A Resurrection Day Meditation
Most Christians are aware that Jesus, Yeshua, is our Passover lamb (1 Cor 5.7) and thus completes and fulfills the symbolism of the Passover. The Passover lamb was a type. Jesus is the fulfillment, the reality that the symbolism and the type pointed to. We often focus narrowly on the typology of Jesus being our Passover lamb, the sacrifice for our sins who “died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.” (1 Pe 3.18) This is or course of paramount importance because it is Yeshua’s sacrifice that makes it possible for us to have peace with God (Ep 2.14-15) and thus enables us to live with God. (John 14.23) But for this meditation I want to widen the focus and take a look at the bigger picture of what God is doing through the Passover and Easter and the ultimate purpose for both that we should keep in mind.
Passover and Easter: Steps on the Journey to the Destination
When we take a step back and look at the big picture, I think it’s good to remember the point of the Passover and the crucifixion. The Passover was the first step of the exodus from Egypt to the promised land. As I quoted from the Apostle Peter above, the purpose of the crucifixion and subsequent resurrection of Yeshua was “to bring you to God.” As the Passover preceded the exodus, an event made unforgettable by the passing through the parted waters of the Red Sea on the way to a new home; likewise the resurrection of Jesus – the first of many to be raised to new life (Acts 26.23), is the first step in the resurrection of the church and bringing them to an eternal home.
So, in both cases, the point of what God did was to free his people from the bondage that locked and held them in one location as slaves and move them to a place of freedom and abundance of true life as sons and daughters in a new place—a promised place abundant with the resources that make life a joy.
Scripture makes the parallels—the types —quite clear.
Moses is the leader who will bring the people to God because:
1. He is God’s chosen Servant. (Ex 3.10)
2. He has met with God at the dwelling of God and is familiar with the destination (Ex 3.12)
3. He is authorized by God to perform the necessary miracles – signs and wonders to inspire belief in what God will do for his people. (Ex 4.1-9; 17)
4. He will personally lead them into the promised land (Ex 3.8-10)
(That was God’s intention but because of Moses’ lack of faith at the waters of Contention (Meribah), Moses was not allowed in the promised land. (Num 20.12-13)
5. They (God’s people) will live with God and His servant forever in the promised land. (Ex 33.14)
God promised, through Moses, that after the ministry of Moses, he would send a prophet like Moses (Deut 18.15) who speaks with the authority of God (Deut 18.18). That, incidentally, is why, when the priests and Levites went to John the Baptizer to ask who he was, they asked if he was “the prophet” (John 1.21) because they were expecting the prophesied one who would be like Moses. Jesus is of course that prophet as well as Messiah. He is the fulfillment of all of the types that were initiated with Moses:
1. Jesus is God’s Chosen Servant (Is 42.1; 61.1-2, Luke 4.18-19)
2. Jesus dwelt with God before coming to earth to dwell with us. (John 1.1, John 8.23-24, John 17.5)
3. Jesus is authorized by God to perform signs and wonders (John 10.18, Matt 28.18, Rev 2.27)
4. Jesus personally leads the way. (John 10.3, 9, John 14.3-6, John 10.27, Eph 4.8)
5. The believers in Jesus will live with God and Jesus forever through the redemption made possible by Jesus. (John 8.35-36; 10.28; 11.24-25, 14.2-3)
God performed all of the miracles of the Exodus, and brought the people out of Egypt after the Passover in order to bring them to a new land and a new life. Messiah Yeshua, Jesus, brings people out of bondage to sin and gives us new life in him. He himself is the way to life and when we trust in him we have peace with God, and he builds a place for us in God’s own house for us to live in forever. That is the point I’m making here. Jesus said:
2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
John 14.2-3
Have you realized the impact of this statement? Jesus says that those who believe in him will have a place of their own in God’s own house, and Jesus will lead us to it. Moses led the children of Israel to a temporary dwelling place on earth. Jesus leads us to a permanent place in heaven—the dwelling of God. In this earthly world, there are wars over land, territory and who will control them. In God’s Kingdom, there is one King. He is King over all creation, and he provides a place for everyone as well as the resources needed for life (Rev 22.1-2).
God is doing another mass movement of people. Much bigger than the single nation of Israel that he moved from Egypt to Canaan, the promised land. (Gen 17.8) God is now moving people “from every nation, tribe, people and language” (Rev 7.9) into his own house. And the numbers are staggering – it’s a “great multitude that no one could count.” (Rev 7.9)
This great movement of people is made possible by the crucifixion and resurrection of Yeshua which we remember on Easter. Are you a part of God’s great move? As the Israelites in Egypt longed for freedom and a home of their own, do you long for the home Yeshua is preparing for you? Are you eagerly anticipating it? The thought of moving to live with God in his own home is a thought that should bring overwhelming joy. Something that you should treasure. Jesus tells us: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Mat 6:21) Is moving to God’s house on your mind this Easter? If it’s not, can you now see why it should be? What we treasure is always in our minds and in our hearts. What’s in God’s heart is your relocation to his house when you trust in his Son. Are you ready for the move? Are you preparing for it? If you prepare for the move by trusting in the Son, the Son will prepare for you by having your place in God’s house ready and waiting for you when you arrive.
Duane Caldwell | April 16, 2025 | Printer friendly version
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From the Exodus to the Cross – AI generated image
