SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 24, March 28, 2010

Palm Sunday
Who do you say that I am?
Christ, our Passover Lamb
Theme Verse: "Who do you say that I am?" Matthew 16:15
Readings: Exodus 12:1-7,12-14,21-27,42, Matthew 16:21-23, Luke 9:30-31, Luke 22:7-23
Optional: Exodus 12:1-42, Hebrews 9:11-28
Memory Verse: "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 'Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!'" (John 1:29)
      Remember how in the lesson on Jesus the Lamb of God (#4) we learned about how God delivered his people, Israel, from slavery in Egypt. It was the first Passover, when God "passed over" the homes of the Israelites who had obeyed instructions and put the blood of the lamb they had sacrificed on their doorposts the night when the first-born of each Egyptian home died. The lamb had to be a perfect (without blemish) male lamb a year old. Jesus was the perfect "lamb of God"- without blemish of sin- when God sent Jesus to give his life for our salvation, for the forgiveness of our sins. Right after Jesus' baptism, John the Baptist told people, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." (John 1:29)
      A word received: How I long to pass over my people today and know that they are covered by the blood of my son Jesus. Turn to me; receive the blessing I have for you. Come to me in humility and ask for forgiveness of sin. Let me free you from the bondage of sin.
      The Exodus and first Passover provided a model for understanding what God was doing in Jesus. Three times Jesus told his disciples what was going to happen (Matthew 16:21, Matthew 17:22-23, Matthew 20:17-19). That bewildered the disciples since they were expecting a Messiah King who would drive out the Romans. They were scattered by his arrest (Matthew 26:31-32). On the Mt. of Transfiguration Peter, James and John saw Jesus changed before them and saw him talking to two men they somehow knew were Moses and Elijah (from heaven) about his "departure" (literally "exodus") which he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. (Luke 9:30-31). "And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease [exodus] which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem." (Luke 9:30-31) A word received: My father prepared my heart for what lay ahead -- that I was to be the Passover lamb.
      Jesus knew exactly what was going to happen and deliberately chose when and where he would die for our sins. Every time the leaders who hated him tried to kill him he escaped until the right time---Passover time. Look again at Luke 22:22-23. Jesus arranged a secret signal (a man with a water jar -women's work) to guide the disciples to a place where they would not be disturbed. When they gathered around the table Jesus said, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer." (vs.15-16) Paul makes it very clear what was going on, "For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us."(1 Corinthians 5:7b) The Paul describes what Jesus did next in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26) (See also in Luke 22:17-22)
      Meaning of sacrifice and blood
      Remember that in the Old Testament the blood of man and animal was its life and represented its life. When they sacrificed an animal they were offering the animal's life/blood as a substitute for their own lives. God used this animal sacrifice to teach the people about sacrifice so that one day when Jesus, the Lamb of God, offered his life for our sins we and they could understand it. "Christ, our Passover has been sacrificed for us."
      Parallels between the Passover Seder and the Last Supper
(taken from "Christ in the Passover" by Ceil & Moishe Rosen of Jews for Jesus) There are four cups of wine at the meal and each has a name. The third cup is called the "Cup of Redemption". "After the same manner he also took the cup when he had supped, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood: do this as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.' "(1 Corinthians 11:25). Blood was sprinkled on the people at Sinai in the covenant God made with Israel at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 24:8 ) Hebrews teaches "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin." (9:22). Christ offered the sacrifice of himself, once, for all, to take away the sins of many. (Hebrews 9:26-28 ) In John 10, Jesus said, "I AM the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep" (vs.11) "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again." (vs.18 ). After Christ's death there was no more need for animal sacrifices.
      Remember that the day started with the evening. Then he took the third cup. The gospel accounts only mention the first and third cups. The third cup had two names, the "cup of blessing" and the "cup of redemption"
      Passover was not a temple service but held in homes and the children had a special part. In Exodus 12 they were instructed to celebrate it forever and pass this on to their children. The children were supposed to ask certain questions.
      Why did God do this?
      "God so loved the world (his creation and creatures) that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." (John 2:16-17) God was making a new covenant in his blood, available to those who accepted Jesus. God had promised to make a new covenant centuries before through Jeremiah (31:31-34). God(Father, Son, Holy Spirit) had planned this before creation because he knew the cost of giving people the choice of loving him freely or rejecting him. "the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world." (Revelation 13:8 )
      Isaiah describe how costly this gift of God in Christ was in Isaiah 53:5-6 "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray, everyone to his own way, and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." Remember not only what Jesus suffered on the cross for us but his agony in Gesthemane when he sweat blood as he prayed about what was coming. Jesus loves you and me that much! (NOTE on Gethsemane) "'Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.'" (John 15:13) It is amazing that one would die for his friends but Paul reminds us that Jesus died for those who were still in rebellion against God, his enemies! See Romans 5:8,10 A word received: I gave my life for you. Jesus died and rose again to set us free from sin and give us new life, but we have to accept the gift and walk with him.
      "Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us." (1 Corinthians 5:7) A word received: I want to cleanse you of every stain of sin.
      "Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." (1 Corinthians 5:8 ) A word received: I long to keep this feast with you.
      But Jesus' death on the cross to ransom us from sin and death was not the end--otherwise it would have just been another tragedy. Jesus had told his disciples he would rise again. He was really dead and buried but he rose from the dead on the third day to show us clearly who he was and that he had won the victory over death and sin--a gift we can choose to receive--or not.
Just as the first Passover was the first step in new life and freedom for the Israelites, so Jesus death for our salvation opened the way to new life in him and a new covenant.
      We have a choice to make. Are we going to receive what Jesus did for us? We need to ASK for and RECEIVE the new life he offers. He wants us to follow him and walk in newness of life in fellowship with him.

NOTE Jesus went to pray at an olive grove where they sometimes went to pray. It was named Gethsemane which is a press to press olives or grape for the juice or oil. Jesus was under tremendous pressure as he prayed. Remember he asked that if possible this "cup" would not have to be drunk but he prayed "Not my will but thine be done". He also forgave those who crucified him. We need to do that too.