Grace is Our Passover and God's Progressive Work of Salvation
- His Servant - Rob McKee
- Mar 1, 2022
- 17 min read
Proverbs 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
Many people believe and teach these days that salvation through Jesus Christ takes place instantly, but I am here to tell you that this notion is not biblical at all. I would even go so far as to say that the idea of instantaneous salvation of God is a lie of the devil! Throughout the bible we are taught that God performs His work over time and the scriptures reveal that salvation through grace is no different.
Think about when Our Lord created this world. We see, in the Book of Genesis, that He took 6 days to create all that we see. Now we know:
2 Peter 3:8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
Because of this, we really cannot say what the span of “a day” during the creation account is compared to our time, but the point is that God could have snapped His fingers and all that we know could have been placed into existence, just that easily! But the scripture reveals just what He wants us to see: that He chose to take His time. And, guess what? Evidently God values rest as well because even He rested from His work on the seventh day – right? What was God doing when He rested? Perhaps admiring His work?
Ecclesiastes 5:18 Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion.
When we rest, we have time to listen and He takes over. Now we have time to admire His work as well. Ever talk with someone that has trouble listening? Why? Because they are too busy talking, right? Don’t ever be too busy to take time to tune in to God’s Word.
Okay, so what about the Ark? Why didn’t God just create an Ark for Noah and his family? The battle at Jericho – why did they need to march around the city? Why didn’t the wall come down when they first approached it? You and I both know that there are so many other examples in God’s Word. Jesus preached and taught/trained His disciples for about 3.5 years? So, what are some things that all of these events have in common?
· God’s mercy
· Revelation of God’s Will being taught to His people
· Space (or grace) for His people to become obedient (or faithful)
· Salvation
The Passover
Let’s talk about the Passover… Why did the Passover take place? It was necessary because God’s People were in bondage to Egypt. What does “Egypt” represent? According to https://lisbdnet.com/what-does-egypt-represent/
“Egypt or Matzarim in the bible represents our own enslavement to desires, emotions, materialism, control, power, the ego, and so on. The Exodus of Israel from Egypt, Mitzriyim, refers to the soul’s exodus from Egypt deep down in the lower self.” In essence, Israel was held in bondage to the pharaoh of Egypt for around 400 years. Sound familiar? No wonder:
Romans 7:19-24 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Again- couldn’t God have just snapped His fingers and caused Pharaoh to give in right away and let them leave? He could have, but would His people have then seen that it was God who saved them?
1 Samuel 12:6-7 And Samuel said unto the people, It is the LORD that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD of all the righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers.
The Passover signified not only God’s forgiveness towards His people, but also His willingness to have mercy upon them as judgment entered the place of evil that they were bound within. Please note that The Lord had them make sacrifice for His Passover before the night that He actually passed through Egypt, just as Jesus was given as a sacrifice before His Spirit was sent to protect us as we live by faith. Those Hebrew children had to trust (believe and obey) God enough to take the blood of their sacrifice and spread it upon the door posts, even before the plague came. The most significant things that I noticed when reading this were that they were commanded to eat ALL of the Passover from which they took the blood as a sign upon their door posts to show God that they were His people. Remember this because it will come into play in a few moments, as we discuss.
Exodus 12:7-13 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. 8And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. 10And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. 11And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover. 12For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. 13And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
Remember the last supper where Jesus said:
Matthew 26:26-27 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
Why did He want them to drink ALL of it?...
Matthew 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Christ came to save us from sin:
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
1 Corinthians 5:7-8 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8Therefore 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.
And, who is Jesus? He is The Word of God…
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
See how that the sacrifice of the Passover that took place in Egypt is foreshadowing of Christ; He being the sacrifice of our spiritual Passover though faith in His Word? What is the final portion of God’s plan of salvation as delivered to man (after Christ died, was buried, and rose again) called? This is very simple: it is Grace!
Do you remember what took place right after the Passover when God smote Egypt with death of their firstborn? When you kill the power of sin over people, they are freed from it, right? The Hebrew children were ‘let go’ and God, through Moses, led them out of Egypt (or you could say, God let away from their sin.) Were they “saved” or at their final destination once Pharaoh agreed to let them go? Nope. Salvation for them would have been to find themselves safe in the promised land that had everything that they would ever need. This is what God had promised them when He told them that He was going to free them…
Exodus 3:16-17 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt: 17And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.
Another thing to remember here is that The Hebrew children were slaves there. They could not free themselves. Once freed they set out to find the promised land, right? Do you suppose any of them were transported there instantly by God? Was their part in this salvation from Egypt complete once they killed and digested the sacrifice, then claimed the blood upon their door posts? No. You see, this is not God’s way of doing things. And, guess what? His ways do not change because He does not change!
Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Our Lord does things over time, with patience. He brought His people through many trials and tribulations as they traveled through the wilderness in search of their promise. Some questions we might ask about their journey to the promised land are:
1. Did they know what they were they searching for?
2. Did God’s people suffer at all during their journey?
3. Was traveling work for them?
4. Did all of them make it?
5. Why did it take so long?
ANSWERS:
1. They were searching for the way to find their salvation – the land that flowed with milk and honey; that God has promised to them if they were willing to leave Egypt once freed from their bonds. Sound familiar?
Revelation 7:13-17 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14And I said unto Him, Sir, thou knowest. And He said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple: and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. 16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
2. They thought that they were suffering. Remember how they murmured and complained, then accused God when they were thirsty and hungry? This is why Moses smote the rock and also God sent manna for them to eat.
Luke 9:23 And He said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
1 Peter 4:1-2 Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; 2That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.
3. Have you ever walked across a desert?
Colossians 1:28-29 Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: 29Whereunto I also labour, striving according to His working, which worketh in me mightily.
Hebrews 12:1-4 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3For consider Him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. 4Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
4. Many did not make it because of their iniquity. You see they claimed to be part of Israel, God’s people, but their actions proved the true contents of their hearts.
Psalms 95:7-11 For He is our God; and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. To day if ye will hear His voice, 8Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. 10Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: 11Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.
5. Patience. This is God’s way. The Lord’s work is tried by fire and then molded and shaped through patience and longsuffering. Again- He does not change, so His ways will always be the same also!
Acts 13:17-18 The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought He them out of it. 18And about the time of forty years suffered He their manners in the wilderness.
Concerning the Passover itself: why was there a feast of the Passover that was commanded should take place every year?
The carnal mind simply does not understand the things of God. True service to God is a lifestyle of holiness and godliness. This is a lifetime commitment and there are no vacations or detours from the way of faith. Under The Law, The Lord would visit sin every year to remind them of who they were and the condition that they were in. This was for their own good. By doing this, they could see themselves how God saw them. This is why we were created with a conscience. To help us remember where we stand in God’s sight.
Romans 8:6-7 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
1 Peter 1:16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
By having His people celebrate the Passover each year, they were not only given the opportunity to sacrifice and give thanks, but also reminded of the mercy and grace that God had shown His people. This would preserve the remembrance of His kindness towards them throughout every new generation. So, once Christ came on the scene, they could then, through the Spirit, understand His plan for the true salvation of God, by grace, through faith. But they, you, and I would never do this: if we were not to seek Him and the way of eternal life first.
1 Peter 3:10-12 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 11Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 12For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
How do all of these things relate to being saved by grace through faith?
Jesus chose His disciples. Then they began to seek and follow Him. For the space of 3-½ years He taught them the ways of God, but they could not fully comprehend His Words because they had not yet been converted, freed from sin, and gifted with His Holy Spirit of understanding. Near the close of their time together Jesus fulfilled God’s Will for Him in the flesh by allowing Himself to be crucified, buried, and then raised the third day.
The final hours leading up to Our Lord being condemned by His people to suffer death, He and His disciples celebrated the Passover in its physical form, as commanded in The Law of Moses for the last time together. At the table, Jesus revealed that the real feast of the Passover was not to be celebrated carnally anymore (once He was sacrificed), but now spiritually, when He said:
Mark 14:25 Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God.
What this reveals to us is that, once the death, burial, and resurrection took place, the “new and living way” was now in order and that an end was made to the keeping of the ordinances of the Law of Moses. Rather than partaking of and following the literal letter of the Law, we should serve God concerning these same principles in a new and spiritual way, with understanding. The interesting thing about people with understanding is that they do things the right way because they have experience that teaches them the consequences of what happens if they do not do right. Being intelligent in this way, they fear judgement because they know that it will always prevail. In this case, they fear God for they know that He is just and will judge their works in righteousness.
When we said that a new and spiritual way was made and that the carnal ordinances were therefore no more in force, this included the celebration of the Passover, which represents our redemption taking place over a period of time. Thus, Jesus would no longer drink the physical wine, which represented His Blood that gives power to the New Testament covenant, but rather to partake of the true life-eternal. Remember that blood always represents life in the bible…
Deuteronomy 12:23 Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: for the blood is the life; and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh.
John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Romans 10:1-4 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Romans 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
The blood of Jesus Christ was shed for His New Testament Covenant with mankind. A testament is a person’s will that is put into force when they die. This is why Christ had to shed His blood. Make sense? A covenant is an agreement between two people. God’s will for us is that we would accept this agreement that Christ died for so that we might be saved. Any agreement contains ‘does’ and ‘don’ts’. Do we believe that Christ keeps His Word? If so, what will prove our faith in Him?
Hebrews 9:17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
John 14:14-15 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. 15If ye love me, keep my commandments.
James 2:21-22 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
Now, during this last feast of the Passover with His disciples, they were still under the Law of Moses because Jesus had not yet been crucified. That said, they were still practicing the keeping of the law in the physical realm. They were actually keeping the Passover in a carnal manner, as God had commanded of His people. Where did Jesus physically take them once they had given thanks, eaten the sacrifice, and then sang praises? He took them to the mount of Olives. If you search things out, you will find that the mount of olives is a very important place for God’s people. Jesus went there to pray right before His betrayal. So, He passed through the mount of Olives to find and speak to The Father prior to His persecution on the cross, and then once He had overcome sin and death, He revisited the mount. For what reason? To ascend from there back into Heaven! The Olive is a symbol of peace. It also happens to be a fruit. Jesus said that He is the branch and we are the vines. The branch of the tree reaches out to hold the vines and the vines bear the fruit of the tree through the nutrients provided in the branch. Jesus is not only the branch (representing His time in the flesh here on earth), but He is also the tree because Jesus is God (The Father). What fruit did Jesus bear when He walked this earth? He is our example.
John 14:8-9 Philip saith unto Him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 9Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
John 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
Hebrews 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
John 16:12-14 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
Hebrews 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Grace, as taught by the apostles, when practiced in the life of a true believer will not only free us from sin, but it will allow us the space to consume ALL of God’s Word. He will Passover us as we are becoming a new creature in Christ because He sees The Blood of His Life that is found within The New Testament Scriptures; working in our mortal lives. If we practice what He preaches, we will overcome sin and this world and endure to the end. We will then (and only then) find peace in a life of His righteousness, being made sin-free, and enter into the promised land.
Philippians 3:12-14 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Matthew 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Friends – salvation is a progressive work. Don’t let someone fool you into thinking that you were “saved” in a split-second of time with nothing left for you to do. That is simply not God’s way. Man’s way is to have it now and not have to work for it. God’s way involves real faith in the one and only Truth. PLEASE read His Word and find the truth for yourself! We recommend the King James Version.
Acts 13:41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.
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Ephesians 6:23-24 Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
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