Freedom

Tonight begins Passover for those who observe this festival/holiday. In continuing with research for my writing, I'm digging into the deep meaning of this celebration and the traditions therein, conveniently found in a book I got from the library last week. Strangely (and by no means coincidence), my daily reading plan has me in 2nd Kings 23 where Josiah honors Passover like no King before or after him, a friend of mine took off work today to honor the beginning of the festival, and it is the next phase of my book that I'll be detailing. Well, I think it's obvious God wants to show me more of what Passover means to Him.

A couple months ago, I led Communion in church and God put on my heart to share Jesus' observance of the Passover meal before He was crucified. I shared how Jesus' words on that night were a dual fulfillment of prophesy - the promise of Freedom. Freedom from slavery is an important element of the Passover celebration - for the Jews of long ago, and for modern-day Jewish people as well. They emphasize freedom from Egypt - both literally and figuratively. But Jesus was also describing another freedom when He broke the bread and shared the cup - freedom from sin and the law that held us captive to it. He rescued us from the idolatry and oppression of Egypt, but He also rescued us from ourselves and the sin nature that has plagued us since Adam.

In addition to the dichotomy of freedom and slavery, Passover is also about the juxtaposition of exile and home. Once again, Jesus took this idea to a whole new level when He took bread with His disciples that night and then gave His life the next day. He knew that with the New Covenant He established that night, His promise of Home would take on new meaning. Our new Promised Land is not limited to Jerusalem or Israel any longer. We await a New Jerusalem, which will be an eternal Home with God in a New Heaven and a New Earth, made possible only with the defeat of death. And that is why the Resurrection is the rest of the Passover story that began one night in Egypt, continued one night in an upper room with 13 guys, and will one day be fulfilled in completion when He returns for us.

Maybe that day will be today . . .