THE DRAMA OF THE AGES

A CASE OF PREMEDITATED MURDER

As Springtime draws near, Jews prepare to celebrate the Passover commemorating their Exodus from slavery in Egypt, while Christians prepare to celebrate their Exodus from slavery to sin in the observance of Resurrection Day. As part of the ‘Passion Week’ rituals, in fact, many churches hold ‘Christian Passovers’ that clearly demonstrate the parallels between both ‘departures’. Out of politeness or ignorance, though, few church leaders ever talk about one very important issue: who was to blame for the death of Yeshua (Jesus) and why? Passover [the slaughter of the lamb] and The Feast of Unleavened Bread that follows is a well-conceived drama authored by G-d Himself before the foundation of the world.

The Stage is Set

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve had eternal life. When Adam and Eve sinned, they were cast out of the Garden ‘of eternal life’ to live an existence separated from G-d. Before being expelled, however, G-d established the Sacrificial System to protect Adam and Eve from eternal separation from Him. He allowed the death of two [sinless] animals to substitute for the death that Adam and Eve deserved for their disobedience. Instead of being clothed with the Glory of G-d as they were in the Garden of Eden, they were clothed with animal skins. When G-d looked at them, He saw the animal skins ‘covering’ them and remembered the death that those animals suffered in exchange for the lives of Adam and Eve.

It was clear that animal sacrifices were only a temporary solution to sin since they only ‘covered’ sin rather than permanently removing it. The Sacrificial System allowed man to maintain fellowship with G-d and gave mankind the hope of the eternal life to be enjoyed after G-d would send a Redeemer to die for Adam’s sin.

The Book of Esther, from which the celebration of Purim originated, does not seem, on the surface, to have anything to do with the biblical Feast of Passover. Yet, it contains so many allusions to the events surrounding the crucifixion that it cannot be ignored. At the very outset, the reader is drawn to the fact that the main events of the narrative took place during the month of Nisan, the month during which Passover is celebrated (Esther 3:7) hinting at a similitude.

Concealment is the theme of the story, concealment of an underlying story. Even the name of G-d is hidden within its pages. Although G-d’s name never appears openly, His name Yahweh, appears four times in the form of an acrostic. In fact, three ancient manuscripts are known in which the acrostic letters are written larger than the others so that they stand out boldly. Esther’s Hebrew name even emphasizes concealment. Her name was Hadassah (myrtle), but her cousin Mordecai called her Esther (star), which comes from the Hebrew root ‘seter’, meaning ‘hidden or concealed’.

The Journey

What Does it Mean to be a Follower of Yeshua

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

From the beginning of His ministry on earth, Yeshua warned that following Him and remaining with Him would be difficult.

“Enter at the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who are going through it, because small is the gate and narrow is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.”–Matthew 7:13-14

 “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels. –Luke 9:23-26