Pesach

Tomorrow night at sunset the feast of Pesach (known as Passover) begins. This is the celebration of the deliverance of the people of Egypt from Pharaoh. The importance of this feast is shown in the fact that it is one of three "pilgrim" feasts in which every Jew was required to come to Jerusalem to celebrate this occasion.

There are a great many things that can be taught (and learned) from Pesach (which was celebrated by Yeshua (Jesus). But I just want to start with one....

For me, this year's Seder (literally "order", but referring here to the ordered ceremony and meal that usher in the week of Pesach-Jewish New Testament Commentary, David H. Stern; p. 78), which takes place at my uncle's house will be a great privilege for me to attend. One of the great themes of Pesach is freedom, freedom from Pharaoh, freedom from sin, etc... In my case the freedom that I will have and the reason that this year's Seder will mean so much is because it will be the first time since 2007 that I will be able to celebrate the Seder without having to worry about any medical problems. In 2008, I was in the hospital and not able to eat (so I was not able to have any of items of the Seder). And in 2009, I had to worry about problems with my bag, so I was not able to celebrate fully the joy of Pesach.

But now I am free from those worries, and able to celebrate the full meaning of the freedom that I have been given, freedom from worries about health, freedom from fear of the unknown, freedom from shame, and a great many other things. And that freedom was not given to me cheaply. It cost my Father in Heaven the life of His Son to give me these freedoms. I just pray that as I celebrate tomorrow that I can truly begin to appreciate what He has done for me and for all those who are His.