The cross and resurrection are foundational doctrines of Christianity. They are intertwined and cannot be separated from one another. We cannot experience resurrection without first dying. The degree to which we lay down our lives for the Lord and His purposes, while embracing His cross, is the same degree that we will experience His resurrection life, perceiving and partaking of the glory that He now abides in.

 

Jesus did not stop at the cross, and it is imperative that we not stop at the cross.

We have studied how it was the hope of the resurrection and the glory He was to receive which enabled Jesus to endure the cross. It has also been the truth of the resurrection that empowered all of the martyrs of every age, and it is as we behold the glory set before us that we are able to take up our crosses and "die daily."

 

We must also consider, if the ultimate fear by which the enemy has kept mankind in bondage is the fear of death, and the truth of the resurrection breaks this bondage, why is the world in such darkness and bondage?

As we have studied in Exodus 12, the Passover Lamb was to be taken into the house five days before it was to be sacrificed. During that time the people were to examine it for any flaws because the Passover of the Lord had to be a lamb without blemish.

The next main aspect of the Passover Feast is the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is a part of the Passover, as we read in Exodus 12:17:

 

You shall also observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent ordinance.

 

 

In Scripture leaven speaks of two things.

The main purpose of our study is to gain a clear understanding of our purpose in Christ and what we must do to accomplish it. For this reason we are examining the steps to maturity so we can understand where we are, and what we need to do next. Because the strength of the foundation will determine the strength and magnitude of what can be built upon it, we are taking the time to lay the foundation correctly. Without question, the strength of our spiritual lives will be determined by the revelation, understanding, and application of the cross in our lives.

We have been studying the power of sacrifice, and especially the power of the sacrifice of the Son of God to deliver us from bondage, which was typified by the Passover. Now we will go on to another crucial aspect of the Passover, as we see in Exodus 12:7, 13:
 

 

     Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts

     and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.

On Day Five we drew a parallel of how Israel's first Passover was a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. We began to examine the nature of our sin, and the perfect Lamb that was offered for our atonement. Here we want to take a little more time to examine and understand the power of sacrifice so that we can know the power of what He accomplished for us by His sacrifice.

 

Unfortunately, cults and satanic worshipers seem to understand this basic principle of the spiritual power of sacrifice better than most Christians.

Today we further our study of the Passover, which was judgment upon Egypt, but deliverance for God's people. In I Corinthians 5:7 we read "...for Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed." The Passover was a biblical model of the sacrifice of Jesus that sets us free from the bondage of this world. The first instruction the Lord gave concerning the Passover was that the Jews were to change their calendar so the month in which it took place was the first month of the year, to represent how the Passover would make a new beginning for them (see Exodus 12:1-2).

On Day Three we studied how Pharaoh is a type of Satan, the ruler of this present age, and how Egypt is a type of this present world. We also studied the resistance that Pharaoh gave to Moses when he demanded that the Lord's people be set free. This was pre-ordained by God because His people were not to be set free by the permission of Pharaoh, but by His power. Through all of the resistance, and the attempts by Pharaoh to get Moses to compromise the call of God, Moses remained resolute, declaring "not a hoof" that belonged to Israel would be left behind in Egypt.