PASSOVER- GOD’S “MYSTERY” REVEALED BY PAUL FOR AN “ENDLESS LIFE”

A plan devised by love that would bring the deliverance Adam was in need of from the time he was first made. A deliverance from his own mortality to give to him and his progeny eternal life.

A deliverance that if as so many say was only to be from being bad to being made good enough for God to accept us the world would be right about when they say it was no big deal. Because if it was only to appease God's wrath and Jesus knew He would raise from the dead anyway. No big deal.

But, they are wrong because Jesus' death had nothing to do with a penalty that needed to be paid. Nor a beating God needed to give to appease His wrath. Because what the atonement actually represents is the power of God for an endless life.

So the atonement had nothing to do with Jesus being tortured and killed by God in our place to pay a penalty for naughty behavior to appease His wrath. That's paganism pure and simple.

The Biblical atonement was that on our behalf Jesus joined with mankind in our mortality, so that by the power of His resurrection we can join with Jesus in immortality. "The power of an endless life" as Heb.7:16 says. Life that comes through a loving relationship with Him only made possible when by our own free will we trust in Him as He showed us He trusted the Father. This is why Paul said in Gal.2:16 it is "by the faith of Christ" that men are justified/righteous.

Isaiah53 speaks of the atonement saying that Jesus was "despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief." Isaiah adds that "we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not." Saying, "Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted."

When Isaiah wrote this he was describing Israel's reaction to Jesus being their messiah. They despised Him. They esteemed Him not. These unbelieving Jews believed that Jesus was being stricken and smitten by God.

But, this was not the response of the whole world. Nor was it even the response of all of Israel. It was only the response of those Israelites who rejected Him. We know this because some Israelites believed in Him. And even Pilate said he could find no fault with Him.

This is proof that when Isaiah says, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all", he did not intend for the reader to believe he was referring to every man who has ever lived has gone astray. But, only those Israelites who would reject Jesus when He came.

Isaiah says that "he(Jesus) shall grow up before him(the Father) as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him."

This refers to Jesus being "the root of Jesse" in Isaiah11. And is a reference to the bloodline and the throne of David that Jesus would sit upon as the King of Israel.

And the latter part of the verse refers to Jesus' looks. Which means that any paintings we see of Jesus that make Him look attractive in any way are frauds. Because Isaiah says here that there was nothing attractive about Jesus' appearance.

Isaiah builds upon this the fact that Jesus would be a man who "is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief". Saying also that because of this "we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not."

So the one who came to save mankind was most despised by those in particular that Jesus said in Mt.15:24 He came to save. Isaiah says this is both because He was very unattractive in appearance. And as we come to know from the gospel accounts it was also because He would challenge their position and traditions.

It's no wonder then that Jesus said, "A prophet (for as well as being God in the flesh He was also an Old Testament prophet) is without honor in his own country". This should be an encouragement to those who are rejected by the very people who should know better. Those who like the pharisees claim to be the church. But, deny the very Jesus who came to save them from their mortality. By trusting instead in a sacrifice for naughty behavior to Moloch.

The truth is that Jesus has "surely borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows", even if we do not accept it. Because it is God's plan from before He made the world for all men who ever live to be saved. And that none should perish.

This is proof for us what a truly significant part our free will plays in God's plan of salvation. Because even though God has done everything that needed to be done to guarantee our victory over mortality and death. If by our free will we reject the gift of an endless life provided by the atonement we will perish into the abyss of mortality.

Like the Israelites who Isaiah said "esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted", those who reject Jesus also never come to realize that what actually happened was that "he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

Here Isaiah shows Israel by saying, "for the transgression of my people was he stricken", that Jesus died to bring an end to the Old Testament by, first through the torture He endured that served to expose their true enemy satan for who he really is. And then by abolishing the Old Testament by His final once for all sacrifice for sins that was needed to bring an end to the law. Bringing it to an end and giving power to a New Testament by "the death of the testator". A New Testament wherein there is no more condemnation. But, only eternal life and immortality that comes from knowing Jesus.

During all of this that Jesus endured Isaiah says, "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." This was done because His defense would have proven He had done nothing deserving of death under the law. And there would be no crucifixion. Because even the Jews who hated Him knew they had no real case against Him that would bring the punishment of death under the law.

So like others who had given false witness, they lied while others bore false witness to those lies, so He could be condemned to death. Because Jesus never challenged Caesar's authority as they lied saying He had, and they knew it.

This is why Isaiah says He was "taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth."

Here again we see Isaiah's prophecy concerning Jesus' death was "for the transgressions of my people". These are Israelites whose transgressions were those that could be imputed to them because they alone were under the law. Because if they were not under the law Paul says in Rom.4:15 there would have been no transgression for which Jesus was to be stricken.

Isaiah says it "pleased the Lord to bruise Him and put Him to grief". Because "when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand."

The seed "He shall see" are those who trust in Him for eternal life. Either Israelites who trusted in Him as He preached before the cross. Or the rest of the world who would believe through the word preached by the apostles after the Holy Spirit came. Because when we trust in Him we are born of God. Born from above by the Spirit of God that makes us children of God and therefore heirs to His kingdom. 

This then was why it pleased the Lord that Jesus was bruised and put to grief. Because by the torture and death Col.2:14,15 and Gen.3:15 tells us satan brought upon Jesus, he was exposed to all mankind for the kind of enemy of mankind that he truly is.

And by conquering death by the resurrection Jesus became the only way to eternal life and immortality. Which as Peter says was God's plan from before He made the world. To make immortality available to all who will choose of their own free will to respond to God's love for them with love in return for Him. 

This is why Isaiah says, "Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."

Because it is through Jesus' intercession for the transgressors, an intercession that for those under the law that brought an end to the Old Testament and a beginning to the New Testament, that He joined with mankind in our mortality. Even to the "pouring out of His soul unto death". That He gained the victory over mortality and death by the cross and the resurrection.

And now, if you will trust in Him as He trusted the Father as He went through all that Isaiah said He would for you, then you too can have the eternal life Jesus came to provide men with.

Turn from those things that are behind no matter how valuable they seem to you now as Paul said he did in Phil.3:6-13. Looking forward only to Him that holds your future to give to you that future He planned for you from before He made the world.

And if you have been deceived by the paganism of Augustine's original sin and sin nature teachings but have seen the truth in what I have shared with you today, it's time you come out of her lest you be made to partake in her sins and plagues. For the time is short.

Leaving those things which are behind to trust in, cling to, and rely upon the Jesus who joined with us in mortality is true repentance. Not in our place as the pagans believe. But, on our behalf.

This is eternal life. This is the only way to immortality and inheriting the kingdom of God. This is the true purpose of passover. Because death has no power over those to whom Jesus has given immortality.

Do this... and I will see you there or in the air!

Do this... and it will truly be... a Happy Passover!