Passover a day of Remembrance - Removing The Fog of Religion

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Passover a day of Remembrance

Emails & Questions
Passover Day or Day of Remembrance?
Q:   Is the first day of Passover a Sabbath?  Do you do anything for Passover? No judgement ...  if not, just wondering?  
A: No, Passover day is not a Sabbath, it is the previous evening from the first day of Unleavened Bread, which is a Sabbath.
One of the reasons there was not more of an outcry from the citizens of Jerusalem against the illegal crucifixion of YaHshua, is that the population was preparing for the Passover meal that would be taking place before the Sabbath of Unleavened Bread -- called the Preparation Day -- John 19:4 -- this was also when our Lord and savior, YaHshua, was being Prepare, as the Lamb of God, for crucifixion -- the previous evening, that Tuesday evening of that week, YaHshua sat with His disciples for the evening meal -- John 13:1.  The locals, in and around Jerusalem, along with thousands coming into Jerusalem to prepare for the Passover evening would have been a great distraction away from what was going on, what had begun under the cover of darkness.  The sly movements of the Temple officials, in the early morning hours, leading into the day of Preparation.  The preparation for the Passover meal, the killing of Lambs, the gathering of the materials for the dinner with families coming from other far away provinces, no one had time for keep up with the local news.  
We honor the Passover, of course, but it is the Supper, the evening before the Passover (His Crucifixion) that we honor as the Day of Remembrance.  We take a little wine and a piece of bread with a small prayer of thanks in Remembrance of what He did for us -- a solemn moment to remember, just as our Lord YaHshua said -- Luke 22:19-20 and 1 Cor 11:23-26 -- more details below.  
The Passover was Wednesday evening, 30 or 33 AD, Abib 14, which would translate to April 1 to April 3, by the Georgian Calendar, that is, if the crucifixion took place 30 AD -- April 1, 30, if the Romans used 30 AD as the bench mark, however, there is a dispute among scholars about the actual birth date of our Savior, ranging from 7 BC to 4 BC? Also, in computing the correct year of His crucifixion, some neglect to count the year zero as a year in transition from BC to AD, meaning that the modern calculation is too late by either 7 years or 4 years.  Confused yet?  Of course, the World says our Savior was crucified on Good Friday -- pick a Friday, any Friday, doesn't matter.  There is a big problem with this Friday Crucifixion Doctrine -- YaHshua said that He would be in the grave for three days and three nights -- Mat 12:39-41. With the Tomb being found empty, early Sunday morning, something everyone agrees to, mainly because all of the Gospel accounts are very clear about when the Tomb was found empty. It is the Crucifixion Day that is in dispute. Using our Messiah's own words about being in the grave for three days and three nights, something He mentions twice, we can witness ourselves that Friday could not have been the day He had gone to the Cross.  Try and fit 3 days and 3 nights into a Friday evening crucifixion and a Sunday morning resurrection and see what you get.  Actually, the Tomb was found empty, early Sunday morning, before the light of the sun came up-- Mat 28:1-6 and John 20:1 -- "Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark ..."
Counting backward from that early Sunday morning, we find that the only day that works for the crucifixion is Wednesday, the fourth day of the week.  This, then, would have been the day of the crucifixion, or Passover evening.  While the Supper YaHshua ate with His disciples took place the previous evening -- Tuesday evening, the third day of the week. Everyone can argue over the days, but the fact remains, our Lord and Savior, YaHshua, ate this evening meal with His disciples the evening before the Passover evening and before the Jews ate their Passover meal.  That is an undeniable fact.  YaHshua ate a meal with His disciples, in the upper room. While the Passover Lambs were being slaughtered, on the day of Preparation, leading up to the Jewish Passover meal, our Lord YaHshua was Himself being led to the Cross as the Lamb or God, to become our Passover Lamb, His Blood covering us -- causing eternal death to Passover us and all our sins, now and forever, once and for all -- Heb 9:26, 1 Pet 3:18 -- that is, for all who would accept and confess Him.
John 11:25  YaHshua said to her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
1Jn 2:23 Whoever denies the Son, the same doesn’t have the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also
(Luke 12:8-9)  Also I say to you, Whosoever shall confess Me before Men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:  But he that denies Me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.
The Passover, for the Jews/Israel, is to commemorate the time they were delivered from Egypt by YaHWeH.  The Passover for the Christian or other likeminded believers, is in commemoration about the time our Lord and Savior, YaHshua, went to the Cross for us and paid the price for sin, for us -- by His blood, the death penalty for our sins Passes Over us, because of His ultimate sacrifice for us -- now that is love -- but for those who would deny Him, well, they condemn themselves.  
This, then, is the end of all animal sacrificing for our sins, no longer is a year by year, blood sacrifice necessary for the people. However, for those who reject Him, the final blood sacrifice, then there still remains a sin payment, and that payment is, ultimately death.  The Passover, for those who confess YaHshua as Savior, having come in the flesh and paid the price, or penalty, for us, is much different from the Passover the Jewish people continue to keep, a Passover that continually points to their sin and without a sacrifice available, they continuing to live in their sin.  And, without a Temple, and without a Levitical Priesthood and without a child of Aaron to go before the Holy of Holies, each year, with a blood offering and to petition for forgiveness, they are still in their Sin.  Not only those if Judah and those of Israel, but the other nations, the Gentiles too -- deny or refuse YaHshua as your personal Savior and you will not receive the gift of Life -- you will have judged and condemned yourself.  
After years of following the standard PO dates, as these dates, according to the world calendar shifted from day to day, throughout the week -- each year the PO would be on a different day from the day from the actual day that our Savior went to the Cross.  Something seemed off. After so many years and this problem nagging at me, I came to realize that it is the day we should be remembering, the day He sat with His disciples as they shared the bread and the wine as symbols handed to them by YaHshua. By counting backward from the time the Tomb was found empty and YaHshua telling everyone that the only proof He was going to give that He was who He said He was, and is, would be that He would rise back to life after three days and three nights had past, just as Jonah had from the belly of the great fish -- Mat 12:40 -- by counting backward from the empty tomb -- Mat 28:1 & 6 -- the only possible evening that He could have been crucified on, would have to have been Wednesday evening -- the day right in the middle of the week -- connecting another prophecy that He would be cut off in the midst of the week -- Dan 9:26-27 -- a perfect fit.  Crucified on a Wednesday evening, making His PO supper with His Disciples on Tuesday, the previous evening.      
   
What do we do on this Passover evening?  It is a quiet day for us.  Reading Scripture, no TV, just a quiet day.  The previous evening, the evening before His crucifixion, we have a small meal, or, sometimes, not meal at all but always with the sharing of a small bit of wine, a sip, and a small piece of bread in Remembrance -- just as He said to His disciples, "... do this, do it in remembrance of Me" -- Luke 22:19-20 and 1 Cor 11:23-26.  Remembering too, that this was the institution of the Covenant to be made with anyone who would confess Him, a covenant offering to all people, all races, Jew and Gentile alike -- Luke 22:20.
It took us years before we reconciled this with the Word as opposed to what men were teaching.  And, of course, it is completely out of phase with the Jewish side and with the world, in general -- oddly enough, this is, to us, another proof we are on the right track, ha, ha, ha -- of course, we are nuts and the world is sane. Still, doesn't it make sense that if we are going to honor the day He died, having paid the price for our sin, that it would be on the actual day?  So far, I know of only two families that see it this way.  
   
Peace, Dan
send comments or questions to:  dan@servantsofyahshua.com
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