THE STORY OF PASSOVER – slide 1
SCRIPTURE READING # 1: - slide 2
Genesis 1: … God said: “Let there be light”, and there was light. The light He called day, the darkness He called night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.
John 1: … In Him was life and the life was light for the people. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not comprehended it.
NARRATOR:
About 1991 years ago in late March and early April in the year that Jesus was crucified, an unusually large number of ships began to arrive in Caesarea and the other port cities of Judea. They were jam-packed with passengers who continued on their way after arrival to Jerusalem fifty miles away. The large amount of travelers caused that all roads to the old city were clogged. Not only from the ports, but also from Southern Africa, East of Assyria and Northern Asia Minor and Europe people hurried towards the ancient capital of Judea. Every year around the same time Jerusalem was home to visiting Jews from all over the world who came to celebrate a series of events. It looked like a world's fair, a serious religious pilgrimage, an international tourist attraction and a family reunion all in one. The period of this festival lasted about fifty days, starting with the ceremonial Pesach (Passover), the feast of unleavened bread, the feast of first fruits and then eventually, seven weeks later, a delicious feast called "The feast of weeks” or Pentecost. But during the festivities of this year other big, unplanned events took place.
SCRIPTURE READING # 2: slide 3
Daniel 9:24-25 – Seventy weeks are determined for your people and your Holy City, before an end to the violations and the sins are completed, before the misconduct is being countered and everlasting righteousness is brought, before the prophetic vision is sealed and to anoint the most Holy. You need to know and understand: from the moment the word has gone out that Jerusalem will be repaired and rebuilt until Messiah the Prince appears, 69 weeks will pass.
Zech. 9: 9 – Welcome, Sion, Jerusalem, scream it out of joy! Your King is coming, lined with righteousness and victory. Humbly riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.
NARRATOR:
In the year of Jesus ' crucifixion there were on that fateful day of Nisan 10 two processions: one procession with the lamb from out of town which was brought through the Sheep Gate to the altar in the temple and another procession of the Lamb also from out of town Who was on His way to the altar of the ages: the Cross. When Jesus comes closer to Jerusalem, He hears that they are singing from the old Psalms "Hosanna, save now", but as they receive Him into the city as King they don't realize that at that time He comes as the Passover lamb for the world. Jesus is crying because He sees that the people use the right words but do not see the correct fulfillment. He sits on a donkey fulfilling very specifically the prophecy of Zechariah.
SCRIPTURE READING # 3: slide 4
Exodus 12: 1-7, 12-13 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, still in Egypt: from now on, this month will be the first month of the year (Nisan). Tell the whole community of Israel: On the 10th of this month, each family chooses a lamb or a kid, one for every family. It may be the young of a sheep or a goat, as long as it's a male animal of one year without any flaw. Keep it aside until the 14th of the month, at which day be the whole community of Israel should slaughter the animals at twilight. The blood you must apply on the two doorposts and on the lintel of any home in which an animal is eaten. I will go through Egypt that night and I shall kill all the firstborn ... but you will I pass over, I will recognize the blood on your houses and because of that mark the deadly plague that will punish Egypt, will pass over you.
NARRATOR :
The Gospels state that Jesus constantly in the 4 days after his entry was questioned by the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the High priests, Annas and Caiaphas. But the interrogators were not aware that this interrogation belonged to the "inspection of the Lamb", so that it could be judged on flawlessness. And so it happened that while Jesus was subjected to a cross-examination, a group of priests elsewhere carefully and thoroughly investigated a lamb, to see if it was completely without shortcomings and then prepared it for the Passover ritual.
SCRIPTURE READING # 3: slide 5
Exodus 12: 14-18 That day will be a day of remembrance, which you need to celebrate in honor of the Lord. This requirement remains in force forever, all coming generations need to celebrate that day. Eat unleavened bread for seven days and then immediately remove all leaven from your houses. The first and the seventh day are holy days. Generation after generation you must celebrate the feast of the unleavened bread, because I have led you that day from Egypt. By the evening of the 14th day of the first month (Nisan) until the evening of the 21st day of that month, you must eat unleavened bread.
NARRATOR :
Right after the sunset of Nisan 13, with which Nisan 14 began, Jesus celebrated this meal with His disciples. He had desired to celebrate this meal with them because He knew He was going to fulfill this. He previously foretold His death and which sign this generation would get.
SCRIPTURE READING # 4: slide 6
Matt.12: 39-40 This is a corrupt and faithless generation. She desires a sign, but will get no other sign than that of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was for three days and three nights in the belly of a great fish, so will the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the Earth.
NARRATOR :
When the religious leaders captured Him in the middle of the night and brought Him before Herod and Pilate the worldly rulers also had to establish that they could find no fault in this Man. In the early morning of Nisan 14 Jesus leaves the building in which Pilate has condemned Him. Jesus himself bore the wooden beam to which He would later be crucified.
Slide 7 - Here you can see the image of Isaac which bore the firewood on which he was to be bound. This event took place where years later Jerusalem and Golgotha would be. Moreover, Jesus was of the same age as Isaac (both in their 37th year) when He became the provision of God and was sacrificed for the whole world (including you and me).
SCRIPTURE READING # 5:
Genesis 22: And God said: Abraham, take your only son Isaac, whom you love so much and go with him to the area in which Moriah is located, there sacrifice him on a mountain I will point out. Early the next morning Abraham saddled his donkey. He took two of his servants and his son Isaac along with him, chopped wood for the sacrifice and made his way to the place of which God had spoken. On the third day Abraham saw that place in the distance ... He picked up the wood for the sacrifice, laid it on the shoulders of his son Isaac, and took the fire and the knife. So they went together. Father, said Isaac, we have fire and wood, but where is the lamb for the sacrifice? Abraham replied, God will provide himself a sacrificial lamb. When they had arrived at the location God had spoken about, Abraham built an altar, arranged the wood on it, tied his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. Then he picked up the knife to slay his son. But an Angel of the Lord called from heaven: Abraham, don’t touch your son! Now I know you have AWE for God, willing to sacrifice your only son to Me. When Abraham looked up, he saw a ram which had become entangled with his horns in the bushes. He sacrificed the animal instead of his son. Abraham called the place: the Lord will provide.
NARRATOR- slide 8:
The two events: the execution of Jesus and the slaughter of the lamb for Pesach, ran parallel. So it happened that, when Jesus was taken to the execution hill, the lamb was brought to the temple to be prepared for the sacrifice. At 9 am, Jesus was nailed to the cross at the time that the lamb was tied to the horns of the altar. Around 3 am, when this passover lamb was slaughtered for the nation in the temple, Jesus laid down His life on the cross on Calvary.
SCRIPTURE READING # 6:
Johannes 19: 31 – 37 It was the preparation day, and the Jews wanted to avoid that the bodies would still continue to hang on the cross on Sabbath, (for that Sabbath was a high day). Therefore, they asked Pilate to break the legs of the crucified and whether they were allowed to take the bodies. The soldiers broke the legs of the first and also of the other who were crucified at the same time as Jesus. When they came to Jesus, they saw that He had already died. Therefore they did not break His bones. But one of the soldiers thrust a lance in His side and immediately blood and water flowed out ...So the Scriptures were fulfilled: none of his bones will be shattered. (Psalm 34: 21) Another Scripture says: they will focus their gaze on Him whom they have pierced. (Zech 12: 10)
NARRATOR :
Jesus was laid in the grave, but just like with Daniel death had no power over him.
SCRIPTURE READING # 7: slide 9
Psalm 16:10 for You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. Psalm 71: 19-20 Also, Your righteousness, o God, is very high. You who have done great things, o God who is like You? You who have shown me great and severe troubles, shall revive me again, and bring me up again from the depths of the earth.
NARRATOR :
After Nisan 15, the start of the feast of unleavened bread with the High Sabbath John is talking about, follows Nisan 16. In the year that Jesus was crucified this was the regular weekly Sabbath and everyone kept the Sabbath rest. Sunday was on the verge of starting and at that time would the celebration of the feast of the first fruits take place. After two days and two nights and the third night ....
SCRIPTURE READING #8: slide 10
John 20:1, Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
NARRATOR :
... because after three nights in the Tomb He rose from the dead on the third day!
NARRATOR
At the moment that the first fruits of the harvest was lifted as a wave offering before God in the earthly Temple, the rest of the harvest was also sanctified. Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the First fruit on the feast of first-fruits on Nisan 17, His followers were sanctified in Him when He was presented in the Temple of Heaven. By raising from the dead on this day Jesus showed how He is the fulfilment and Renewer of all things.
Slide 11 - Because on that day in history the ark ran aground on Ararat mountains: the rebirth of the world, a new beginning.
Slide 12 - Also on that day in history the crossing of the Red Sea and the deliverance from Pharaoh: the rebirth of a nation, a new beginning.
Slide 13 – And now Jesus has risen from the dead and has saved us from Satan. Being born again is made possible for that One new man from Jews and Gentiles: a new beginning!
SCRIPTURE READING #9: slide 14
John 11:25 Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life; He who believes in me will live, even though he is dead, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die; do you believe this?