Passover of Jesus Christ 2016

In five (5) hours Passover begins in Jerusalem. It will be approximately 8pm Jerusalem time. The twenty four (24) hour day of Passover begins. As the world turns, each hour afterward, for 24 hours, Passover will be observed at sundown.

Jesus observed three Passovers after his Messieh ministry began. The first two were exactly like the Passover of the Jews. He had observed this Passover from his early childhood. Each year, the Joseph and Mary family observed Passover according to the commandment.

But on the third and final Passover to be observed in the life of Christ after he began his ministry: there would be a change.

The God of the Passover was here upon the earth in human form. Yes, Jesus was the God of the Passover. And being this God, he changed the Passover to bring revelation to the true Passover Lamb. You see, the old Passover elements were only a type and a shadow of something future and real. And when that which was celebrated in type was come to reality: the type and shadow would fade away and be replaced.

The third and last Passover of Jesus is often called the Last Supper. Why, because he ate no more of the earth before his death. His last earthly meal was the unleavened bread with wine. He would eat no more with the disciples until he ate new with them in the Kingdom of God. He did not eat again with them until after his resurrection.

For we who understand the real meaning of the Passover of Jesus Christ, we know one thing: there must be a time when we do not partake of the world any more and we live inside the Kingdom of God. The unleavened bread is a symbol not only of the 33 1/2 years of the sinless life of Christ, but it means to us that we are to make a bold confession when eating it, that we give up all that is sin or we know to be sin. If afterward we learn something is sin, we obligate ourselves to depart from it and abstain from the practice thereof.

The early first Church observed this annual celebration on the same night Jesus instituted it. Paul taught it to the Corinthians. The early first Jewish Christians observed the Lord's supper each Passover evening when the other Jews celebrated the old Passover. These who prepared the Lord's Supper at the same time as the Jews were called Quartodecimans (14th people). Meaning they prepared the Lord's Supper on the 14th of Abib and ate it that night after sundown. When the Jews celebrated the type and shadow the Christians celebrated the flesh and blood of the true Passover Lamb of God.

It was at the Council of Nicaea that the Catholic church changed the Passover into the daily and "oft" Mass ritual. They substituted Easter for the Passover. Ok, I know many of you have refused to observe Easter but you have still refused to accept the Passover of Jesus Christ. So what is your glory? That you are smart enough not to accept rabbits and colored eggs, but not smart enough to go back and embrace the true annual Passover of Jesus Christ.

I know, following the Catholic tradition you will accept the Communion anytime a pastor has a whim to do so. You really love Pope Gregory's New Year's Eve night. Wow, you can pretend to close out your old book and start a new one. Wow, you can make a vow to stop some sins and dedicate yourself to a better holiness life. And if you are challenged about mixing the Communion with a pagan holiday you scorn the person who questions your man-made tradition. Yea, you slander them as nuts, crack-pots, radical self-centered egomaniacs. All because your understand of "oft" means anytime but the right night.

Yes, the Pentecostal Catholics are easily identified by their false interpretation of "oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me" (1Cor 15:25). To justify this anytime but the correct time you say "oft" means any time you want. In this unreasonable and false interpretation, "oft" is ignored to be an annual date. But let me ask you three questions:

1) how oft do you celebrate your birthday?
2) how oft do you celebrate your wedding anniversary?
3) how oft do yo celebrate your New Year's Eve book close-out ritual?

Obviously, you will self admit "oft" can mean one annual day. You do not use "oft" to celebrate your birthday any day but the correct day.

Point made!

Passover comes to America on the East coast at 8pm sundown. In Jerusalem it will be about 7 hours after Passover day began. When we celebrate this evening at 8pm it will be 3am in the morning in Jerusalem. This will be the approximate time Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane praying with great drops of sweat like as blood. I am not ashamed to do this. I am not a Pentecostal Catholic and will ignore this very special night of the year. Yes, I observe days, months, and times. So do all of you, but you do it for your own self and your oft other pagan days.

I write this today to provoke. Yes, to push you into a Catholic corner. And I am not ashamed to tell you that your paganism is not yet totally given up. When you celebrate the Passover of Jesus Christ you can eat no more with the world on its festival days but come on into the Kingdom of God where Jesus watches us observe his Last Supper on the very evening he gave it for his memorial.

Do those of you who have come to this annual day of joy and love toward our Prince of Peace, may Jesus be present with you in the bread, wine, and foot washing.

Shalom,

Pastor Reckart