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"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. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isa. 53:5-6).



The Passover Feast of the Church of God

Passover, one of the main festivals of the Jews, is going to be celebrated by Churches of God in about 70 countries worldwide including 350 Churches nationwide. Passover was the day when the Israelites put the blood of the Passover lamb on the doorposts of their houses to escape the plague of the firstborn in the time of Moses about 3,500 years ago. On the Passover (January 14 in the Jewish calendar), Jesus had the Last Supper with His twelve disciples and was arrested. The next day He was crucified, and on the third day (Sunday) after His crucifixion He was resurrected. "The Passion of the Christ," opening nationwide on April 2, informs its viewers about the importance of the Passover. For the film begins with the Passover when Jesus was betrayed and ends with His resurrection.

"I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer" (Luke 22:15, 19-20).


The Passion of the Christ and the Passover

"The sensational movie portraying accurately Christ's sufferings"

The movie "the Passion of the Christ" depicts the suffering Jesus Christ underwent in His final 12 hours from the night when He was arrested by Jewish leaders while praying in the Garden of Gethsemane to the next day when He was crucified and died on the hill Golgotha. The reason this movie attracts public attention especially is that it portrays Christ's sufferings in a most graphic way, differently from other movies we've ever seen. The scene of Christ's being flogged lasts more than 10 minutes. Actually on the edge of the rod used by the Roman soldiers were pieces of bone, metal or glass, by which a fatal wound or injury might be inflicted. From this, we can guess how much severer the pains of Christ's were. Like a comment of a newspaper reporter, "The hero of this movie is Jesus' broken body and shed blood rather than Jesus Himself," the camera focuses totally on the flesh and blood of the suffering Christ.


The hero is Jesus' flesh and blood

The scene of Christ's sufferings is continued to the Passover supper that He had with His disciples just before He was arrested: Taking the bread, He said, "This is my body; do this in remembrance of me," and taking the wine He said, "This is my blood of the covenant." The broken bread represents the body of Christ, and the wine His blood. Jesus Christ declared to His disciples, "This is the new covenant."

Luke 22:15, 19-20 "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you "

John 6:53-56 Jesus said to them, " unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him."


The sacrifice of Christ the Passover Lamb

The Passover was a Jewish feast originated in Egypt some 3,500 years ago when the Israelites were released from slavery; they slaughtered a lamb and put the blood on the sides and tops of the doorframes of their houses, so that they could escape the disaster of the firstborn. Since that time, the Israelites have been celebrating the Passover by slaughtering lambs every year. However, this Old Testament history was only a shadow; their deliverance from the disaster through the blood of the Passover lamb showed mankind's deliverance from disasters and sins through the blood of the Christ. As the blood of the Passover lamb saved the firstborn of Israel, so the blood of Christ through the Passover now saves mankind. So the disciples emphasized that we should celebrate the Passover in remembrance of Christ's death as the Passover Lamb.

1 Cor. 5:7-8 For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival,


Passover, the new covenant of life through the sacrifice of Christ

Without the Passover, nobody can discuss the sufferings of Christ. For Christ, before He suffered, promised to offer His body which would be hung on the cross and His precious blood which would be shed on the cross, through the Passover Communion.

If you truly admit that Christ suffered for your own sins, you shall celebrate the Passover and eat the bread as His body and drink the wine as His blood so that you may understand the love of Christ and participate in the eternal life. This is the will of Christ who said, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover do this in remembrance of me."

Will you accept the love of Christ who endured all sufferings to give you life? If you will, celebrate the Passover which is the will of Christ.

Christ loved you so much that He laid down His life; His whole body was torn and broken by blows with rods, nails and thorns and His torn body was red with blood.

Come to celebrate the Passover, the covenant of love and life.