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The Firstborn
There are in Scripture references to the "church of the First-born" and "a kind of first-fruits of his creatures" (Heb. 12. 23, Jas.1.18.). This implies others ultimately of God’s family later born, after-fruits. It was God’s intention to save all Israelites. The whole nation by Divine power was miraculously delivered by the Lord and led across the Red Sea. That is a picture of the ultimate deliverance, from the power of sin and Satan, of every creature who accepts the Lord and desires to render Him worship – not an Israelite was left behind! But we remember not the Passover at the Red Sea but passing over or sparing of the first-borns of Israel in Egypt. Only the first-born were in danger. The deliverance of all depended upon the salvation of the first-born. So the Church of Jesus Christ, the "first-fruits unto God of his creatures", the ‘Church of the first-born’ are being spared at the present time – are being passed over, provided they are "under the blood". When the night has passed the glorious morn of deliverance will come, and the Christ, pictured by Moses, will lead forth, will deliver all who when they have been enlightened are glad to reverence, honour and obey the will of God. That day of deliverance will be the Millennial age at the close of which all evil and evil doers, pictured by the hosts of Egypt, will be utterly destroyed.
The Apostle clearly identifies the Passover lamb with our Lord Jesus, when he wrote, "Christ our Passover is slain for us, therefore let us keep the feast " (1Cor. 5. 7, 8.) He tells us that we all need the blood of sprinkling, not upon our houses, but upon our hearts (Heb.12.24; 1 Pet.1.2). We are also to eat the unleavened bread of truth if we would be strong and prepared for the ‘deliverance in the morning’. We must eat ’the Lamb’, taking Christ to ourselves. We "put on" Christ by faith, and more and more, we put on His character and are transformed day by day to His glorious image in our hearts and lives. We ‘feed’ upon Him as the Jews fed on the literal lamb. Instead of the bitter herbs that aided and whetted their appetites, we have bitter experiences and trials. These help to wean our affections from earthly things and give us an increasing appetite to feed upon the Lamb and the unleavened bread of His Word. We, too, are to remember that we have no continuing city, but are en route as pilgrims. Strangers and travellers, with staff in hand, girded for the journey we shall ultimately reach the heavenly Canaan and all the glorious things which God has reserved for the Church of the First-born with their Redeemer as kings and priests unto God.
Our Lord Jesus also fully identified himself with the Passover Lamb. On the same night that He was betrayed, and just preceding His crucifixion, He gathered His disciples in the upper room, saying, "With desire have I desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer". It was necessary that as Jews they should celebrate the Passover Supper on that night but as soon as the requirements of the new Passover had been fulfilled our Lord instituted a new celebration saying, "As often as you do this, do it in remembrance of me !" (1 Cor.11.24.25).
At that Last Supper as our Lord blessed the bread and the wine, representing His broken body and shed blood, He exhorted His followers to participate, not only feeding upon Him but being broken with Him, laying down their lives in His service, in co-operating with Him in every way. In our minds let us follow Jesus to Gethsemane, and see Him with strong crying and tears, praying to Him who "was able to save Him out of death". Our Lord was comforted by the Father, through the angel, with the assurance that He had fulfilled His consecration and that He would surely have a resurrection as foretold. We behold how calm He was thereafter, when, before the High Priest and Pilate, and Herod and Pilate again, as a lamb before her shearers is dumb so he opened not His mouth in self-defence. We see Him faithful, courageous to the very last although He could have asked the Father for more than twelve legions of angels for His protection. Instead of asking for aid to escape His sacrifice, His petition was for aid to endure it faithfully. What a lesson for us.
Even among His loyal disciples the most courageous forsook the Lord and fled. One of them in his timidity even denied his Master! This is an occasion for examining our own hearts concerning our faith and courage and willingness to suffer with Him. What an opportunity to buttress the mind with resolutions that we will not deny our Master under any circumstances and conditions – that we will confess Him with our lips and in our conduct. "If we suffer with Him we shall also reign with Him. If are dead with Him we shall live with Him"; for the trials of the present time are "not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us ". (Rom.8.7; 6.8.) Let us keep the feast with joy, in spite of trials and difficulties. Thus continuing faithfully as His followers, we shall have the great privilege of leading forth the Lord’s hosts, all who ultimately shall hear and know and obey the great King, out of sin and death, out of Egypt into Canaan. Then, in the language of Paul "Christ our Passover is slain, therefore let us keep the Feast".
WTR
