1 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:16,440 When you heard me read that Passage from Exodus 12, your thoughts 2 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:19,040 may have been just like mine on Monday morning. 3 00:00:20,080 --> 00:00:21,600 What on earth? 4 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,720 How do you take something like this in the middle of what is a great. 5 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:28,640 A great rescue story? 6 00:00:30,140 --> 00:00:31,180 And what do you do with it? 7 00:00:31,180 --> 00:00:35,740 How does it fit into the story that we've been told of God rescuing 8 00:00:35,740 --> 00:00:38,060 his people out of Egypt? 9 00:00:38,460 --> 00:00:40,860 Well, it's been a few weeks since we looked at the book of Exodus, 10 00:00:40,860 --> 00:00:44,540 and this morning we're looking at these last few verses that must 11 00:00:44,540 --> 00:00:49,780 be here for a reason, and the reason for why they're placed in 12 00:00:49,780 --> 00:00:50,340 the middle of. 13 00:00:50,340 --> 00:00:52,060 What is this Exodus? 14 00:00:53,180 --> 00:00:56,220 Chapter 12 has been the decisive chapter for God's people. 15 00:00:57,170 --> 00:01:00,330 They were told about the plague on the firstborn in all the 16 00:01:00,330 --> 00:01:01,410 land in chapter 11. 17 00:01:01,410 --> 00:01:05,290 And this was the 10th and final plague that was going to fall 18 00:01:05,290 --> 00:01:06,690 on the people of Egypt. 19 00:01:06,690 --> 00:01:09,410 And in chapter 12, they prepared themselves for the night 20 00:01:09,570 --> 00:01:12,130 when the angel of death would move throughout the land. 21 00:01:12,529 --> 00:01:15,610 And the homes that didn't have the blood of the lamb sprinkled on 22 00:01:15,610 --> 00:01:19,250 the doorposts and on the lintels would face death as punishment 23 00:01:19,410 --> 00:01:22,050 for not trusting the word of the Lord. 24 00:01:23,220 --> 00:01:27,780 But this blood wasn't to be obtained in any simple way that the 25 00:01:27,780 --> 00:01:28,660 people wanted to. 26 00:01:28,660 --> 00:01:30,980 It wasn't about doing it the people's way. 27 00:01:31,380 --> 00:01:35,620 It was about doing it God's way, because God instructed his people 28 00:01:36,260 --> 00:01:38,940 about how the blood would be provided for them. 29 00:01:38,940 --> 00:01:42,180 And it would be provided through essentially what was a family 30 00:01:42,340 --> 00:01:45,100 meal that the people would share in. 31 00:01:45,100 --> 00:01:49,100 And we discovered in chapter 12 that this meal was going to be 32 00:01:49,100 --> 00:01:50,020 called the Passover. 33 00:01:50,770 --> 00:01:53,730 The reason why it was called the Passover is because the Lord 34 00:01:53,730 --> 00:01:58,090 would quite literally pass over the houses where the blood had 35 00:01:58,090 --> 00:02:00,770 been sprinkled on the doorposts and on the lintel, and 36 00:02:00,770 --> 00:02:02,450 death would not come to that house. 37 00:02:02,850 --> 00:02:06,489 And in verse 11 of chapter 12, God gave this instruction to Moses 38 00:02:06,489 --> 00:02:07,890 to pass on to the people. 39 00:02:08,370 --> 00:02:11,570 This is how you're to eat it, with your cloak tucked into your 40 00:02:11,570 --> 00:02:15,250 belt, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. 41 00:02:15,650 --> 00:02:17,170 Eat it in haste. 42 00:02:17,670 --> 00:02:19,670 It is the Lord's Passover. 43 00:02:20,710 --> 00:02:24,510 So this meal was to be eaten with the expectation of departure. 44 00:02:24,510 --> 00:02:27,350 430 years they'd been waiting for this day. 45 00:02:28,070 --> 00:02:31,030 The Lord had promised them deliverance from Egypt because he 46 00:02:31,030 --> 00:02:32,150 heard their cries. 47 00:02:32,870 --> 00:02:36,990 And this was the moment when the people knew God would answer 48 00:02:36,990 --> 00:02:37,590 their prayer. 49 00:02:37,590 --> 00:02:40,390 They would be delivered, and they would be free. 50 00:02:41,830 --> 00:02:45,920 So for 430 years, they'd lived in the land of Egypt, and now it 51 00:02:45,920 --> 00:02:47,400 was time to go home. 52 00:02:48,680 --> 00:02:52,880 They came to Egypt as a free people, knowing the favor of the 53 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:56,600 ruling classes of Egypt, all because of what Joseph had done to 54 00:02:56,760 --> 00:02:59,560 rescue Egypt from starvation. 55 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:04,200 But the stories of Joseph had long died out. 56 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:08,640 The people of Egypt had forgotten about him, even if the 57 00:03:08,640 --> 00:03:09,880 children of Israel hadn't. 58 00:03:11,170 --> 00:03:13,970 And so God's people were enslaved. 59 00:03:14,850 --> 00:03:19,730 They now saw that their cries for rescue to God, that had been 60 00:03:19,730 --> 00:03:22,290 made throughout their generations, had been heard. 61 00:03:23,330 --> 00:03:27,050 And because of Moses and Aaron's willingness to be led by 62 00:03:27,050 --> 00:03:31,090 God, they would be God's agents to lead the people out of 63 00:03:31,090 --> 00:03:31,810 Egypt. 64 00:03:32,130 --> 00:03:36,850 But this wasn't going to be something just for that generation. 65 00:03:38,260 --> 00:03:42,020 Yes, the physical act of leaving Egypt was their physical 66 00:03:42,260 --> 00:03:42,820 movement. 67 00:03:43,380 --> 00:03:47,220 But the memory of this was not just for that Exodus generation. 68 00:03:47,220 --> 00:03:48,980 It was to be remembered by the people. 69 00:03:49,540 --> 00:03:52,060 And it was to be celebrated every year. 70 00:03:52,060 --> 00:03:56,180 And it continues to be celebrated and remembered every year 71 00:03:56,180 --> 00:03:57,780 within the Jewish faith. 72 00:03:58,580 --> 00:04:02,380 You see, in verse 14, God instructs His people, this is a day 73 00:04:02,380 --> 00:04:06,590 you are to commemorate for the generations to come. 74 00:04:06,590 --> 00:04:12,110 You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord, a lasting ordinance. 75 00:04:12,590 --> 00:04:16,950 So this defining moment for the people was to be remembered. 76 00:04:16,950 --> 00:04:18,510 It wasn't to be forgotten. 77 00:04:18,750 --> 00:04:21,430 And you have to remember what we're like as human beings. 78 00:04:21,430 --> 00:04:23,310 We easily forget things. 79 00:04:24,190 --> 00:04:25,790 And let's be honest, we all do. 80 00:04:26,430 --> 00:04:29,470 We forget the name of someone that we maybe went to school with, 81 00:04:29,470 --> 00:04:31,560 we when they walk towards us in the street. 82 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:33,400 Even in a community such as this. 83 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:38,800 Or perhaps we have now forgotten three generations ago of 84 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:42,040 who our family were or of even where they came from. 85 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:45,240 We do easily forget. 86 00:04:46,280 --> 00:04:50,000 But the Lord says this is not to be forgotten because this was 87 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:54,120 his great deliverance of his people out of slavery. 88 00:04:55,810 --> 00:04:58,730 But this wasn't going to be a case of simply remembering it every 89 00:04:58,730 --> 00:05:01,010 now and again, just when it came to mind. 90 00:05:01,810 --> 00:05:06,810 The Lord is establishing the Passover as an annual festival so 91 00:05:06,810 --> 00:05:08,050 they could remember. 92 00:05:08,610 --> 00:05:12,450 A festival of remembrance that would last for seven days. 93 00:05:13,570 --> 00:05:17,370 And the people knew all this as they went into the first observance 94 00:05:17,370 --> 00:05:18,210 of Passover. 95 00:05:18,530 --> 00:05:21,970 And as these instructions were passed on to the people, we're told 96 00:05:21,970 --> 00:05:25,430 in verse 28 that they observed every everything that they were told. 97 00:05:26,390 --> 00:05:30,750 And as they did, verse 29 tells us, at midnight, the Lord struck 98 00:05:30,750 --> 00:05:33,950 down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh 99 00:05:33,950 --> 00:05:37,190 who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner who was 100 00:05:37,190 --> 00:05:40,430 in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as 101 00:05:40,430 --> 00:05:40,710 well. 102 00:05:41,830 --> 00:05:46,310 So this tenth plague, remember how Pharaoh has played this game? 103 00:05:46,870 --> 00:05:49,190 He's played it like a true politician. 104 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:52,160 His initial response was one of defiance. 105 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:54,000 Well, I'm not going to be beaten. 106 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:57,680 Then his response moved into saying to Moses, okay, well, we'll 107 00:05:57,680 --> 00:05:58,120 let you go. 108 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:01,520 And then at the 11th hour saying, no, you're not going anywhere. 109 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:05,360 What was it going to take for Pharaoh to relent? 110 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:10,880 And it turns out it's the 10th plague that finally gets Pharaoh's 111 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:11,280 attention. 112 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:15,880 And with the death in Pharaoh's household, he summons Moses 113 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:19,160 and Aaron and he tells them to take the people out of the land. 114 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:20,240 He has had enough. 115 00:06:21,630 --> 00:06:25,310 And as they leave the land, they take with them the riches of 116 00:06:25,310 --> 00:06:29,870 Egypt and they head out and they leave Egypt for good. 117 00:06:30,830 --> 00:06:35,030 So as we come to the final verses of chapter 12, it seems that 118 00:06:35,030 --> 00:06:38,270 there is a repeat of the information that we already know, 119 00:06:39,230 --> 00:06:43,110 because verses 43 and 51 present to us how the people are 120 00:06:43,110 --> 00:06:44,350 to keep the Passover. 121 00:06:45,150 --> 00:06:49,570 And this is now the third time that there's a record of the these 122 00:06:49,650 --> 00:06:50,450 instructions. 123 00:06:51,330 --> 00:06:55,570 So why do we need it repeated to us again at the end of this chapter? 124 00:06:57,170 --> 00:07:01,250 Well, the instructions presented here in these verses contain 125 00:07:01,250 --> 00:07:05,490 the same details as before, but they have a very different focus. 126 00:07:06,690 --> 00:07:11,370 Verse 43 begins by telling us that these are the regulations for 127 00:07:11,370 --> 00:07:16,850 how the Passover is to be kept so that as the people get their freedom, 128 00:07:17,390 --> 00:07:22,230 they will be aware of what God has set down for the observance of 129 00:07:22,230 --> 00:07:23,070 the Passover. 130 00:07:25,310 --> 00:07:31,150 See, essentially the Passover is the celebration of a freedom meal. 131 00:07:32,350 --> 00:07:34,110 That's what the Passover means. 132 00:07:35,390 --> 00:07:39,230 It means that an enslaved people go free. 133 00:07:41,710 --> 00:07:44,710 And so these enslaved people, these children of Israel, had been 134 00:07:44,710 --> 00:07:48,460 released from their overlords and, and we're now free to go. 135 00:07:50,140 --> 00:07:54,220 Now, if you grew up in the 1990s, then when you hear the word 136 00:07:54,300 --> 00:08:01,260 freedom, your mind turns immediately to the 1995 film Braveheart, 137 00:08:02,140 --> 00:08:06,700 as Mel Gibson, with a rather questionable Scottish accent, cries 138 00:08:07,020 --> 00:08:11,580 freedom to rally the faint hearted armies of Scotland. 139 00:08:12,790 --> 00:08:17,750 And it's a defining moment in that film where William Wallace, 140 00:08:17,750 --> 00:08:22,310 portrayed by Gibson, rallies these Scottish armies, these clans 141 00:08:22,630 --> 00:08:26,390 finally coming together to stand against the English. 142 00:08:27,990 --> 00:08:30,390 And so in the movie, it's a defining moment. 143 00:08:31,270 --> 00:08:35,350 However, it's not a historical accurate one. 144 00:08:35,750 --> 00:08:39,750 For there is no evidence that William Wallace ever said those words 145 00:08:39,750 --> 00:08:41,350 to his Scottish countrymen. 146 00:08:41,510 --> 00:08:46,090 In fact, the, the evidence is that he stood trial and spoke there 147 00:08:46,250 --> 00:08:49,810 to his fellow countrymen rather than leading the charge of 148 00:08:49,810 --> 00:08:50,250 an attack. 149 00:08:51,290 --> 00:08:55,770 And even if he did say the word freedom, the freedom he offered 150 00:08:55,770 --> 00:08:59,770 was simply from one form of government to another. 151 00:09:00,810 --> 00:09:01,850 That's all it was. 152 00:09:02,810 --> 00:09:06,170 Well, how different it was for the children of Israel. 153 00:09:06,570 --> 00:09:10,940 Yes, they were getting their physical freedom from Egypt, but 154 00:09:10,940 --> 00:09:14,780 they were also getting spiritual freedom as they trusted 155 00:09:14,780 --> 00:09:20,420 God and as they worshipped him by the ways that he set rather than 156 00:09:20,420 --> 00:09:22,340 a design of human beings. 157 00:09:23,940 --> 00:09:27,620 So when we hear freedom of the people here, we're not simply thinking 158 00:09:27,620 --> 00:09:30,820 of William Wallace and the Scottish armies. 159 00:09:31,460 --> 00:09:34,980 We're thinking of a freedom that goes beyond all human understanding, 160 00:09:36,110 --> 00:09:39,110 where we're not simply moving from one government rule to another 161 00:09:39,110 --> 00:09:44,310 government rule, but it is true freedom that can only come in 162 00:09:44,310 --> 00:09:44,990 Jesus Christ. 163 00:09:46,510 --> 00:09:51,310 And so, as they leave, they're told how to observe what has just 164 00:09:51,310 --> 00:09:55,310 happened to them so that they will never forget. 165 00:09:56,590 --> 00:09:59,470 Now, previous Passover instructions focused on properly 166 00:09:59,470 --> 00:10:03,430 choosing a lamb, killing it, applying its blood to the home, and 167 00:10:03,430 --> 00:10:04,030 eating it. 168 00:10:04,630 --> 00:10:09,110 But these instructions now in verses 43 to 50, focus on who may 169 00:10:09,110 --> 00:10:12,790 join in the Passover celebration and are especially important 170 00:10:12,950 --> 00:10:17,110 considering that it is a mixed multitude that leaves Egypt with 171 00:10:17,110 --> 00:10:17,750 Israel. 172 00:10:17,910 --> 00:10:22,790 And we're told this in verse 38, many other people went up with 173 00:10:22,790 --> 00:10:26,790 them, as well as large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds. 174 00:10:27,270 --> 00:10:29,910 You see, the children of Israel were not the only enslaved 175 00:10:29,910 --> 00:10:31,110 people in Egypt. 176 00:10:32,250 --> 00:10:35,450 The Egyptians were the world's superpower. 177 00:10:36,010 --> 00:10:39,810 And whichever land they conquered, they took from it slaves 178 00:10:39,810 --> 00:10:41,770 to keep the country of Egypt running. 179 00:10:42,410 --> 00:10:45,610 Now, we don't know if these slaves lived in the land of Goshen 180 00:10:45,610 --> 00:10:49,370 as the children of Israel did, but they take their opportunity to 181 00:10:49,370 --> 00:10:52,570 leave Egypt as God's people are being driven out. 182 00:10:53,690 --> 00:10:56,930 So, taking this into account, these instructions first describe 183 00:10:56,930 --> 00:10:58,700 who can eat the meal. 184 00:10:59,100 --> 00:11:02,020 And since the Passover celebrates the Lord's deliverance 185 00:11:02,020 --> 00:11:05,980 of his covenant people, it's only members of the covenant community 186 00:11:06,140 --> 00:11:07,420 who can partake. 187 00:11:08,060 --> 00:11:11,220 Now, this will naturally include Israelites and any of their 188 00:11:11,220 --> 00:11:15,620 household servants who have been grafted into the household and 189 00:11:15,620 --> 00:11:17,740 receive the covenant sign circumcision. 190 00:11:18,220 --> 00:11:23,140 And verses 44 to 45 tell us, any slave you have bought may eat 191 00:11:23,140 --> 00:11:26,800 of it after you have circumcised him, but a temporary 192 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:30,320 resident and a hard worker may not eat of it. 193 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:37,320 So here we're told that why non Israelites and hired workers 194 00:11:37,320 --> 00:11:39,840 who are not part of the household cannot partake. 195 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:43,520 They have not received the covenant sign. 196 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:46,960 And this is key for the people of God. 197 00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:52,000 To be part of the covenant community means the administration 198 00:11:52,590 --> 00:11:55,780 of of the covenant sign and seal. 199 00:11:56,660 --> 00:12:01,340 Through circumcision, God demonstrated his love towards his 200 00:12:01,340 --> 00:12:05,420 people so that they would know the blessing of being part of the 201 00:12:05,420 --> 00:12:09,780 covenant family, not just for those with the lineage of Jacob, 202 00:12:11,220 --> 00:12:15,940 but also for those who are coming out of Egypt who became members 203 00:12:16,260 --> 00:12:17,540 of the households. 204 00:12:18,100 --> 00:12:21,180 And this, of course, did not automatically save the children of 205 00:12:21,180 --> 00:12:21,620 Israel. 206 00:12:22,080 --> 00:12:25,880 But it was the sign and the seal of the covenant promises of 207 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:26,240 God. 208 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:29,840 And this is what we continue to see today in the administration 209 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:30,960 of baptism. 210 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:35,320 Because with the waters of baptism that is now the sign and 211 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:40,080 the seal of the new covenant, Baptism does not save. 212 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:43,360 I'm not even talking here about how it's administered. 213 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:50,210 No form of baptism saves, but it continues to express God's love 214 00:12:50,210 --> 00:12:53,930 towards a people who desperately need his salvation. 215 00:12:54,170 --> 00:12:58,850 That can only come through Jesus Christ and through faith in 216 00:12:58,850 --> 00:12:59,210 him. 217 00:13:00,810 --> 00:13:04,210 So that's why we have something here that the people are 218 00:13:04,210 --> 00:13:08,970 now being told that as they move out, as they will have to celebrate 219 00:13:10,330 --> 00:13:15,090 this festival of Passover, well, here's who can and here's who 220 00:13:15,090 --> 00:13:15,450 can't. 221 00:13:15,450 --> 00:13:19,610 And there's a year to get ready for those who want to partake 222 00:13:19,610 --> 00:13:20,210 of it. 223 00:13:20,850 --> 00:13:25,410 And so as the text moves on, we see in verses 46 and 47, instruction 224 00:13:25,490 --> 00:13:27,090 about the Passover lamb. 225 00:13:27,330 --> 00:13:29,650 We're told that it must be eaten in one house. 226 00:13:30,049 --> 00:13:33,570 None of it can be taken outside, and none of its bones may 227 00:13:33,570 --> 00:13:34,290 be broken. 228 00:13:35,170 --> 00:13:38,890 Now, the requirement to keep it in one house and not to take it 229 00:13:38,890 --> 00:13:44,170 outside is, may be to assure that it is eaten only by those qualified 230 00:13:44,170 --> 00:13:46,970 to do so and then disposed of properly. 231 00:13:47,610 --> 00:13:50,770 As for why the bones cannot be broken, well, there's no immediate 232 00:13:50,770 --> 00:13:53,770 understanding why this instruction is given to the Exodus 233 00:13:53,770 --> 00:13:54,410 generation. 234 00:13:54,970 --> 00:13:58,810 One of the only other biblical passages that mentions breaking animal 235 00:13:58,810 --> 00:14:02,490 bones does so in the context of preparing the meat for boiling 236 00:14:02,490 --> 00:14:04,810 in Micah 3:3. 237 00:14:05,540 --> 00:14:09,900 So the instructions here in Exodus 12 against the breaking of 238 00:14:09,900 --> 00:14:14,260 bones may be more relating to what we read in the New Testament. 239 00:14:14,740 --> 00:14:17,620 It's instructions that have already been given in Exodus 12. 240 00:14:18,100 --> 00:14:22,780 But it's actually the Apostle John who can't help but notice that 241 00:14:22,780 --> 00:14:27,300 Jesus, who is crucified at the time of the Passover, does not have 242 00:14:27,300 --> 00:14:28,580 his bones broken. 243 00:14:29,460 --> 00:14:33,540 A detail that John includes to help us see that Jesus is the far 244 00:14:33,540 --> 00:14:35,430 greater Passover lamb. 245 00:14:35,430 --> 00:14:41,830 And as he talks about in John 19, you see, these things are not 246 00:14:41,830 --> 00:14:43,950 by mistake or by accident. 247 00:14:45,070 --> 00:14:49,910 This isn't simply made up by one generation trying to rewrite 248 00:14:49,910 --> 00:14:51,310 something of another generation. 249 00:14:52,590 --> 00:14:57,510 What God is doing here is giving us a thread to follow that 250 00:14:57,510 --> 00:15:01,150 as the Passover lamb, not a bone was to be broken, so the true 251 00:15:01,150 --> 00:15:05,160 Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, no bone would be 252 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:11,360 broken on Calvary's cross, so that as he lay in that tomb, as he 253 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:15,720 endured the agony of Holy Saturday, but as he rose victorious 254 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:22,480 on Resurrection Sunday, so in his physical yet divine body of Resurrection, 255 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:27,560 we would know him to be the true God, man, and the one of our 256 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:28,080 salvation. 257 00:15:29,930 --> 00:15:33,370 These things are not to be overlooked, but to be understood 258 00:15:33,370 --> 00:15:37,410 in the full council of Scripture as given to us from Genesis 259 00:15:37,410 --> 00:15:38,810 right through to Revelation. 260 00:15:39,610 --> 00:15:44,409 And so the passage returns in verse 48 to who may partake in the 261 00:15:44,409 --> 00:15:49,010 Passover, emphasizing that all Israelites must do so, but also making 262 00:15:49,010 --> 00:15:53,610 clear that non Israelites may, if their meals are circumcised. 263 00:15:55,140 --> 00:15:59,020 And this is what we read, an alien living among you who wants 264 00:15:59,020 --> 00:16:02,220 to celebrate the Lord's Passover must have all the males 265 00:16:02,220 --> 00:16:03,780 in his household circumcised. 266 00:16:04,260 --> 00:16:07,700 Then he may take part like one born in the land. 267 00:16:08,340 --> 00:16:12,020 No uncircumcised meal may eat of it. 268 00:16:13,300 --> 00:16:17,540 When non Israelites are circumcised and partake of the Passover, 269 00:16:17,860 --> 00:16:22,180 they are therefore declaring their allegiance to God, and in the 270 00:16:22,180 --> 00:16:26,500 case of their circumcised infants, their commitment to raise 271 00:16:26,500 --> 00:16:29,260 them as God followers. 272 00:16:30,380 --> 00:16:35,500 And once this occurs, they are to be considered as native Israelites 273 00:16:35,820 --> 00:16:40,580 as far as the Passover is concerned, and treated as such when 274 00:16:40,580 --> 00:16:42,940 it comes to celebrating it. 275 00:16:44,060 --> 00:16:48,710 There's no such thing as a blow in when it comes to the Passover 276 00:16:48,710 --> 00:16:49,430 of the Lord. 277 00:16:51,030 --> 00:16:54,710 For following the Lord's way, by which it should be celebrated 278 00:16:54,790 --> 00:17:00,310 and must be celebrated, all nations are welcome at his table. 279 00:17:01,590 --> 00:17:06,070 And so having this now put before the people, this happening 280 00:17:06,070 --> 00:17:10,030 right at the start of Israel's history as a nation, it underscores 281 00:17:10,030 --> 00:17:14,880 that the Israelites are to be what they always were, to be a nation 282 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:19,920 welcoming non Israelites into their midst as the Lord's followers. 283 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:24,320 So that as the Lord said to Abraham in Genesis 12 and verse three, 284 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:27,600 all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 285 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:31,520 And this is truly an amazing initiative on the part of God here. 286 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:34,400 He could have kept them as his own, but he didn't. 287 00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:37,680 His love was overflowing for just one nation. 288 00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:39,280 That indeed those outside. 289 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:44,320 Even at this stage in Israel's history, at its foundation, the nations 290 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:49,600 could come to worship God, but it would be by his way and not a 291 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:50,880 way of man's making. 292 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:58,160 So the Passover was a meal to be shared with all of God's people. 293 00:17:59,120 --> 00:18:03,440 God said to Moses in verse 47, the whole community of Israel must 294 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:04,240 celebrate it. 295 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:07,920 And this is something God had said from the beginning of his instructions 296 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:11,360 for the Passover in verses 3 and 6 of chapter 12. 297 00:18:12,170 --> 00:18:16,730 And this was partly a matter of public safety, because remember, 298 00:18:16,730 --> 00:18:21,410 the destroyer was coming, and the firstborn sons would only be 299 00:18:21,410 --> 00:18:25,730 safe if they were covered by the blood of the Lamb that was on 300 00:18:25,730 --> 00:18:27,769 the lintels and on the doorposts. 301 00:18:27,769 --> 00:18:30,650 And those within would be saved. 302 00:18:31,530 --> 00:18:35,170 So God said, not one of you shall go out the door of his house 303 00:18:35,170 --> 00:18:37,770 until morning, in verse 22. 304 00:18:38,850 --> 00:18:44,730 And so to be safe in this great rescue mission, all the Israelites 305 00:18:44,730 --> 00:18:48,050 needed to celebrate was the first Passover. 306 00:18:49,010 --> 00:18:52,930 That's how they knew their safety, to celebrate what the Lord 307 00:18:53,010 --> 00:18:54,210 had commanded. 308 00:18:55,010 --> 00:18:59,930 But even after death passed over, they all needed to keep the 309 00:18:59,930 --> 00:19:01,570 feast of unleavened bread. 310 00:19:02,450 --> 00:19:06,730 God told them to to hold a sacred assembly, which meant the 311 00:19:06,730 --> 00:19:09,610 entire community was to gather for worship. 312 00:19:10,650 --> 00:19:14,210 If anyone refused to participate, we were told, then they 313 00:19:14,210 --> 00:19:16,090 were to be cut off from Israel. 314 00:19:16,810 --> 00:19:19,530 So Passover was a meal to be shared. 315 00:19:19,769 --> 00:19:25,050 It was a meal to be celebrated by the whole family of God wherever 316 00:19:25,610 --> 00:19:26,770 they would be found. 317 00:19:26,770 --> 00:19:30,130 And the reason it was necessary for all God's people to 318 00:19:30,130 --> 00:19:33,860 celebrate the Passover was because it was they were all rescued 319 00:19:34,180 --> 00:19:34,580 together. 320 00:19:35,540 --> 00:19:39,820 Since salvation was something they shared, it was only right for 321 00:19:39,820 --> 00:19:44,900 them to join together for the feast that praised God for the grace 322 00:19:44,900 --> 00:19:46,420 that they had received. 323 00:19:47,780 --> 00:19:53,700 And this is why it's here, right in the middle of them leaving 324 00:19:53,860 --> 00:19:54,580 Egypt. 325 00:19:55,220 --> 00:19:59,940 We have these verses giving these regulations of how to celebrate 326 00:20:00,430 --> 00:20:04,030 the Passover so that the people would know what God's intention 327 00:20:04,110 --> 00:20:05,070 for them is. 328 00:20:05,070 --> 00:20:10,670 Even before they cross the river, they would know what God's 329 00:20:10,670 --> 00:20:11,230 standard was. 330 00:20:11,230 --> 00:20:13,230 And it was for them to be a people. 331 00:20:14,270 --> 00:20:16,590 It wasn't about individuality. 332 00:20:17,790 --> 00:20:22,830 It was about a community that eventually would become a nation. 333 00:20:24,750 --> 00:20:29,540 And whenever we take that and think about it today, there's a problem 334 00:20:29,620 --> 00:20:31,060 that we're faced with. 335 00:20:31,780 --> 00:20:35,740 And that problem is many Christians think of salvation in 336 00:20:35,740 --> 00:20:37,060 individual terms. 337 00:20:38,500 --> 00:20:44,820 We talk about a personal faith or a personal savior. 338 00:20:45,220 --> 00:20:49,540 Evangelicals often talk about having a personal relationship with 339 00:20:49,540 --> 00:20:50,420 Jesus Christ. 340 00:20:51,380 --> 00:20:56,580 In his 2002 recording America 4 the man comes around, Johnny Cash 341 00:20:56,580 --> 00:21:00,170 covers the Depeche Mode song Personal Jesus. 342 00:21:00,880 --> 00:21:06,400 And in his rustic tones, Cash begins by singing, your own personal 343 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:07,760 Jesus. 344 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:12,160 Someone to hear your prayers, Someone who cares. 345 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:17,120 Now, Cash came from a Christian background and at one point 346 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:18,800 made a profession of faith. 347 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:22,760 And what he was emphasizing here was what faith in Jesus meant 348 00:21:22,760 --> 00:21:26,720 by having someone, almost like a personal butler, to service our 349 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:29,220 requests and to make us feel good. 350 00:21:30,260 --> 00:21:34,580 But faith in Jesus is so much more than this sentiment. 351 00:21:35,700 --> 00:21:41,300 Christianity is about what God has done for you and for me. 352 00:21:42,020 --> 00:21:46,340 And yes, only my relationship with Jesus is what saves me. 353 00:21:46,580 --> 00:21:51,300 I can't rely on the faith or on the relationship of others for 354 00:21:51,300 --> 00:21:52,260 my salvation. 355 00:21:53,630 --> 00:21:58,990 I must take responsibility to live out my faith each day. 356 00:21:59,710 --> 00:22:04,670 But we also believe in the communion of saints, which means 357 00:22:04,670 --> 00:22:08,830 that we all have something in common in salvation. 358 00:22:09,230 --> 00:22:12,590 God has joined us together with Jesus Christ. 359 00:22:13,550 --> 00:22:16,430 This is why when the New Testament explains the great doctrines 360 00:22:16,430 --> 00:22:20,730 of salvation, it almost always speaks in the plural. 361 00:22:21,210 --> 00:22:25,010 And to give just one example, let me read from Titus chapter three 362 00:22:25,010 --> 00:22:26,330 and verses four to seven. 363 00:22:26,490 --> 00:22:29,250 It's too long for the words to be on the screen, but listen to these 364 00:22:29,250 --> 00:22:31,090 words where Paul writes. 365 00:22:31,090 --> 00:22:35,930 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved 366 00:22:37,290 --> 00:22:43,770 us not because of righteous things we had done, but because of 367 00:22:43,770 --> 00:22:44,650 his mercy. 368 00:22:45,130 --> 00:22:50,280 He saved through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy 369 00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:55,720 Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ 370 00:22:55,720 --> 00:23:02,480 our Savior, so that having been justified by his grace, we might 371 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:06,800 become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 372 00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:13,040 What's Paul talking about here in what God does for his people? 373 00:23:14,250 --> 00:23:18,570 Well, it's regeneration, it's justification, it's sanctification, 374 00:23:18,730 --> 00:23:20,330 and it's glorification. 375 00:23:20,410 --> 00:23:22,250 How could we wrap this all up? 376 00:23:22,410 --> 00:23:26,330 Well, we wrap it all up in the simple phrase union with Christ. 377 00:23:27,050 --> 00:23:28,170 That's what we're given. 378 00:23:28,250 --> 00:23:31,930 And this is a deep term that we need to understand and we will 379 00:23:31,930 --> 00:23:33,530 be thinking about more and more. 380 00:23:33,530 --> 00:23:38,050 This union of Christ is not simply benefiting from Jesus and 381 00:23:38,050 --> 00:23:38,570 salvation. 382 00:23:39,540 --> 00:23:43,620 Union with Christ means that we have everything that is His. 383 00:23:44,420 --> 00:23:47,820 It's a completely different relationship and understanding of 384 00:23:47,820 --> 00:23:53,380 who our Savior is to us, as it is through regeneration, justification, 385 00:23:53,380 --> 00:23:55,860 sanctification and glorification. 386 00:23:57,220 --> 00:24:01,860 See, this isn't just for me, and it's not just for you. 387 00:24:02,420 --> 00:24:03,060 Individually. 388 00:24:04,750 --> 00:24:10,350 Together, we share every aspect of salvation when we trust 389 00:24:10,670 --> 00:24:13,470 in the risen Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. 390 00:24:14,430 --> 00:24:18,150 And it's the reality for every Christian, not just in this building, 391 00:24:18,150 --> 00:24:21,510 but in every place of meeting in this village, across this island 392 00:24:21,510 --> 00:24:22,830 and across the world. 393 00:24:23,790 --> 00:24:27,390 We are all sinners in need of a Savior. 394 00:24:28,270 --> 00:24:31,910 But we were all included with Christ when He died on the cross 395 00:24:31,910 --> 00:24:33,230 and rose from the grave. 396 00:24:33,910 --> 00:24:39,110 And one day, those who believe in him will be transformed into his 397 00:24:39,270 --> 00:24:40,470 glorious image. 398 00:24:41,430 --> 00:24:44,790 That's why it's important for believers to be together. 399 00:24:45,590 --> 00:24:48,790 And it's important to be together week by week. 400 00:24:49,509 --> 00:24:52,990 I hope you realize you don't come to church on a Sunday simply 401 00:24:52,990 --> 00:24:56,550 to keep me in a job or to increase the bank balance of this 402 00:24:56,550 --> 00:24:57,270 congregation. 403 00:24:58,150 --> 00:24:59,430 That's not why you come. 404 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:04,520 Coming together is far more important than any of these. 405 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:11,280 Throughout His Word, God has told us that to be his people means 406 00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:16,680 that we come together in worship of him together. 407 00:25:17,960 --> 00:25:22,440 Every Christian should maintain some regular routine, yes, 408 00:25:22,440 --> 00:25:25,560 of personal prayer, praise and Bible study. 409 00:25:26,270 --> 00:25:28,990 But we cannot be Christians on Our own. 410 00:25:29,950 --> 00:25:33,470 It is of the very essence of our Christianity that we worship 411 00:25:33,470 --> 00:25:38,270 God together, praising him for the salvation that we share in Christ. 412 00:25:39,310 --> 00:25:42,910 A Christian who decides that it's not necessary to attend church 413 00:25:43,550 --> 00:25:49,790 is actually in grave spiritual danger because God's design for us 414 00:25:50,190 --> 00:25:53,180 is to be his community. 415 00:25:54,860 --> 00:25:59,140 So please do not let the devil tempt you by saying, I don't feel 416 00:25:59,140 --> 00:26:00,060 like going today. 417 00:26:02,220 --> 00:26:06,980 Or don't let the devil tempt you by saying, I'm too tired or I'll 418 00:26:06,980 --> 00:26:09,500 give it a miss or I'll skip it. 419 00:26:10,620 --> 00:26:14,460 Whether this is a good sermon or not is up to each of your individual 420 00:26:14,460 --> 00:26:15,020 opinion. 421 00:26:15,180 --> 00:26:18,260 And I've often said, my goodness, you can get a far better 422 00:26:18,260 --> 00:26:19,100 preacher than me. 423 00:26:19,820 --> 00:26:21,420 But I'm sorry, I'm the one you have. 424 00:26:21,980 --> 00:26:28,660 And as someone was saying to me for the next 20 years, but when 425 00:26:28,660 --> 00:26:33,180 the Word of God is read and when the Word of God is preached, 426 00:26:34,380 --> 00:26:36,460 then God speaks. 427 00:26:39,340 --> 00:26:43,020 And so to simply think of Sunday morning and evening as something 428 00:26:43,020 --> 00:26:47,100 you can casually choose to miss because something better came 429 00:26:47,100 --> 00:26:51,800 along, or simply because you don't feel like it is to actually 430 00:26:51,880 --> 00:26:55,320 miss the purpose of why we gather. 431 00:26:57,080 --> 00:27:02,920 We gather as God's people, regenerated, justified, sanctified, 432 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:08,440 glorified, to worship him and sing praise of his name. 433 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:13,160 Why wouldn't you want to be here? 434 00:27:15,000 --> 00:27:18,930 Now, I understand in the world in which we live there are shift 435 00:27:19,010 --> 00:27:23,330 work patterns that do not allow for people to attend some Sundays. 436 00:27:23,410 --> 00:27:27,090 And there are medical reasons why people cannot attend. 437 00:27:27,890 --> 00:27:31,850 But if we have the opportunity to be here, then we should and must. 438 00:27:31,850 --> 00:27:35,490 Not because I say so, but because the Word of God says so. 439 00:27:35,730 --> 00:27:39,050 That we must not neglect in worshipping together as some have 440 00:27:39,050 --> 00:27:40,530 become in the habit of doing. 441 00:27:40,610 --> 00:27:41,010 Why? 442 00:27:41,330 --> 00:27:44,250 Because of the guidelines and the regulations God has set down 443 00:27:44,250 --> 00:27:49,720 in Exodus 12, that as a people who are saved, and yes, in this New 444 00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:52,920 Testament time, we may be saved at different moments in history. 445 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:57,680 It all goes back to that one moment in history where Jesus rose 446 00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:03,080 from the grave, proving that he is the Lord and giver of life 447 00:28:03,160 --> 00:28:04,360 and salvation. 448 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:10,360 You see, it is in a community that we come to the Lord, but it's 449 00:28:10,360 --> 00:28:12,840 also a community that anyone can join. 450 00:28:13,710 --> 00:28:17,150 And membership comes through faith in Jesus. 451 00:28:17,630 --> 00:28:21,070 The cry of Mel Gibson's William Wallace may have been freedom. 452 00:28:21,470 --> 00:28:25,750 But it is in Christ that we can only know this freedom and see 453 00:28:25,750 --> 00:28:28,670 it demonstrated through his people, the church. 454 00:28:28,670 --> 00:28:30,310 And we won't always get it right. 455 00:28:30,310 --> 00:28:31,950 And I'm the first to say that. 456 00:28:32,830 --> 00:28:36,390 And so rather than looking only to the people around us, we 457 00:28:36,390 --> 00:28:40,920 must look primarily to Jesus because He is the one who keeps us, 458 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:43,480 and he is the one who will keep us. 459 00:28:44,840 --> 00:28:48,600 And so with open arms, as Jesus welcomes us to salvation, to 460 00:28:48,600 --> 00:28:52,680 trust in him, so his arms are open to welcome you to his family, 461 00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:54,200 the church. 462 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:58,640 There is no other model given to us in Scripture by which we are 463 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:01,560 to gather and worship God, but the church. 464 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:06,440 And so the invitation, if you're not a member of the church, 465 00:29:07,670 --> 00:29:08,630 is to join us. 466 00:29:09,030 --> 00:29:10,950 And that may be in two different ways. 467 00:29:10,950 --> 00:29:13,590 It may be that you are a believer in Jesus, but you've never 468 00:29:13,590 --> 00:29:16,670 taken that step to come forward for communion, the Lord's 469 00:29:16,670 --> 00:29:18,510 Supper and church membership. 470 00:29:18,510 --> 00:29:20,150 And that's a good thing to do. 471 00:29:20,710 --> 00:29:23,310 And so if that's something you'd like to talk about, then mention 472 00:29:23,310 --> 00:29:25,270 it to me and we'll get a conversation about it. 473 00:29:25,270 --> 00:29:28,510 But the second part of that invitation is to come to Jesus for 474 00:29:28,510 --> 00:29:32,190 the first time to know your salvation, to know that his is the 475 00:29:32,190 --> 00:29:36,020 greatest family ever, ever to be a part of. 476 00:29:38,100 --> 00:29:42,180 I joined this family on the 9th of July, 1988. 477 00:29:43,380 --> 00:29:46,100 And look, a date and time doesn't matter. 478 00:29:46,580 --> 00:29:48,820 I just happen to know when it was for me. 479 00:29:50,260 --> 00:29:52,580 And I have not regretted it one moment. 480 00:29:53,220 --> 00:29:57,180 And being part of this family of God in every place that I've worshipped 481 00:29:57,180 --> 00:29:59,300 and in every part of the world I've gone to. 482 00:30:00,410 --> 00:30:04,450 And so when Jesus opens his arm wide to invite you to come onto 483 00:30:04,450 --> 00:30:07,930 him for salvation, it's a family invitation. 484 00:30:08,570 --> 00:30:13,370 It's an invitation to gather around a table to have a meal together, 485 00:30:13,450 --> 00:30:16,170 just as the children of Israel would do once a year. 486 00:30:17,290 --> 00:30:20,690 It's an invitation to be part of each other's lives, that we don't 487 00:30:20,690 --> 00:30:23,090 gossip about each other, but in fact we care about each other. 488 00:30:23,090 --> 00:30:26,530 And we pray for one another and we do what we can for one another 489 00:30:26,530 --> 00:30:30,050 because we are to be different from what's going on outside of these 490 00:30:30,050 --> 00:30:30,490 walls. 491 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:32,760 We're not excluded from it, but we are different. 492 00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:37,160 And that's what it means to trust in the Savior and to know true 493 00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:37,880 freedom. 494 00:30:37,960 --> 00:30:40,960 That freedom that these children of Israel were knowing as 495 00:30:40,960 --> 00:30:42,360 they left Egypt. 496 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:46,360 But yet God places these verses here so that they will know 497 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:51,840 by which standard they are to live and to remember and to celebrate. 498 00:30:51,840 --> 00:30:54,440 But it's Jesus that we turn to as we finish. 499 00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:58,210 Because Jesus speaks of freedom whenever he challenges the 500 00:30:58,210 --> 00:31:02,850 Jews, the hypocritical Jews of his time, as to who they belong to. 501 00:31:02,850 --> 00:31:04,810 And they say they're the children of Abraham. 502 00:31:05,530 --> 00:31:09,530 Well, he turns around and says, well, I've come and I'm greater 503 00:31:09,530 --> 00:31:10,130 than Abraham. 504 00:31:10,130 --> 00:31:10,410 Why? 505 00:31:10,410 --> 00:31:11,490 Because I'll give you freedom. 506 00:31:11,490 --> 00:31:17,210 And Jesus says so if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 507 00:31:18,970 --> 00:31:23,740 For some of us, Egypt was a long time ago and we were rescued 508 00:31:23,740 --> 00:31:25,380 through faith in Jesus Christ. 509 00:31:26,500 --> 00:31:29,540 And perhaps that path has got a little bit slower for you. 510 00:31:30,100 --> 00:31:33,500 And maybe you're not as warm and as vibrant as you were in faith 511 00:31:33,500 --> 00:31:37,420 as you once were on your first coming out of Egypt. 512 00:31:37,420 --> 00:31:38,420 Come back to the Lord. 513 00:31:38,420 --> 00:31:39,380 Come back to his people. 514 00:31:39,460 --> 00:31:40,340 Worship Him. 515 00:31:40,420 --> 00:31:45,660 It may not always suit you as to what your style is, but be amongst 516 00:31:45,660 --> 00:31:46,340 God's people. 517 00:31:48,270 --> 00:31:49,630 But maybe you're still in Egypt. 518 00:31:51,150 --> 00:31:55,150 Maybe you're tired and you know the sin that so easily ensnares 519 00:31:55,150 --> 00:32:00,430 you will receive the invitation of true freedom, this 520 00:32:00,670 --> 00:32:03,710 invitation of freedom from Jesus, who says that whenever he 521 00:32:03,710 --> 00:32:08,190 frees you, you indeed will be free forever. 522 00:32:08,990 --> 00:32:13,230 And most importantly, free from that punishment that sin brings. 523 00:32:14,980 --> 00:32:18,100 So why are these obscure verses here at the end of chapter 524 00:32:18,100 --> 00:32:18,340 12? 525 00:32:18,340 --> 00:32:21,540 Why could they not be left to some of the books and all the regulations 526 00:32:21,540 --> 00:32:22,340 and the laws? 527 00:32:22,980 --> 00:32:26,500 Because God is setting the mark by which his people should live, 528 00:32:26,500 --> 00:32:28,500 a mark that still remains for us today. 529 00:32:29,140 --> 00:32:32,580 To be his people means to be in community with one another. 530 00:32:33,060 --> 00:32:36,460 Church does not save, just as I said, the waters of baptism does 531 00:32:36,460 --> 00:32:37,140 not save. 532 00:32:37,540 --> 00:32:41,620 But it is a place to be by which we can know God more and trust 533 00:32:41,620 --> 00:32:42,100 in Him. 534 00:32:43,430 --> 00:32:47,510 So look to him for your freedom, keep with him for your freedom, 535 00:32:48,070 --> 00:32:51,710 and know that your only hope in both life and death can be placed 536 00:32:51,710 --> 00:32:56,950 in him alone, as we know that the salvation that comes from him 537 00:32:57,350 --> 00:33:00,230 is for his glory and our good. 538 00:33:01,110 --> 00:33:01,990 So let's pray. 539 00:33:02,710 --> 00:33:06,310 Our Father God, we thank you for your word and these obscure verses 540 00:33:06,470 --> 00:33:09,350 that really do challenge us about how we approach you. 541 00:33:10,390 --> 00:33:13,350 Forgive us for whenever we've just been too lackadaisical about 542 00:33:13,350 --> 00:33:17,510 it, when we've thought we can pick and choose of what suits us. 543 00:33:18,710 --> 00:33:22,470 Father, as the boys and girls are learning about you on your throne, 544 00:33:23,190 --> 00:33:27,710 that throne of authority, that throne that created us and keeps 545 00:33:27,710 --> 00:33:31,350 us, forgive us for whenever we've had such a diminished view 546 00:33:32,070 --> 00:33:38,120 and gone away from who you are, stir our hearts, cause us to 547 00:33:38,120 --> 00:33:42,120 hunger for you, that indeed we will enjoy being part of your family 548 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:45,920 and perfect as it is until that day when Christ will return. 549 00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:50,200 And Father, may we simply not pick and choose, just as the world 550 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:54,960 does, as if this is some club as to when it suits us and when it 551 00:33:54,960 --> 00:33:55,360 doesn't. 552 00:33:56,080 --> 00:34:00,080 Lord, may we be faithful because you demand us to be faithful. 553 00:34:01,530 --> 00:34:05,930 So may we look ever to you as the God who will keep us as we live 554 00:34:05,930 --> 00:34:08,410 by your ways and your ways alone. 555 00:34:08,890 --> 00:34:11,930 And we ask it in Jesus name, amen.