A Holy week in remembrance of the Blood of life

Moses assembled all the congregation of the children of Israel, and said to them: “These are the words which the Lord has commanded, that you should do them” (Exodus 35:1)

English: Moses speaks to the children of Israel, as in Deuteronomy 31:1, illustration from "The Boys of the Bible" by Hartwell James, published by Henry Altemus Company, 1905 and 1916. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The people who believed in a Divine Creator came already together at regular times in the time of Moses and the time before him. Moses was warned by his father in law that he could not do things on his own.

“17 and Moses’ father-in-law said to him, the thing that you do [is] not good. 18 you will surely wear away, both you and this people that [is] with you. for this thing [is] too heavy for you; you are not able to perform it alone. 19 listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and god will be with you. you be for the people toward god, that you may bring the causes to god. 20 and you shall teach them ordinances and laws, and shall make them know the way in which they must walk, and the work that they must do. 21 and you shall look out of all the people able men, such as fear god, men of truth, hating unjust gain. and place [such] over them to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.” (Exodus 18:17-21 MKJV)

Today we also do find many people in church communities to be burned out, and the people right along with their supposed leaders. Today there are a lot of priests and church-leaders who are not really there for the people before God. They also are afraid or do not bring the many matters of concern to God. Though their job is to teach the common people the rules and instructions of God and to show them how to live, what to do. Many of those church-leaders do not fear God any-more or do not look up to men of integrity, men who are incorruptible — and do not appoint them as leaders over groups organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. Many churches have gone far off track of what the bride Christ had offered.

Now we have been celebrating Chag Ha Aviv – Passover, our spring holiday – also named Chag HaMatzot the holiday of unleavened bread with so many other chosen people by God, we could and can take time to meet with many people who believe in the One and only One God of gods, Jehovah.

This 7 or 8 days of holy time coincides with what many Christians call the Holy Week. For us it is also a holy week.

As the Jews eat their “bread of procrastination” it is also for us a time to reflect on our faith. On 14 Nisan, Tuesday the 26th in the evening, after sundown, all over the world serious bible students came together to remember two special moments in history.

In Belgium people could follow the Memorial Meal in several languages (a.o. Dutch, French, German, English, Mandarin, Afrikaans, Congolese, Arabic, Albanian) and hear the readings from the Scriptures in their own language or a language they also know. Somehow they could find a language which could suit them and which they could follow so they should not have a had a language excuse.
There should also not have to be an excuse to delay the coming together, because we have 8 days time to come together to share the Good News with friends, colleagues, brethren and sisters in Christ.

As Rabbi Avi Katz Orlow wrote: "We all have ways we can grow; matzah is there to flatten us out and remind us that this growth might not fit neatly into our schedule." For him Jews are not destined to be the doormat of history. When the situation calls for it they need to be ready to risk their own safety and security to stand up for those who need our help.

Jews and Christians must be brave enough to end fights without going into fighting themselves. But even in those situations we need to know when to call it quits and move on. The armour we do have to put on is the armour of love, which was demonstrated by Jeshua (Jesus)

The Matzah has the focal point on freedom and on 14 Nisan we could say we have a remembrance of Liberation Day. First of all there where the Chosen People, Israel, the People of God, who were blessed by the Creator and shown the way to safeguard themselves for the destruction of the firstborns which came over the land of Egypt because the people of Egypt did not wanted to listen to the God of gods. Secondly there is the night Jesus prepared a meal with his disciples, washed their feet as a humble servant, broke unleavened bread and said thanks to the Most High Elohim. On that night he was going to be betrayed and brought to a judgement bringing death he let us know that we have something to look forward and that he was willing to serve as a mediator between God and men, being the Lam of God, bringing blood of life, the Blood of The Everlasting Covenant.

Through sharing meals we each can connect to the network of Jewish tables, Christian tables and share the connection which was made for the Gentiles by the Nazarene Jeshua, Jesus Christ, the Messiah.

+

Please do find some of the readings of the service of 14 Nisan:

• In English:
  On the first day for matzah
  Servant for the truth of God
  The Anointed One and the first day of No Fermentation
  For the Will of Him who is greater than Jesus
• In Dutch:
  Op de eerste dag voor matzah
  Dienstknecht voor velen terwille van de waarheid van God
  De Gezalfde en de eerste dag van de feestperiode van Ongezuurde Broden
  Voor de Wil van Hem die groter is dan Jezus
• In French:
  Le premier jour de matsa
  
  Le fils de David et le premier jour des pains sans levain
  
  Serviteur pour pour prouver la véracité de DieuPour la Volonté de Celui qui est plus grand que Jésus
  
• In German:
  Diener um der Wahrheit willen Gottes
  Der Gesalbte und der erste Tag des Festes der ungesäuerten Brote
  Am ersten Tag für Mazza
  Für den Willen dessen, der größer ist als Jesus

Please do also find to read about the Last Supper:

1. Deliverance and establishement of a theocracy
2. 14 Nisan a day to remember #1 Inception
3. 14 Nisan a day to remember #2 Time of Jesus
4. 14 Nisan a day to remember #3 Before the Passover-feast
5. 14 Nisan a day to remember #4 A Lamb slain
6. 14 Nisan a day to remember #5 The Day to celebrate
7. Around the feast of Unleavened Bread
8. High Holidays not only for Israel
9. Festival of Freedom and persecutions

Vindt ook om te lezen rond het Laatste Avondmaal:

In het Nederlands:

1. De Gezalfde en de eerste dag van de feestperiode van Ongezuurde Broden
2. Voorbereidingstijd tot een herinneringsmoment
3. Zalving van Christus als profetische repetitie van de begrafenisrituelen
4. 1 -15 Nisan
5. 14 Nisan, de avond om Christus Zijn predikingswerk te herinneren
6. 14 Nisan een dag om te herinneren #1 Oorsprong
7. 14 Nisan een dag om te herinneren #2 In Jezus tijd
8. 14 Nisan een dag om te herinneren #3 Voor het Overgangsfeest
9. 14 Nisan een dag om te herinneren #4 Een Gedood Lam
10. 14 Nisan een dag om te herinneren #5 De te vieren dag
11. Jezus Laatste Avondmaal
12. Jezus aanbod op het laatste avondmaal
13. Teken van het Verbond
14. Jezus moest sterven
15. Een Messias om te Sterven
16. Lam van God #3c Christus stierf als onschuldig Lam NT teksten
17. Een Groots Geschenk om te herinneren
18. Een Feestmaal en doodsherinnering
19. Geen Wegvluchter
20. Slavernij, Ongedesemd Brood en Feesten

• 
  Find also:
  
  Timely Growth  + For the Love of Meetings 
  
  
  
  +++
  
  
  

Related articles

• Deliverance and establishement of a theocracy
• High Holidays not only for Israel
• Festival of Freedom and persecutions
• Pause and Refocus: Holy Week Reflection
• Holy week!
• Holy Week: The Saving One
• Holy Week: A Cheat Sheet
• It's Holy Week! (Part 1)
• It's Holy Week (Not Wholy Weak!)
• Holy Week

No Other Name (But Jesus)

What do you think of this?:

“No Other Name (But Jesus)” in which he gives a quick example of how Christ is in every book of the Bible: “God has promised He will never leave us nor forsake us.  In Christ, God has revealed His faithfulness to us from the beginning of time.  In Genesis, Jesus is The Ram at Abraham’s Altar.  In Exodus, He is The Passover Lamb.  In Leviticus, He is The High Priest.  In Numbers, He is The Cloud by Day and Pillar of Fire by Night.  In Deuteronomy, He is The City of Our Refuge.  In Joshua, He is The Scarlet Thread Out Rahab’s Window. In Judges, He is Our Judge.  In Ruth, He is Our Kinsman Redeemer. In 1st and 2nd Samuel, He is Our Trusted Prophet, and in Kings and Chronicles, He is Our Reigning King.  In Ezra, He is Our Faithful Scribe.  In Nehemiah, He is The Rebuilder of Everything That is Broken, and in Esther, He is The Mordecai Sitting Faithful at the Gate.  In Joel, He is Our Redeemer That Ever Liveth.  In Psalms, He is My Shepherd and I Shall Not Want.  In Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, He is Our Wisdom and in The Song of Solomon, He’s The Beautiful Bridegroom.  In Isaiah, He’s The Suffering Servant.  In Jeremiah and Lamentations, it is Jesus That is The Weeping Prophet.  In Ezekiel, He is The Wonderful 4-Faced Man, and in Daniel, He is The Fourth Man in the Midst of The Fiery Furnace.  In Hosea, He is My Love That is Forever Faithful.  In Joel, He Baptizes Us With The Holy Spirit.  In Amos, He’s Our Burden-Bearer.  In Obadiah, Our Saviour and in Jonah, He is The Great Foreign Missionary That Takes The Word of God Into All the World.  You go on and you see in Micah, He is The Messenger With Beautiful Feet.  In Nahum, He is The Avenger.  In Habakkuk, He is The Watchman That is Ever Praying for Revival.  In Zephaniah, He is The LORD Mighty To Save.  In Haggai, He is The Restorer of Our Lost Heritage.  In Zechariah, He is Our Fountain and in Malachi, He is The Son of Righteousness With Healing In His Wings.  In Matthew, Thou Art The Christ; The Son of The Living God.  In Mark, He is The Miracle Worker.  In Luke, He is The Son of Man and in John, He is The Door By Which Everyone Of Us Must Enter.  In Acts, He is The Shining Light That Appears To Saul On The Road To Damascus.  In Romans, He is Our Justifier.  In 1st Corinthians, Our Resurrection.  In 2nd Corinthians, Our Sin-Bearer.  In Galatians, He Redeems Us From The Law.  In Ephesians, He is Our Unsearchable Riches.  In Philippians, He Supplies Our Every Need.  And in Colossians, He is The Fullness of The God-head Bodily.  In 1st  & 2nd Thessalonians, He is Our Soon-Coming King.  In 1st & 2nd Timothy, He is The Mediator Between God and Man.  In Titus, He is Our Blessed Hope.  In Philemon, He is A Friend That Sticks Closer Than A Brother.  And in Hebrews, He is The Blood of The Everlasting Covenant.  In James, it is The Lord That Heals The Sick.  In 1st & 2nd Peter, He is The Chief Shepherd.  In 1st, 2nd and 3rd John, it is Jesus Who Has The Tenderness of Love.  In Jude, He is The LORD Coming With Ten Thousand Saints.  And in Revelation, lift up your eyes, Church, for Your Redemption Draweth Nigh.  He is KING of KINGS & LORD of LORDS!”  Nice intro to the song!

From:Don Moen in Oman: Update

Bread and Wine

"Despite the centrality of the breaking of bread service to the life of the community, Christadelphians do not ascribe any miraculous powers or holiness to the actual bread and wine which are used.
We do not subscribe to the doctrine of transubstantiation or anything akin to it, or to any act or doctrine which would teach that the bread and wine are to be regarded as an offering to God, as though Christ himself was present or could be present in the simple elements themselves. We believe that bread and wine are external tokens of inward remembrance, and hold no special virtue or strength in themselves.

Nevertheless the simple breaking of bread ceremony is a powerful means of support for the members. The ceremony was initiated by the Lord himself on the night before his death. It occurred at passover time when the Jews were remembering their deliverance from Egypt, more than a thousand years before. As the Jews in Egypt had taken a lamb in sacrifice and put the blood as a token upon their homes, so Christ was the passover lamb for his flock and they bear the token of remembrance upon their hearts.

As Egypt had held the Israelites captive in their iron furnace of affliction, so man had been held by Sin as taskmaster and Death as oppressor. Christ had come as deliverer:

"Christ our passover is sacrificed for us." (1 Corinthians 5:7)

Moreover, Christ regarded the cup of wine used at the service as a token of the new covenant in his blood. The new covenant, the everlasting covenant, is secured by his blood, and is the covenant which brings together all the promises made to Abraham and David of old:

"This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me ... This cup is the new covenant in my blood, even that which is poured out for you." (Luke 22:19-20, R.V.)

"Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water ... let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together ..."
(Hebrews 10:22-25)

"Jesus the mediator of the new covenant ..." (Hebrews 12:24)

"He is the mediator of a new covenant ... that ... they that have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance." (Hebrews 9:15, R.V.)

"Ye were redeemed ... with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, even the blood of Christ." (1 Peter 1:18-19, R.V.)

It follows that the people who share the remembrance are covenant people. This is why fellowship is precious and by its very nature exclusive, even though there is an open invitation to all men to become covenant men in the way determined by God.

There are two elements in the act of remembrance, bread and wine. Each tells its own part of the great act of redemption in Christ. The bread speaks of the victory of Christ by sharing our nature, that we might share his triumph; the wine is a token of lifegiving, complete and free, that his cup of suffering and death might become the cup of joy and salvation for us:

"Then said I (Jesus), Lo, I am come ... to do thy will, O God ... by the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." (Hebrews 10:7-10, R.V.)

"You ... hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight, if ye continue in the faith." (Colossians 1:21- 23)

"He poured out his life unto death ... he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah 53:12, N.I.V.)

"Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ?" (1 Corinthians 10:16, N.I.V.)

"Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth." (Revelation 5:9-10)

It is remarkable that remembrance can be made so deeply effective by the use of everyday things of life at the time of Jesus, namely, bread and wine. There is no elaborate ritual, no question of ministration at the authorised hands of selected men and no holy place in which it is needful to conduct the ceremony. There is no such thing as holy bread or holy wine: holiness lies in the hearts of the believers remembering God's Holy One under His gracious blessing.

The bread and wine speak of the believers themselves. They are one in Christ, and this is shown in the One Loaf (the Greek word for bread is also the word for loaf). " We being many are one loaf." As the loaf is shared among many, so Christ's unity is to be made known in them because they are his body. The One Cup pictures their one life in Christ. He is the true Vine and they are the branches. The life of the branches comes from the tree: the life of the believers comes from their life in him made effective by his death on their behalf.

So it is that the believer is part of the act of remembrance. He is one with Christ and with his brethren. Fellowship is unity.

In this way, past and present are united in the weekly breaking of bread service. It is held on the first day of the week, the day of the resurrection of the Lord from the dead, because that is the custom which the first century believers adopted:

"Upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread ..." (Acts 20:7)

Much has been made of this service by various parts of Christendom, so that what takes place appears to bear very little resemblance to the simple, yet telling, things of which we have spoken. And there is often neglect. There is a part of the original Last Supper which appears often to be forgotten. It is an essential part; indeed, without it the rest loses its true meaning. The breaking of bread looks forward. It speaks powerfully of the future.
This is what the Lord himself said at the Last Supper:

"And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: for I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God ... I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come ... and I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table." (Luke 22:14-30)

The apostle Paul was not present at the Last Supper. He did not learn about it from any who were there. Jesus revealed directly to him what other apostles had gained by actual experience. What then did Jesus tell Paul about the last supper? Here are Paul's words from Jesus:

"For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come." (1 Corinthians 11:26)

Compare the phrases from the Last Supper meal and the words of Jesus to Paul:

"Until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God"

"Until the kingdom of God shall come ..."

"Till he come ..."

The Second Coming is the completion of the meaning of the Last Supper. Jesus said: "Until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God".
The Bread and Wine were not simply tokens of the past, nor were they merely symbols of the present; they were prophecies of things to come. The Unity of Bread and Wine have hitherto been shown only in part. A great number of the saints are sleeping in dust and the time when all the saints will be gathered together in one place has yet to come. The Unity in Christ is now enjoyed imperfectly in our fellowship with him and with one another; the perfection is yet to come when, says the Word of God, "He will gather together in one all things in Christ" (Ephesians 1:10). That is the day of the Kingdom, the day of immortality, the day when the Shepherd will have gathered all his sheep unto himself. They will sit at his table in his Kingdom in the marriage supper of the Lamb. The Bride and the Lord will then be one for ever.

What a marvellous consummation! The sorrowful, dark night of the Last Supper, which filled the disciples with bewilderment and heaviness, will issue forth in the resplendent glory of the day of Christ.

No man who understands these things will want to be excluded in that day. The fellowship of the Kingdom will be exclusive. "Many ... will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the Master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door ..." (Luke 13: 24-25). Today the door is open wide. Wise men will enter in. Those within will not venture outside. In their acts of fellowship they will not make contracts with that darkness which endangers their hope of life eternal. In marriage, they will marry someone who shares their faith (1 Corinthians 7: 39 and 2 Corinthians 6: 14); in business, they will not pursue the ways of ungodly and doubtful gain; in daily life, they will show that they have been with Jesus; and, in all things they will live as men of faith waiting for the return of their Lord.

There is remembrance in heaven corresponding to true remembrance on earth, and it looks forward to the day when all things shall be fulfilled:

"And a book of remembrance was written before him (God) for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make-up my Jewels." (Malachi 3:16-17)"

--------------------------

---
Brother Harry Tennant
Fellowship
The Christadelphians - What they Believe and Preach