Mè yéga redeemed! Buenos días consolation! Your faith is not in vain. " JESUS said to him: I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me shall live, though he were dead; and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?“ (John 1:25-26, Segond 21) May the peace of CHRIST and the consolation of CHRIST be your portion. “I will release them from the power of Hades, I will redeem them from death.” (Hosea 13:14, Segond 21) Celebrate him whose triumph is eternal: JESUS CHRIST.
A few reminders about the Jewish Passover (Pessa'h)
Christian Easter: the sacrifice and victory of JESUS CHRIST
❖ (Colossians 2 : 13-15, NKJV) " And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the [i]handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. "
❖ (Revelation 1 : 17-18, NKJV) " And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death."
❖ (Matthew 16 :18-19, NKJV) " And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth [h]will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
❖ (Luke 22 : 7-8, 14-20, NKJV) : " 7 Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed. 8 And He sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.” [... ] 14 When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. 15 Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of GOD.” 17 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of GOD comes.” 19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you."
1. A few reminders about the Jewish Passover (Pessa'h)
The Jewish Passover (Pessa'h), also known as the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Pessa'h, the Feast of Freedom, the Jews celebrate GOD for the exit from Egypt. This celebration is a perpetual prescription ordained by GOD for Jews and their descendants, wherever they live (Exodus 12:14-18, Leviticus 23:14, Deuteronomy 16:1-8). GOD explicitly told Moses that this is a feast in His honor in memory of the coming out of Egypt. Jews have a duty to celebrate GOD for the coming out of Egypt, and above all to commemorate it with their descendants. In addition to telling their children about the liberation from Egypt, they must teach them about it and talk about it with them.
When GOD established the Old Covenant, every "Israelite" was a Jew and an Israeli. Every foreigner after conversion and circumcision (for men) or marriage (for women) was associated with the Israelites (Exodus 12:47-48). Today, when we speak of Jews as a nation, we are referring to the nation of Israel (the Israelites). When we speak of Jews as a community of believers, we must include all those who worship GOD under the Old Covenant and do not recognize the New Testament. Those who do not recognize JESUS as SAVIOR and LORD. In this group, we have for example the Jews of Africa, America and Europe.
The Jewish Passover is celebrated over 7 days (Exodus 12:18,Numbers 28:16-17). JESUS celebrated the Jewish Passover with his disciples on the first evening (Matthew 26:17-29, Mark 14:12-25, Luke 22:7-20,1 Corinthians 11:23-25). JESUS told the disciples that he would no longer eat the Passover until it was fulfilled in GOD's kingdom. He said he would eat “no more”, not “not”. Clearly implying that before that day, he was eating the Passover, and that the Passover had not yet been fulfilled in GOD's kingdom.
2. Christian Easter: the sacrifice and victory of JESUS CHRIST
Unlike Jewish Easter, Christian Easter is written with an s at the end. JESUS gave a new symbolism to this celebration. He didn't ask the disciples to celebrate Christian Easter on a different date from Passover. But never mind, the most important thing is not the date of the Christian Passover, but its content and symbolism.
“And when JESUS had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “FATHER, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last.” (Luke 23: 46, NKJV) Before dying, JESUS said “All is accomplished” (John 19:30). He fulfilled the Passover by giving his life for the forgiveness of sins and the salvation of all (John 19:30). He is the Lamb of GOD because his death constitutes the perfect and ultimate sacrifice for the atonement of sins (Isaiah 53, John 1:29, John 1:36, John 3:16, Romans 8:3, Hebrews 9). He is the Lamb of GOD who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace (Ephesians 1:7, LSG).
JESUS has risen (Acts 10:40, Matthew 12:40, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, John 20:14-30). He has conquered death (1 Corinthians 15:55-56, Revelation 1:17-18). He holds the keys to death and hell (Revelation 1:17-18). He has power and authority above all dominion, authority, power, sovereignty and every name that can be named, not only in the present world, but also in the world to come (Ephesians 1:21, Segond 21).
To celebrate Christian Easter is to commemorate the sacrifice and resurrection of JESUS CHRIST. It is to celebrate his victory. It is to thank GOD the FATHER for salvation and reconciliation. It is to proclaim the victory and life of CHRIST. It's saying to GOD, I won't forget the price you paid. It's saying to GOD, I will not forget that I am victorious in CHRIST. It's saying to GOD, I'll remember that you haven't given up. I will tell my soul that giving up is not an option. I will lean on you. It's saying to GOD, to you alone be praise, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power and strength forever and ever (Revelation 7:12)!
** Mè yéga = Good morning and Thank you in the Bassa language (Cameroon)
** Buenos días = Good morning in Spanish
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