“Paid
All Sins, Savior's Our Valiant Everlasting Redeemer!"(P.A.S.S.O.V.E.R)”
By Ramesh
C.Reddy
Pittsburgh Standard
April
24,
2008
Editors Note: The devotional has a background song which can be heard if you use Internet
Explorer.
SCRIPTURE:
“The animals you choose must be year-old
males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats…
Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops
of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. It is the
LORD's Passover. On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike
down every firstborn—both men and animals—and I will bring judgment on
all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood will be a sign for you
on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will PASS OVER
you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. This is a
day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall
celebrate it as a festival to the LORD -a lasting ordinance.” (Exodus
12:5, 7, 11, 13-14, NIV)
Observations:
I asked myself what are the commandments given in
this passage?
1. The sheep or the goats you choose must be
year-old males without defect.
2. Take some of the blood and put it on the
sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.
3. This is a day you are to commemorate; for
the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD
-a lasting ordinance.”
Observations:
I asked myself what are the 7 promises
given in this passage by the Lord?
1. It is the LORD’s Passover.
2. On that same night I will pass through
Egypt.
3. I will strike down every firstborn----both
men and animals.
4. I will bring judgment on all the gods of
Egypt.
5. I am the LORD.
6. The blood will be a sign for you on the
houses where you are.
7. When I see the blood, I will PASS OVER you.
No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.
Interpretations:
I asked myself what do the observations
have to do with the cross and decided to look at all 10 observations!
When we think of the cross, we cannot think of the cross without
thinking about the One who went to the cross to pay the penalty for our
sin. I am talking about Jesus Christ, the Holy Son of God. This I keep
in mind as I study the 10 points.
Point 1:
The sheep or the goats you choose must be year-old
males without defect.
For PASSOVER, the animals that were chosen for a sacrifice were animals
without any defect.
In the same way, Jesus was chosen for the ULTIMATE SACRIFICE who was
without blemish or defect.
“For you know that it was not with perishable
things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way
of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious
blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18-19,
NIV)
Point 2:
"Take some of the blood and put it on the sides
and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs."
For PASSOVER, it was very important that the Israelites took some of the
blood of the sacrifice and put it on the sides and tops of the
doorframes where they ate the lambs.
This is very interesting because when you look at the sides and tops of
the doorframes covered in blood, you actually get a Π shape covered in
blood.
When you take the vertical line from the left or right and move it into
the center, you get a ┼ covered in blood.
It is very interesting that Jesus Christ became our sacrificial Lamb of
God without any blemish or defect and was sacrificed on the CROSS in the
center of two criminals to His left and right. The CROSS was filled with
the Blood of Jesus Christ.
“And being found in appearance as a man, he
humbled himself and became obedient to death---even death on the cross!”
(Philippians 2:8, NIV)
Point 3:
“This is a day you are to commemorate; for the
generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD -a
lasting ordinance.”
For PASSOVER is a time, all the Israelites or Jewish people commemorate
for generations to come.
Followers of Christ celebrate PASSOVER too and remember PASSOVER in
light of what happened on the CROSS on a GOOD FRIDAY!
Point 4:
“It is the Lord’s PASSOVER!”
For PASSOVER is indeed initiated and put into effect by the Lord so it
is the Lord’s PASSOVER whether it is celebrated by Jews or Christians
which will become more evident as the rest of the points are looked at.
Point 5:
"On that same night, I will pass through Egypt."
The Lord did pass through Egypt on that night of PASSOVER.
Point 6:
"I will strike down every firstborn---- both men
and animals."
Thousands of years ago, the Lord did strike down every firstborn ----
both men and animals because of the sin that was prevalent.
In the same way, it is very interesting that the LORD struck down His
only begotten Son, Jesus Christ who was the firstborn of creation for
our sake because of the sin prevalent in our lives when Jesus decided to
become the ULTIMATE SACRIFICE for us.
“Christ is the visible image of the invisible
God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all
creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms
and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t
see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen
world. Everything was created through him and for him. He existed before
anything else, and he holds all creation together. Christ is also the
head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over
all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything. For
God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him
God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in
heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.”
(Colossians 1:15-20, NLT)
Point 7:
"I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt."
The Lord did bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt showing His power
and letting everyone in Egypt, who followed false gods, to know that
there is only One God and He is Jehovah, the I AM.
In the same way, the Lord will bring judgment upon us when we follow
false gods instead of Him and Him alone. False gods do not have to be
idols we worship but anything that we give more allegiance to than God
Himself.
Point 8:
"I am the LORD."
God is reminding the Israelites that He is the Lord and there is no
other.
In the same way, we are reminded that Jesus is the only Way, the Truth,
and the Life and there is no other way to get to the Father. If we want
to reach Father God, it has to be done through Jesus Christ and starts
with the blood shed on the cross.
"Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth,
and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From
now on, you do know him and have seen him!” (John 14:6-7, NLT)
Point 9:
"The blood will be a sign for you on the houses
where you are."
When judgment came on the first-born of every man and animal, the
Israelites whose house’s doorframes had blood on the sides and top had a
sign.
In the same way, today we all have the sign of the cross when judgment
comes over if we apply Christ’s cleansing blood shed on the cross in our
lives.
Point 10:
"When I see the blood, I will PASS OVER you. No
destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt."
When the Lord saw the blood on the side and top of the doorframes, His
judgment did pass over them.
In the same way, when the Lord sees the blood of Jesus Christ, His only
begotten Son covering over our lives, His judgment will PASS OVER us.
But, we need to apply the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ in our own
lives so we have the antidote against the virus known as sin that
becomes a destructive plague.
Implications:
I saw important implications for my own life. If I want the
Lord’s judgment to PASSOVER me, I cannot do it on my own. Whatever I do
will not let God’s judgment PASSOVER me without help. This means just
because I think I am a good person will not do. I maybe a good person in
the world’s standards but God’s standards are so high. God in His
perfect holiness cannot allow sin to enter into His presence. Therefore,
even if I did 99.9% of good things but did 0.1% of bad things, that does
not make me a good person in God’s eyes. It is like water being polluted
with a drop of cyanide. It is not pure anymore even if people think it
can be pure.
"For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of
God’s glorious standard." (Romans 3:23, NLT)
But, the Good News is that the price for my Salvation has already been
paid. I don’t have to work my way to reach God. In all the religions of
the world except Christianity, everyone is trying to reach God through
their good works but in Christianity, I see that it is God that reached
out to humanity through His Son Jesus Christ. That made such an impact
on me and still does.
The Word of the Lord says, “While we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us!”
So, now I need to accept the free gift of grace given to me by the
sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross. But the CROSS was not
the end of the story. It is just the beginning of the Gospel. The Lord
Jesus came back to life on the 3rd day to save humanity by
reaching out to them.
"David was looking into the future and speaking
of the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave
him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave." (Acts 2:31,
NLT)
"Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I
preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm
in it. It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe
the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that
was never true in the first place. I passed on to you what was most
important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our
sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from
the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by
Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than 500
of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some
have died. Then he was seen by James and later by all the apostles." (1
Corinthians 15:1-7, NLT)
Let us not forget that we are the reason Jesus died on the cross. The
bloody cross is from the Lamb of God who sacrificed His life for
humanity. It is undefiled blood and the purest antidote for our virus
sin so we are not affected by this destructive plague. When we take His
cleansing blood and cover ourselves with it, we are covered by the
cross. The cross covers over our entire body with the blood on it so the
destructive plague of sin cannot touch us as the power of Christ's
resurrection we can experience with a new life in Christ burying our old
life.
Now when God looks at us in His holiness, He does not see sin anymore
but the blood of Christ covering over us and cleansing us of all sin.
Now God’s judgment will PASSOVER us and we can be with Him in Eternity.
And so through the Cross, Jesus became our PASSOVER LAMB.
"For we died and were buried with Christ by
baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the
glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised
to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified
with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no
longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from
the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also
live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the
dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over
him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that
he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider
yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through
Christ Jesus." (Romans 6:4-11, NLT)
I ask you now dear friend, how do you know
judgment will PASSOVER you?Dear friend, you can know
beyond a shadow of a doubt that judgment will PASSOVER you if you have
Jesus Christ in your life. Jesus paid the ultimate price on the cross
for you and me. It is the cross Jesus used to fulfill His mission for
you and me. It is more than just a symbol or jewelry to wear on your
neck or a pin to put on. Each time you come across a cross, I hope
you get a flashback of the screaming pain of Christ as each nail went in
to rescue you and me. May that reminder, remind you how much Jesus loves
you that He endured the cross for you and me so judgment can PASSOVER
us.
When we make a cross using our hands, it is not just a gesture but being
reminded of the One who endured it and the One who now covers us by His
blood because He loves us.
But that is only one aspect of why Jesus chose obedience to death-even
death on the cross.
The other reason that came to my mind is a pathway. When we cross the
road, we are actually crossing a pathway to reach our destination.
Without a road or bridge or water we won’t be able to get to the other
side because they serve as a pathway.
In the same way, I see the Cross as the only pathway to reach God. When
we look to the Cross of Christ, we are looking to the pathway that
serves as a bridge to reach our Heavenly Father. All other means and
pathways will not let us get across except the cross of Christ so
judgment can PASSOVER us.
May you know how much you are loved by Jesus no matter what you have
done or no matter where you have been! He loves you so much that He paid
the price for you.
Now won’t you accept what He did for you
and come into His presence and give your life to Him so He can cover the
virus of sin with His cleansing blood so judgment can PASSOVER us?
He will give us a transfusion of change.
"Paid All Sins, Savior's Our Valiant
Everlasting Redeemer!"(P.A.S.S.O.V.E.R)/”How do you know judgment will
P.A.S.S.O.V.E.R you?”
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, I love you. Thank
you for loving me so much and thank you for choosing the cross to die
for me. You became the Son of Man and lived here on earth. Then you
humbled yourself and became obedient to death-even death on the cross.
Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin. You died on the cross so
that I can be covered in your blood and cleansed by your blood as I
acknowledge that I need you and cannot enter Heaven without you being my
pathway. You became my PASSOVER LAMB! So, Jesus I confess all my sins to
you and all the ways I have tried to get into Heaven when you already
provided the means and the Way. I repent of my sin. Thank you for all
that you have done for me especially forgiving me of my sin so judgment
can PASSOVER. The cross is the place, a wonderful place where accused
and condemned find mercy and grace. Thank you Jesus, it is at the cross
where the wrongs we have done and the wrongs done to us were nailed at
the cross. Thank you Jesus, at the cross you died for our sins and at
the cross you gave your life for us. I thank you for that and thank you
for coming back to life to save us. Thank you Jesus for being there for
me! Thank you for loving me. I love you Jesus! Please take me as I am
and make my life into something that you will be proud of. I surrender
my life to you and need your help to live for you. I am forever grateful
for the cross and what you have done for me and I can never repay you. I
want to live for you and need your help. Thank you that your blood is
for me. Help me Jesus please to live in the power of your Holy Spirit. I
thank you Jesus for saving us! Thank you for hearing my prayer and
answering me. Whatever your will give me the willingness and strength to
bear it. Come into my heart and please make my heart your home. Live in
me Jesus and I will live for you and serve you all the days of my life
as you help me knowing you are my Lord and Personal Savior. You are my
God! Thank you Jesus! I acknowledge you as my Lord and Personal Savior!
In Your Name I Pray precious Jesus! Amen!
Friend, if you have prayed this
prayer and meant it in your heart, you are a new creation in Christ and
all old things are passed away and everything has become new! You may
feel something or may not but don’t base it on feelings but base your
new life in Christ on the promises of our Savior who will never leave
you nor forsake you! Amen!
Spend time in His word and let the Lord
speak to you! Start out in the Gospel of John! You can also check out
the Gospel of Mark which are the devotionals I have been going through.
Learn from Jesus through study and prayer. Also find yourself a church
fellowship and a college fellowship you can be part of where you can be
part of a community of believers to supplement your own walk with the
Lord. Let it be a Bible-believing and Bible-breathing church! Believe in
Bible Live Eternally!
Feel free to email me at
reddy4hisglory2004@yahoo.com if you want to meet to study the Bible,
pray with, talk about Spiritual issues or whatever is on your mind! My
number is 412-720-4579
"This is my
work and I can do it only because Christ's mighty energy is at work
within me." (Colossians 1:29, TLB)
Love in Christ,
Ramesh
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' I AM ' Series
Archives:
What kind of L.I.G.H.T do you follow? (Dec 13,
07, 10:09 a.m.)
"What kind of B.R.E.A.D do you eat?" (Dec 08,
07, 10:10 a.m.)
"Who is your S.H.E.P.H.E.R.D?"
(June 30,
06)
Gospel of Mark Archives:
Mark 1:1:
"What does the G.O.S.P.E.L mean to you?" (Jan
15, 08, 1:15 p.m.)
Mark 1:1-4: "How
seriously do you T.E.S.T.I.F.Y about prophesy?" (Jan
12, 08, 11:18 p.m.)
Mark 1:5-8:
"Who do you P.O.I.N.T to?" (Jan 16, 08,
8:48 a.m.)
Mark 1:9:
How will you take a S.T.A.N.D? (Jan 17, 08,
11:21 a.m.)
Mark 1:9-11:
"How is your loving P.R.A.I.S.E?" (Jan 18, 08,
8:53 a.m.)
Mark 1:12-13: "How
do you handle T.E.M.P.T.A.T.I.O.N?" (Jan 19,
08, 12:27 p.m.)
Mark 1:14-15:
How do you handle T.I.M.E given to you? (Jan
21, 08, 1:31 p.m.)
Mark 1:16-18:
"What kind of P.R.O.F.E.S.S.I.O.N are you in?" (Jan
26, 08, 10:22 a.m.)
Mark
1:19-20:
"Without having to P.R.O.C.R.A.S.T.I.N.A.T.E, what should you do?"
(Jan 29, 08,
10:44 a.m.)
Mark
1:20-22:
"How do you rate in the B.U.S.I.N.E.S.S of Jesus?" (Jan
30, 08, 11:29 a.m.)
Mark
1:20-22:
"Whose T.E.A.C.H.I.N.G.S do you follow?" (Jan
31, 08, 11:52 a.m.)
Mark
1:23-28:
"What C.A.P.T.I.V.I.T.Y are you facing today?" (Feb
01, 08, 10:35 a.m.)
Mark 4:3-20:
"What if Jesus talked F.O.O.T.B.A.L.L?" (Feb
02, 08, 10:35 a.m.)
Mark 1:29-31:
"Where do you need H.E.A.L.I.N.G?" (Feb 05,
08, 11:44 a.m.)
Mark 1:32-34:
"Where do you need an A.N.S.W.E.R?" (Feb 06,
08, 11:16 a.m.)
Mark 1:35-39:
"Where do you give your S.O.L.I.T.A.R.Y time to the Lord?" (Feb
07, 08, 11:41 a.m.)
Mark 1:40-42:
"Where do you need to be C.L.E.A.N?" (Feb 09,
08, 11:00 a.m.)
Mark 1:43-45:
"What do your actions C.A.U.S.E?" (Feb 11, 08,
9:23 a.m.)
MARK CHAPTER 2:
Mark 2:1-2:
"What do you do with your P.O.P.U.L.A.R.I.T.Y?" (Feb
12, 08, 9:52 a.m.)
Mark 2:2-5:
"What kind of F.R.I.E.N.D are you?" (Feb
13, 08, 11:49 a.m.)
Mark 2:5-12:
"Where does P.A.R.A.L.Y.S.I.S take hold of you?" (Feb
15, 08, 7:42 a.m.)
Mark 2:5-12:
"What are you thinking in your M.I.N.D?" (Feb
16, 08, 11:08 a.m.)
Mark 2:5-12:
"What do you represent by your A.C.T.I.O.N.S?" (Feb
18, 08, 8:23 a.m.)
Mark 2:13-15:
"Where are you looking for A.C.C.E.P.T.A.N.C.E?" (Feb
19, 08, 11:22 a.m.)
Mark
2:15-17:
"Who do you I.N.V.I.T.E to Jesus?" (Feb 20,
08, 9:57 a.m.)
Mark
2:18-20:
"When do you F.A.S.T?" (Feb 21, 08,
9:32 a.m.)
Mark 2:21-22:
"How do you see your L.I.F.E?" (Feb 22, 08,
9:56 a.m.)
Mark 2:23-28:
"What kind of L.E.A.D.E.R will you be? (Feb
23, 08, 10:46 a.m.)
Mark 2:23-28:
"What does the S.A.B.B.A.T.H mean to you?" (Feb
25, 08, 10:46 a.m.)
CHAPTER 3:
Mark 3:1-6:"Whose
N.E.E.D.S do you meet?" (Feb 26, 08,
9:54 a.m.)
Mark 3:7-8:
"What is your I.M.P.A.C.T?" (Feb 27, 08,
8:17 a.m.)
Mark 3:9-11:
"What S.P.A.C.E do you give yourself?" (Feb
28, 08, 9:38 a.m.)
Mark 3:11-12:
"How do you fight E.V.I.L?" (Feb 29, 08,
9:11 a.m.)
Mark 3:13-16:
"What emphasis do you put on your R.E.L.A.T.I.O.N.S.H.I.P with Jesus?"
(March 01, 08, 9:29
a.m.)
Mark 3:17-19:
"Where do you have your A.P.P.O.I.N.T.M.E.N.T in?" (March
03, 08, 9:49 a.m.)
Mark 3:20:
"Where do you G.A.T.H.E.R?" (March 04, 08,
12:07 p.m.)
Mark 3:21:
"How are your actions seen by your F.A.M.I.L.Y?" (March
05, 08, 10:24 a.m.)
Mark 3:22-27:
"How do you handle S.L.A.N.D.E.R?" (March 06,
08, 7:57 a.m.)
Mark 3:28-30:
"What is your V.I.E.W of Jesus?" (March 07, 08,
8:18 a.m.)
Mark 3:31-34:
"What do you do with God's Will?" (March 08,
08, 8:45 a.m.)
CHAPTER 4:
Mark 4:1-20:
"What do P.A.R.A.B.L.E.S mean to you?" (March
10, 08, 7:15 a.m.)
Mark 4:1-20:
"What if Jesus talked F.O.O.T.B.A.L.L?" (Feb
02, 08, 10:35 a.m.)
Mark 4:1-20:
"Where are you in your W.A.L.K with the Lord?" (March
11, 08, 9:32 a.m.)
Audio:
"Where are you in your W.A.L.K with the Lord?" (March
11, 08, 11:05 a.m.)
Mark 4:21-23:
"What kind of L.A.M.P will you be?" (March 12,
08, 9:40 a.m.)
Audio:
"What do you C.O.N.C.E.A.L?" (March 14, 08,
10:11 a.m.)
"What do you C.O.N.C.E.A.L?" (March 14, 08,
8:52 a.m.)
John 12:12-15:
"How can you B.L.E.S.S the Lord?" (March 17,
08, 1:25 a.m.)
Philippians 2:8:
"What does the C.R.O.S.S mean to you?" (March
20, 08, 1:16 p.m.)
"How do you handle D.O.U.B.T.S?" (March
25, 08, 12:36 p.m.)
Mark 4:24-25:
"What do you do with what you H.E.A.R?" (March
31, 08, 8:39 a.m.)
Mark 4:26-29:
"What do you do with the W.O.R.D of God?" (April
05, 08, 10:18 a.m.)
Mark 4:30-34:
"What do you do with the S.E.E.D?" (April 07, 08,
11:48 a.m.)
Mark 4:35-41:
"What are the S.T.O.R.M.S in your life?" (April 08, 08,
11:52 a.m.)
CHAPTER 5:
Mark 5:1-13:
"Where is your T.O.R.M.E.N.T coming from?" (April 09, 08,
11:50 a.m.)
Mark 5:14-17:
"Where do you need H.E.A.L.I.N.G?" (April 11, 08,
11:46 a.m.)
Mark 5:14-17:
"What do people R.E.P.O.R.T about you?" (April 12, 08,
11:00 a.m.)
Mark 5:18-19:
"What makes you A.F.R.A.I.D of Jesus?" (April 14, 08,
10:40 a.m.)
Mark 5:18-19:
"Will you T.E.L.L others about Jesus?" (April 15, 08,
11:32 a.m.)
Proverbs 17:4:
"What does G.O.S.S.I.P do to you?" (April 17, 08,
6:52 p.m.)
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