(Edition 2.0 19940327-19991022)

E-mail: secretary@ccg.org

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The feast of Unleavened Bread celebrates ancient Israel’s departure from Egypt. Spiritually Egypt depicts sin and the entire system of this world controlled by the demonic host. Everything in Egypt was opposed to and prevented the worship of the One True God. God’s law and His calendar are being restored worldwide now so He can be correctly worshipped. The forces of ‘anti-nomianism’ are at work trying to stop this happening. Anti-nomianism means anti or against law. Once the worship of the One True God is replaced by traditions of men, a process of lawlessness and degeneration begins (Rom. 1:18-32).

Important lessons are learned from the closing hours of Christ’s life (Mark 15:6-7; Luke 23:13-25). Barabbas was a convicted murderer awaiting execution under both Jewish and Roman law. He was freed at the expense of an innocent man, as there was no legal basis for Jesus the Messiah’s conviction.

(Mat. 27:25). Incredibly, the crowd called for Christ’s blood to be upon them! This fulfilled prophecy when the Passover lamb was killed and the blood smeared on the doorposts so the death angel would pass over them. Christ became the Passover Lamb of God; His blood would cover Israel. Barabbas, being freed from the death penalty was a type of all humanity and each of us individually (Rom. 6:23). We all have sinned and earned the death penalty (1Jn. 3:15). Hate can also mean love less by comparison; partiality is the spirit of murder. It is sin (Jas. 2:9). So if we have ever hated or shown partiality we too have participated in the sin of murder!

Barabbas was a murderer. In literal fact, he was also guilty of rebellion and treason against the government of men. Like him we also have rebelled against the laws of God, placing ourselves outside the will of God and rebelling against His government (Rom. 3:10-17; 8:7). When Barabbas was freed Christ had to suffer all that had been intended for him. Christ’s death is what’s intended for all the sins of mankind. Barabbas’ name literally means son of the father (Rom. 8:15). From the high price paid by our elder brother Jesus the Messiah, we can become sons of our Father in heaven.

Christ was led away and whipped savagely by the Roman soldiers to the point of extreme weakness. They then made him carry the cross he would be crucified on. Soon they realised he wouldn’t be able to make it all the way, so they forced a man named Simon from Cyrene from the crowd to carry the cross for Christ.

The lesson here is that we must become like Christ and share in his burden (Mat. 10:24-25). Even though Christ’s sacrifice pays the penalty for our sins, it doesn’t remove our responsibility to obey the laws of God. There is still much God expects us to do and to those whom much is given by way of understanding, much will be required. When Christ was alive and teaching, many followed him for different reasons. Some had questions, some wanted healing or feeding, some wanted to see awesome miracles or displays of divine power. Only a few accepted and actually wanted to do what he taught (Lk. 14:26-27).

Christ laid a heavy responsibility on the shoulders of those who were drawn by his teachings. He places the same responsibility on us today to prove our faith before God. The term ‘hate’ here again means to love less by comparison. The love of God should be first in our lives. The cross we share with Christ is the world’s persecution for the message he brought (Heb.12:1-3; 1Cor.1:8-25). It was also a symbol of shame. The concept of the cross is to lay down one’s life for others. Christ was willing to do this (Jn. 15:9-17). We should live a life where we willingly bear each others burdens; giving of ourselves in service in all areas and even literally laying down our lives if that is God’s will (Lk.14:28-33). We are truly freed by Christ so we can be about our Fathers business.