'The next day John [the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ... I have seen and testified that He is the Son of God!"' - John 1:29, 34

In preparation for Easter, my family participates in a meal tradition that is thousands of years old: the Passover. This traditional Jewish meal dates back to the time when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt and commemorates the freedom God won for them by rescuing them with great signs and wonders. The final miraculous sign included a lamb that was sacrificed, the Passover lamb, whose blood was to cover the doors of the Israelite’s houses, so that God’s judgment would ‘pass over’ their homes and their lives would be spared.

In our Passover meal, we relive the story of the Exodus from Egypt, but we give it a Christian perspective. Jesus, God’s only Son, is the one who now takes on the guilt of the whole world. Believers in him are covered by his blood, shed on the cross, and have passed over from death into life. Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples on the same night that he instituted the Lord’s Supper – the meal we celebrate every week as Christians. We partake in the benefits of his sacrifice every time we participate in this meal.

I encourage you to attend the Easter services taking place in the coming weeks. Maundy Thursday (also known as Holy Thursday), Good Friday and, of course, Easter Sunday, are some of the best services of the year. It’s a great way of reliving an amazing story and a wonderful opportunity for God’s story to live on in us.

Dale Gosden
College Pastor