Exodus 11-12:32 - This Changes Everything

I'm going to invite you to Exodus. Chapter 11 is where we're going to be together, Exodus chapter 11, and we're going to look into the second half or the first half of chapter 12, Exodus chapter 11 into the first half of chapter 12 today. And I want you to know that this particular section of Scripture, and anytime we get up here and we teach God's Word, it is important to say what we're teaching is critical for your life. That is always true. But today we should categorize this as most critical for our lives. And, and I would say maybe one of the reasons for this is over time, we have this tendency as people to go through what we call mission drift over time. Life has this way of, of having you experience a little bit of a mission's drift where vision fades and what it is that God desires for your life. And we kind of get disoriented in the details of where life is kind of leading us along. And we forget about those, those main things that sort of dictate who we are, and it's off the basis of those bigger ideas. That then helps lead us through the details of our life. In Exodus chapter 11 is one of those chapters that reorients us to the significance of who we are because of who God is. In fact, I would say it like this if someone were to ask me to rank the top ten most important chapters of the Bible. Exodus chapter 11 and 12 is certainly one of the most critical sections of all of Scripture. It is absolutely in the top ten most important. In fact, I would even if you think in terms of Old Testament and New Testament, I would say it like this. When it comes to the Old Testament, the three most important chapters of the Old Testament are the creation, the fall, and the Passover. And when you look at the Bible, so you know where those are. Genesis chapter one is the creation into chapter two. Really in Genesis chapter three is the fall where mankind sins against God. And Exodus chapter 11 into chapter 12 is is the story of the Passover, the story of redemption? I think those are the three most important chapters of the Old Testament. We're looking at one of those today. When you get to the New Testament, I think the three most important chapters of the New Testament are the fulfillment of what the Old Testament foreshadows, especially in those three important stories in the New Testament. The three most important stories are the death or, excuse me, the birth, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus. And in each one of those instances, what we have is, is the fulfillment of the foreshadowing of the Old Testament and Jesus's birth. It's really the introduction of new life, what Christ is going to bring, just as God brought life at creation, so Jesus brings new life, Jesus's death. It's reflective of the fall that Jesus stands in our place and takes our sin on his behalf. And at Jesus's resurrection. It is new life. It's the story of redemption. It's reflective of everything that the story of the Passover is about, in fact. And we think in terms of the importance of the Passover. I would say it like this. Why is the Passover ranked so highly? I'm just going to give you five points real quickly of why this Passover is so important. In case you're not convinced yet, this isn't anything in your notes. By the way, if you have the notes today, I'll tell you at the bottom of our notes, whether you look at it digitally or in print, you'll find the list of of the chapters that we're going to cover together in the weeks ahead. I've had many people say to me, I like to read in advance, so can you tell me the chapters I've given them to you in the smallest font print ever? So you get out your magnifying glasses and you can see that later. But but the importance of the Passover, I just highlighted for you why it ranked so highly and its significance, number one is this it becomes the defining redemption story of the Old Testament. In fact, Moses says this in Exodus chapter 20, verse two. Second, it provides the foundation for understanding Jesus's sacrifice that in John chapter one, verse 29, John the Baptist introduces Jesus as as the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world and the Passover, the sacrifice of the Lamb is a foreshadowing of the ultimate Lamb. Who is Jesus? Number three, it becomes the the central historical event that Israel is commanded to remember. And we'll see this today in Exodus chapter 12 verse 14. This becomes their defining moment as a people that they orient themselves to. Number four, it reveals several major attributes of God his holiness, his justice, his sovereignty, his mercy, his faithfulness. We'll see that and mention in Exodus chapter 12, verse 12 and 13. This is important for us to to consider the significance of what this lamb is. We'll lean into that a little bit. But you're certainly seeing the justice of God poured out the sacrifice of the Lamb. And the grace of God as a lamb becomes the substitute for you and for me. That God cares about justice. That is important for us to consider. I know in our culture today, we love to highlight the love of God and pretend like the judgment of God doesn't exist. In fact, some people say, well, I like the New Testament God, not the Old Testament God, old Testament. God was judging new Testament. God is loving. And I want you to know it's the same God like you should. Probably. If that's your perspective of God, you should probably read all of the Bible, even the last book of revelation. You see Jesus coming back on a white horse and his eyes ablaze with fire and a sword comes through his throat from his from his mouth, and his robe is dipped in blood, like there's, there's nothing scarier than than revelation. Jesus. Right. So the judgment of God is, is both old Testament and New Testament. And it's critical for you to consider in terms of your own relationship with the Lord. Because if God is not holy, God is not just God does not judge. He cannot be good. Right? The what we look forward to as as people is God's judgment against sin, Satan and death. Ultimately, that we could walk into his goodness forever. And we live in this sin cursed world, and it's the judgment of God that gives us hope for the future, but not just the judgment of God, also the forgiveness and grace of God to know that we are on the right side of that judgment, not because of anything we've done, but because of who he is. We'll see all this played out together. But last is this it anticipates the greater redemption story accomplished by Christ. In fact, in first Corinthians chapter five, verse seven, the Apostle Paul identifies Jesus this way as the true sacrificial lamb of the Passover. So? So the story of the Passover is ultimately a greater picture of who Christ is. The significance of this story is the grander redemption story of all of the Bible. And so when you think in terms of what chapters of the Bible are significant, for me to know this chapter highly important and critical in understanding who you are in light of your relationship with the Lord. In fact, if we get to the end of this and this story has not stirred you in some way, you haven't found your identity in Christ in some way. If you just kind of push this story aside and don't see the significance of it. Can I just tell you I'm more worried for your soul than anyone else in this room? This passage is powerful in what it represents. In fact, I would even say in a personal way, there came a place in my life where I was living my life, but, but ultimately for my glory. And then there was this moment where I just stopped and considered, what in God's name am I doing? Like, what is even determining how I wake up in the morning and move forward with my life? And I was asking these particular questions in college because I was trying to figure out what in the world am I going to do with my life? And my ultimate consideration was, how am I ever going to figure out what I'm supposed to do without knowing who I am? And if I can't figure out who I am, then there's no way I even could wake up with a purpose in how I live. And so I had determined this, that there must be a God. And if there is a God, then he's created me for a reason. So if I could discover who he is, then I could figure out how to live my life. But if he doesn't exist, then I'll just live for my selfish reasons, which I've been doing before. And so that led me on this investigation to determine, out of all the beliefs in this world which one was true. And ultimately finding my life solidified in Christ. But Exodus chapter 11, this chapter changes everything. But there are four points I want to look together at. What is what does this mean for us in terms of understanding how this changes everything? And number one in your notes is this there is a judgment no one could escape. There is a judgment no one could escape. In Exodus chapter 11, verse one says it like this. The Lord said to Moses, yet one plague more, and I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterward he will talking about Pharaoh let you go from here. This idea of one plague more. God is saying, there is this final judgment coming. This is the judgment to bring culmination to all things. This is the final act. And so God is being intentional in his purposes as he's executing his judgment. Remember, we'll see this verse in a minute. But in Exodus chapter 12, verse 12, God is saying he is bringing his judgment as an affront to all the gods of Egypt so that people know there is really only one God and that he is worthy to be praised. I mean, God is using these to reveal who he is. But you're seeing the the justice and judgment of God, his authority, his sovereignty, and he's culminating down to this one point. He's saying there have been these plagues, but there is this final plague of judgment that is coming. And so we're we're seeing the the significance of this. But then he goes on in verse 23 and says it like this. How powerful is this? He says, for the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians. And when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, we'll talk about the importance of, of this blood and, and a little bit. But they're applying this blood to the doorposts of their home for their protection. It says this the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your house to strike you. I mean, this is this is a kind of verse that says, you really need to pay attention to what I'm saying, because there is one called the destroyer. And if you want to know who the destroyer is, first Samuel 24, it identifies the destroyer as an angel of the Lord. So this angel is executing the judgment of God according to God's will, God's purposes. And this destroyer is is bringing about judgment. And so when you think about the extent of this judgment and the fact that a destroyer is going to move through this land, this might sober you up for a moment to just consider, okay, what is happening and what do I need to know? And then it talks about in, in verses four of chapter 11, it explains to us the significance of what's about to take place with this judgment through through this one called the destroyer. Verse four. So Moses said, thus says the Lord about midnight. He's telling the children of Israel, I will go out in the midst of Egypt. And every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, even the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the Hand-mill but not a dog shall growl against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that ye may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. And so Lord is really saying, okay, between those who disobey me and my people, who follow me by faith, right? Those are the ones that will be rescued here in this moment. But when you consider the extent of the judgment, God is saying it like this. From, from the what would be considered by society as the most important in Pharaoh's household. All the people looked up to, to what society would look at as the least important to this little slave girl. God is saying his judgment will pass by everyone. There is no respecter of persons, and this becomes really a reflection of all of our lives. To consider that the Passover is a foreshadowing of everything Jesus would be to awaken our eyes to the importance of who God is and what this means for us, that he is a judge. He is holy. And by God, what are we going to do about it? What hope do I have knowing that there is a destroyer and judgment is coming? This is not this is not a respecter of persons. This is not saying Israel. You just get a pass because you're Israel. This is saying there's something that needs to be done in the midst of this moment because of who this destroyer is. And he's highlighting this through through a few ideas. And the first thing he says to us is through the thought of a firstborn. He says, every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die. Now I want us to know that in our 21st century and our individualistic society, we have a difficult time understanding this particular expression. It's interesting. A little over a year ago, we had a young lady that was living with us from Africa, helped run a ministry in Africa. Her name is Harriet Namubiru. Many of you might remember she was here with us for a few years. Harriet, being from Africa, if you've ever been to Africa, you know that that Africa is dominated by tribes, right? They they very much see their identity as a tribal group of people. And one of the things I always remarked, I found interesting with Harriet is sometimes I would ask her questions about her day and where she was. And, and every once in a while I'd ask her the question like, Harriet, you know, she was here, she had a job, she got a job. And. Which was great. I would say, Harriet, like how many people work at your job or, or Harriet in your ministry in Africa? How many how many people are there? And, and Harriet in your family, how many people are in your family? And it didn't matter if the answer was 3 or 5000. To her, her answer was always the same. She would always say it this way we are many. We are many. That would be like Harriet. That's great. But what does that mean? Has he got three people? Four people? Five people? How many people here? As a church, we still we support her in ministry in Africa. And and like when you think about being a part of that ministry and praying for people, helping people, it's like, I like to know the particularities of the number of people we're praying for and who we might be praying for, not just we are many, but she found her identity in more in community than we tend to do that. And this idea of firstborn is the same, right? It's recognizing not only the significance of community, but specifically the the mentality of what firstborn represented to the people. Now, when you think in terms of firstborn for Israel, firstborn. The firstborn was one who represented the past with the future within the context of a family. Traditionally, what was thought of is when, when someone was the first one born in the family, he was the one responsible for overseeing the well-being of the family and carrying the mantle forward It. And to lose the firstborn was to lose identity. It was to lose hope. It was representative of really the demise of who the family was. And so the firstborn was critical. In fact, in terms of the book of Exodus, you saw in Exodus chapter four when when God came to Pharaoh, he pronounces the significance of what's taking place through terms of firstborn. He says like this in verse 22, then you shall say. Talking to Moses, you shall say to Pharaoh, thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son. And I say to you, let my son go, that he may serve me. If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son. Meaning God is saying, you are guilty. There is judgment on you when. When you don't recognize the significance of what this firstborn represents. So not only is it important to see, like Egypt, you're guilty because of of what you're doing against Israel. But but also it's highlighting the importance of Israel in the grander story of redemption in this world. If you remember, God chooses Israel not because Israel was special. In fact, in Deuteronomy chapter seven and chapter seven and chapter eight, God tells Israel, I'm selecting you not because you're great among the nations. In fact, you're the least among all nations, but rather I'm selecting you so that in your weakness, the glory of who God may be revealed, God chooses the people of Israel to bring about the Messiah, which would be the redemption story for everyone. And so their representation in this world really wasn't about their power, but God's power working through them, that the Messiah would ultimately come and therefore bring life for all people groups. And so he's saying to, to, to Egypt that when you don't consider the significance of what this represents, it leads to your own demise. And so judgment is being executed. And, and the beauty of what firstborn represents is being made known. In fact, not only is the picture of firstborn important in terms of when Israel would have children, when when families would have children, they would often appoint their firstborn to carry the mantle. But this wasn't always the case. In Psalm 89, verse 27, talking about King David, it says this I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth. Now if you know anything about David's life in first Samuel, there was a moment where Samuel was told by the Lord to anoint someone in Jesse's house to be the future king of Israel. And so Samuel shows up to Jesse's house and asks Jesse to gather his sons. And Jesse gathers seven of his sons. But as the story goes, he left his eighth, his youngest son, out in the fields to care for the sheep or to care for the animals. And they had considered this son so unimportant. He was looked at as the runt of the litter. So in Jesse's mind, he's saying, well, if God's going to anoint one of my sons, it's obviously one of my other sons, not the son that we consider the least important of the sons. And so when Samuel shows up to anoint the the one of the sons as kings of Israel, he goes to each son and says, none, none of none of these are the right one. You must have another son. Of which Jesse pipes up and says, are you talking about the one that I don't love as much? You know, like and and and Samuel says it like this man looks on the outward. But God looks on the inward. And even though David wasn't the first one born in his family, he was considered the first one in authority. He was the preeminent one. And with Jesus, the Bible says the same thing in Colossians chapter one, verses 15 to 17, that he is the firstborn of creation, and he holds all things by his by his hand. He's the firstborn of the resurrection. What he's saying is not that Jesus is literally the first one born. Jesus is eternal, but is recognizing the preeminence of his authority in our lives. The importance of who Christ is. And so the picture of this Passover and what the firstborn represents is a grander picture of Jesus, who becomes our firstborn on our behalf, that we might find freedom in him. And the reason for that is, number one, he notes a judgment that no one could escape so that we begin to recognize. There's also, number two, a deliverance that no one could earn. So here's the question we should ask. You know that there is judgment. You know that God is holy. The Bible tells us we're all enslaved in sin. Romans 323 for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Romans 623 for the wages of sin is death. And so your judgment has already been declared before a holy God. You have no place to stand. And so the question is, what do we do? Because the destroyer is coming and we need to know the antidote. We. We need to know the answer. How could one possibly get rid of one called the destroyer? How much stronger do you need to be? And then you see God's response to us in Exodus chapter 12. It goes on and says this. Verse three, tell all the congregation of Israel that on the 10th day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers houses, a lamb for a household. Verse five your lamb shall be without blemish, a male, a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the 14th day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. Then they shall take some of their blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They shall eat it. Verse 11 in this manner you shall eat it with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand, and you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both male man and beast, and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute justice judgments. I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you. When I strike the land of Egypt. The destroyer is coming. And how will you defeat it? And God's answer a lamb. Are you kidding me? Are you thinking like, out of all the things that you might think, I need this, I need this for the battle. Let's. Let's get our arsenal filled up. Let's. Let's prepare for doomsday. God, what do we need? And God's like go out. Go out to the menagerie. And I don't want you to just take any lamb. I want you to get the one year lamb. You know, the one you call fluffy. That's going to be the one that you're going to use in order to stop the destroyer from bringing judgment. And you, you would look at this and just think to ourselves, are you of all the things God like, why in the world would I trust in that? You know, it certainly reflective of everything that Jesus would be for us. You know, Paul said it like this in first Corinthians chapter one, verse 18, he said, for the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but to us which are saved, it is the power of God. Cross is the emblem of Christianity because it's the demonstration on the darkest day of history, a device used for torture that was considered the most despised way and brutal way in which someone could pass away. It becomes the emblem of our victory. Because God took the darkest day of history, and through his resurrection, made it the anthem of our victory. And God can take in the weakest of moments and use it for his glory. And so the cross for us becomes that significant place where God Himself was willing to subject himself as the servant of servants, so that we might find freedom in him. The way forward isn't through strength, but through innocence. I mean, God has already declared himself as the one who is stronger. In verse 12. It tells you that much. He already has authority over the gods. But the way forward for us and hope isn't through strength, but rather through innocence. And in the first century, people would look at that and say to Christians, are you nuts? Like, out of all the gods we worship in Rome, so many gods you can pick from, and you're going to try to tell me that the god I should bow down to is the one who died in such a mockery and such a shame. That's the God that you think I should celebrate. In fact, it goes on from first Corinthians chapter one verse 18. It says this in verse 22, For the Jews demand a sign, and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and a folly to the Gentiles. Here's what he's saying. For the Jews, they were seeking a sign because they wanted the evidence of the power of the Messiah. And the reason they wanted that is because they saw themselves as an oppressed people, and they were longing for a Messiah who would rule not only a political figure, but more like a general who would dominate that as they have been oppressed. Now they want to become the oppressors. They want to they want to live in the in the higher position. And so they're looking for a Messiah to dominate this way through a sign. And for for the Greeks, while the Greeks were intellectual and they wanted to impress you with their wisdom. And so they were looking for this messianic figure who would dominate through his intelligence. But Jesus is telling us his. His power is seen through the cross. And the idea of. Of the Lamb becomes significant for us to understand and what the Lamb represents, because the Lamb is not one who overpowers the destroyer, but is really the most innocent of of creatures. You think of all the all the creatures God would have picked. Why the Lamb? And not just any lamb. A lamb without blemish. A lamb that's just a year old. It's the most innocent of animals that one could choose. And. And electing this lamb, it tells us that it's not just any old lamb that they were to take this lamb. They were to observe this lamb for four days just to make sure this lamb was pure for sacrifice. And then when this lamb was ultimately given, no doubt this lamb was was raised as a farm animal to care for the family. But in this particular moment, the way they were to use this lamb was to remind them of really the sobriety of this moment and the fact that judgment exists. And so this lamb was was chosen, and all of it was to be consumed. And by consuming it themselves, it was to show how this lamb was taking their place. It was because not the power of the Lamb that the death angel passed by, but the innocence of this Lamb, that God saw it as satisfactory. And therefore the innocent took the place of the guilty. And now you live because the Lamb has passed away. Think about how sobering this is. This just causes the soul for a moment to just pause and consider the brokenness in our own hearts. Anytime something dies in life that you're aware of it, it causes the soul to pause and significance of life. I think when you drive down the road, if you hear the sounds of a siren, maybe you see an ambulance or a fire truck or a police officer, your mind immediately thinks, I wonder what happened. Wondering if the the result of where that ambulance or truck is going. It it could lead to the protection of whoever they're they're going towards rather than their death. And sometimes you hear the story that the person that those those those officers were responding to a call towards, they lost their life, they passed away or even even something, not even necessarily a human being, but an animal. I know in living in Utah now for a little over 20 years, we've had a couple of animals that we had to put down, and I was the one that drew short straw in the family and had to drive to the vet. And every time I'm there, I'm trying to talk myself up like I know I'm carrying in for the last time. And I say to myself, I'm tough. I can do this. I'm tough. I can do this, you know? And you walk in and as soon as you get in, the person behind the desk, at least for me, my experience. Every time I get to the vet, the person behind the desk happens to be the 15 or 16 year old girl and they ask, what are you here for? And then that's it. I lose it, right? I thought I was going to handle this, I cannot handle this. And you just try to explain as a blubbering mess what's happening? You think of the reality of this moment. You look at a lamb just a year old, innocent and pure, specifically chosen all of it to be consumed. Why? Because in his innocence, he takes the place of the guilty. This becomes a reflection of everything that Jesus is for us. And they. They make the application to the life, not just by eating the lamb, but applying its blood. It's this position of faith. It's not that the blood itself has the power, but it's the application of the blood to the home. To say that our family is finding our identity and the protection of this Lamb, who was innocent but innocent on our behalf, that the guilty could be set free. And so in Leviticus chapter 17 verse 14, it says this, that life is in the blood. Meaning even in times of Israel they knew this, that if somebody lost their blood, they were losing their life. And, and the spreading of blood was a reflection of the innocence of a life that was lost. And this application of, of its life on, on our behalf. And so this blood becomes the expression of applying by faith what this lamb ultimately represented, so that we could get to point three. A lamb no one could live without a lamb. No one could live without. Verse 14 this day shall be for you a Memorial Day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. As a statute, forever you shall keep it as a feast. Verse 24, he goes on and says, you shall observe this right as a statue for you and for your sons forever. God saying to us, look, this is so important that this becomes your identity moving forward, that who you were is being set free. Because who I'm calling, I'm calling you to be is has been made new. You have new life that the death angel has passed by. And in that liberation, you now have new identity and moving forward, this reorients all of your life to what you're called to in Christ. Don't lose sight of what this represents for your life and for mine. This is a defining moment for you. And so because of that, you need to constantly come back to this and let it reorient who you are. And you were to do this forever. And I would tell you that we continue to, to reflect on this even as a church today, only today, we don't call it Passover, what we call it as communion, because just as this Lamb gave its life. And in the book of Exodus chapter 12, so, so Jesus gave his life for us. This, this land becomes this ultimate picture of everything. Jesus would fulfill her for you and for me. And knowing that this is intended to reorient our life any. Anytime someone's done something extravagant for you, your, your tendency is to want to reflect and show. Thanks for that. To show appreciation. And that individual who might have done something so gracious or kind, you think more fondly of them and the way that they intimately care about you. But there's there's no greater sacrifice, no greater gift than what Christ has done for you. And this gift Reorients reorients us to an entirely new life for now and all of eternity. So, God, how do I live in light of that? Knowing that my future was bleak apart from you? But my hope is glorious because of you. And so God help me to live in light of that. And the idea of coming back to this is, is to remind us of the significance of what Christ has done and paints for us this greater picture of who Christ is. And it's why we partake of communion today, recognizing our relationship with the Lord and how he reorients us. We'll do that in just a moment. But. But I want to remind you of what the Bible says in terms of what communion is. And the night Jesus was betrayed, the Bible tells us he he goes up into the upper room to celebrate Passover with his disciples and the most intimate of settings. He explains to us that the picture of the Passover was ultimately a representation of who he is, and he says it like this. Paul writes this way I received from the Lord that which I also deliver to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night in which he was betrayed, took bread. When he given thanks, he broke it and said, this is my. This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. The same way also he took the cup after supper, saying, this cup is a new covenant in my blood. Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. And then in Matthew, Jesus goes on and says this I tell you that you will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink it new with you in my father's kingdom. Let me just explain the significance of what Jesus is doing here. Because at the Passover they would eat bread and it would be unleavened bread. And the purpose of Unleavened Bread was was a few fold. But one of the reasons it tells us in Exodus chapter 16, Moses refers to the unleavened bread as the bread of affliction, meaning they're having to eat this unleavened bread in this way because of the bondage that they were in. So it was reminding them of the affliction, what they were as a people in bondage, but also they were eating unleavened bread because it was a bread of haste, meaning they couldn't wait for the leaven to make it rise. They had to eat this quickly because God was leading them to liberation, and they needed to to respond immediately. So that type of bread was to remind them that when Jesus calls you do not delay. Go to him quickly. He's taking you from a place of bondage to a place of freedom in him. And that bread becomes that representative. And Jesus saying, I want you to see this as more than what stood as a substitute, so that you could have this as me. It's a reminder of my body that was broken, not just the bread, but also the cup. The cup was a reminder of the blood of Christ that was poured out. The innocence of who Jesus is for the guilty And what's interesting, in the first century, the Jewish people had developed more of a ritual to how how the Passover was celebrated. In fact, a key couple of key terms here in verse 255, it says, after supper, Jesus takes this cup. And then in verse chapter 26, verse 29 of Matthew, he says, we're not going to drink it again until I drink it new with you in the father's kingdom. Now, why would Jesus say that? Here's what's interesting. At the the Passover celebration, the Jews came to recognize four distinct cups that they would partake of through the celebration. The first two were during dinner. The last two were after dinner. Each one of those cups represented a promise of God in Exodus chapter six. If you remember in Exodus six, God gave the seven I will promises to the children of Israel who are doubting the goodness of God. And they took seven of those promises, and they built the four cups on four promises that God gave them. The first two cups, they were the cup of sanctification. God setting them apart. The second cup was the cup of deliverance. God promising them that he would bring them freedom. But the third cup was the cup of redemption. When Jesus is sitting at the dinner table, it says, after supper he took the cup and it's believed because it was after supper he's taking the cup of redemption, which is to say, this is my life for you. And then he gets up from the dinner table and he doesn't finish the dinner. But rather than finish the dinner, he promises this, that one day we'll drink the fourth cup. Jesus never finished the dinner with his disciples. And the reason for that is because he's waiting for the moment where all of his disciples will join him in his presence in heaven, and we will complete that feast together with him. And that fourth cup is that fourth cup of acceptance when all of us before the presence of Christ, enjoying him for eternity. But here's what's interesting. Out of all the talks and the Gospels, as they celebrate the Passover, you'll notice that there's never any mention of the Lamb. And important to the Passover is the Lamb, all of it to be consumed. And the question is that Jesus is dinner. Where is that lamb? And as Jesus offers them the third cup, he stands up as that lamb, and he leaves that table to offer his life for you and for me. The innocence of the Lamb brings freedom to God's people, so that we could get this number for a new beginning that no one could imagine. A new beginning that no one could imagine. And just consider that for a moment. What this Passover is declaring is that God cares about you. That God loves you deeply. He loves you, in fact, so deeply that he. He chose this celebration as a way to point to who he was, to then fulfill it in his own arriving, that he and his innocence would offer his life for you as a sinner, so that you could have forgiveness and a relationship with him that would offer hope for all of eternity. God deeply loves you, and in this that it would reorient all that we are to who he is. In fact, in Exodus chapter 12 verse one, it says this the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, in the land of Egypt this month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. And God is saying, when you think about how you're living your life, let this moment, this day of the year, reorient all that you are to the glory of who God is. This becomes the marker that then leads you into the rest of the year. This becomes what helps you orient the significance of who you are based on who God is, not because you're strong, but because in the strength of the Lord he. He subjected himself for you in his innocence that you might be made free. So here's what I'm to do. I'm going to invite you to stand with me, and we're going to partake of communion together. I forgot to grab mine. If you didn't get a communion cup, you'd like to have one. If you lift up your hands. Ushers will hand these out as they walk around. But communion for us is that reminder of the significance of what Christ has done. And as we get ready to partake of this, I want to remind us of this, this specific story as as it relates to who Jesus is. In 1944, there was a few soldiers, more than a few. There were several soldiers sent to the Philippines from Japan. Hiroo Onoda was one of those who was sent. He was sent specifically with a group of four men, and he was sent on mission in the Philippines along with other soldiers. Within a year of them being sent to the Philippines. Japan surrendered in World War two. But the problem is no one told the soldiers sent to the Philippines. And for years after the war had ended, those soldiers continued to fight where they were. Over time, some of them started to suspect perhaps the war had ended and they surrendered to authorities. But Hiroo was one of those individuals that refused to believe the news. In fact, the Philippine government continued to drop fliers throughout the the land trying to find these soldiers and let them know that the war had ended. But many of the soldiers still saw it as propaganda, especially the soldiers that Hiroo was with. And for the next several years they continued to fight battles in the Philippines. They raided homes and stole goods. They set farms on fire. It's estimated that his group of four individuals killed at least 30 people and injured several more. After about a decade of being there, one of them was killed in a in a gunfight, and one of them surrendered within that first decade, thinking the war could have ended. 1972. His last friend that was with him was finally killed in a gunfight. And then in 1974, a man from Japan happened to be visiting the Philippines and came across him and said to him, buddy, the war is over. And he didn't believe him, only he said it in Japanese. But they didn't. He didn't believe him. He said, Hiroo said, I will not surrender until one of my commanding officers shows up to relieve me of my duty. And in 1974, one of his commanding officers did. And this is Hiroo taking his his sword for battle and giving it over to the president of the Philippines. It's sad to think that for years, decades after the war had ended, he continued to fight a battle he didn't need to fight. And as he emerged from the jungles, his his uniform demonstrated that battle. His clothes were tattered and torn, years of his life wasted and people had suffered. Innocent people had suffered because of his decisions. Guys, can I tell you a life apart from Christ is the same? We walk in a battle that we don't need to fight because there is a Lamb who took our place. The idea of communion represents that for us. His body that was broken, his blood that was shed. This is not about you impressing God with who you are, but understanding the significance of who he is. That Jesus is more than enough for your life. That we would stop living in the jungle and whatever holds us back from the innocence of this lamb to say, Jesus, I give you my life. I apply your blood to my doorposts. Forgive me of my sins. I partake of your body as that innocent lamb to demonstrate my faith. Lord, I trust in you. God, give me new life. Bible says that night in which Jesus was betrayed, he broke bread, saying, this is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me. Also after supper, he took the cup, saying, this is the cup of the new covenant of my blood. Do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. And Jesus gives us the promise that the dinner is not over. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he returns. Guys, I hope for all of us thinking about the significance of what Christ has done in the business, of what life is, that this moment we understand reorients us to who we are as a new people in him and through that identity, live for joy in the hope that we have in Christ.