Holy Week 2020 Thursday

We find ourselves at Maundy Thursday. 

I am surprised at how quickly the week passes given our current state of confinement to our home. It seems just an eye blink ago we were beginning this Holy Week. 

The news this morning had a piece covering how the Jewish community is handling Passover this year and I found it a bit ironic that one rabbi mentioned the important thing was that you just were at home with your family. 

Yes, I believe that would be the point of Passover in the original Jewish tradition. 

On the first Passover…the original Passover that all the other Passovers were set up to commemorate, it was of utmost importance that you were home with your family. 

The ultimate “shelter in place” it would seem. 

Today you might want to review that Passover found in Exodus 12 but for now I will just summarize it. 

The LORD had worked all the plagues He had planned to wield over Egypt and now it was go time. He gave instructions to Moses and Aaron on how the Israelites were to prepare for this event, by first selecting an animal from the flock that would serve as their sacrifice and protection and last meal before making their break from the oppression of those who held them as slaves. 

Side note, and I just love this…if their household was too small to finish off the whole lamb…they were to combine with a neighbor and join together in one place for the meal. Guess that sounds particularly appealing as we are missing the fellowship of our family and friends these days. 

But back to the story…They were to keep the animal in their home for four days and then slaughter it and take some of the blood and spread it over the doorposts of their homes. 

Oh my…we modern folk might cringe at so many aspects of this. We might balk at any animal being killed for food or we may eat meat but certainly want it packaged in nice, presentable plastic wrap and would rather not think of how it got there. 

A few may be hunters or work in the food industry and are accustomed to the messier parts of getting the meat to the table, but death is messy and God wanted His people to understand that the protection they were about to witness would come at a cost of something that had to be sacrificed. 

The blood on the door frames of their houses was not a magic charm. 

It wasn’t the weird fulfillment of a demanding and quirky deity. 

The blood was a sign of faith and obedience for the inhabitants of the house to their God; who had long ago killed his own creation to cover the shame of the first two humans as they made their exodus from His Presence and fellowship. 

It was, unbeknownst to them, more of the unfolding revelation of His plan to send the perfect sacrifice at the perfect time in human history that would, once and for all, provide the way back to His Presence and fellowship. 

“When the LORD passes through to strike Egypt and sees the blood on the lintel and two doorposts, He will pass over the door and not let the destroyer enter your houses to strike you.”

Exodus 12:23

If you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, His blood covers you. 

Think about it. 

Let that sink into you. 

Read Exodus 12 and then meditate on this 

As they were eating, He took bread, blessed and broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take it; this is my body.” Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He gave it to the, and they all drank from it. He said to them, “This is the blood of my covenant, which is poured out for many…” 

Mark 14: 22

His body broken for you. 

His blood shed for you. 

Praise to His name forever <3