in, and death followed, although usually not for several days. If the victim had been severely beaten, he would not live this long. To hasten death, the executioners sometimes broke the victim's legs with a club. Then he could no longer support his body to keep blood circulating, and death quickly followed. Usually bodies were left to rot or to be eaten by scavengers. There was no need for the soldiers to break the legs of Christ to hasten death. By the ninth hour <Mark 15:34, 37>, probably 3:00 P. M.-- in only six hours-- Jesus was already dead <John 19:31-33>. Scripture also tells us Jesus' body was not left to rot; the disciples were able to secure Pilate's permission to give Him a proper burial

To the Jewish people, crucifixion represented the most disgusting form of death: "He who is hanged is accursed of God" <Deut. 21:23>.

Deut. 21:23 - His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

Yet the Jewish Sanhedrin which in the sight of God was acting on behalf of all Israel, sought and obtained Roman authorization to have Jesus crucified <Mark 15:13-15>. As was the custom, the charge against Jesus was attached to the cross;

Mark 15:13-15 - And they cried out again, Crucify him. [14] Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him. [15] And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.

It was not just Israel that delivered Jesus to the Romans. It was the carnal nature of man that is within us all. Had God chosen to send Jesus to any other nation, there would have been the same results. Even Plato the heathen philosopher perceived that a truly righteous man would be despised by all men and eventually be impaled (the Greek equivalent of crucifixion). True Christianity is still on trial today. The TRUE CHURCH OF THE LORD JESUS is still being crucified today. The lesson here is when we slander, persecute, betray or harm a congregation, a minister, or a brother - even one who is the least, even one who is in doctrinal error or has other problems - we have injured the Lord himself. Passover is a celebration of the lamb Israel killed in Egypt the night of their deliverance. THE WHOLE CONGREGATION killed a lamb. WE ALL KILLED THE LORD JESUS with our sin.

The Mocking

Mark 5:17-20
And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. [18] And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. [19] Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. [20] And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

Mark records the soldiers put a purple robe on Jesus, set a crown of thorns on his head and began to mock the Son of God. The world still mocks the Son of God today. Everything that is sacred, holy, just and pure has come under attack in this last hour. Comedians make fun of Christians and sad to say many Christians laugh at the failures and acts of others. Folks, God isn't laughing. Eternity is a very serious matter. Your soul is a very serious matter before God. We don't have to act like a bunch of prudes but righteousness will one day be rewarded and SIN WILL BE PUNISHED!

It amazes me how many talk-show hosts today make fun of Jesus Christ. When President Bush was running for office his belief in Jesus came under scrutiny by many in the liberal media. When John Ashcroft was being nominated for U.S. Attorney General, things got even worse. Hear me. One day the mocking will stop and the one the world crucified and mocked 2000 years ago will come back in glory. Mockers will have their part in the lake of fire.

The Vinegar and Gall

During the first three hours, Jesus was also offered a brew of vinegar to deaden His senses, but He refused.

Mark 15:23
And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.

Why did he refuse? Because when Jesus died He took ALL the BITTERNESS OF SIN upon Himself so we would not have to. Many of you reading this right now have allowed the things of this life to make you bitter, cynical and angry. People have wronged you and hurt you and you hold a grudge a mile long. Many times when things happen to us instead of us releasing those things to God we allow them to build up and fester in our hearts and spirits instead of repenting and finding a place of reconciliation before God. JESUS TOOK THE BITTERNESS OF LIFE UPON HIMSELF so those who come to Him in faith can receive peace in their hearts instead of anger.

The society we live in has so many so-called victims but the greatest victim of them all - JESUS - overcame what was done to Him and offered prayers of forgiveness for His tormentors. I have to believe that Jesus didn't want to deaden His senses because He wanted all of HELL to know that even though Hell had done it's worst to kill Him and cause Him pain - He was doing this for the hurt and bitter of all humanity. He was saying, "Satan, you're best efforts to keep me from the will of God didn't work and I want to do this with ALL MY SENSES knowing exactly what I am doing." Jesus made in clear in John 15 it was HE, not the world, satan or anyone else, who made the decision for him to die on the cross.

John 10:15-18
As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. [16] And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. [17] Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. [18] No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Numbered With The Transgressors

Mark 15:24-32
And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. [25] And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. [26] And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. [27] And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. [28] And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors. [29] And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, [30] Save thyself, and come down from the cross. [31] Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save. [32] Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.

Jesus was "numbered with the transgressors" during the first three hours of His death. The Romans hung Him between two thieves, one on his right hand, the "other on his left." This was more than just an idle act. It speaks to us today of the identity of Christ among sinners. I wished I could say this in a nicer way. I wished I could whitewash this and not say it in a way that sounds condemnatory or critical. BUT THE WAY I KNOW THE CHURCH HAS LOST TOUCH WITH THE CROSS OF CHRIST IS WE HAVE LOST TOUCH WITH THE SINNERS AROUND US!

We don't know how to minister to sinners anymore. Jesus didn't come for the righteous, He came for those who are lost. They that are WHOLE, don't need a physician, but they who are sick NEED ONE WHO CAN HEAL THEM!. And if Jesus, the Healer and Saviour is not found among the churches who carry His name, where will the sinner find HIM? Where will the sick find Him? Where will the drug addict find Him? Where will the suicidal find Him? Where will the hurting, dying and demonically bound find Him? Where will those who are in darkness and deceived find HIM? Listen friend, you're a Christian and there is a part of you that cares deeply for others and the things that happen in your congregation - BUT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WHO PASS BY YOUR STAIN GLASS WINDOWS DON'T CARE! They are just not interested.

You say, well it's not the church's fault they are not interested in our programs. The world sits in darkness and the CHURCH OFFERS IT softball teams and poodle shows on Wednesday night. The sinner man sits in darkness and he sees us in the church divided, fighting, bickering and acting worse than Satan himself. The sinner man looks at what we say and it doesn't match up to how we live, how we talk and how we conduct ourselves to outside the walls of our cathedrals. The sinner man sits at home on Sunday needing to see JESUS in us and all he gets is a Baptist spin on why Pentecostals are wrong about tongues; all he gets is a Pentecostal spin on why Charismatics are wrong about the gifts of the Spirit. All he gets is a Protestant spin on why the Catholics are wrong.

What the world MUST hear is the message of the gospel - i.e. Jesus Christ and Him Crucified. And the source of all humanity's ills - Jesus Christ - WAS NUMBERED WITH THE TRANSGRESSORS. Why does that thrill me? Because I was one of those transgressors! You were one of those transgressors. All of mankind is one of those transgressors. Our sin put the Lamb of Glory upon the Cross. Prior to the Passover Lamb being offered in Israel the night before they left Egypt ALL the household would put their hands upon the Lamb before killing it and emptying its blood into a bowl; this typified that the Lamb covered ALL in the house and in type pictured the fact that ALL of humanity had a part in killing and crucifying Christ.

John 12:22-23
Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.
[23] And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.

Preacher, your church doesn't need a book report on Sunday morning or a 30-minute essay on the latest fads going on in the Body of Christ. People could care less to hear how big your Sunday school attendance is running or how much offering you have in the building fund. God help us. The thing they want and need to hear when they come to your church is CHRIST CRUCIFIED! Christ crucified means that JESUS SAVES, JESUS HEALS, JESUS BAPTIZES IN THE HOLY GHOST AND JESUS IS COMING AGAIN! Christ crucified means He also rose from the dead and He's not a historical Jesus that used to do it in the past, may do it in the future, but sure don't do it now. LET GOD BE TRUE AND EVERY MAN BE A LIAR! HOGWASH! Shame on you preacher for preaching your unbelief into the people of God each Sunday. Shame on you preacher for desecrating the cross of Christ by preaching a gospel that lifts up a doctrine or a denomination instead of what the LORD JESUS DID AT CALVARY. Shame on you man of God for standing up without blushing and preaching a gospel that doesn't embrace the Holy Ghost - the very POWER that Jesus sent back after His crucifixion to bring the reality of the cross to the life of every believer.

Mister, the masses of humanity who are bound don't want to hear how great your church is because of the great number of people you had last week at the weekly bingo game or the women's bazaar. When the bound come to your church, they so want and need to feel the power of the Holy Ghost as they feel the anointed word of how 2000 years ago Jesus Christ came to earth, lived a perfect life for 33 1/2 years and went to Calvary and BROKE THE POWERS OF DARKNESS and SET THE CAPTIVE FREE. NO BONDAGE hell had to throw at humanity from drugs to illicit sex to pornography to lying to stealing to anger to murder to rape can stand in the face of the blood of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Ghost!

JESUS CHRIST CAN set man free from the bondage and power of HELL! JESUS SAVES, JESUS HEALS, JESUS BAPTIZES IN THE HOLY GHOST and JESUS IS COMING AGAIN! Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! If you're church is not preaching JESUS and HIM CRUCIFIED then get out of that church - because it has apostatized. Get out of that place because the judgment of God is on it. You say "oh no, the judgment of God is not on OUR CHURCH because we had over 1,000 people in church Sunday." What does it matter if your church has 1,000 coming every Sunday if 999 of them are probably lost and on their way to hell without a true born-again, sin-killing, devil chasing, Holy Ghost birthed NEW BORN EXPERIENCE! It's not in the number of people you have coming Preacher - it's in the PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL where souls are saved, sick bodies are healed, sinners are delivered, the demonically possessed and oppressed are set free. And there is only ONE POWER ON EARTH that can do that - the power of the blood of JESUS through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. ALL THE FATHER LOVES IS WRAPPED UP IN THE SON! And it was the SON OF GOD who did all this and the one with the power to set all of mankind free WAS NUMBERED WITH THE TRANSGRESSORS.

We are so smug in the church. We piously parade around our circles while we look down our noses at the drunks, the drug addicts, the homosexuals, the immoral. We whisper under our breath and say "God, we sure are glad we're not like them.!" We smugly promote our righteousness to the world and it STINKS in the sight of a HOLY GOD. We're just like Simon the Pharisee in Luke 7 who silently whispered under his breath his disgust for a sinner woman who came to anoint the feet of Jesus. He smugly thought if Jesus was really a prophet and man of God He would KNOW "what type and manner this woman was." Brother, Jesus knew what type woman she was - she was a SINNER. He wasn't there to condone the woman's sin but HE LOVED THE WOMAN! He didn't need Simon to tell Him about the woman. The truth is the same sin the woman had in her - SIMON HAD IN HIM! Simon just had it in another form - we call it SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS and PRIDE.

And that's how we treat the sinner man who comes to our church. We smugly sit by and say "Oh I know ALL about them, they need to get saved." They probably do - BUT FRIEND you're not in any condition to elevate yourself above the one who is lost. The only line of difference between the Christian and sinner is the BLOOD! It's the blood of Jesus. It's the blood that poured like water that day 2,000 years ago on Calvary that set man free from all his bondage. We can whisper "if you only knew what type person they were," but friend, He KNOWS WHAT YOU ARE TOO! He knows what we all are. He knows that underneath all this smug, arrogant religiosity of the modern church lies nothing but a veil full of darkness, racism, hate, anger and bitterness and the inability to even judge ourselves. He knows that underneath all our smugness and arrogance we are "naked, poor, miserable, and BLIND."

We're so busy defending our doctrines and our viewpoints we have forgotten to love the sinner like Jesus loves them. We're so busy uplifting our churches, we have forgotten to take the time to get the heart of the one who was numbered with the transgressors and feel His compassion for those who are hurting and dying. I'm afraid that the lost has become just a number to put on our tally sheets at denominational headquarters instead of taking the view that Jesus takes - UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

1 John 4:17
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

1 John 3:18
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

What ever happened to helping the common man who is hurting on our trips to Jericho? We judge others for their failures and use our religiosity as a cloke to hide our own failures which are probably a hundred times worse. FRIEND, you are a TRANSGRESSOR and the only reason you do not remain under the judgment of God at this very moment is the cross of Christ. The fact you have placed your trust in Jesus does not grant you the status of a judge. It grants you the greatest opportunity to be a light to others who are in darkness and need salvation from the Lord Jesus. The trust you placed in the Cross at salvation is not a one-time deal. I don't care if you've been saved 50 years - you better keep clinging to the cross! The cross of Jesus is the place where NO FLESH glories over its own accomplishments but we humble ourselves in the presence of a Holy God and admit we are sinners and deserve death but thank Him for mercy and granting us pardon because of HIS SACRIFICE - the Lord Jesus CHRIST!

By admitting we are sinners, we place ourselves under the MERCY of God which is so wonderful and so powerful and so liberating that even a THIEF hanging on a cross with NO BIBLE education could recognize the one hanging beside Him was his only hope for redemption. AND HE IS OUR ONLY HOPE TODAY. Thank God He was numbered with the transgressors because that means He was numbered with ME. He was numbered with YOU. He was numbered with ALL OF HUMANITY for ALL HAVE SINNED AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD. ALL HAVE FAILED God and have come under His judgment bar without hope of remedy outside the CROSS of JESUS.

How could the greatest apostle of all time at the end of his life sit down and pen the words "CHRIST JESUS CAME TO SAVE SINNERS - of whom I am CHIEF?" Because Paul despite all he accomplished through Christ recognized that the only goodness he had in himself was the part of him that now belonged totally to Jesus through the death of Paul's own life and the living of the life of the Son of God.

Mark 15:29-30
29 And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, 30 Save thyself, and come down from the cross.

Many who watched the first three hours of the crucifixion wagged their heads and said, "If this man is really the Son of God, he'll come down and show us His power." In saying this they missed the fundamental principle of Christianity. Death is not defeat, it is victory. He who seeks to save his life only loses it later. But when we lose our life NOW and give it to Jesus and walk in the power of the crucifixion, the resurrection and the exaltation, we gain our life again and inherit eternal life. The cross has been a major stumbling block in the way of the Jews (and many Gentiles), preventing the majority of them from accepting Jesus as the MESSIAH. The apostle Paul summed up the importance of the crucifixion best:

1 Cor. 1:23-24 - We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God

The church world today clamors for Christ to "come down" for the Cross so the gospel will not be as offensive as it is today. Friend, hear this writer. If the offense of the Cross ceases, the POWER of the Cross ceases! It is the offense that brings men's hearts into right standing with God in that if we truly understand what the Cross represents we will then see ourselves as God sees us - sinners - and then we will see ourselves through the blood of Jesus - REDEEMED, FORGIVEN, SAVED and WHOLE!

The Holy Spirit works within the parameters of the Cross; we cannot embrace the Spirit without embracing the Lamb and we cannot embrace and partake of the Lamb without partaking of the Spirit. We will look at that connection more closely in part two of this journal (click "next" below.) We encourage you to celebrate Passover with your family and honor the Lamb of God. I pray you know the Risen Christ and have come to Him in faith and repentance! It's getting late neighbor and it's harvest time!