How Does Passover Reveal The Good News?
Have you ever been at a loss for words when it comes to proclaiming the Good News? As a Christian I grew up hearing people refer to the Good News but I always had trouble putting into words. I’d heard so many inspiring messages that motivated me to share the Good News but the only definition I could find was in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians:
By this Good News (Gospel) you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For the message I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas and then to the Twelve. After that, He appeared to more than five hundred brothers at once, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep…1 Corinthians 15:2-6.
Paul defined the Good News according to the Scriptures, which were the Torah and Prophets. His 1st Century words were concise but it was like reading the conclusion without any backstory. The Good News of mankind’s salvation from death begins in the first five books of the Bible.
In the beginning there was darkness and the Spirit created Light and everything was Good. It was the Knowledge of Good and Bad that brought sin and death into the world but the first man Adam knew the Good News.
The Good News was proclaimed to Abraham:
“And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nations by faith, proclaimed the Good News beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall All the nations be blessed.” Galatians 3:8 ; Genesis 12:3; Genesis 18:18; Genesis 22:18; Genesis 26:4; Jeremiah 4:2
An angel proclaimed the Good News when Jesus, or Yehoshua, was born:
“Fear not, for behold, I bring you Good News of great joy that exists to All the people. Today in the City of David a Savior has been born… Luke 2:10
The Good News will be proclaimed throughout the whole world, until the end:
“the Good News of the Kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14; Mark 13:10
Jesus proclaimed the Good News of the Everlasting Kingdom:
“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people,” Matthew 4:23
The Good News Reveals How YHVH Delivers Mankind from Death
…declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose, Isaiah 46:10.
The Entire Bible has one theme, from beginning to end, and it is complete. With a foundation built on the Unchanging, Everlasting Torah, or Instructions, any new teaching that comes along adding to, and subtracting from, our Eternal Creator’s Words rebuke and prove them a liar:
Do not add to His Words, lest He rebuke you and prove you a liar. Proverbs 30:6
See that you do everything I command you; Do not add to it or subtract from it, Deuteronomy 12:32
YHVH, the Eternal, does Test us:
…you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. For YHVH your God is Testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, Deuteronomy 13:3; Genesis 22:1; Exodus 15:25; 16:4; 20:20…
Only those who know the words of Torah will recognize the false prophet, or the deceiver, as one who adds to, or subtracts from, what Is, Was and Will Always Be Perfect from creation, Deuteronomy 4:2; Deuteronomy 12:32; Psalm 19:7; Psalm 18:30; James 1:25.
We have eyes to perceive Spiritual Truth when we view the New Testament through the lens of the original Hebrew Scriptures because the everlasting righteousness of Torah is Truth:
Your righteousness is everlasting and Your תּוֹרָה Torah is true, Psalm 119:142
The Passover Communion Connection
There is a specific lineage from the Promised Seed to the Promised Messiah, the Passover Lamb. The Wine and Unleavened Bread of Communion is a tell-tale sign of its origin in the Passover Seder.
The Good News is the reason Israel was instructed to remember how they were brought forth through the Iron Furnace of bondage in Egypt, just as it was prophesied to Abraham, Genesis 15:13.
To this day the Jewish people remember the Passover, from the 1st day to First-fruits eating Unleavened Bread for seven days. They also remember Pentecost, Day of Trumpets, Atonements and Booths, or Tabernacles, as the 7 appointed times of YHVH:
These are the LORD’s יְהוָֹה YHVH’s appointed times (מוֹעֵד moa’ed ), the Set-apart, (קֹדֶשׁ qodesh) reading (מִקְרָא miqra from qara) you are to proclaim (מִקְרָא qara) at their appointed times (מוֹעֵד moa’ed), Leviticus 23:4
YHVH Is our Creator’s Eternal Name, literally translated it means He Was, Is and Shall Be. He set His appointed times at creation:
And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for Appointed Times (מוֹעֵד Moa’edim) and for days and years, Genesis 1:14
With Death came the Promise of Renewed Life
“…in Adam all die, so in Messiah all will be made alive,” 1 Corinthians 15:22; Romans 5:12
Beginning in the Garden of Eden, where the Victorious Seed was first promised, from Adam and Eve to their son Seth, then to Noah’s son Shem and then Abraham and his son Isaac, this specific promise, His Seed would Bless All Nations.
The Promised Seed was then to come through Isaac’s son Jacob, who’s name YHVH changed to Israel. Israel had 12 sons and it was through the lineage of his son Judah, Shiloh, a Messianic Title, would come, Genesis 49:10
The tribes of Judah are called Jewish and even though the Jewish religion has become synonymous with Israel, remember the nation of Israel divided about 930 B.C.
When the 10 Northern tribes rebelled from the instructions of YHVH they were conquered by the Assyrians, about 722 B.C., and dispersed into the nations. Ezekiel 36:19
The Southern tribes were called Judah. They also began to rebel, like their sister Israel, and they were conquered by the Babylonians about 605 B.C. But the Jewish people were prophesied to return to their allotted land after 70 years; Jeremiah 29:10.
It was through the lineage of Judah we trace the prophesy of the promised Seed, The Anointed (Messiah), The Eternal King, Genesis 49:10; Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:6.
And I will put enmity between you, (the serpent) and the woman, and between your seed, (the serpent) and her seed. He, (Her Seed) will crush your head, and you, (the serpent) will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15 Compare with Romans 16:20
This ancient Hebrew metaphor is a picture of the The Good News. The Seed of the woman, promised from the beginning, did crush the serpents head. An idiom meaning the Messiah had Victory over death:
“The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” 1 Corinthians 15:26
This is the same Seed that will bless All nations/families/peoples:
And the Scripture, having foreseen that God justifies the Gentiles by faith, foretold the Good News to Abraham: “All the nations/peoples will be blessed through you.” Genesis 18:18; Galatians 3:8
Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his Seed. It does not say “and to seeds” as of many but “and to your Seed” as of One, who is Messiah/Christ, Galatians 3:16
click Here for more information about “Spiritual Covenants.”
The 7 Appointments of YHVH
Passover is the first of seven Appointed Times (Mo’edim) of YHVH. Each one points mankind to the Spiritual Good News.
The physical comes first and then the Spiritual:
But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual, 1 Corinthians 15:46
Physical Covenants Reveal Spiritual Covenants. YHVH commanded Israel to remember the Passover Lamb so they would make the connection when Jesus, Yehoshua (YHVH-saves) said do this in remembrance of Me:
“This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way, after they ate He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the renewed covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes, 1 Corinthians 11:24-26
Why Proclaim His Death at Passover?
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes., 1 Corinthians 11:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:15
Jesus is referred to as The Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world. Like the Lamb whose blood caused death to Pass over the Firstborns of Israel, death Passed over the Spiritual Firstborn.
The Bible is loaded with physical examples revealing Spiritual Truth. Life after death is likened to a Seed buried in the ground:
Truly, truly, I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a seed; but if it dies, it bears much fruit, John 12:24
So it is written: “The first Adam became a living being/soul;”(Genesis 2:7) the last Adam a Life-giving Spirit, 1 Corinthians 15:45
After Death Comes Renewed, Spiritual, Life
Understanding the original Hebrew clarifies some bad and bias translations. The word New is translated from the Hebrew word חָדַשׁ chadash, which has a meaning of Renew, or Repair. So New can also mean Renew.
Most people know the Hebrew meaning of the Name Jesus is Salvation, but His full Hebrew Name reveals Who He Is. Yehoshua is transliterated into English is Joshua, meaning YHVH Is Salvation. The name is one and the same as the Greek transliteration Jesus.
Both Jesus and the Torah are the Way of Truth and Life, Psalm 119:142; Proverbs 13:14; John 14:6. He Is described as the Word, John 1:1. Both the Torah and Jesus are Spiritual, or Eternal, Romans 1:4.
The Torah Reveals Spiritual Salvation
So then, the Torah is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good…We know that the Torah is Spiritual, Romans 7:12,14
Moses was given the instructions of YHVH but they were only a pattern, or a shadow of the Heavenly, or Spiritual, Hebrews 8:5; Exodus 25:91; Corinthians 15:46; Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 10:1
Why Such an Emphasis on the Firstborns?
“Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD יְהוָֹה YHVH “Israel is My son, My Firstborn.” Exodus 4:22
The physical Firstborn Israel, is a Shadow of the Spiritual Firstborn Jesus, Who Is the Firstborn from the dead; Colossians 1:18; Acts 26:23; Romans 8:29; Revelation 1:5.
Sanctify unto me all the Firstborn, whatsoever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine, Exodus 13:2
I will indeed appoint him as My firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth, Psalm 89:27
gathering The Assembly of the Firstborn, whose names are written in heaven, and God the Judge of All, has made righteous spirits perfect/complete, Hebrews 12:23
The Spiritual Firstborn Is Revealed by the Physical Firstborn:
You ignored the Rock who brought you forth; you forgot the God who gave you birth, Deuteronomy 32:18
YHVH gave birth to Israel through a prophesied 400 years of slavery, their miraculous deliverance and 40 years of refining before they entered the Promised Land, Genesis 15:13; Acts 7:6.
From the Temple, to the Sacrifices and the promised inheritance of physical land, The entire Torah revealed to Moses is a copy, or pattern, of Spiritual Reality, Exodus 25:40.
Jesus, or Yehoshua, explained what was said about Him in Moses and the Prophets:
Then I said, “Here I am, I have come— it is written about me in the scroll: Psalm 40:7; Hebrews 10:7; John 5:39
The Passover Lamb
In conclusion, it was the blood of the Passover Lamb that redeemed every Firstborn of Israel from death:
Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life, and you shall not eat the life with the flesh, Deuteronomy 12:23
Why is it to be remembered forever?
…I will execute judgment on Egypt, and they will know that I am YHVH. Ezekiel 30:19
“Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate (Hagag) it as a festival (Hag) to YHVH; throughout your generations you are to celebrate (Hagag) Forever (Olam).” Exodus 12:14.
“I have made you to be a Light to the nations (goyim), to bring Salvation to the ends of the earth,” Isaiah 49:6; Isaiah 42:6; Acts 13:47.
“In Him was Life, and that Life was the Light of men.” John 1:4; John 8:12.
Jesus said, “I Am the Bread of Life,” John 6:48
Click Here to read How I Learned to keep Passover.
Light of the World 