1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:04,880 Glad to have all of our sights and services present as we 2 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:08,119 worship this morning. Worship our King. 3 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:11,960 May I have you turn in your Bibles to John chapter 1. 4 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:18,440 Some of you are thinking right now, Derek, did you forget what 5 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,120 holiday we're actually celebrating today? 6 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:25,400 Because often times we turn to John chapter one at Christmas, 7 00:00:25,400 --> 00:00:27,920 right? It's where we go to think about 8 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:33,320 and marvel AT and wonder at the incarnation where we hear the 9 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:38,320 words of John 114 that the word became flesh and dwelt among us. 10 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:43,240 And we, we just stop and we saturate ourselves that we sit 11 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:45,400 in that. But today we're going to move 12 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:47,960 another 15 verses ahead of verse 14. 13 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:52,440 We're going to go to verse 29 because John one, I would argue, 14 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:56,200 doesn't just point us to Christmas, it points us to the 15 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:59,200 cross. It points us to Good Friday. 16 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,800 In verse 29, John the Baptist sees Jesus. 17 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:07,640 This is really the first interaction that we have 18 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:11,240 recorded of Jesus and John the Baptist in John's Gospel. 19 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:18,400 And he says, look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of 20 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:20,440 the world. And if you just not been 21 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:24,760 thinking about it, that is a very weird way to introduce 22 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:27,360 somebody. Look, there's a sheep. 23 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:30,520 Not just any sheep, a baby sheep. 24 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:36,280 It's a strange declaration if you don't understand the context 25 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,800 that the audience at the time would have understood, because 26 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:45,600 this is a declaration that is deeply about who Jesus is and 27 00:01:45,600 --> 00:01:51,600 what he came to do it. It looks back to the Exodus and 28 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:55,920 how God has saved his people in the past, but it is looking 29 00:01:55,920 --> 00:02:01,360 forward to Good Friday and how God will save his people, all 30 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:04,880 people, for all times on the cross. 31 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:09,720 So if you want to understand who Jesus is, you've got to go back 32 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:14,160 to that Exodus 12 story. You've got to go back and see 33 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:18,520 what he's talking about when he talks about the Passover lamb. 34 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:24,240 And so invite you to flip over to Exodus chapter 12 with me 35 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:31,230 now. And let's look at that in the 36 00:02:31,230 --> 00:02:35,990 context here as you flip is that God's people in Exodus chapter 37 00:02:35,990 --> 00:02:42,070 12 are in slavery. They've been in Egypt now for 38 00:02:42,070 --> 00:02:45,710 400 years and things have gone from bad to worse. 39 00:02:45,710 --> 00:02:50,110 And it is a time of oppression. It's a time of bondage. 40 00:02:51,590 --> 00:02:56,240 It's a time of waiting, but the waiting is almost over. 41 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:01,680 God has heard the cries of his people and He is responding and 42 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:05,760 He is about to deliver them. But before He delivers them He 43 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:09,880 gives them some instructions and some things that need to take 44 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:11,960 place for this deliverance to happen. 45 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:17,560 In Exodus chapter 12, it says starting at verse one, the Lord 46 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:22,640 said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, this month is to 47 00:03:22,640 --> 00:03:24,560 be the beginning of months for you. 48 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:28,520 It is the first month of year. This is going to be the starting 49 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:30,520 point for everything. This is the month of your 50 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:34,320 salvation. Tell the whole community of 51 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:39,040 Israel that on the 10th day of this month they must each select 52 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:42,000 an animal of the flock according to their father's family. 53 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:45,040 One animal per family. And then if you skip down to 54 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:48,240 verse 5, we get some realities about this animal. 55 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:53,200 You must have an unblemished animal, A1 year male. 56 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:56,800 You must take it from either the sheep or the goats a year to 57 00:03:56,800 --> 00:04:01,480 keep it until the 14th day of the month, and then the whole 58 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:05,240 assembly of the community of Israel will slaughter the 59 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:09,840 animals at twilight. They must take some of the blood 60 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:14,520 and put it on the two doorposts and the lentil of the house 61 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:18,279 where they eat them. And then in verse 12 we see what 62 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:22,880 will happen that night. I will pass through the land of 63 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:26,920 Egypt on that night and strike every first born male in the 64 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:30,120 land of Egypt, both people and animals. 65 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:34,160 I am the Lord. I will execute judgments against 66 00:04:34,200 --> 00:04:38,360 all the gods of Egypt. And the blood on the houses 67 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:41,840 where you are staying will be a distinguishing mark for you. 68 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:45,640 When I see the blood, I will pass over you. 69 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:50,680 No plague will be among you to destroy you when I strike the 70 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:54,840 land of Egypt. That's the context that the 71 00:04:54,840 --> 00:04:58,080 people have as they hear this declaration. 72 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:02,480 Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, that 73 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:06,480 there was a time of deliverance, the time of deliverance, the 74 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:08,640 time of salvation in Israel's history. 75 00:05:08,880 --> 00:05:12,920 And at that time, each household had to take a lamb, not just any 76 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:19,200 lamb, spotless, unblemished, perfect, they have to take it 77 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:22,480 and they have to kill it and slaughter it. 78 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:27,520 And then they take its blood and they place it on the doorpost 79 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:31,240 and they place it on the lentil. It's all around the door. 80 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:36,440 And if they do that, if they take that spotless, perfect, 81 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:39,680 unblemished Lamb of God, they slaughter it, kill it, put the 82 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:42,880 blood on the door frame. Then, on the night when God 83 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:47,920 comes to execute His judgment, that judgement would pass over 84 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:52,160 those homes. The first born sons in those 85 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:58,680 houses would live wherever the blood is present, not because 86 00:05:58,680 --> 00:06:04,600 the people in those homes are morally superior or better, not 87 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:10,240 because those first borns are more deserving of life, but 88 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:12,360 because a lamb has died in their place. 89 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:20,240 And John the Baptist sees Jesus and he says that's him. 90 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:26,240 Behold the Lamb of God, the one who's come for your salvation to 91 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:31,960 be a sacrifice for you. He's saying this is the one, all 92 00:06:31,960 --> 00:06:36,000 of that that took place. It's actually pointing to him to 93 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:38,200 a greater salvation that is coming. 94 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:43,120 And so today, in the rest of our time together, I want us to see 95 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:47,560 that Jesus is the true and greater Passover Lamb, the one 96 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:54,480 who is sacrificed on the cross so that judgment could pass over 97 00:06:54,480 --> 00:07:00,840 us and freedom could be ours. Now, why is Jesus the great over 98 00:07:00,840 --> 00:07:01,480 past our lamb? How? 99 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:05,560 How does he fulfill that? Well, first of all, he's the 100 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:10,240 greater Passover lamb because he's the Lamb that was without 101 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:14,360 blemish, right? The Passover lamb had to be 102 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:20,360 perfect. No spots, no defects, no flaws. 103 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:27,840 Peter in first Peter 118 to 19 tells us it's exactly who Jesus 104 00:07:27,840 --> 00:07:32,880 was and he had an up close and personal view of Jesus and his 105 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:35,160 life. He says this. 106 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:39,040 You were redeemed. You were, you were set free. 107 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:42,800 You were purchased. Not with perishable things like 108 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:46,120 silver or gold. There's no money in the world, 109 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:51,280 no, no stuff, nothing that could be done to purchase you except 110 00:07:51,280 --> 00:07:56,800 the precious blood of Christ like that of an unblemished and 111 00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:02,280 spotless lamb. Now here's the reality that I 112 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:08,440 know with 100% certainty there is no one in this room, there is 113 00:08:08,440 --> 00:08:13,120 no one watching online who can make the claim that they are 114 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:17,520 without blemish and spotless, perfect and without flaws. 115 00:08:18,560 --> 00:08:22,720 God lays out the requirements for moral perfection in 116 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:25,680 Scripture. We often go and look at the 10 117 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:28,800 commandments as the encapsulation of of the heart of 118 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:32,600 God's moral will in reality. And I could do a test today and 119 00:08:32,600 --> 00:08:36,280 show that every single one of us fail at the heart of the 10 120 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:40,760 Commandments. But even if you don't believe 121 00:08:40,760 --> 00:08:43,960 the Bible, even if you think it's dubious or you question its 122 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:49,880 moral authority, I've never met a person who, in their most 123 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:55,200 honest state, wouldn't admit that they've failed to even live 124 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:57,640 up to their own moral compass and standards. 125 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:02,920 None of us are perfect. We've all got blemishes. 126 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:07,360 Sin has marked every single one of us. 127 00:09:07,360 --> 00:09:13,520 It's left spots. It's not just what we've done. 128 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:20,720 It is ultimately who we are. We sin because we're sinners. 129 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:28,160 They go hand in hand. And yet Jesus comes and he lives 130 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:32,040 sinless life. He lives a spotless life, a 131 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:35,720 blemish free life, the life that you and I, we just can't live. 132 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:39,440 It's not in US, it's impossible for us. 133 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:44,120 But he lives in perfect obedience to the Father's will. 134 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:46,520 He lives in perfect righteousness. 135 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:51,760 Every action, think about this. Every action Jesus ever took, 136 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:57,800 every word He ever spoke, every motive of His heart was always 137 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:02,200 the perfect thing. It was always right, it was 138 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:05,160 always good. None of us can make that claim. 139 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:12,880 He's the only one who is qualified to stand in and to be 140 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:20,920 the perfect spotless lamb. You don't need to clean yourself 141 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:26,640 up to come to God. In fact, you can't. 142 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:33,680 It is simply impossible for you. There is no amount of scrubbing 143 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:40,440 in moral goodness and acts of righteousness that you can do 144 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:44,960 that will erase the flaws on your resume from the past. 145 00:10:48,760 --> 00:10:59,120 But Jesus came clean, perfect, spotless, flawless for us, for 146 00:10:59,120 --> 00:11:04,240 you and for me. The spotless, unblemished lamb 147 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:08,720 that was required for God's people to be saved. 148 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:13,400 Jesus is the greater Passover lamb because he alone is the 149 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:17,000 lamb who is spotless and unblemished, but also because 150 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:20,000 he's the Lamb that had to die in order for us to live. 151 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:24,440 See that? That spotless lamb, that 152 00:11:24,440 --> 00:11:28,680 innocent lamb that was selected by the family and brought into 153 00:11:28,680 --> 00:11:32,720 their home, That lamb didn't just get to live with the family 154 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:35,120 and hang out. No, ultimately that lamb had to 155 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:36,840 be killed. It had to be slaughtered. 156 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:40,040 It had to die. If the people, that first born 157 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:44,560 son in that house was going to live without the death of the 158 00:11:44,560 --> 00:11:50,400 lamb, there was no deliverance. That's because sin's not minor. 159 00:11:52,120 --> 00:11:56,320 Sin is a big deal. It's not a small issue. 160 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:02,480 The ultimate reality is that sin leads to death always, every 161 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:05,960 time. In Romans 623, Paul makes a 162 00:12:05,960 --> 00:12:08,240 statement that we rush past a lot of times. 163 00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:10,400 Some of you will be very familiar with Paul's words when 164 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:13,360 he says the wages of sin is death. 165 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:19,040 To not pay the wages to a worker is unjust. 166 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:28,760 A worker deserves his wages, but the wages of sin, the wages of 167 00:12:28,800 --> 00:12:33,600 our work is death. That's the payment that sins, 168 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:39,720 demands of us. Your sins, my sins, they deserve 169 00:12:39,720 --> 00:12:42,840 that payment. Those wages, They deserve death. 170 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:51,440 But instead of us receiving the payment that we're due, Jesus 171 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:55,400 steps in and takes it for us in first. 172 00:12:55,400 --> 00:13:01,560 John 49 and 10, the same John who wrote the Gospel, writes 173 00:13:01,560 --> 00:13:06,440 these words later in his life. He says God's love was revealed 174 00:13:06,440 --> 00:13:12,000 among us in this way. God sent his one and only Son 175 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:15,200 into the world so that we might live through him. 176 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:23,360 Love consists in this not that we loved God, but that he loved 177 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:29,040 us and he sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 178 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:36,640 Don't miss this. In John's words, the cross is 179 00:13:36,640 --> 00:13:43,800 not God reacting to your love. The the cross is not something 180 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:47,560 God went and did because you had earned it or deserved it. 181 00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:53,840 The cross is God initiating his love towards you in spite of the 182 00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:58,800 state that you're in. Love consists in this, John says 183 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:02,400 not that we loved God, we didn't. 184 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:08,080 On our own we don't. It's that he loved us, that he 185 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:11,240 sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice, to be the 186 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:16,160 replacement, to take the death that we deserve on himself so 187 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:20,520 that we don't have to be cut off with him forever spiritually 188 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:25,720 dead. The sinless, the spotless, the 189 00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:32,040 flawless, the blemishless. Lamb of God dies so that all of 190 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:36,600 our spots and blemishes and flaws and imperfections can be 191 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:42,880 forgiven and washed clean. The Lamb died on that first 192 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:50,080 Passover so that the first born son would live on Good Friday. 193 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:58,600 Jesus goes to the cross and Jesus died so that you and me 194 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:03,040 and anyone, anyone, anyone who places their faith in his 195 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:06,520 goodness and his grace and his mercy and His perfection can 196 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:10,480 live. I got a question for you. 197 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:15,840 What are you carrying? What did you bring in this 198 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:21,040 morning to Good Friday? Would you come here with? 199 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:26,120 Did you come here with guilt? Did you come here with shame? 200 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:35,680 Maybe regrets? Good Friday says Jesus paid for 201 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:38,560 it. Jesus has covered it. 202 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:43,280 It's all covered fully holy, completely. 203 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:50,200 The the the the Passover lamb. That first Passover covered. 204 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:53,840 It covered one household for one time. 205 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:59,120 But Scripture tells us that the death Christ died on that Good 206 00:15:59,120 --> 00:16:04,520 Friday covers all sins for all people for all time. 207 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:14,440 The spotless Lamb of God came and died once for all so that we 208 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:18,720 could fully and completely and forever live. 209 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:25,240 That's why Jesus is the better, the best, the good, the true 210 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:28,440 Passover lamb. Why so much better than anything 211 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:32,320 else? The third reason is this. 212 00:16:32,320 --> 00:16:34,800 It's his blood. Just like the blood of the Lamb, 213 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:37,480 it's his blood that saves and sets free. 214 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:43,560 See, on the night of the Passover, the people of God 215 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:47,800 weren't saved by knowing about the Lamb, by just knowing the 216 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:49,680 instructions of what to do with the lamb. 217 00:16:49,960 --> 00:16:54,800 They had to apply the blood of the lamb to their household. 218 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:58,680 They had to take it. It had to be personal. 219 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:04,800 They had to act on it. And if they took what they knew 220 00:17:04,800 --> 00:17:09,079 about the lamb and applied it, then judgment would pass over. 221 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:18,040 Not only that, by the work of God that night they would be set 222 00:17:18,119 --> 00:17:24,720 free and taken out of bondage. In Galatians 51, Paul tells us 223 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:29,160 that it was for freedom that Christ went to the cross and set 224 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:33,360 us free. Jesus as the true, the better 225 00:17:33,360 --> 00:17:37,360 Passover lamb didn't just die so that you and I could be 226 00:17:37,360 --> 00:17:40,880 forgiven. He died so that we could live 227 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:45,880 free and not free in the shallow, callous ways that we 228 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:48,000 tend to think about it in western culture. 229 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:53,880 We have such a limited thought of what freedom truly is when 230 00:17:54,280 --> 00:17:55,840 When Jesus died to set us free, he. 231 00:17:56,120 --> 00:17:58,000 He sets us free from sins, power. 232 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:02,600 He sets us free from shame's grip on our lives. 233 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:06,960 He sets us free from the patterns, the habits, the 234 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:12,800 addictions that have broken our relationships and and diminished 235 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:15,160 our lives. He sets us free from those 236 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:19,520 things. Jesus isn't just a lamb who 237 00:18:19,520 --> 00:18:24,280 saves us from judgment. He sets us free from bondage. 238 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:31,560 Some of you, you know what it is and you have received the 239 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:33,800 forgiveness of Christ in your life. 240 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:37,960 You've applied the blood for that, but you haven't stepped 241 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:41,040 into the fullness of the freedom that He offers. 242 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:43,400 You're still living like you're in bondage. 243 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:50,160 You're still living like you're in chains because Jesus is the 244 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:52,680 true and better Passover lamb. I just want to tell you, you 245 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:55,080 don't have to stay in those chains. 246 00:18:55,760 --> 00:19:02,600 You know, if you chain down by shame and sin and addiction, if 247 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:06,160 you've been forgiven, if the blood of Christ has been applied 248 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:08,560 to your life, then you've also been set free. 249 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:12,440 And so here's here's the question for us today. 250 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:19,560 What do we do with this? Again, in Exodus, they didn't 251 00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:27,120 just observe the lamb, they responded, they trusted, they 252 00:19:27,120 --> 00:19:32,760 applied the blood of the lamb. They stepped into what God was 253 00:19:32,760 --> 00:19:38,400 doing by faith this morning. That's what we're invited to do. 254 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:44,120 It's the invitation that Jesus has made possible for us to 255 00:19:44,120 --> 00:19:48,240 trust and believe that He truly is a true and better Passover 256 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:55,440 lamb, To really believe that His sacrifice is enough for all of 257 00:19:55,440 --> 00:20:00,920 it, and to receive with fullness all that He has done and 258 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:03,920 accomplished for us. So. 259 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:07,360 We're going to have a time of reflection here. 260 00:20:07,360 --> 00:20:13,200 In a moment, I'm going to ask the people who are going to be 261 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:16,160 distributing the Communion elements, our Communion host, to 262 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:17,880 come down to the front in a moment. 263 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:20,880 Zach and Stephanie are going to come out and they're going to 264 00:20:20,880 --> 00:20:25,880 sing a beautiful piece for us. And as those Communion elements 265 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:31,960 get passed out around this auditorium, I want to just 266 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:36,280 invite you to invite God to speak to you today. 267 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:41,000 Invite the Holy Spirit to prompt you today. 268 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:44,120 You might want to hold out your hands. 269 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:50,160 Maybe you need to bow your head, but just just invite him to 270 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:53,600 come. And, and consider this, first of 271 00:20:53,600 --> 00:21:00,880 all, consider, have you ever responded truly to the reality 272 00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:05,080 that Jesus is the Passover lamb? Have you applied his blood to 273 00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:08,080 your life? Is your faith in the fact that 274 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:11,400 you belong to God, not because of anything you've done, but 275 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:14,000 because of what Christ accomplished for us on the cross 276 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:18,240 on Good Friday? If that's where you are, if 277 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:21,960 that's the the claim that you would make, then you are saved. 278 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:25,320 You've been set free. So we're then do you need to 279 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:29,840 apply that forgiveness in your life, maybe in your own life, 280 00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:31,600 maybe in your relationships with others? 281 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:33,480 Where do you need to be released from guilt? 282 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:37,120 Where do you need to step into freedom? 283 00:21:38,320 --> 00:21:43,200 Maybe just today, maybe you just need to hear from the Lord 284 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:46,200 again. He loves you. 285 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:51,600 You are deeply, deeply loved by God. 286 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:56,560 And after we have this time of reflection, we're going to take 287 00:21:57,200 --> 00:22:41,760 communion together. None. 288 00:23:11,080 --> 00:23:46,400 The. The. 289 00:24:31,240 --> 00:25:08,840 The. The. 290 00:26:18,550 --> 00:27:33,000 The. The. 291 00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:54,640 At the Last Supper day before his crucifixion, he was in the 292 00:27:54,640 --> 00:27:57,920 upper room with his disciples. They took the Passover meal 293 00:27:57,920 --> 00:28:03,640 together, and Jesus redefined that Passover meal around 294 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:06,040 himself is the ultimate Lamb of God. 295 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:13,840 That He is the Lamb. The bread represents His body 296 00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:18,600 broken for us. The cup, he said represents his 297 00:28:18,600 --> 00:28:22,400 blood poured out for the forgiveness of our sins. 298 00:28:24,440 --> 00:28:30,520 We take communion together. We are not just remembering, we 299 00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:35,080 are declaring. We're saying his sacrifice. 300 00:28:35,080 --> 00:28:39,320 It was for me. He was the spotless lamb that 301 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:42,760 was without blemish, and I was the one who deserved death. 302 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:46,880 But he died for me. He died to save me from the 303 00:28:46,880 --> 00:28:50,080 judgement, from the death, from the destruction that I was due. 304 00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:55,440 He's the one who sets me free. And that means ultimately, that 305 00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:58,320 these elements are only for those who declare that, who 306 00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:00,160 believe that. And so I would just invite you, 307 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:02,880 if, if this is not where you're at in your spiritual journey, 308 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:06,480 that's OK. But this is not just something 309 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:10,440 that we walk through. It is a declaration of a truth 310 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:18,280 that we believe, and if you do believe, then as we take it 311 00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:20,320 together, let it be that declaration. 312 00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:26,360 I live, I'm forgiven, I'm free because of Christ and Christ 313 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:29,520 alone. He died in the place for my 314 00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:31,480 sins. He's my Passover lamb. 315 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:37,880 Let me read from Matthew 2626 to 28. 316 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:43,560 That moment in the upper room as they were eating, Jesus took the 317 00:29:43,560 --> 00:29:46,920 bread He blessed and broke it. He gave it to the disciples and 318 00:29:46,920 --> 00:29:50,080 said take and eat. This is my body. 319 00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:52,920 So we're going to take the wafer from the top. 320 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:57,320 We're going to hold on to that. I'm going to pray over it, and 321 00:29:57,320 --> 00:29:59,840 then we're going to eat it together as a declaration. 322 00:29:59,840 --> 00:30:04,840 Father, we thank you. Thank you that you saw us in our 323 00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:07,680 need. You saw us in our desperation. 324 00:30:07,680 --> 00:30:11,800 You saw us in our bondage. You saw us in our slavery, and 325 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:17,840 you sent Jesus as the perfect, as the true Passover Lamb for 326 00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:22,200 his body to be broken so that we could be set free. 327 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:31,800 Father, thank you. The spotless, the unblemished 328 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:35,880 Lamb of God offered himself up out of love for you. 329 00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:43,240 He died so that you could live. If you believe this take and eat 330 00:30:43,240 --> 00:30:55,850 it as a declaration. In verse 27, Matthew says he 331 00:30:55,850 --> 00:30:59,810 took the cup and after giving thanks, he gave it to them and 332 00:30:59,810 --> 00:31:01,650 he said, drink from it all of you. 333 00:31:02,690 --> 00:31:05,850 For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out 334 00:31:05,850 --> 00:31:10,640 for the forgiveness for many, for the forgiveness of sins, the 335 00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:15,040 Lamb of God, whose blood purchased your forgiveness on 336 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:18,760 the cross through His death as it was smeared on the wood of 337 00:31:18,760 --> 00:31:21,800 that cross, on those two pieces of wood. 338 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:27,280 That is the only way that we can stand forgiven, set free. 339 00:31:29,560 --> 00:31:33,760 Let me pray over the cup. Father, thank you that Christ 340 00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:37,960 was willing to have His blood spilled on the cross for us, 341 00:31:39,440 --> 00:31:44,080 that he allowed the nails to Pierce his hand, the spear to 342 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:48,840 Pierce his side, a crown of thorns to be placed and pushed 343 00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:54,840 down on his head. He breathed his last breaths on 344 00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:57,720 those cross so that we could breathe. 345 00:31:57,720 --> 00:32:02,240 Breath with you forever in the new heavens and the new earth. 346 00:32:04,440 --> 00:32:11,120 God, thank you, we love you. If you believe that the Lamb of 347 00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:15,600 God poured out his sins on the cross to purchase your 348 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:19,920 forgiveness and freedom and salvation, then take and drink 349 00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:33,380 this as a declaration. Behold the Lamb of God, who 350 00:32:33,380 --> 00:32:40,180 takes away my sin and your sin, and the sins of the whole world.