The Israelitish new year has begun. God set up a schedule of worship for Israel, which began in this first month of their calendar. The Holy Calendar of worship was linked primarily with their wilderness experience. Prior to leaving Egypt, God sent a plague over the homes of their evil oppressors. Israel was saved from this plague, because they killed a lamb as they were instructed, and painted its spilled blood on their doorposts. The death angel visited Egypt that night, and all firstborn of man and beast died. God did protect Israel, no family lost their firstborn child. Israel was freed from bondage to Egypt. This story is bound into the story of Jesus.

Jesus is God's firstborn. He was sacrificed many centuries later, at the same time as the lambs were slaughtered in memory of that night in Egypt. Jesus is the "lamb of God". In the same way the lamb was slaughtered so Israel would live, so Jesus was slaughtered so we may live. Through our Passover lamb we are freed from bondage to sin and death.

Come Passover, this year, we will accept and partake of the symbols of Jesus death. We bless and break bread (unleavened, as it represents Christ who was without sin), this is shared among believers in acceptance of his broken body on our behalf. Then wine is also blessed, poured and shared among the believers. The wine represents his shed blood, which saves us from our sins and from death.

We will participate in a "foot-washing ceremony". By doing so, we commit our lives in service to Christ and to one another. We acknowledge, that Christ, who is our master, humbled himself in order to serve us, so in like manner we humble ourselves to serve him and to serve the church (which happens to be the congregation of believers).

God bless you if he puts it in your heart to honour him in this way, if he gives you understanding to do this in remembrance of His Son. May you be blessed for your faithfulness.