03-28-21 “The Most important week in history”

Scripture   11:25-26

Day 1: Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday

On the Sunday before his death, Jesus began his trip to Jerusalem, knowing that soon he would lay down his life for your sins. Nearing the village of Bethphage, he sent two of his disciples ahead, telling them to look for a donkey and its unbroken colt. The disciples were instructed to untie the animals and bring them to him.
Then Jesus sat on the young donkey and slowly, humbly, made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, fulfilling the ancient prophecy in Zechariah 9:9: "Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." He came into the world humbly in a manger surrounded by animals – like even a donkey – he was going out of this world in like humility.
The crowds welcomed him by waving palm branches in the air and shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"  On Palm Sunday, Jesus and his disciples spent the night in Bethany, a town about two miles east of Jerusalem. This is where Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead, and his two sisters, Mary and Martha, lived. They were close friends of Jesus, and probably hosted Him and His disciples during their final days in Jerusalem.
Jesus' triumphal entry is recorded in Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, and John 12:12-19.

 

Day 2: On Monday, Jesus Clears the Temple
The following morning, Jesus returned with his disciples to Jerusalem. Along the way, he cursed a fig tree because it had failed to bear fruit. Some scholars believe this cursing of the fig tree represented God's judgment on the spiritually dead religious leaders of Israel. Others believe the symbolism extended to all believers, demonstrating that genuine faith is more than just outward religiosity; true, living faith must bear spiritual fruit in a person's life.
When Jesus arrived at the Temple, he found the courts full of corrupt money changers. He began overturning their tables and clearing the Temple, saying, "The Scriptures declare, 'My Temple will be a house of prayer,' but you have turned it into a den of thieves" That was the worst thing Jesus could have called the temple at that moment – who was the last person saved just before Jesus died? A thief! (Luke 19:46).
On Monday evening Jesus stayed in Bethany again, probably in the home of his friends, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. (Lazarus would have been a great encouragement to him knowing that his own death was in a few days but also seeing proof of God’s power to raise the dead)
Monday's events are recorded in Matthew 21:12–22, Mark 11:15–19, Luke 19:45-48, and John 2:13-17.
 
Day 3: On Tuesday, Jesus Goes to the Mount of Olives
On Tuesday morning, Jesus and his disciples returned to Jerusalem. They passed the withered fig tree on their way, and Jesus spoke to his companions about the importance of faith.
Back at the Temple, religious leaders were upset at Jesus for establishing himself as a spiritual authority. They organized an ambush with the intent to place him under arrest. But Jesus evaded their traps and pronounced harsh judgment on them, saying:  "Blind guides!...For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people's bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness...Snakes! Sons of vipers! How will you escape the judgment of hell?" (Matthew 23:24-33)
Later that afternoon, Jesus left the city and went with his disciples to the Mount of Olives, which sits due east of the Temple and overlooks Jerusalem. Here Jesus gave the Olivet Discourse, an elaborate prophecy about the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the age. He speaks, as usual, in parables, using symbolic language about the end times events, including His Second Coming and the final judgment.
Scripture indicates that this Tuesday was also the day Judas Iscariot negotiated with the Sanhedrin, the rabbinical court of ancient Israel, to betray Jesus (Matthew 26:14-16).
After a tiring day of confrontation and warnings about the future, once again, Jesus and the disciples returned to Bethany to stay the night.
The tumultuous events of Tuesday and the Olivet Discourse are recorded in Matthew 21:23–24:51, Mark 11:20–13:37, Luke 20:1–21:36, and John 12:20–38.
 
Day 4: Holy Wednesday
The Bible doesn't say what the Lord did on the Wednesday of Passion Week. Scholars speculate that after two exhausting days in Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples spent this day resting in Bethany in anticipation of Passover.
Just a short time previously, Jesus had revealed to the disciples, and the world, that he had power over death by raising Lazarus from the grave. After seeing this incredible miracle, many people in Bethany believed that Jesus was the Son of God and put their faith in him. Also in Bethany just a few nights earlier, Lazarus' sister Mary had lovingly anointed the feet of Jesus with expensive perfume.  (From Bethlehem to Bethany / Bread to Figs / Blessing to curse)
 
Day 5: Passover and Last Supper on Maundy Thursday
Holy Week takes a somber turn on Thursday.
From Bethany, Jesus sent Peter and John ahead to the Upper Room in Jerusalem to make the preparations for the Passover Feast. That evening after sunset, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples as they prepared to share in the Passover. By performing this humble act of service, Jesus demonstrated by example how believers should love one another.
Then, Jesus shared the feast of Passover with his disciples, saying: "I have been very eager to eat this Passover meal with you before my suffering begins. For I tell you now that I won't eat this meal again until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God." (Luke 22:15-16, NLT)
As the Lamb of God, Jesus was about to fulfill the meaning of Passover by giving his body to be broken and his blood to be shed in sacrifice, freeing us from sin and death. During this Last Supper, Jesus established the Lord's Supper, or Communion, instructing his followers to continually remember his sacrifice by sharing in the elements of bread and wine (Luke 22:19-20).
Later, Jesus and the disciples left the Upper Room and went to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed in agony to God the Father. Luke's Gospel says that "his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Luke 22:44, ESV).
Late that evening in Gethsemane, Jesus was betrayed with a kiss by Judas Iscariot and arrested by the Sanhedrin. He was taken to the home of Caiaphas, the High Priest, where the whole council had gathered to begin making their case against Jesus.
Meanwhile, in the early morning hours, as Jesus' trial was getting underway, Peter denied knowing his Master three times before the rooster crowed.
Thursday's events are recorded in Matthew 26:17–75, Mark 14:12-72, Luke 22:7-62, and John 13:1-38.

 

Day 6: Trial, Crucifixion, Death, and Burial on Good Friday

Good Friday is the most difficult day of Passion Week. Christ's journey turned treacherous and acutely painful in the final hours leading to his death.
According to Scripture, Judas Iscariot, the disciple who had betrayed Jesus, was overcome with remorse and hanged himself early Friday morning. (While Peter was denying knowing Jesus, the one who betrayed Jesus was hanging himself).
Meanwhile, before the third hour (9 a.m.), Jesus endured the shame of false accusations, condemnation, mockery, beatings, and abandonment. After multiple unlawful trials, he was sentenced to death by crucifixion, one of the most horrible and disgraceful methods of capital punishment known at the time.
Before Christ was led away, soldiers spit on him, tormented and mocked him, and pierced him with a crown of thorns. Then Jesus carried his own cross to Calvary where, again, he was mocked and insulted as Roman soldiers nailed him to the wooden cross.
Jesus spoke seven final statements from the cross. His first words were, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34, NIV). His last words were, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." (Luke 23:46, NIV)
Then, about the ninth hour (3 p.m.), Jesus breathed his last breath and died.
By 6 p.m. Friday evening, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea took Jesus' body down from the cross and laid it in a tomb.
Friday's events are recorded in Matthew 27:1-62, Mark 15:1-47, Luke 22:63-23:56, and John 18:28-19:37.
 
Day 7: Saturday in the Tomb
Disciples at the scene of the entombment of Jesus after his crucifixion.
Jesus' body lay in its tomb, where it was guarded by Roman soldiers throughout the day on Saturday, which was the Sabbath. When the Sabbath ended at 6 p.m., Christ's body was ceremonially treated for burial with spices purchased by Nicodemus: "He brought about seventy-five pounds of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus' body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth." (John 19: 39-40, NLT)
Nicodemus, like Joseph of Arimathea, was a member of the Sanhedrin, the court that had condemned Jesus Christ to death. For a time, both men had lived as secret followers of Jesus, afraid to make a public profession of faith because of their prominent positions in the Jewish community.
Similarly, both were deeply affected by Christ's death. They boldly came out of hiding, risking their reputations and their lives because they had come to realize that Jesus was, indeed, the long-awaited Messiah. Together they cared for Jesus' body and prepared it for burial.
While his physical body lay in the tomb, Jesus Christ paid the penalty for sin by offering the perfect, spotless sacrifice. He conquered death, both spiritually and physically, securing our eternal salvation:  (1 Peter 1:18-19, NLT)   "For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God."
Saturday's events are recorded in Matthew 27:62-66, Mark 16:1, Luke 23:56, and John 19:40.
 
Day 8: Resurrection Sunday
            No, throughout the most important week in history and HIStory, we do not know what will happen the following day. We are left with the disciples doing what is important – preparing for his FINAL burial. Though Lazarus and a few others had been raised from the dead by Jesus. They were all destined to die again, besides, Jesus was not there and certainly, a dead man could not bring himself back to life. All power, all hope died the moment Jesus died. (Imagine being Lazarus - raised to life by Jesus two weeks earlier and now that same Jesus - also his best friend - is dead.
 
            If we were to sum up the most important week in History, how could we do it? How could we say what Jesus did? One way could be to say that Jesus did not waste a single second of his time. He invested every moment (even those intentional moments of rest) for the well-being of others.
 
            Let’s imagine that a banker phoned you late last Saturday and said he had some very good news. He told you that an anonymous donor who loves you very much has decided to deposit 604,800 pennies into your account every Saturday night at midnight. That’s $6.048 a week, fifty-two weeks a year.
He adds, “But there’s one stipulation; you must spend all that money each week. No balance will be carried over to the next week.  Each evening the bank must remove whatever sum you failed to use.” How fun would that be to spend $6.048 a week? You would first pay off debt, buy some new things, and have some fun. But, what would eventually happen? Either you might become bored or exhausted figuring out what to do with it all and start losing some of it. OR, you could start investing it in others. You could find what needs others have that you could help with. In that last week of Jesus’ life, he had been given 604, 800 seconds and had to spend each one or lose it as having no value. You are given the same 604, 800 seconds each week, how will you be intentional about spending them for Christ’s glory. If none of that time is spent investing in things eternal – it will all be lost and your time will count for nothing.
 
You are left today sitting opposite a tomb with a stone over the entrance. How will you spend this time, contemplating what life will be like without Jesus? But what if somehow, some way, some miracle happens and his words become true, I will destroy this temple, and in 3 days raise it to life again. I am the resurrection and the life, ETC.

03-21-21 In the eyes of the Lord

Scripture:    Philippians 4:13

Chpt 13
Israel did evil in the eyes of the Lord.
          God delivered them over to the Philistines who began ruling over them.
          Israel needed a champion – which means what? Time for a miraculous birth.
          Manoah & his childless wife live in Zoarh in Dan MAP 1

                   Angel appeared to the wife telling her she will conceive a boy
                             She must not drink wine, eat grapes or any unclean food
                             The boy must do the same but also not cut his hair because he will be a…
                               …Nazarite (like Samuel & John the Baptist)
          When she tells Manoah he wonders who his wife has been talking to and ask God to send him again. He does but only to his wife until she goes and gets him.
          Manoah asked how to raise the boy and the angel reiterated the wife’s instructions only.
          Manoah didn’t realize he was an angel but offered sacrifice for him.
          In the sacrifice flame the angel vanished.
          Manoah freaked out thinking he had seen God and would surely die.
          Wife said, if God wanted us dead, we already would be.
Samson is born and the Spirit of God began to stir in him.
 
Chpt 14
          The bible skips from his birth and the Spirit with him to Samson taking a road trip to Timnah MAP 2 where he sees a Philistine woman he wants to marry, and he returns home and tells his parents to go get her for him. They want him to find a good Jewish girl as a wife.

          This was part of God’s way for him to infiltrate the Philistines.
          Samson and parents now went on the same road trip, but Samson came across an angry lion which he proceeded to tear apart with his bare hands (like you would tear apart a young goat!!!) He didn’t tell his parents about it. Judges 14:7 Then he went down and talked with the woman, and he liked her.
          Next road trip back to marry her he saw bees and honey in the lion carcass which he scooped out and ate the honey and gave some to his parents but didn’t tell them where it came from.
          During the bridegroom feast his father gave him 30 companions and he decided to play a game – a riddle. If they guessed it each of the 30 would get a new set of clothes but if not they would give Samson 30 sets of clothes. Judges 14:14  "Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet."
          The people could not solve it and told his wife they would burn her father’s house and kill her family if she didn’t tell them the riddle. She pleaded with Samson until he finally told her, and the people answered, Judges 14:18 "What is sweeter than honey? What is stronger than a lion?"
After referring to his wife as a heifer, Judges 14:19-20 Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon him in power. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of their belongings and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger, he went up to his father's house. And Samson's wife was given to the friend who had attended him at his wedding.
 
Chpt 15
When Samson found out about his wife and friend, he wanted to really harm the Philistines.
Judges 15:4-5   So he went out and caught three hundred foxes and tied them tail to tail in pairs. He then fastened a torch to every pair of tails, he lit the torches and let the foxes loose in the standing grain of the Philistines. He burned up the shocks and standing grain, together with the vineyards and olive groves.
 
The Philistines responded by burning her and her father to death. So, Samson responded killing many of them – then he went and lived in a cave. Of course!!!
 
The Philistines came to the Jews – the Jews said why fight us? They said they wanted Samson. 3000 Jews went to Samson and said – “Hey, don’t you know the Philistines rule over us?” “Yep – was just paying them back.” “Well, we’ve come to tie you up and take you to them.” Winking, Samson says. “Just promise me you won’t kill me.” They promised, tied him up and took him to the Philistines. As soon as he saw them the spirit of God came upon him and the ropes melted off his hands. He grabbed a nearby jawbone JAWBONE of a donkey and with it he killed 1000 Philistines.

 
Judges 15:16   Then Samson said, "With a donkey's jawbone I have made donkeys of them. With a donkey's jawbone I have killed a thousand men."
Samson became Israel’s leader for 20 years before they had any kings.
Chpt 16
He went to Gaza to be with a prostitute.
The Philistines heard about it and were waiting till morning when he was groggy to get him.
He left in the middle of the night and tore up the city gates, posts and all and carried them away as far as 38 miles away.
He fell in love with a Philistine woman named Delilah. The 5 rulers of the Philistines each said they would pay her 1100 shekels of silver if she could find out the secret of his strength so they could subdue him.
3 times she begged him and 3 times he lied how it could be done and each time with men hiding in his room she would yell out “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!”
Finally she nagged and nagged and nagged him till he couldn’t stand it any more and she told her the truth.
Judges 16:18-22    When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, "Come back once more; he has told me everything." So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. Having put him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him. Then she called, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!" He awoke from his sleep and thought, "I'll go out as before and shake myself free." But he did not know that the Lord had left him. Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding in the prison.
 
Judges 16:22    But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.
 
The Philistines celebrated and worshipped Dagon at a temple, their god who they believe delivered Samson into their hands. Many were gathered and they brought blind and bound Samson out to perform for them so they could make fun of him and his God. Many people were there, including the rulers and on the roof of the temple were 3000 people.
          Samson asks a favor of a servant to place his hands on the center pillars so he can rest.
Judges 16:28-30    Then Samson prayed to the Lord, "O Sovereign Lord, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes." Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.
 
Philippians 4:13     I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
2 Peter 1:3    His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

 
FORESHADOWING OF THE ONE TRUE JUDGE
More than a thousand years after the angelic visit to Samson’s mother, another angel gave a young virgin a similar prediction: “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus” (Luke 1:31). While the first angel told Samson’s parents that he would “begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines” (Judg. 13:5), the other told Jesus’s parents that “he will save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). While Samson’s mother miraculously conceived through her husband, Jesus’s mother conceived as a virgin. While both had angels announce their births, only Jesus had a multitude of angels singing for joy (Luke 2:13–14). Jesus, like Samson, was publicly displayed for his enemies to mock. Yet, unlike Samson, he walked into his death with complete willingness and unblemished innocence. And he didn’t stay in the grave.

03-14-21 Crossing out and Crossing in

 
Scripture:  Ephesians 4:17-24
 
There is a railroad crossing
You (catholic) cross your self
 
Crossing over the Red sea and the Jordan River
Out of slavery (to sin) and into a journey toward the promised land (life with Christ)
Eventually we will cross over one more river into eternal life.

 

Crossing the Red Sea
          All of Egypt’s horses, chariots (600 of the best + others), horsemen & troupes pursued Israel.
          What happened next was repeated often for the next 40 years (People fear & complain – God delivers them – they still lack faith)
          Ex 14:12-14  “Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."
 
Water & Manna in the wilderness
          Ex 15:22-27 The waters of Marah & Elam
          Ex 16 Manna in the morning & the quail at Night (those who kept it a day found maggots & it smelled) make double of the 6^th day and bake it and it will be good on the 7^th & it was without the smell or maggots (but some still went to look for it on the 7^th day not keeping the Sabbath.)
          Ex 17:1-7  Water from the rock at Horeb (From this murmuring the place was called "Massah" [testing] and "Meribah" [rebellion])
 
Ex. 19:1 – 20:21 Moses on Sinai
Moses receives the 10 commandments
 
The golden calf   Ex. 32
God said “they are a stiff-necked people.”
Moses pleaded – God relented – then Moses in anger broke the tablets – rallied the Levites who killed all the others who would not follow God (3000).
Moses (like Christ) offered himself up - Ex 32:31-34  So Moses went back to the Lord and said, "Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold. But now, please forgive their sin — but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written."
The Lord replied to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book. Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin."
 
The Tabernacle   Ex. 40
God had Moses build a tabernacle where His presence would remain till He decided to lift the cloud, then they moved on from there. (Does the cloud lift to show you a better future?)
 
Exploring Canaan – 12 spies   Numbers 13:1 – 14:12
Explored 40 days (the flood & Jesus – temptation) and reported that all is great there (fruit was proof) 10 said they are giants and will kill us. Moses, Arron, Caleb & Joshua said we can take them in the name of the Lord our God. The people said – “We were better off in Egypt – let’s go back there.” God’s glory showed up and Moses pleaded for their forgiveness.
 
Balaam’s Donkey   Numbers 22:21 – 22:38
The Israelite came to the Jordan across from Jericho where they will enter the promised land. Balak, King of Moab called for Balaam to put a curse on this people but God spoke to him. He could not see what his donkey could see and she bucked him 3 times and he beat her each time then God made the donkey speak  and got Balaam’s attention and he too could see the angel of God.

 

Crossing the Jordon into Jericho   Joshua 3
The priests carrying the ark had to stand in the water – The people had to trust and follow to cross on dry ground.
 
CONCLUSION
Eph 4:17-24
So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
          You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

03-07-21 “God is our Passover”

Scripture  Exodus 12:21-23                                           Children's Video about Passover

Passover 2021 will be from sundown on March 27, to sundown on April 4.

The birth and raising of Moses

          After Jacob’s family (about 70 people) moved to Egypt and were taken care of by their son Joseph – second in command in all the land – the Hebrew people began to multiply over and over again until a new Egyptian Pharaoh, who did not remember the work of Joseph, wanted to slow down their population growth before they became more numerous and could take over the Egyptians.

          He ordered Midwives (Shiphrah & Puah) to kill every Hebrew male baby when they are born. They were God fearing and would not do it. When Pharaoh grilled them about it – they said: Ex 1:19 "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive."

          Angry Pharaoh ordered every Hebrew born male to be thrown into the Nile River and drowned.

          One mother (she and her husband both of the Levite tribe) outwitted this order when her baby was 3 mo, old and could no longer be hidden, fashioned a basket covering it with tar and pitch to make it water tight, placed her baby in it and set it among the reeds along the banks of the Nile.

          A servant girl found it and brought the baby to Pharaoh’s daughter. The baby’s sister had been watching and asked if she would like her to find a nursing Hebrew mother and she said yes. She was able to take the baby back to his own mother to be fed until he was weened and then gave him back to Pharaoh’s daughter where she named him Moses because he was ‘drawn out of the water’.  Psalm 18:16  He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He was raised 40 years in the Palace.

          Moses saw an Egyptian badly mistreating a Hebrew and killed him. The next day he saw two Hebrews fighting and when he went to intervene they said, “are you going to kill us as well?”

Fearful that this news was spreading Moses fled to the land of Midian where he eventually found a woman and married her and become a shepherd for his father-in-law Jethro.

          The next part of the story is about God’s calling Moses from a burning bush and telling him to go to Pharaoh to make him let God’s people go. We will Pass Over that part of the story and come back to it in a few moments.

 

          Moses goes to Egypt and confronts the Pharaoh - Ex 5:1-2  "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the desert.'"

Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go."

 

Moses warns of plagues and Pharaoh makes it harder on the Hebrews.

 

1 - Blood, 

  2 - Frogs, 

  3 - Lice or gnats, 

4 - Flies, 

5 - Livestock, 

6 - Boils, 

7 - Hail, 

8 - Locust, 

9 - Darkness, 

10 - Death of firstborn, 

After that last plague when all the first born of every household including children and animals throughout Egypt were killed, Pharaoh finally let God’s people go. Then he changed his mind and pursued them as far as the Red Sea where God sent His people through on dry ground and the waters flooded back when the Egyptian armies tried to cross. This allowed God’s people to wander toward the promised land.

Prior to that last plague God gave this instruction through Moses: Ex 12:21-23

 Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. Not one of you shall go out the door of his house until morning (they had to quarantine). When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.

Death passed over the houses covered with the blood of a spotless lamb.

When Moses was born, his destiny was death, but God made it so death Passed Over him. When Moses Murdered the Egyptian, he should have been put to death, but God made it so death Passed Over him. When Moses returned to the Palace, Pharaoh, after any plague could have murdered Moses, but God made it so death Passed Over him. When death killed the first born of everyone in Egypt, the children of God were spared, and death passed over them because they were safe in homes that had been covered with the blood of a spotless lamb. Looking through the window of the Bible we see clearly that God is a God who provides a way from death to life. And it all pivoted on whether or not Moses would respond to God’s call. Let us now return to the part we passed over – the call of Moses by God. And listen to the end, and see if God is calling you, just as He called Moses.

 

MOSES by Ken Medema (Jeff, Mark & Teresa)

Words and Music by Ken Medema

Old Moses, 'way back there in the wilderness,

saw some smoke, came to the bush, and the bush was burnin'.

God said,
"Take off your shoes, Moses, you're on holy ground.

Moses, I've chosen you to be my man,
Moses, 'way down in Egypt's land.
Moses, I've chosen you to work for me,

Moses, I've chosen you to set my people free!"


"Not me, Lord!
Don't you know I can't talk so good;
I stutter all the time.
Do you know my brother, Aaron?
He can sing like an angel,
Talk like a preacher.
Not me, Lord!
I can't talk so good.

And another thing,
How will they know that I've been here with you?
How will they know what you've sent me to do?
Don't you know that in Egypt, they want little Moses' head?

Don't you know that in Egypt, they want little Moses dead?

Don't you know they'll never hear a single word I'll say!
Maybe you'd get your dirty work done another way!

Not me, Lord!

"What's that in your hand, Moses?"

"It's just a rod."

"Throw it down, Moses."

"Do you mean, like, on the ground?"

"Yes, I said, throw it down, Moses."

"Lord, don't take my rod away from me,
Don't you know it's my only security?
Don't you know when you live here all alone,
A man's gotta have something he can call his own;
Not me, Lord!"

"Throw it down, Moses."

"But, Lord, I ..."

"Throw it down, Moses."

"But ..."

"Throw it down, Moses."

Moses throw the rod on the ground
And the rod became a hissing snake!
Well, Moses started runnin'.
Well, maybe you'd run.

You'd run.
Well, maybe I'd run.

I'd run.
He was a-runnin' from a hot rod!
Runnin' from a hissing snake!

Runnin' scared of what God's gonna do!
Runnin' scared He'll get a hold of you!

And the Lord said,
"Stop,
Pick it up, Moses, by the tail!"


"Lord, you have not lived here very long!
Lord, you've got the whole thing wrong!
Don't you know that you never pick up a hissing snake by his ..."

"Pick it up, Moses!"

Oh, God, it's a rod again, it's a rod again, it's a rod again!

"Do you know what it means, Moses?
Do you know what I'm trying to say, Moses?
The rod of Moses became the rod of God!
With the rod of God, strike the rock and the water will come;

With the rod of God, part the waters of the sea;
With the rod of God, you can strike old Pharaoh dead;

With the rod of God, you can set the people free."

What do you hold in your hand today?
To what or to whom are yo bound?
Are you willing to give it to God right now?
Give it up, Give it up, let it go, let it go,
Throw it down.

 

COMMUNION PREPARATION

Luke 22:14-20

When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God." After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes." And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

 

Jesus on the cross – his blood covered the frame hefore he was nailed to the cross, his blood nearly covered it all, from his head and back Then his hands and feet splattered blood when they nailed him to the cross – it was completely covered…and when we quarantine/shelter in him, death will pass us over and we will be welcomed into eternal life.

COMMUNION       Benediction