There are seven steps in God's Master Plan of Salvation for mankind. In Scriptures, seven denotes completeness and perfection with a total of seven vital steps to fulfilling God's Master Plan. First on the list is the Passover to be observed by all true believers for all times with an annual feast celebration. "These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord's passover" (Leviticus 23:4-5). Passover is the first feast and it precedes the First Day of Unleavened Bread. A Holy Day is a feast day for a convocation of God's people to accompany with an offering for which no servile work is to be done.
Christ's death at the cross was the fulfillment of the first step on God's Master Plan of Salvation for mankind. Much more work needs to be done by those whom God has called - like the preaching of the Gospel of the kingdom of God and equipping the saints now for greater tasks ahead when He returns to set up the kingdom of God on earth. When Christ said 'It is finished ' - John 19:30, He meant His role as the sin offering for mankind has been accomplished. He had finished His part of God's Master Plan whom the Heavenly Father had commissioned Him to do (John 17:4). But the work for those whom He had called to form the church has just then begun! His sacrificial death (and subsequent resurrection) made possible for all the other six steps to follow thereafter.
The Passover is significant because without the death of Christ - perfect and without sin - mankind has no hope of salvation. This was foreordained by God the Father before the foundation of the world - 1 Peter 1:18-20. Those who are called of God are covered by the Blood of Christ and the death penalty for their sins are done away with. The rest of mankind will have their chance of salvation when Christ returns to set up the kingdom of God on earth. During the time of Moses, who was called upon by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, the command to smear the lamb's blood on the doorposts for the angel of death to pass over the house is a forerunner of the Lamb of God (Jesus Christ) to come to take away the sin of the world.
Christ's parents kept the Passover feast and so did He, even as a Child (Luke 2:41-42). As an adult, Christ kept the Passover feast (John 2:13, 23) and also together with His disciples (Mark 14:16; Luke 22:14-16). In John 13:1-17, Christ washes the feet of His disciples, setting an ordinance for all who are called into His true church to follow -'For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you' (John 13:15). As foot washing is usually done by the lowest of servants, it is a symbol of denial of self importance and to strip oneself of pride. For whosoever is humbled shall be exalted in the life to come! The purpose is to develop the disciple to have the right attitude of humility and strength of character in the 'give way of life' through serving others.
The memorial of Christ's death is to be observed on an annual basis, as it is done in rememberance of Him (1 Cor 11:25-26). The Greek word 'pascha' in Acts 12:4 was mistranslated as 'Easter' when it was correctly translated as Passover in 25 other instances in the New Testament. Scriptures show that Christ and His disciples observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month and so do all of His true disciples down the centuries as church history bears testament to this fact. Polycarp, the trusted disciple of the Apostle John refused to compromise on the observance of the commanded feast of God, and so do Polycarp's disciple Polycrates, all observing the rule of faith.
Christ's death at the cross was the fulfillment of the first step on God's Master Plan of Salvation for mankind. Much more work needs to be done by those whom God has called - like the preaching of the Gospel of the kingdom of God and equipping the saints now for greater tasks ahead when He returns to set up the kingdom of God on earth. When Christ said 'It is finished ' - John 19:30, He meant His role as the sin offering for mankind has been accomplished. He had finished His part of God's Master Plan whom the Heavenly Father had commissioned Him to do (John 17:4). But the work for those whom He had called to form the church has just then begun! His sacrificial death (and subsequent resurrection) made possible for all the other six steps to follow thereafter.
The Passover is significant because without the death of Christ - perfect and without sin - mankind has no hope of salvation. This was foreordained by God the Father before the foundation of the world - 1 Peter 1:18-20. Those who are called of God are covered by the Blood of Christ and the death penalty for their sins are done away with. The rest of mankind will have their chance of salvation when Christ returns to set up the kingdom of God on earth. During the time of Moses, who was called upon by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, the command to smear the lamb's blood on the doorposts for the angel of death to pass over the house is a forerunner of the Lamb of God (Jesus Christ) to come to take away the sin of the world.
Christ's parents kept the Passover feast and so did He, even as a Child (Luke 2:41-42). As an adult, Christ kept the Passover feast (John 2:13, 23) and also together with His disciples (Mark 14:16; Luke 22:14-16). In John 13:1-17, Christ washes the feet of His disciples, setting an ordinance for all who are called into His true church to follow -'For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you' (John 13:15). As foot washing is usually done by the lowest of servants, it is a symbol of denial of self importance and to strip oneself of pride. For whosoever is humbled shall be exalted in the life to come! The purpose is to develop the disciple to have the right attitude of humility and strength of character in the 'give way of life' through serving others.
The memorial of Christ's death is to be observed on an annual basis, as it is done in rememberance of Him (1 Cor 11:25-26). The Greek word 'pascha' in Acts 12:4 was mistranslated as 'Easter' when it was correctly translated as Passover in 25 other instances in the New Testament. Scriptures show that Christ and His disciples observed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month and so do all of His true disciples down the centuries as church history bears testament to this fact. Polycarp, the trusted disciple of the Apostle John refused to compromise on the observance of the commanded feast of God, and so do Polycarp's disciple Polycrates, all observing the rule of faith.
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