An Appointment With the Father

Here is an article from my friend in Jerusalem. It lets us see a little bit of how the Passover is observed in Jerusalem. There are pictures as well.


On Wednesday evening our family participated in a Passover meal with 120 other believers in Jerusalem. Each portion of the meal was a reminder of what God has done to redeem His people from the bondage of the Egyptians during the Exodus from Egypt. For the believer, it was also a reminder of our freedom from the bondage of sin in the death of our Passover lamb, Jesus the Messiah.

On Thursday we traveled to Samaria to observe the Samaritans conducting their yearly sacrifice of the Passover lamb, one for each family as prescribed in the Law. While the Jews in ancient times worshiped God in Jerusalem, the Samaritans continue to worship God on Mt. Gerizim in Samaria (ie. Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman in John 4).
To see pictures of this sacrifice, click here. WARNING: photo of slain lamb.

In both instances, the Jewish families and their Passover meals, as well as the Samaritans and their sacrificial lambs, the focus continues to be on the picture or the shadow of the real thing that has already come. They have missed their appointment with God.

Jesus, on the other hand, knew the Scriptures. He made sure to keep his appointment with the Father. Leviticus 23:4-6 tells us regarding Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread that these are God's appointed times. The English translates this as feasts or convocations, but the literal meaning in Hebrew is appointments. Passover (the slaying of the lamb followed by the Passover feast) was to begin at sundown on the 14th of Nissan. This coincides with the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened bread. According to Matthew 26:17-18, Jesus instructed his disciples about preparations for the Passover by saying my appointed time is near.

As Jesus ate this Passover meal with his disciples, he used it as an opportunity to reveal to them what they had only known in word pictures and symbols. The innocent lambs that are sacrificed every year at Passover have been pointing to this moment. I will now give my body to be broken. I will pour out my blood for the forgiveness of sins. In just a few hours the Lamb of God will fulfill his purpose and keep his appointment with the Father. The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Have a blessed Resurrection Day!
Dave in Jerusalem