CONCLUSION

Jesus Christ was our Passover lamb. He perfectly fulfilled the law regarding the sacrificial Passover lamb. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ replaced all the animal sacrifices of Old Testament law. His death was the complete atonement.

While no animal was capable of making atonement once and for all for sins, animal sacrifices did cover for the sins of Israel on a yearly basis. The animal sacrifices of the Old Testament law were temporary substitutes until the time was right for God to send the complete and final sacrifice for all sin - His Son, Jesus Christ.

This is stated very clearly and beautifully in Hebrews.

Hebrews 9: 22, 25 to 28 -- And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

Nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others;

For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Hebrews 13: 11 and 12 -- For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp.

Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.

Hebrews 10: 1, 10 to 12 -- For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:

But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.

Because of Adam's sin, mankind became dead in trespasses and sins. It took a perfect, sinless human being to atone for that sin and to make it possible for believers to be reconciled to God. It took a perfect human sacrifice to be the complete atonement for you and for me and for all people ever since his sacrifice.

If Jesus Christ had been God, he could never have been our Passover. He had to be a man, just as Adam had been.

Romans 5: 14 -- Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

Jesus was a man from among men, a lamb from the flock. He had the same potential to sin as Adam had, yet he did not. Thus he could be the final Passover lamb.

John 1: 29 -- The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

I Corinthians 5: 7 -- . . For even Christ our passover is [was] sacrificed for us.

I Peter 1: 18 and 19 -- Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

I have set before you and have covered in detail events recorded from the eighth of Nisan to Pentecost -- two months of the most significant history of all time. Indeed, this period is the fulcrum, the pivotal point in man's history. All events both before and after this time revolve around it.

The last week of Jesus' life before the crucifixion has to be the most stirring, heartrending time ever lived. It began victoriously as Jesus was acclaimed the Messiah on his entries and confronted his religious enemies with their hypocrisy. It ended in torture and suffering as his enemies appeared to gain the upper hand. Time and again the Lord Jesus Christ courageously obeyed his Father's Will as he masterfully faced the cruel injustice of a host of hostile, evil men. Over and over again his life was unjustly maligned, called into question, and slandered. He was faced with unspeakable mental and physical torture. Yet throughout, Jesus never hurt or wronged a human being. On the contrary, he was the epitome of love, innocence, and courage.

Finally, Jesus was nailed to the cross. God had given His only-begotten Son to die for us. Jesus Christ, with utmost courage, was obedient to the death, even the death of the cross. What tremendous love God had for us in giving His only Son.

John 3: 16 -- For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Yet the greatness of Jesus Christ does not lie in his suffering humiliation, and death. So-called Christianity too often stops at the cross, magnifying Jesus' death as though his sacrifice alone made him our savior. But did God stop at Jesus Christ's crucifixion?

The greatness of Christianity lies in the fact that something special happened after Jesus died-something occurred which had never happened to any other human being: God raised Jesus Christ from the dead to die no more. The angel announced, "He is risen." That truth resounds throughout all time. But did God stop with Jesus Christ's resurrection?

After his resurrection, Jesus Christ was repeatedly seen by his followers. Over five hundred witnesses saw him. In his new spiritual body, he taught his apostles and disciples to prepare for a new age. But did God stop with the resurrected witness of Jesus Christ?

On the fortieth day after his resurrection Jesus Christ ascended to heaven before the steadfast gaze of his twelve apostles. He sat down in the heavenlies at the right hand of God, where he has been ever since. Before ascending, Jesus told his apostles that they should wait in Jerusalem for the coming of the comforter about which he had instructed them. But did God stop with Jesus Christ's ascension?

Ten days later when the day of Pentecost was fully come, the twelve apostles were given the comforter and received into manifestation power from on high. This was the beginning of the Church to which you and I belong. For the first time the gift of holy spirit was poured out on believers. Jesus Christ's life had been leading up to this great pinnacle in human history, and with this outpouring came the culmination of what he had come to make available. Pentecost consummated the purpose of Jesus Christ's entire life, including his sacrifice as our Passover lamb. This began the Age of Grace, the greatest period in human history before Christ's return.

With the apostles' receiving power from on high, they were rejuvenated men. When Peter stood up on Pentecost in the Temple, he was absolutely convinced that Jesus was the Messiah. Peter also knew that he had a new power dynamically living within his soul. He knew that God had indeed poured His gift of holy spirit on him and that he was filled with the power from on high-that same unparalleled, incomparable power which raised Jesus Christ from the dead.

As a result of Jesus Christ's sacrificing of himself and God's raising him from the dead, it became possible for men and women to be born again by God's Spirit, filled with the power of the holy spirit, sons of God. As I John 3: 1 so wonderfully records, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. . . ." These truths resound throughout God's Word, as the immensity of God's love is declared.

I John 4: 8 to 10 -- He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

We need to walk each day with a greater vision of what God has given us. We must manifest the power from on high with ever-increasing confidence and boldness. When we live the principles of God's Word, walking by God's gift of spirit in each of us, we are proving in the senses world that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. We are completely, completely complete in him. What a thrilling opportunity is yours and mine when we begin to appreciate the significance of the man Jesus Christ: our example, our Passover, our risen lord, and our complete savior.

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**** God DID NOT want me to reinvent the wheel! Most of this work was taken almost directly from one of my most important research books. If I were to edit the book, this work would never have gotten written and even if possible, would have said basically the same thing only using my personality. The credit for this amazing research material goes to the founder of the Ministry where I began my Biblical training and to his research team. Regardless, it’s the rightly divided Word of God and that is the only thing that matters. Thus saith the Lord.