Beginning of Passover
Exodus 12:1-14
International Sunday School Lesson
November 10, 2013
Commentary
By
Jed Greenough
For each of you I would imagine every week you have a routine for preparing for the coming Sunday School lesson. I hope that you begin in prayer and then read that week’s scripture taking the time first to listen to God.
That is rather how I do it as I try and feel the inspiration from God on what I should concentrate on each week. It determines what it is it that He would have me emphasize so that I can be the most benefit to you or to that other person or for the most people.
I bet like me, you have been in attendance when a particular sermon spoke only to you or to your family and maybe missed most everyone else. I know I have also been in attendance where it spoke to everyone in a different way. I feel confident that this is one of the ways that we can know we are reading and considering the true word of God.
Sometimes when we sit through a sermon and we first consider that perhaps the pastor didn’t knock it out of the park today it might be that it wasn’t for you but a brother or a sister.
This week as I read about this first Passover I just automatically thought about Communion which is natural since Christ is our Passover Lamb. So when I considered the parallels with this first Passover and our Communion I thought about how they were instructed to eat this first Passover, “with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover.”
When you read those words you go into this knowing what is going to happen as you proceed through Genesis and you see that the Israelites will soon quickly be leaving Egypt. You can read those words in verse 11 and see that they were to be at the ready. They were to be prepared.
I partake of communion weekly, some partake monthly and others quarterly or some other schedule. I never trivialize it, minimalize it or take it for granted as it is the most important part of my week. But I know that many, no matter how frequent or infrequent, do partake in a less than worthy matter.
What came to me as I read today’s scripture is that many in the church are not ready or prepared for what is coming. They need to partake of Communion with their cloak tucked in their belt, their sandals on their feet and their staff in their hand.
Read the words of Christ concerning His return. When you have done so, does it sound like you should be going through the motions, like there will be time to go back and get that cloak? I urge you to be prepared and to prepare as many as possible so that when He comes your neighbor will not be among those who mourn but among the gathered.
For Discussion:
1. Discuss why God instituted this new calendar and began it with Passover.
2. Discuss the similarities to Christ as our sacrificial lamb.
3. Discuss why bitter herbs were eaten.
4. Discuss the similarities overall to Christ’s sacrifice.
5. Discuss modern Passover for today’s Jews as compared to what is described.
6. Discuss Communion.
7. Discuss being prepared.
Upcoming Lessons
11-10-13 Beginning of Passover Exodus 12:1-14
11-17-13 Beginning of Freedom Exodus 14:13, 14, 21-30 or 14:21-30
11-24-13 Beginning of the Tabernacle Exodus 40:16-30, 34, 38
12-1-13 The Angel Foretells Jesus’ Birth Luke 1:26-40
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved
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