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The Passover Memorial

Sermonette by Ted E. Bowling

The majority of professing 'Christians' are ignorant of the significance of the Passover and the details of both the Exodus from Egypt and Christ's sacrifice.

Memory and Humility

CGG Weekly

God has instilled in His children the vital faculty of memory, which serves as a shield against despair and pride, and is central to our relationship with Him. Memory anchors our present circumstances within a broader context, revealing the causes of our current state and offering guidance for the future through past examples. In spiritual life, memory holds paramount importance, as seen throughout history where God commanded Israel to establish memorials to recall His deeds and ongoing presence in their lives. God initiated this with Noah through the rainbow as a memorial and promise, and with Abraham through circumcision as a lasting reminder. His name, I AM, revealed to Moses, serves as a constant reminder of His actions across time. Additionally, God provided the weekly Sabbath and holy days as times to pause, rest, and remember His covenant and deliverance, ensuring that His people remain aware of their dependence on Him and their obligation to uphold their covenant. Memory fosters a proper fear and love of God, cultivating humility, as it reminds us of our past reliance on His guidance and intervention in shaping our lives from before our conversion to the present. Through personal memories of trials and divine interventions, we recognize His active role in directing our paths, even when obstacles seem insurmountable. God grants ample time for reflection on our past through the Sabbath and holy days, ensuring we never lose sight of our personal histories and His integral part in them. On Passover evening, we are reminded of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, which opens the path to eternal life, encouraging us to remember, look forward, and move toward the Kingdom of God that He and the Father are preparing us for now.

Why Do We Observe Unleavened Bread? (Part One)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is first mentioned by name in Exodus 12:14, 17-20, where God ties the command to observe this Feast with His deliverance of Israel from Egypt. In all of God's instructions for this Feast, there are more references to eating unleavened bread than to putting out or avoiding leavening, indicating that the instructions are weighted toward the positive aspect of eating rather than the negative aspect of avoiding. Even the name of the Feast emphasizes eating unleavened bread as the focus, as seen in Exodus 34:18, which states, "The Feast of Unleavened Bread you shall keep. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, in the appointed time of the month of Abib; for in the month of Abib you came out from Egypt." The focus of this Feast must remain on God's activity, as it was by His hand that Israel was brought out of Egypt, not by their own efforts. As recorded in Exodus 12:51, it was the Lord who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt on that very same day.

Unleavened Bread Basics

Sermon by David C. Grabbe

The Feast of Unleavened Bread is fundamentally a memorial of God's deliverance. As stated in Exodus 12:17, it commemorates the day He brought His people out of Egypt, serving as a continual reminder of His act of liberation. This feast is observed to remember His intervention, forming the foundation upon which all other aspects of the observance are built. The eating of unleavened bread and avoiding leavening are responses to this primary reason of memorializing His deliverance. Rejoicing is implied in this feast, despite the unusual food associated with it, such as the bread of affliction. It remains an appointed time to recall God's deliverance, and rejoicing should naturally follow from this remembrance. The term "Feast of Unleavened Bread" itself, used consistently in Scripture for the seven-day observance, underscores its celebratory nature as a memorial. Physical Israel kept this feast as a memorial of their deliverance from Egypt, while spiritual Israel observes it as a memorial of a greater, spiritual deliverance. Repeated references in Scripture, such as in Exodus 13:3, 8, 9, and 23:15, emphasize that the feast is a memorial to remember the day they went out of Egypt due to His action. Memorials cause God's people to remember foundational events, imprinting His lessons into their being when rehearsed correctly. God ties the command to observe this feast directly to His deliverance, reinforcing that it is a feast to Him, as noted in Exodus 23:14. It is not a celebration of human actions but a memorial of what He has done and continues to do. The importance of maintaining the correct focus in memorials is critical; without it, the effectiveness of the feast diminishes, failing to produce lasting impact as intended by Him. The feast serves as a reminder of the difference He has made between His people and those still under spiritual bondage. It is a memorial of the indescribable blessing of deliverance from the power of darkness into His kingdom, highlighting the freedom granted solely through His intervention. This observance also prompts reflection on whether His people remain free or risk becoming ensnared again by the world from which He delivered them. Ultimately, the Feast of Unleavened Bread is a feast to the LORD, a memorial of His works, especially His deliverance. He passed over sins to initiate a covenantal relationship, delivered His people from the world and spiritual death, and provided the bread of life through His words. This memorial underscores that without Him, nothing of spiritual significance is possible, and it calls His people to remain in Him to maintain the unleavened state He imparts.

An Extraordinary Feast

'Ready Answer' by Mark Schindler

Are we merely performing a ritual or are we making sure the real point of deleavening and keeping these days does not get lost in the physical activity?

The Spring Holy Days

Sermonette by Ryan McClure

We need to probe into the deeper meaning of the Spring holy days more than we have previously because God's wisdom is unsearchable.

Rehearsing God's Plan

CGG Weekly by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

God's holy days are a carefully crafted series of memorials that tell the story of God's magnificent plan of salvation, told in a set of parable-like vignettes.

Trumpets Means War!

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

When Jesus Christ returns, He will marshal an army of resurrected saints who will wage a just war against the Satan-inspired end-time rebellion.

The Selfsame Day

Sermonette by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

The word 'selfsame' refers to a specific commemorative date. The selfsame day is a signal that God is faithfully in control of time over multiple centuries.

Never Forget

Sermon by Ryan McClure

After Adam and Eve sinned, God provided them a vivid introduction to death, perhaps killing an animal in their presence to make tunics for them to wear.

Remember When

Sermonette by Clyde Finklea

God wants us to remember when we were called out of bondage into virtue, when He gave us the power of His Holy Spirit to do what ancient Israel could not.

Trumpets and the Fall of Jericho

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

One major incident involving the blowing of trumpets occurred at the outset of Israel's incursion into Canaan, when God brought down the walls of Jericho.

Passover (Part Five)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

Using subterfuge, some proponents of the 15th Passover muddle up otherwise clear, day and night issues by surreptitiously inserting modern English language usage.

Why We Observe Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

We keep Unleavened Bread because of what God did to bring us out of sin (typified by Egypt). While God compels us to make choices, He is with us all the way.

Purpose-Driven Churches (Part 8)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God has to know whether we will be loyal and our convictions are anchored in His law. The tests we are going through now are preparing us for His kingdom.

Trumpets: Glorious Appearings

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

God spoke audibly to Moses and the people, intentionally testing their faithfulness, to instill the fear of the Lord in them, and to keep them from sin.

God and Reality

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

What God puts us through is designed to reveal reality to us. Accepting His doctrine without looking for loopholes will keep us true.

The Feast of Tabernacles and Unleavened Bread

Sermonette by David C. Grabbe

Both Tabernacles and Unleavened Bread keep us off balance so that we remain humble, seek stability, and trust in God's providence for our ultimate destiny.

Don't Be Indifferent

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The frightful Trumpet Plagues are coming on the world because of the breaking of covenants on the part of people who should have known better.

Don't Be Indifferent (1995)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

We cannot allow ourselves to become surfeited with the world's distractions, being lulled off to sleep as the foolish virgins, wasting our precious time.

Leavening: The Types

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

The holy days are reliable teaching tools, emphasizing spaced repetition to reinforce our faulty memories and drive the lesson deep into our thinking.