[Darris McNeely] When I teach my students about God's festivals, and we come to the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread that kick off the spring and the beginning of the holy day season, from the scriptures for the people of God to be following in their worship of God, I like to point out to my students that when we come to Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread, they are very significant, very important Passover points as to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The Days of Unleavened point us to the removal of sin from our life through the life of the resurrected Christ within us. And that's how we overcome sin. And we focus on that.
One of the things that I tell students is that the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread deal with physical symbols, unleavened bread, leavening that we put out of our homes and we don't eat leavened products, and unleavened bread that we take on the Passover to symbolize the broken, perfect, sinless Body of Christ, and a small vial of wine that we will take to symbolize the shed blood of Christ for our sins. We also wash people's feet as a symbol of humility. And then we keep seven days of Unleavened Bread, each day eating unleavened bread to picture the life of God within us, the resurrected Christ through the Spirit in us, to give us the ability and the power to overcome sin and to live a life that is to be blameless before Him. But it's a very beautiful period, and it is very solemn, and it is very, very significant for us, and really a favorite of mine, as are all the holy days.
But when you read in 1 Corinthians 11:23 about this, how Paul puts it is so very elegant. He says, "For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread. And when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, 'Take, eat. This is My body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.'" That's why we take the unleavened bread at the Passover, to symbolize Christ's body. In the same manner, Paul goes on, "He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant, in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.'" And this New Testament service and ceremony, we take once a year on the anniversary of Christ's death. And it opens up then a panorama of meaning and importance that the festivals of God then begin to tell us about God's purpose and about His plan.
And so it's elegant, as Paul describes it. It is a very simple but yet beautiful and meaningful service and period of time for us to think about. And so I urge you to consider what it is that you may do, and even if you are used to keeping this, how you approach these days, so that you understand the deep, spiritual significance that they have to you in your walk with God.
Thats BT Daily. Join us next time.
