The Christian community gathering for the Feast of Passover
could be the DOOR to celebrating Christian unity. Why? Because we have
a common bond with each other through Messiah's blood which is upon
each of our hearts. Hebrews 2:11-12 says, “For both He who sanctifies
and those who are being sanctified are all
of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.”
If we have invited Jesus into our hearts to come and dine with us,
how can we in good faith shut each other out? Yet this is exactly what
we do when we fail to walk through the door of opportunity for close
fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ. Passover was intended
to be a family affair! The Christ
our Passover event celebrates our common heritage through the blood
of Jesus. This feast day is not man conceived, it is God ordained and
biblically defined to give focus to the all-important blood of Jesus
as our basis for unity and forgiveness. John 1:7 says, “If we
walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one
another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.”
Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone
hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with
him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20) Jesus really longs
to have fellowship with each of us personally and with His body corporately.
The problem is one of trust in “opening
the door.” We are often fearful that if we really get close to
Jesus, He may not like us or be looking for an opportunity to correct
or judge us. This is not the case. What Jesus really wants to do is
to be a friend in whom we can confide because He too was “a
man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” (Isaiah 53:3).
Regrettably this same lack of trust holds true among us - His followers.
Too many Christians fear rejection from other Christians because of
our differences or because of an attitude of spiritual superiority.
We must remember that salvation is through the shed blood of Messiah
Jesus, and keeping this focus is the best way we can have unity
without compromise. We do not have to compromise our doctrinal
positions in order to acknowledge brotherhood in Jesus. He shed His
blood for our unity as he prayed, “May they be brought to complete
unity to let the world know that you sent me.” (John 17:23)
In Israel at the first Passover God told Moses, “Speak ye unto
all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month
they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of
their fathers, a lamb for an house: And they shall take of the blood,
and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper DOOR post of the
houses, wherein they shall eat it." (Exodus 12:3,7)
Why the blood on the door posts? Why not the window? The door, as a
symbol, is profound. The blood placed upon the passage way is even more
so. It was the shed blood of a lamb that was placed on the doorposts
of every house that saved them individually as well as corporately.
Israel as a nation had a common bond through
the blood, regardless of their tribal identity. Today, the
body of Christ has the same common bond through the blood of Jesus on
the doorposts of our heart, regardless of our denominational identity.
To the faithful church in Philadelphia God said in Revelation 3:8,
“I have set before you an OPEN DOOR, and no one can shut it; for
you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My
name.” It seems the annual Christ Our Passover banquet has proven
to be an open door for unity in the body of Christ. The spirit of unity
without compromise increases each year. God's people want to see the
denominational walls come down and brothers and sisters demonstrating
love and acceptance of each other through corporate worship and fellowship
meal.
2 Chronicles 30:12 says, “In Judah the hand of God was on the
people to give them UNITY OF MIND to carry out what the king and his
officials had ordered, following the word of the LORD.” This unity
of mind only comes when we have mutual love one to another. Our sincere
prayer is that the Christ Our Passover unity banquet will serve as the
door to help contain the love that is being developed here in His church
at Huntsville.
If you would like to be a part of the 2004 Christ Our Passover on Tuesday,
April 6, please reserve your tickets early by calling (256) 882-7651.