Friday June 29 2012

Do some research about the format of the Pass Over meal and learn the deep significance of  Jesus’ actions during that meal.

 

Read Luke 22:1-20

 

We live in a throw-away world, don’t we? Even though “recycling” is getting more airplay and is growing in popularity we still have a  throw away mentality. What are the things we tend to discard when we’ve finished with them? Cars, bikes, furniture, blankets, clothes, building materials and so on. When we talk of getting something new, we immediately think of disposing of the old.  A new car warrants a trade-in or selling of the old car. A new bike necessitates a removal of the old one. Get the picture?

 

This mentality has unfortunately been brought across to our reading of the Bible. When we read of a New Covenant we rarely stop to think of the relationship between the New and the Old.

 

Fortunately the computer age is doing much to rethink our understanding of new. With our software installed on our computers we are continually asked to upgrade these programs. The programs are not new programs but a building up of what was already installed. The New Covenant is incredibly similar. It is not a complete break with the past but a building up of what had already been installed in previous covenants. The New Covenant is the latest and final covenant installed by God.

 

That there is a strong relationship between Old and New Covenants can be seen clearly in the institution of the New Covenant. To highlight the continuity of the covenants Jesus chose to inaugurate the covenant during Pass Over.  Jesus is elsewhere called our Pass Over Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). Jesus celebrates the Pass Over, eating the full Pass Over meal and keeping Pass Over Laws to show us that what He is about to inaugurate is a continuation and fulfilment of the earlier covenants.  The bread that Jesus broke and the cup that He drank from to announce the impending initiation of the covenant formed an integral part of the Old Covenant celebration.

Prayer:

¥ Pray for the Playpals ministry that we run. Ask God to bless this ministry with all the resources it needs to draw people to Christ for salvation. Pray that the non church mums and kids that go will see the love of Christ and be drawn to Him in repentance and faith.

¥ Pray the same for our MOPS ministry. Pray that God would provide all that is needed for this ministry to reach more and more families with the love of Christ.