Keeping The Passover

"Through faith he kept the Passover" (Hebrews 11:28) marks a high point in the life of Moses. After his preservation as an infant, his privileged years in Pharaoh's palace, and pastoral mid-life in the desert, Moses returned to Egypt with his message from God: "Let My people go" (Exodus 5:1). If you know the story, you'll recall that Pharaoh refused, and then a series of ten plagues descended upon the Egyptians. It was the tenth plague—the death of the firstborn—that finally set the Israelites free.

To protect His people from this deadly plague, God instituted the Passover. As Moses told the people, "The Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians" (Exodus 12:23). To protect their households, the Israelites were to sacrifice a lamb and mark their houses with its blood: "When He seeth the blood … the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you."

The Passover speaks to us of Jesus Christ, "The Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). As we remember His death and resurrection this Easter, let us not miss the importance of His sacrifice and our need of taking shelter in His shed blood.

Like Moses, maybe your life has had some ups and downs. Our prayer is that you will come to know God by faith, as Moses did, and follow Him all the days of your life. The only way to start is by "Keeping the Passover"—trusting yourself completely to the saving grace of God through Jesus Christ.

—T. Don Johnson

Source: http://www.mwtb.org

I Will Love My Bride

Select the title to watch this short clip or access the complete message by Traever Guingrich via the link listed in the YouTube or Rumble video. Watch this clip on Rumble

The Three Crosses

 “They took Jesus and … crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side.” (John 19:16-18)

On a dark day nearly 2,000 years ago, three men died on three crosses on a hillside near Jerusalem. You may have heard about Jesus dying on the center cross, but what do you know about the people on the other two crosses?

THE CROSS OF REJECTION

“One of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.” Luke 23:39

On the first cross we find a criminal who died the way he lived—in complete rejection of God’s grace. Even in the final hours of life, this man showed no remorse for his actions and even blasphemed the Lord with his words. This man stands as a warning to all who reject God’s salvation. The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). God sent His own Son, Jesus, to take the punishment for our sins. All who reject Jesus Christ will die in their sins and spend eternity under God’s judgment in the Lake of Fire.

THE CROSS OF REPENTANCE

“But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying … ‘We receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.’” Luke 23:40-43

On the second cross we see a sinner who admitted his guilt. This change of heart and mind is called repentance, and is something we all must do. We must see the error of our ways and turn to God’s way. Jesus said, “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:5). Turning to Jesus in complete humility, this thief called out for salvation. Think of the great faith this required: Jesus was dying right beside him, yet this poor sinner trusted his eternal soul to Him. Because of his repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, he received the promise of everlasting life in Heaven with his Lord.

THE CROSS OF REDEMPTION

“Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.” Revelation 5:9

Jesus, our Redeemer, laid down His life on the middle cross. To redeem means to buy back. Our sins are like a debt far greater than we can pay. Jesus was sinless and holy, yet chose to take upon Himself the punishment for our sin. He died for us, so that we can live forever with Him. Then, three days later, He rose triumphantly from the grave. It is only through His sacrifice that our sins can be washed away. The Bible says that we are “redeemed … with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

THE CHOICE IS YOURS

Just as we have seen with the two men on the two crosses, there are two responses to Jesus—and two eternal destinies. Jesus willingly suffered under the hand of God to redeem you from sin, and rose from the dead to offer you eternal life. I pray you will see yourself as God sees you—a condemned sinner—and that you will turn to Him, trusting Jesus Christ as your Savior. The choice is yours to make. Which do you choose today: rejection or repentance?

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16,18

Source: http://www.mwtb.org

Do You Thirst?

Select the title to watch this short clip or access the complete message by Sacha Walicord via the link listed in the YouTube or Rumble video. Watch this clip on Rumble

The Most Comforting Words

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EMPTY

THE EMPTY CROSS

Arriving at Golgotha that evening, I was overcome with a sense of emptiness. The area was completely deserted, but three blood-stained crosses at the top of the hill served as solemn reminders of the events of the day.

Less than a week earlier, Jesus of Nazareth entered the city with His disciples and many others proclaiming Him as Messiah, our long-awaited Savior. We were full of hope, because He was clearly a teacher sent by God with the power to work miracles—healing, feeding, and even raising people from the grave!

But then, the one who we thought would bring salvation was dead. It all happened so quickly; one day He was teaching His followers, and the next He was on trial and condemned to death by crucifixion. Even the execution was rushed, as the soldiers used a spear to ensure that He was dead before the day was over.

The empty cross, and the emptiness in my heart, both testified to one fact—Jesus died.

THE EMPTY TOMB

Three days later, some of His followers went to the tomb, found it empty, and returned with amazing news—He was alive! For the next forty days, He continued to teach and encourage His disciples, appearing first to one, then two, then eleven—and eventually more than five hundred of us at once!

Jesus had predicted that He would suffer, die, and rise again, but we just couldn’t comprehend the beauty of God’s divine plan to redeem our souls. When He said, “I lay down My life that I may take it again,” we didn’t realize what He meant at the time.

But now, looking back on these events, I see how the empty cross testifies of His love, and the empty tomb declares His mighty power. God’s Word says:

 • “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us” (1 John 3:16).

 • “[Jesus was] declared to be the Son of God with power … by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4).

YOUR RESPONSE?

Jesus took our sins upon Himself—suffered and died in our place—so we can be forgiven. There on the cross, He cried out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). The empty cross tells us that the work is done, the price has been paid, and the door to Heaven stands open.

The empty tomb demonstrates that Jesus won the victory over sin and death. Listen to His words: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25).

Jesus now offers salvation to all mankind. If we reject Him, we must stand before God and be judged for our sins—“cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).

But if we admit that we are sinners, turn to God, and put our trust in Jesus Christ, we will find forgiveness and eternal life. “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved … For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved’” (Romans 10:9,13).

Source: http://www.mwtb.org

Why Christ's Burial Matters

Watch, listen or download the full message by Richard Caldwell here.

He Arose

Man, in his preoccupation with the things of the world, is inclined to forget his greatest enemies: Satan, sin, and death. This terrific array of might he is unable to cope with. Hence the purpose of the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ into the world—to defeat these invincibles that rightly terrorize man. Our blessed Lord defeated Satan in the wilderness, conquered sin by His sinless life and death, and vanquished death, "the king of terrors," by His triumphant resurrection.

The Greatest Miracle

The Bible gives more space and attaches more importance to the literal, bodily resurrection of Christ than to any other miracle. Obviously, if this miracle can be substantiated we will have no difficulty with the rest of the Bible. Therefore, God has seen to it that the resurrection is one of the most demonstrable facts of history. Every conceivable objection that the fertile mind of man can raise against Christ's resurrection has been answered by the soundest reasoning and ablest Christian scholarship. Most certainly "We have not followed cunningly devised fables" (2 Peter 1:16).

Taking Sides

Paul said, Christ was "declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Romans 1:4). His crucifiers declared Him to be criminal and unfit to live (John 18:30,31). God on the other hand ran entirely contrary to man's opinion and raised Him from the dead and exalted Jesus to His own right hand.

So those in the world today must take their sides. To reject Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour is to join those who crucified Him. To believe on Him with a faith coupled with repentance means siding with God and enthroning Christ in the individual heart. Reader, have you done this very thing? "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Romans 10:9).

Sin Question Settled

The resurrection proves that God has removed the believer's sins as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). Jesus, because of who He is, did what only He could do—be a propitiation for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). The death of the Lord Jesus settles the sin debt of every believer, and His resurrection is like a receipt to the bill. "[He] was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:25). On the cross He made Himself responsible for our sins, and in His resurrection God demonstrated that He is satisfied with the work of the cross.

The Believer's Resurrection

The resurrection of Christ assures the Christian of the kind of resurrection that he will enjoy. "As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly" (1 Corinthians 15:49). In this world we all bear the image of fallen Adam—a prey to sin, sickness, and death. So in the resurrection we shall be like Christ—sinless, deathless, a child of God adopted to sonship and a joint heir with Christ. We who have this blessed hope are exhorted to be purifying ourselves, and by occupation with Christ to be daily becoming more like Him. "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18).

—Edwin Fesche

Source: http://www.mwtb.org

Why Did Jesus Die?

This question is of vital importance because your eternal destiny depends upon your answer to it. Do you know why Jesus died? If not, I believe God has sent me across your path to tell you.

Sin Brings Death

In God’s Word, the Bible, we learn that death came into the world because of sin. “Wherefore … by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). You and I die because we are sinners; we have forfeited our right to live on the earth. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

Jesus Died For Us

Did Jesus die because He had sinned? No. Listen to the inspired Word: “In Him is no sin” (1 John 3:5); “Who did no sin” (1 Peter 2:22); “Who knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Therefore, death had no claim upon Him. But, blessed be His Name, He “gave Himself for oursins” (Galatians 1:4). It was love to you and me that caused the Lord Jesus Christ to come down from heaven and die on Calvary’s cross. It was love to us that held Him on that shameful cross until He had finished the work of atonement to the glory of God.

A holy, righteous, just God cannot let sin go unpunished. On the cross the Lord Jesus bore God’s judgment against sin in our stead, as our substitute; and now God is offering not only forgiveness, but also justification to the repentant sinner who believes in Jesus. He is “just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). God showed His approval of that mighty work by raising the Lord Jesus from among the dead and seating Him at His own right hand in heaven (Mark 16:19).

Jesus Is The Way

There is no other way a sinner can be saved but through the atoning death of the Lord Jesus, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6). “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Why did Jesus die? Have you ever realized that it was your sins that caused Him to die upon the cross, or ever felt your need of Him as your personal Saviour? As you read this little message, He looks down from heaven upon you, and He reads the thoughts and intents of your heart. He knows your attitude toward your sins, as well as your attitude toward the One who wants to be your Saviour.

Turn To Him Today

Even if you are a stranger to me, God knows all about you. I urge you not to lay aside this paper until you have settled this great question and have received the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour. Once you see the seriousness of your sinful condition before God, you will never get rest of conscience and heart until you have trusted the Saviour of sinners. He made “peace through the blood of His cross” (Colossians 1:20). We are “reconciled to God by the death of His Son” (Romans 5:10).

If you do not trust Him now as your Saviour, you will meet Him in eternity as your Judge. For God “hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).

Won’t you flee to Him now for refuge while it is the day of salvation? “We pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20).

Source: http://www.mwtb.org

If Jesus Christ is Not Risen, Our Faith is Worthless

"Don't think I would even ask you to make Jesus Lord of your life. That's the most preposterous thing I could ever tell you to do. Jesus Christ is Lord of your life. Whether you serve Him or not. Whether you bless Him, curse Him, hate Him, or love Him, He is the Lord of your life. Because God has given Him a name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus Christ every knee shall bow and tongue confess that He is Lord. Some of you will bow out of the grace that has been given to you and others will bow because your kneecaps will be broken by the One who rules the nations with a rod of iron." -Paul Washer

This is an excerpt of Paul Washer's sermon "The Greatest Words in all of Scripture"

Easter in 2:12

HT: PyroManiacs

What Will You Do With Easter?

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What Does Easter Mean to You?

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An Urgent Message

Excerpt from the message "Who is Jesus" given on Easter Sunday 2011
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Redemption

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What is Easter All About?

Eggs, bunnies, and candy?

Just like other holidays, the celebration of Easter has come to include many traditions, decorations, and fun events which have nothing to do with the real meaning of the day. Coloring and hunting for Easter eggs, eating candy, and enjoying a big family dinner are fun things to do, but the true meaning of Easter is not found in any of them.

What is Easter really about?

Easter is the time of year when Christians remember and celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. You may notice that the date of Easter changes each year. This is because, historically, the timing of Easter has been linked with the Jewish Passover feast, which was taking place at the time Jesus died and rose again. In fact, the Bible links the sacrificial death of Jesus with that of the Passover lamb: “Christ our passover is sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7).

Why celebrate someone’s death?

It might seem strange to some people that we remember and even celebrate the death of Jesus Christ. Why do we do it? Just like we would honor the loss of a soldier who died for our country, or a hero who lost his life while rescuing someone dear to us, Christians commemorate the death of Jesus Christ because He died for us—He died to rescue us.

You see, each of us has a problem called sin. Sin is the Bible’s word—God’s word—for everything we do that goes against what God wants. We all sin by doing things we shouldn’t do like lying, stealing, or swearing. We also sin in other ways, like having improper thoughts and attitudes—even by not doing things we know we should do (Matthew 5:28; James 4:17).

What does this have to do with Jesus? Well, Jesus, the Son of God, is the only person who ever lived a perfect life without any sin. Because He is sinless, He was perfectly qualified to become our substitute: “Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). That is the very reason God sent Jesus here: He came to open the way of salvation by bearing “our sins in His own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24).

Did Jesus really rise from the dead?

Yes, He did. The Bible is very clear on this, and even gives a list of witnesses who saw Him alive again. In addition to the apostles and others who are named, Jesus appeared to more than 500 people at one time (read John chapters 20 and 21; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8). The fact of Jesus’ resurrection is not only a demonstration of God’s power and majesty, it is a proof that God is satisfied with the work Jesus did on the cross when He suffered for our sins.
Because of who He is and what He has done, Jesus—the living Savior—is the only way to Heaven. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me” (John 14:6).

What does this mean for me?

Do you want to be free from your sin—free from the burden and weight of sin which is dragging you down to Hell? Turn to Jesus. You need a Savior who can stand between you and God, one who can make peace with God for you (Romans 5:1). Jesus died for you and rose again; He is the savior you need!

God’s message to you is simple: repent and believe (Acts 20:21). Acknowledge that you are a lost sinner in need of the Savior. Reach out by faith and lay hold of what Jesus has done for you. He will take away your sins (1 John 3:5), give you peace with God, and make you a new person (2 Corinthians 5:17)! “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9).

“Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).

He Died (Paul Washer)

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He Did The Doing

Excerpt of a brief Maundy Thursday meditation John Piper gave from 2007 about what it means to bank on Christ.

Listen or download the full message at: http://www.desiringgod.org

Behold The Lamb

...and now the rest of the story.
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise." -Luke 24:1-7

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Song "Behold The Lamb" performed by Christ Our Life

The One Who Rose

Before we come to the examination of what Scripture teaches as to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, it will be helpful to investigate these few questions: Who is it that could rise from the dead? What kind of life was it that deserved such a distinction? What kind of death would be worthy of resurrection?

The Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

There must be something arrestingly special in the person of our Lord, seeing His death and resurrection carry with them such far-reaching results. The apostle John, in his wonderful Gospel, presents Christ as the only begotten Son of God--One eternally with the Father and the Holy Spirit in the unity of the Godhead. Scripture declares that He always was the eternal Word, and that "the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). And this divine Person became Man. We read these amazing words: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

With such a Person before us, everything relating to Him is lifted far above that which marks the greatest and wisest of men. We are then not surprised that He was characterized by actions perfectly unique to Himself, and by events quite unlike those which happen to mere men.

The Character of Our Lord's Life

Why did the eternal Son of God become man? It was because by man sin entered the world, and death by sin (Romans 5:18). Therefore the penalty of sin must be met by man in order to give a holy God a righteous basis for offering forgiveness of sins and eternal life to guilty men. What man was sufficient for this? It is evident that the one who could do this must himself be perfectly sinless, one upon whom death had no claim. And who could fulfill that condition? Look at the billions of the human race. Is there one untainted by sin? All are sinners. All need a Saviour.

Only one could come forward, and this was the sinless One, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of the Father. He alone could say, "Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God" (Hebrews 10:7). This is why our Lord became man, yet never ceased to be the eternal Son in the unity of the Godhead with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

With delight we follow the record of His blameless, spotless life as man on this earth. He was perfectly sinless in thought, word and deed. He never apologized for anything He said or did, for there was never the slightest occasion for His doing so. In fullest measure He always did His Father's will. Here was One, the likes of whom before or since the world has never seen. He was "God manifest in the flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16).

The Character of Our Lord's Death

And yet it was not His holy, blameless life that could save men from the penalty of their sins. True, if He had not been sinless, He could not have been the sinner's Saviour, yet Scripture teaches us that it is not His life that saves, but His atoning death, and that alone. Scripture lays great emphasis on our Lord's death. "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

All the righteous judgment of God against sin was poured out on the holy Person of our Lord Jesus Christ as He hung upon the Cross of Calvary. There and only there did mercy and truth meet; there and only there did righteousness and peace kiss each other (Psalm 85:10). There only could be heard the triumphant cry, "It is finished" (John 19:30).

God can now righteously and gloriously forgive any sinner who truly puts his trust in the Saviour, who "once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18). We miss the whole point of the Scriptures if we fail to realize that our Lord's death was absolutely unique, that no one has ever died a death like His, that no other person could experience such a death, for it was an atoning, sacrificial death, absolutely necessary for man's salvation. May these few thoughts as to the Person who rose from the dead lead the reader to a fuller understanding of the significance of His resurrection.

--A.J. Pollock