Dear Brethren,
It is hard to believe that in approximately one month we will be observing the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread! It was 1,984 years ago, on a lonely hillside just outside Jerusalem, that an innocent man was crucified.
“Jesus Christ died for your sins!” So says everyone who professes Christianity. Have you thought about that story recently? Do you fully understand what happened on that spring afternoon?
I honestly don’t believe we are capable of comprehending the magnitude of the crucifixion. It seems that this is one of the reasons we must be reminded of it on an annual basis. Each year we gather on the evening of the Passover to wash each other’s feet, eat a small piece of unleavened bread and drink a small amount of wine. Why?
In 1 Corinthians 11 Paul described a surreal atmosphere where members of the Church of God in the city of Corinth came together on the night of Passover, partook of a meal, drank more than they should and generally embarrassed themselves as Christians (verses 21-22). How was this possible? Paul connected the cause to “not discerning the Lord’s body” (verse 29). How could a Christian find himself or herself in such a disgraceful situation?
Paul made it clear that they had forgotten what was important and allowed themselves to compromise the most basic principles of Christianity. How easy is that to do?
“Discerning the Lord’s body” is a phrase that deserves investigation. The word discerning is from the Greek diakrino and means “to separate, make a distinction” (Thayer’s Greek Lexicon). The Corinthians made no distinction as to the true meaning of the bread and the wine. It appears they had not given proper thought to or examined the importance of the symbols prior to coming together.
Their casual approach to the Passover was an important cause of the sad state of affairs within the Corinthian congregation. Continuing in chapter 11, Paul described the results of this approach. He referred to people being sick and to “many” having died (verse 30). He also defined the solution: “For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged” (verse 31). The word for “judge” here is the same Greek word diakrino. The word judged at the end of the verse is from the Greek krino, which means to condemn or pronounce judgment.
If we look deeply into our own lives and identify who we are as children of God and what we owe to Christ, we can avoid the Corinthians’ error. In other words, preparation for the Passover must begin before we arrive, and it must include a thorough examination of our own hearts, motives and attitudes. By doing so, we avoid condemnation. We have judged (examined) ourselves. Hopefully, we can learn from this example, so that when we gather on Passover evening we will have properly discerned the body of Christ.
To grasp the significance of the Passover, we must understand that Jesus Christ was who He said He was—God in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). He healed the sick (Matthew 4:23), was worshipped by the disciples (Matthew 14:33), and was resurrected from the dead (Matthew 28:6). Paul stated that He embodied the fullness of the Godhead (Colossians 2:9). If we can wrap our minds around the fact that the Word, God in the flesh, died so that our sins could be forgiven, we begin to understand the significance of the Passover service.
As a pastor, each year I would admonish my congregation to view the coming Passover as the most important Passover of their lives. This isn’t because I expected anything different would happen, but because it was our next Passover. Each Passover is the most important Passover of our lives, because it is the opportunity to partake anew of the symbols of bread and wine representing the body and blood of Jesus Christ.
Our world has just experienced a very difficult year, one of the worst on record for terrorist activities; and this year looks no better. People have been burned alive, beheaded, tortured and shot. Are we witnessing the beginning of a religious war where the king of the South attacks the king of the North (Daniel 11:40), creating a chain reaction involving the whole world—World War III, if you will? Prophetically, we know that once these events unfold, a quick downward spiral will begin, leading to the return of Jesus Christ.
Nevertheless, a bright spotlight shines in this current darkness: God’s festivals, symbolize His plan to bring many sons to glory (Hebrews 2:10). Soon we will gather in a quiet and respectful manner on the night of Passover. And the following evening we will come together to remember the historic departure of Israel from Egypt (Exodus 12), which foreshadowed our departure from the spiritual slavery of sin. Gathering for a meal on the Night to Be Much Observed, as we usher in the Days of Unleavened Bread, is a wonderful tradition in the Church of God. Once we accept Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins, during the festival that follows we commit to separating from sin and eating the “unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8).
I cannot overemphasize the importance of the Passover and the need for us to come together, having discerned the Lord’s body, to show honor and appreciation for what Christ willingly did. He gave His life for us (John 3:16). There is no greater sacrifice.
I normally write a letter each month that is distributed on the first Thursday of that month. In April the first Thursday will be the night of Passover services, so my April member letter will post the following week, during the Days of Unleavened Bread.
When this March letter is distributed, I will be in Kenya on a church visit with Tim Waddle, the senior pastor. I wish all of you could visit the brethren in different countries. We are one body, not because we all come from the same race or nationality, but because we have the same spirit, God’s Spirit. The oneness of mind and the genuineness of heart are encouraging and inspiring to witness. Upon my return, I will provide an In Accord update on the church in Kenya. Until then, I wish you all a most meaningful Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread.
Sincerely, your brother in Christ,
Jim Franks