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Passover in Jerusalem

“Let the children of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. On the fourteenth day of this month, at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time. According to all its rites and ceremonies you shall keep it throughout all of your generations.” (Nu 9)

Greetings again from FZS in Jerusalem!

Next Monday evening we will once again celebrate the ancient Feast of Passover at our FZS warehouse in Jerusalem. With great joy and happiness we recited together that ancient story of our deliverance from slavery in Egypt to Freedom in the Promised Land. We will also read from a Messianic version of the ancient prayer book called, The Haggadah ( הגדה, ” the telling”) which explains step by step the order of the Passover Seder meal while revealing Yeshua as the true Passover lamb. For some who will be joining us, it will be their first Passover Seder they will experience…

Passover is also the time to remember that our deliverance from slavery in Egypt was secured by the blood of a lamb’s sacrifice which was applied on doorposts of our homes. Likewise for us who are believers in Yeshua, we also remember that our own souls were purchased and redeemed by the precious blood of the Lamb of God. For it was during a Passover Seder over 2000 years ago in Jerusalem that Yeshua declared, as He lifted up the Cup of Redemption, “this cup is the cup of the New Covenant made in my blood so your sins may be forgiven…” Afterwards, He took the Matza (unleavened bread) and he also lifted it up to heaven and blessed it as He said, “this is my body which is broken for you eat this in remembrance of me…

Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. ( 1 Cor. 5:7-8 )

Are we truly free from the slavery of sin?

Perhaps the meaning of Passover for the believer is best summed up in John the Baptist’s revelation when he saw Yeshua: “Behold! The lamb of God, who comes to take AWAY the sins of the world!”(Jn 1:29) This is the gospel in its purest form. He did not come to save us in our sins, but He came, to save us from our sins. There is a difference. Yeshua, after being baptized and overcoming the temptations and trials in the wilderness, proclaimed, “the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor, He sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”(Lk 4:18)

He came to set the captives free, Hallelujah! Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom. (2Co3:13) The world promises a deceitful freedom to sin and pleasure, a freedom to do whatever we want in order to fulfill the desire of our flesh which eventually leads to death. The true Freedom in Christ is a freedom from the slavery of sin in which He has set us free from the power of sin and death!

“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified (Passover Sacrificed) the flesh with its passions and desires.” ( Gal 5:24 )

The true freedom we receive at Passover is the choice and the ability to do whatever pleases the one who proved His love to us by dying in our place. He is the Redeemer of our souls and He alone is worthy to be worshiped. Not my will, but Yours be done. It is a true freedom from sin, from this destructive, corruptible flesh (our sin nature). It is the freedom from self; self-worship, selfish ambition, selfish motives, self-love and self-exaltation. Yeshua is to be Lord of all. He must have pre-eminence (first place) in our lives because He will not and cannot dwell with our sin, and that is why he has made us free from sin, so He might live in us!

I have been crucified (Passover Sacrificed) with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. ( Gal 2:20 )

Yeshua is the Passover Lamb

FZS loves Holocaust Survivors

I had the privilege this week to share His love with a group of Holocaust Survivors at their center in Jerusalem. We have grown very close to so many of them who have now become like members of our own family. Please pray for both their health and healing as they open their hearts to the Lord’s love!

Bradley sharing the Good News with Holocaust Survivors

Visiting handicapped Survivors (Bella who is blind with Yuri)

Bringing aid to shut-in Survivors Eve and Haim

Hannah was Anne Frank’s best friend in Bergin-Belsen Concentration Camp

I was sick and you visited me… praying for Survivors Maya and Ephraim

On behalf of the needy Holocaust survivors we are able to bless through your contributions, Thank you very much!!!