PESACH

Today, during this period of festivals I would like to present our main holiday of the season, Pesach, and would also like to talk about the messianic movement. My purpose for this is to inform you that this holiday, Pesach, and other holidays, are distorted beyond recognition in Christianity today. And I believe that the messianic movement is called to bring Christianity back to the roots of its faith and to build a new relationship between the church and the synagogue through the true teachings of Yeshua.

Martsinkovskiy once said, “When christians become Christians and jews become Jews then they will be brothers.” Today, those words are still active; they have not lost their purpose. It is not possible to come up with a phrase that is more accurate towards both sides, them being in complete opposition. I think that God is rising up Messianic believers specifically for this purpose; to tell the Christians the truth about Israel and to tell Israel the truth about Yeshua.

The messianic movement began in Israel right after the resurrection of Yeshua. The first decade of the messianic growth is recorded in the New Testament. Messianic Judaism, at that time, was the original form of life for all the Jewish people. Today, it is hard for us to imagine what life looked like during the first Millennium. If back then, people asked, “how can one be saved without the Torah?” then today, many cannot understand the need to study the Old Testament at all, calling it “the old and unnecessary”. Today Christian bookstores offer many books about “the dead letter of the Law”, the curse of the Law, the pointlessness of fulfillment of the Law for New Testament believers. The story of the church is, in many ways, repeating the history of Israel. If Jewish priests were distorting the Law, then the New Testament priests rejected the Law altogether.

However, the Lord Yeshua never parted from the Law. He said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law…” Those who rejected the Law, have not see what is written in the book of Acts 21:20, “And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous for the law”. The movement of the followers of Yeshua went through a long path from a Jewish way of life to paganism. The period of the church’s anti-semetic teaching was extremely long that people began to believe that the faith of the “fathers” of the church or the Lutheran church were the true teachings of christianity. They were saying that the messianic believers are disrupters of peace, bringing upon them a division in their belief. This reminds me of an anecdote: there was an Englishman and an American walking together. They came up to an elevator, “after you sir,” says the American, “let’s go up the elevator.”

“Sir,” answers the Englishman, “this thing is called a lift.”

“What are you talking about?” replies the American, “the elevator was invented in America”

“Oh? So maybe you also want to say that the English language originated from America?” answers the Englishman.

Today, the situation looks very similar. Christianity, in its current form, was invented in the western civilization and is lacking its original roots. If a tree’s roots are taken out, it will dry up. Perhaps this explains all the terrible things done by so-called believers against the Jews throughout many millenniums, and why they are now feeling shame and guilt in front of all the Jewish people and the entire world.

However, we do have a calming promise in the Scriptures, “In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the branches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old” (Amos 9:11-12). The Lord speaks here of the last days, before the return of Yeshua. He will return everything back to the way it looked during Yeshua’s days. The movement of the followers of Yeshua, when emerging, experienced great progression, which lasted a few decades, followed by a great downfall.

Christianity has been going further and further away from its roots and soon became the dominant religion of the enormous Roman Empire. This destroyed all spirituality. For more than 1000 years christianity has been a religion of dictatorship, tyrants and despots in means of oppression and enslavement of people. But praise be to the Almighty! There came an end to the festivity of demons. Somewhere in the XV century the Body of Messiah began to come back together. The restoration cannot be a quick one after such a long stagnation. God, in His mercy, has been filling the body of Messiah with truth. It is true, that every generation of believers thought that they were at the last step of  knowing all truth. But, the Lord kept adding more, step by step.

What is the will of God then? To what heights must we keep building? The answer, obviously, is in the promise given to us through Amos: is it pleasing to the Lord to restore the fallen tabernacle of David? The messianic movement, today, is the desire of both Jews and non-Jews to connect with the Jewish people, just like Ruth had done, to come back to the beginning of the messianic faith, to the restoration of the tabernacle of David, and to strive together towards the Kingdom of Messiah.

PESACH IS NOT ONLY REDEMPTION, BUT ALSO A HOLIDAY OF UNLEAVENED BREAD.

Outside of Israel, the holiday, Pesach, is celebrated only one day and then 7 days of the festival of unleavened bread. In Israel, there is a slight difference, the holiday is celebrated one day and 6 days of unleavened bread, there is one day less for the celebration of the unleavened bread. The word “Pesach” means “to pass over,” and the name of the holiday is tied together with the escaping of death. Pesach means death passed us by!

The first time we are introduced to Pesach is in Genesis 15:13-14 “And he said unto Abram, know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.” The birth of the holiday is based on the Word of the Lord. “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…. And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, what mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, it is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, who passed over the house of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.” (Exodus 12:14; 26-27).

It is important to see that the sacrifice of the lamb, which was slain in Egypt, was a prophetical sign pointing to the sacrifice that the Lord God brought on Calvary. These two special sacrifices did not resemble any other sacrifices or offerings that had been done. They both point to each other; and both are brought as a sacrifice for sin. It was not permitted to eat, according to the Law, from the sacrifices for sin, yet they ate. It was permitted to eat only from the peace offerings. In this way, these two lambs are functioning as a sacrifice for sin and an offering for peace at the same time. Therefore, in all the history of offerings, only these two were so unusual, the one in Egypt and the one on Calvary.

Besides this, the Scriptures tell us, that the bone of the Passover Lamb was to not be crushed, “In one house shall it be eaten; of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof” (Exodus 12: 46). Jews did not break the bones in Egypt and likewise the bones of Yeshua were not broken at his crucifixion on Calvary. Not mentioning, that it was a normal thing to do, to break the knees of the people, being crucified, for a quicker death.

The blood on the door posts in Egypt also resembled the bloody tree on Calvary.

It was essential for Yeshua to die on Calvary at the same time as the lamb was slain in Egypt. This was, yet, another testimony that indicated that only He is the redemption of the Lord God for the sins of all people. The religious leaders tried to prevent the death of Yeshua from being exactly on Pesach, but they could not. “After two days was the feast of the Passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death. But they said, not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people” (Mark 14: 1-2). But He died within 15 hours, precisely, the exact time that the lamb in Egypt was slain.

These Passover evidences, that Yeshua is the Messiah, sent by the Lord God to atone for sin of the world, are more than enough to convince anyone, who is indeed striving and searching for the truth, and who is not in captivity of the traditional way of life of their ancestors.

I also can’t not mention here about the historical impact of the holiday of Pesach and of the following Exodus of the Hebrews, along with many other nations that joined themselves with the people of Israel, when they were coming out of slavery.

• All the evil things remained in Egypt: illness, curses, slavery..

• All blessings were taken with them: health, their first-borns, gold..

• The gentile world in Egypt lost everything: their first-born sons, soldiers, Pharaoh, slaves, gold.. The Scriptures say, “Much food is in the fallow ground of the poor, and for lack of justice there is waste.” (Proverbs 13:23)

• But the most important thing is what the Hebrews left in Egypt, as a witness, to the gentiles: the blood of the lamb on the doorposts of all their homes

The gentile world received the revelation of the path to salvation. The blood of the lamb in Egypt, over time, pointed to the blood of another Lamb that was slain at Calvary. If the blood of a lamb can save a whole nation from the never-ending death of slavery in Egypt, then, no doubt, the blood of Yeshua can save all nations from slavery of sin and will lead them to the everlasting Kingdom of the Lord God!

Coming out of Egypt, the Hebrews took with them, not only gold, but also unleavened bread. The kulich was left in Egypt. Sadly, as time moves forward, people try, again and again, to bring the Kulich of the idols back. They try to bring that what is the sacrifice to the god of fertility into Christianity and, with that, defile God’s people. The have forgotten that Pesach is not only a holiday of redemption, but also a holiday of the unleavened bread, “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrifices for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8)

In conclusion, I would like to remind us of the three rules of Pesach that will help us overcome all temptation and to come out victorious.

FIRST RULE – THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB

The structure of a free nation of God begins with every family coming together around the Lamb. A free nation consists of free families. The Lamb in every family, “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 father, a lamb for an house:” (Exodus 12:3) Only His saving blood can protect people from their righteous punishment for sin. The Lord God commands us to put the blood of the Lamb on our doorpost, “And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning” (Exodus 12:22). The door is the entrance for the home; all types of people enter through it, good and bad. But the blood of the Lamb does not allow the entrance of mischief.

Today this is just as active as it was then, in Egypt. The blood of the lamb protects us from our wage for sin; as it cleanses us from the sin and the punishment can no longer be upon us, “…the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). It is absolutely necessary for us to accept the complete redemption and protection of the Blood of Yeshua, in order to be embodied with His power, to be anointed in service for God, “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 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, sanctifieth 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!” (Hebrews 9:11-14)

SECOND RULE – THE BODY OF CHRIST.

People that have obtained shelter in the blood of the Lamb are in need of power, in order to fulfill God’s will. The Lord God commands His people to be filled with the Lamb and afterwards to go on their way, serving Him, “And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire” (Exodus 12:8-10)

Again we can see a prophetical sign pointing to Messiah Yeshua: the bones shall not be broken, bake them in the fire. The New Testament Scripture tells us that not one bone of Yeshua was broken during His crucifixion. Fire is the element in which the deeds of all are tested on earth. The Lamb was in every home that was in the fire. This was a prophetical impression that was directing to the coming Messiah Yeshua, “Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him…” (Psalm 50:3) and also, “I am come to send fire on the earth…” (Luke 12:49). The Lord will come in fire to test the deeds of everyone, “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” (1 Corinthians 3:13)

During the Passover Seder, Yeshua broke the unleavened bread and said to His disciples: “Take, eat; this is my body.” (Matthew 26:26). Today, just as it was then, in Egypt, God’s people need to be filled with the Lamb. In the book of Revelations it says, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.” (Revelation 19:11-13)

To be filled with the Lamb means to be filled with His Word. We need to recognize the indisputable authority of His Word and follow it exactly as the Lord had commanded us.

THIRD RULE – OBEY THE HOLY SPIRIT AND FOLLOW THE LORD GOD.

In Egypt, the Lord commanded, “And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand…” (Exodus 12:11). The Lord commands us to always be ready to follow His calling. The letter to Ephesians tells us about the modern clothing of a messianic believer who has prepared himself to serve the Lord, “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:” (Ephesians6:14-17).

In this way, we must move into the position of a victorious person. The question is not about gaining leadership of the Lord God, the Holy Spirit speaks to every heart and exposes us through our conscience. God gave us all we need in order to carry out His commission. The question is only in this: do we want to accomplish God’s commission? Are we ready to follow Him?

Lev Falkovich