Tag: arrest Him

17.n. “I will pass over you”

John 11:54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples. When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing before the Passover. They kept looking for Jesus, and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.

 Exodus 12:11-14    In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover.  For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD.  The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.  “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.

The great deliverance from Egypt ended in the Lord’s Passover.  “I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.  This day shall be a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord.”    What is the purpose of Ceremonial Cleansing?  For them, it was tied to the Law and purification.  Remember the Law pointed out their sin and there were certain legal rites and sacrifices required.  The greatness of the Passover, the act of God to free and redeem His chosen from the hands of the Egyptians, was worthy of ceremonial cleansing so that they might worship and glorify God during this special feast of the Passover. ”The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.”  

The importance for us is in the blood, the blood of Jesus Christ, that cleanses us from our sin.  When we believe in Him and the work He accomplished on the cross for our sin, we are forever forgiven.  Ceremonial cleansing was a form of repentance.  I know I have sinned.  I know I want to honor and glorify God.  I want to worship and celebrate my redemption, salvation, forgiveness, and promise of eternal life.  I repent, turn away from my old self, and now live each day in remembrance of the great price that was paid for my redemption, the death of Jesus Christ.  We should never forget this, for there is a judgment day coming and only those who have confessed their sin, repented, believed, trusted, and relied on Jesus Christ will be passed over.  Eternal life awaits those who believed, and eternal torment awaits those who did not.

Believe the works

John 10:37  If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me;  but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”  Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.  He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first, and there he remained.   And many came to him. And they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.”  And many believed in him there.

John 2:23     Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing.

John 4:39    Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.”

John 8:30    As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

John 11:45    Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him,

John 12:42     Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue;

Romans 10:10     For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

There are many accounts of people believing.  Some that believed and told others.  Some that believed and said nothing because of what it may mean to their way of life.  In Romans it says; “For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”  In Matthew it says; “but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”  In James it says; “But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.  You believe that God is one.  Good for you! Even the demons believed that, and shudder. O foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is worthless?”  There is more to living for God than just believing.  Believing is the first step and requires a heart that is open and seeking to receiving the Word of God.  God’s word and call is to all mankind.  He is the one who draws us to Himself and  loved us and showed grace and mercy through His son Jesus Christ. Our walk of faith in Him is more than believing.  Our lives should reflect the light of Christ through humbly serving, honoring, following and obeying Him.