Don’t be caught unprepared for Passover!

(This blog includes links to other topics on Deleavening and preparing for Passover so we’re ready for this wonderful evening.) 

Did you realize the Lord’s Passover is almost here? The night we do the footwashing service and eating the emblems of a piece of broken unleavened bread with a small vial of red wine – is almost upon us.

Some of you prefer to drink grape juice as your “fruit of the vine” but the Greek word “oinos” clearly refers to red wine, as in the wedding feast miracle of Cana in John 2.

So with Passover almost here, has each of us given it the proper attention it requires before participating? Arriving at the service at the last minute, all disheveled, roaring into the parking lot straight from work – without forethought – simply is not giving our God the respect he deserves.

Why is this topic so vital?

Read 1 Corinthians 11 carefully, especially verses 17-34.

Paul warns against taking the body and the blood of Yeshua in an unworthy manner has serious consequences. He even says that by not regarding the Body of Christ with deep honor, God is letting some believers die, and not be healed. 

But he also says clearly, that once we have done a proper self-examination, we absolutely SHOULD take of the body and blood of Christ (bread and wine), knowing we absolutely need to acknowledge we need His cleansing and covering of his life and death over us.

We must start looking for the Spiritual intent in everything we read, and not just the obvious physical illustration.

And surely, you’ll be deleavening your home before Passover, as we’re commanded to be unleavened. But let me give my annual caution: don’t be so focused on the physical act of deleavening that we give scant attention to spiritual deleavening and preparation!

Many of you are exhausted by the end of deleavening. But be sure to spend extra time in thanksgiving and repentance as you pour your heart and soul out to our Father and our Savior for giving you the first fruit calling to be part of his Family right now!

*** he warns against divisions in the body of Christ v.18.

*** he explains the way they were keeping this special evening could not be called the Lord’s Supper (verse 17-22).

Then in 1 Cor. 11:23-26 that we do what we do on Passover night to remember HIM. HE was what all the Passover sheep, all the unleavened bread all pointed to. We remember HIM as our focus on Passover night – not so much the Exodus 12 Passover. Interestingly enough, when we read all of Christ’s words at his Passover, his entire conversation is about the spiritual, with no reference to Exodus 12. Exodus pointed to HIM. He’s the point.

So as we prepare for Passover, remember that: Yeshua is the reason! He’s the point. He’s what the whole evening is all about. It’s fine to talk about “when I see the blood of the lamb” over your lintel – as in Ex 12 – but be sure to make the point that we’re talking about Yeshua’s blood, Yeshua’s life shed for each of us.

Though it is a sober and serious night of remembrance, Passover should not be a dirge! We know what happened after Passover. Our Savior was resurrected. He lives. There is victory in his blood – and so when we come together, there should be quiet celebration of victory over sin and honor to our majestic King, the son of God.

Paul goes on to explain that we must examine ourselves and then yes -- then eat of the bread and drink of the cup in a worthy manner, lest we bring judgment on ourselves. Be sure to read 1 Cor. 11:27-32. Paul also says it could even be a big reason why we’re not seeing more healings than we do nowadays, because we’re not loving and esteeming all those “in Christ” as we should – the body of Christ.

I’ve been healed of cancer, enlarged organs, and God has used me to pray for some who were instantly healed of serious strokes and severe back pain. Others have not been healed. But God has not stopped healing. If we’re not seeing as much healing nowadays – it’s more likely our fault. Yeshua has not retired or quit healing.

So get ready for the pre-Passover prep – and for Passover itself. There are numerous pre-Passover and Passover topics on this website you can check out:

Blogs or sermons on deleavening:

Don’t miss all your “hidden” leaven https://lightontherock.org/blogs/don-t-miss-all-your-hidden-leaven?highlight=WyJkZWxlYXZlbiJd

As we focus on physical leaven, be sure we don’t miss the real POINT of deleavening and what the UNLEAVENED bread pictures? Here’s another blog that might be useful to you:

https://lightontherock.org/blogs/what-s-your-focus-as-you-deleaven?highlight=WyJkZWxlYXZlbiJd

Without proper forethought and planning and time on the spiritual, our deleavening may fall far short of perfect. This is worth a read too: https://lightontherock.org/blogs/perfect-deleavening?highlight=WyJkZWxlYXZlbiJd

Are we trying to pick leaven OUT of our lives – instead of learning the lesson of the days of deleavening? What was it? That we CAN’T pick out leaven from a loaf of bread. We have to discard it and replace it with new, fresh unleavened bread. We can’t just pick this or that sin out of our lives either. That would be like trying to pick leaven out of a loaf of bread. We cannot do it. What do we have to do?

We have to throw out the whole loaf. We throw out ALL of our old way of life, our old desires, and all our secret sins. Our bodies, our lives, now become the habitation of God himself, so we do a special housecleaning and self-examination of what quality of abode we are providing as the House of God – ourselves!

This means total and complete surrender to our new King, Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah. We have to give up our entire former carnal self in complete surrender now and ask HIM to BE the new unleavened (sinless) life inside us that we need to have. We ask Yeshua to reign in us. Ask Him to purge evil thoughts and lusts and ungodly ways from our minds as we pray more than ever and study the word of God more than ever. BY doing that, we experience the “washing of water BY the word” (Ephesians 5:26).

ARE you in God’s word daily? More so now than usual? We need that, to be spiritually washed and unleavened before holy God. And we need to be praying more than ever. Satan’s demons have stepped up their activity drastically. We must and will defeat them in Christ.

This is what true pre-Passover deleavening focus should be all about – even as, indeed, we put out the physical leaven. But remember, there are even leavening agents in the air. We’ll never get rid of it all ourselves. Our focus must be on Christ, who is the point of all this.

You may want to also review some of the full-length sermons I’ve given in the past on Passover. Here are a few of my favorites:

Are you Crucified with Christ? I promise this will touch your soul. Type in the search bar “Crucified with Christ.”

Fresh Look at the Passover Emblems (March 2010) Type in “Passover Emblems”. We do a deep dive into the bread, the wine, the foot washing and much more. The Afikomen.

When I see the Blood, parts 1 and 2 – just type in “see the blood” into the search box. IN Passover we see the Love of God and his severity as well. The “Crimson thread” of Passover through the Bible – like Isaac carrying the wood; the nuances of Exodus 12, which all pointed to Christ.

How Christ fulfilled the Passover in Intricate Detail (April 2010) – just type in “Intricate detail” into the search box.

Let’s be ready for Passover 2021 – spiritually, mentally, and physically. It’s a great evening, a great time, and we’re washed, clean, forgiven, justified, reconciled, restored, accepted, and delivered – by what this day means.  

Jesus came the first time to make the way possible as the Lamb of God for the family of God to come before him cleansed and forgiven as we come under his blood – AND to preach and tell us about the kingdom of God.

The next time he comes, it is to take over the reins of power and start to literally rule as King of kings. Let’s be sure we’re there with him, as we come roaring back from the wedding supper in Heaven with Christ our king. Those with him are the “called, chosen and faithful.” Revelation 17:14.