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Dear friends and prayer partners
On behalf of our leadership and staff at the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, I want to wish you a very joyous Passover holiday.
Israel’s deliverance from Egypt at Passover nearly 3500 years ago still stands as a landmark event in Jewish history. On Saturday evening, Jewish families in Israel and worldwide will gather around festive tables for the traditional Pesach Seder meal, which celebrates that miraculous rescue of the ancient Israelites from bondage as slaves in Egypt. They will read the powerful story about the Exodus, while blending in songs that proclaim their freedom and faith in God. Amid the singing and storytelling, they will share a generous feast centered around a Seder plate filled with symbolic items which recall key aspects of the Passover experience.
Yet amid this year’s celebration, Jewish hearts also will be burdened for the Israeli hostages still held captive in Gaza. Thankfully, the Lord has answered our prayers over the past 18 months by freeing nearly 150 hostages so far, and they will now be at home keeping the Passover with their families. Yet these former hostages all feel they will not really be free until the remaining captives are released. So, during this Passover season please continue to pray for the safe return of all the remaining Israeli hostages as well.
On this occasion, we as Christians have much to celebrate ourselves. There were amazing prophetic purposes hidden in that first Passover which were later fulfilled by Jesus at that fateful Passover in Jerusalem some 14 centuries later. Indeed, our Passover lamb has been slain (1 Corinthians 5:7) and through the Cross we have been delivered from the bondage of sin (Galatians 1:4, 5:1).
Yet according to the Hebrew prophets and the New Testament as well, the Exodus story also serves as a prophetic guide for the end of the age and his Second Coming. For more on this fascinating topic, please read this teaching on “Passover as Prophetic Guide.”
We also would like to share with you our special video series on the Passion Week. May you be blessed as you watch this series of timely teachings and worship from Jerusalem during the Passover season. |
