This Do In Remembrance of Me

TRANSCRIPT

I greet you in the blessed name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As we are studying through the book of Exodus, we have come to chapter 12, verses 43 to 51. At the beginning of this chapter, God commanded Moses and Aaron what the Israelites ought to do with the Passover Lamb. The blood of the unblemished Lamb was to be placed on the top and the sides of the doors, and when God saw the blood, He passed over the house, holding back death based on the sacrifice that was made. The children of Israel believed that they could be saved by the blood of the Lamb, and it was a public testimony of their faith.

Then, they must keep the feast of the unleavened bread for the next seven days. Unleavened symbolizes the influence of sin, something from the past being brought forward to the present, and the need for biblical separation. In other words, what was in Egypt must be left in Egypt. Remember, all the Passover Lambs were pointing to the ultimate Lamb of God, who will come, the Lord Jesus Christ. All the blood that was spilt on the doorposts of the houses were pointing to His precious blood that would be shed on the cross of Calvary. This was extremely important, and therefore, God wanted this feast to be observed properly down to the last details. And so, He gave the people these instructions because He wanted them to have a full picture of salvation.

In today's passage, we will see how God will command Moses and Aaron about how the Passover ought to be observed and who should partake of the Passover. As usual, we want to draw some spiritual lessons that we may apply to our lives. But most importantly, we want to see the connection between this passage and the command that our Lord Jesus gave to us in the New Testament: to do this in remembrance of Him. The title of our message is this: "This Do in Remembrance of Me."

I. Who should partake of the Passover

Firstly, let us consider who should partake of the Passover. Let us begin with verse 43. "And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron, 'This is the ordinance of the Passover: there shall no stranger eat thereof.'" This was the regulation stipulated by God himself, that no stranger or foreigner should eat of the Passover. To put it bluntly, the Passover was for God's people and for His people only. The reason why the strangers were mentioned was because verse 38 tells us that a mixed multitude had joined the Israelites when they left Egypt, most likely slaves from other nationalities or even Egyptians who feared the God of Israel. They had joined the Israelites, perhaps after witnessing the ten plagues. So, the question would arise whether or not these people should be allowed to partake of the Passover. The answer was no.

The obvious reason why they were not allowed to partake of the Passover was that they were not members of the Israelite community. They had not put their faith in the God of Israel. They had not trusted in the blood of the Lamb, and so they had no right to partake of the Passover. As one theologian puts it, it was not a matter of race but of grace. Only when a person has received the saving grace of God, then he or she will be able to partake of the Passover.

II. What was the requirement of the Passover

Our second point is what was the requirement to partake of the Passover - verse 44, "But every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof." There was only one way in which people who were not part of the Israelite community could partake of the Passover—they must be circumcised.

The practice of circumcision traces its roots all the way to the time of Abraham. The adults who had believed were circumcised, and the infants were circumcised based on the faith of their parents. Faith was the prerequisite for circumcision. If they did not believe, they should not be circumcised, and if they believed, they should be circumcised.

The Israelites had a long history from the time of Adam to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and along the way, they had accumulated their own foreign servants. During the time of Moses, they came under the dominion of the Egyptians, and they themselves became slaves. So, their own servants also became the slaves of the Egyptians.

Here, the command was given that those foreign servants who had belief and wished to join the Israelite community were allowed to be circumcised - verse 45, "A foreigner and a hired servant shall not eat thereof." Those foreigners who were temporary residents with the Israelites and those hired workers were not allowed to eat, obviously because they had not believed and were not circumcised. They were also not part of the Israelite community.

Look down to verse 48: "And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee and will keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land, for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof." Verse 49: "One law shall be to him that is home-born and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you," which means the same law that applies to the Israelites applies to the non-Israelites as well. The only way anyone was allowed to partake of the Passover was that he must be circumcised. And what was the prerequisite for circumcision? It was faith—in the blood of the Lamb.

What does this requirement teach us? It shows that God has always offered salvation to everyone. No one has ever been excluded from coming to God simply because of his race. Even in the Old Testament, God had provided a way for the people who were outsiders to come into His family and receive His saving grace. The way was through faith in the blood of the Lamb, and circumcision was a public way of trusting in His promise of salvation.

III. How should the Passover be observed

Now we move on to see how the Passover should be observed. Verse 46: "In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth aught of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof." Verse 47: "All the congregation of Israel shall keep it."

The Passover shall only be eaten in one house or in one place. They must not be taking the meat outside of that house, and no bones of the Lamb should be broken. This was to confirm that Jesus was indeed the ultimate Lamb of God, the Lamb of our salvation. Remember when Jesus and the two thieves were crucified on the cross? In order to quicken their death, the Roman soldiers were asked to break the legs of the victims. When their legs were broken, they could no longer push themselves upward, in order to breathe, and air could be inhaled but could not be exhaled. So, they would die very soon.

The Roman soldiers broke the legs of the first man and then the second man, but when they came to Jesus, they found out that he was already dead, so they did not break his legs. No bones of our Lord Jesus were broken, and the Gospel of John 19:36 says, "For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, 'A bone of Him shall not be broken." It was not by coincidence or by the whim of mercy of the Roman soldiers. It was a prophecy fulfilled. This prophecy that not a bone of Him shall be broken traces its roots all the way to the time when the Israelites had their first Passover. Where the lamb that they had for the Passover, all the bones were kept intact, not one was broken, pointing to the ultimate Lamb of God our Lord himself.

Verse 50, "Thus did all the children of Israel as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they. And it came to pass the self-same day that the Lord did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies." In a sense, God was saying to the Israelites, 'Keep the Passover. Do all these things that I prescribe for you to follow. And do this in remembrance of me.'

Who partakes of the Passover? The believers. What was the requirement to partake of the Passover? They must be circumcised. How should the Passover be observed? They should be gathered in one place, physically gathered together, and partake of the Passover.

Now let us look forward into the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 11:23-32. But before that, let us just look at two passages, John 1 verse 29, "The next day John" - this is John the Baptist – "seeth Jesus coming unto him and saith, 'Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.'" By God's revelation, John the Baptist recognized that Jesus was the ultimate Lamb of God which all the Lambs in the Old Testament were pointing to. That was why he said, 'Look, behold, this is the Lamb of God, the ultimate Lamb of God.'"

Now, 1 Corinthians 5:7. "For even Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us." So when Jesus died on the cross of Calvary, he became the Passover Lamb who was sacrificed for our sins. Since our Lord had died on the cross and shared his precious blood, it was no longer necessary for us to keep the Passover. Remember, all the Passover Lambs were anticipating the ultimate Lamb of God who would come, and he had come. So instead of the Passover today, you and I keep the Lord's Supper, and it was instituted by Jesus himself on the night he was betrayed. So we come to 1 Corinthians 11 verses 23-32. That was the reason Paul said, "For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, broke it and said, 'Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me.' After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, 'This cup is the New Testament in my blood. This do ye, as often as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come.'"

This means we are to continue observing the Lord's Supper, remembering his death, for as long as Jesus would tarry in his return. And then we must look forward to his soon return. Jesus will come soon. Three times in the last chapter of the last book of the Bible, Jesus says, "Behold, I come quickly."

Where did Jesus conduct the first Lord's Supper? It was in the upper room, where all the disciples were gathered together. It was a physical gathering, just like the believers in the Old Testament were gathered in one place, whereby they partook of the Passover. So, it was in one physical place.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some people were so eager to have the Lord's Supper, so much so that they did it remotely through live streaming, some through Zoom online. But that should never be the case. Believers ought to be gathered together and then remembering the Lord's death on the cross and then to look forward to his soon return.

We must be careful how we conduct the Lord's Supper because it is not only commemorative, it is also spiritual. And because it is spiritual, there is a strong warning given to us. So in the Old Testament, only those who were circumcised, they believed they were circumcised, were allowed to partake of the Passover. And since circumcision has been taken over by baptism, the Passover has been taken over by the Lord's Supper in the New Testament.

Today, when we conduct the Lord's Supper, we will only invite those who are born-again believers, baptized in the Bible-believing Church to join us to eat of the elements. As I've said, there was a strong warning. So look at verse 27, "Wherefore, whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord."

There's a difference between unworthy and unworthily. You see, we will always be unworthy, but by God's grace and mercy, by virtue of what our Lord Jesus has done for us on the cross of Calvary, we can come to the Lord's table. But a person may come to the Lord's table unworthily in many ways.

He may come to the Lord's table in a ritualistic way, without preparing his heart and mind. He may come to the Lord's table just going through the motion. In our church, we have the Lord's Supper conducted every first week of the month. So some people's attitude may be, 'Well, it is the first Sunday of the month, so it is the Lord's Supper again. All right, why not, since I'm in church. Why not just eat?' Others may come to the Lord's table with a heart full of bitterness and hatred towards others. Or they come with sins that they refuse to repent. All these are ways in which we would come to the Lord's table unworthily.

If I may give you an illustration: when you take a flag of a particular country, throw it on the floor, and step on it, you are not dishonouring that piece of cloth; you are dishonouring the country it represents. When you come to the Lord's table unworthily, you are not dishonouring the pastor who conducts it, all the deacons who serve the elements; you are dishonouring the one whom the elements represent. That is why Paul says, "He or she shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord," because that is what the Holy Communion represents. You are guilty of mocking the very person of Jesus Christ and what he has done for you. I pray that we will always be mindful of this, never to approach the Lord's table unworthily. Instead, every time we come to the Lord's table, verse 28 says, "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup." Before we partake, we must first examine ourselves. If there be any sins, we must confess and repent. If our motives and attitudes toward God, His Word, and His people are right, we must take time to consider the significance of the Lord's Supper, and what it represents. We must consider the sacrificial death of our Lord on the cross, where he shared his precious blood. We must look forward also to his soon return.

Dear friends, do you realise that the Lord's table is a very special place for the purification of the church? Every time we think of the Lord's table, we only think of the special blessings we receive when we partake of those elements. But consider this: if every member truly understands the significance of the Lord's table, then they will come with their hearts prepared spiritually. Sins will be confessed and repented, lives will be transformed, others will rededicate their lives, members who have offended others will admit their mistakes and apologise, offended parties will be willing to accept, and they will be reconciled. All because people understand the significance of the Lord's table coming to partake of the elements.

But sadly, this is not what is happening today in many churches. Do you think God does not know who has approached the Lord's table unworthily? Do you think God will not deal with those people? Most certainly, he knows, and he will because verse 29 says, "For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body."

The word damnation does not mean condemnation but rather judgment, as in chastisement. Because Paul was speaking about the believers. Romans 8:1 tells us, "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." Believers will not be condemned, but they will be chastised. And how do we know that Paul was speaking about the believers? Remember, only the believers who partake of the Lord's Supper. And then the next verse, verse 30, says "For this cause, many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep."

Some of the chastisements that God may discipline the believers may be physical weaknesses, sicknesses, and even death. The word sleep was a reference to the death of the believer. When the believer dies, his soul goes to be with the Lord, and the body goes to sleep. The soul never sleeps; only the body goes to sleep, only to be awakened when Jesus returns so that both body and soul can be united in a glorified body.

Apparently, some of the Corinthians in the church had died; they went to sleep as in the body went to sleep because of this sin. Dear friends, it is wrong for us to go around and judge anyone who is weak and sick as if surely they must have sinned against the Lord. We must not do that. Some people have always been godly and obedient to the Lord, and yet they are weak and sick. God may allow those trials to come into their lives not because they are ungodly, but because they are godly, and he wants to strengthen their faith to make them even better and stronger Christians.

But it is always right for us to judge ourselves, examine our hearts. Is this situation a result of some of my sins? Have I refused to repent from any of my sins? It is better for us to judge ourselves and repent rather than be judged and chastised by God. So verse 31 says, " For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged."

So always examine ourselves as we come before the Lord's table. In fact, not just the Lord's table, every day of our lives, we should judge ourselves. But that is a wonderful opportunity for us to come before God and consider all the things we have done. Is this a situation in which it is a result of something I have done? Is there a sin in my life that I refuse to repent? Come before the Lord, confess, and repent.

Verse 32, "But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world." Even if the Lord were to judge us, it is because he wants us to be good. See, God disciplines his children because he does not want his children to live in ungodliness or unrighteousness. If need be, he may even take away our lives rather than let us live in unrighteousness.

So today, if you and I are still being chastised by God, it is proof that we are his children. And as his beloved children, we will not be condemned together with the world. Dear friends, this is how we should approach the Lord's table. We need to understand the significance of the Lord's Supper. We need to understand each time the pastor says, 'The Lord's table is open to all those who are born-again believers, baptized in a Bible-believing Church.' Why must the pastor say the Lord's Supper is only for believers and those who are baptised? So we see the connection to the Old Testament, and then we also understand how we should examine our hearts each time we come before our Lord.

And as we partake of the Holy elements, we remember his death, his body that was crucified on the cross, his blood that was shed. Without the shedding of blood, there's no remission of sins. We want to do all these things worthily, why? Because we love him. We love him because he first loved us, and we want to obey his command. Our Lord Jesus says, "This do in remembrance of me." So I pray that you do not just come to the Lord's table in a ritualistic way without preparing your heart and mind. Do not come before the Lord's table just going through the motions. Well, it is the Lord's table. It is the first Sunday of the month. Why not? Do not come before the Lord's table with hatred and bitterness in your heart against anyone, with sins that you refuse to repent. Come before the Lord worthily. Confess your sins, repent of your sins. The Lord knows, and the Lord will deal with you bountifully. Let us pray.

Father in Heaven, we thank you for this opportunity for us to consider a portion of thy Word. As we study through the book of Exodus, we have come to this portion, and we want to learn and apply this truth into our lives. We thank thee for how thou loved us so much that thou would send thy only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus, who is the ultimate Lamb of God. And today, we keep the Lord's Supper because of thy grace and mercy. We have been called by thee to be thy children, and we have professed our faith publicly by way of baptism. And we come before the Lord's table each time, remembering the death of our Lord, understanding the significance of the Holy Communion, and looking forward to his soon return. Help us, O Lord, each time we come before thee that we will come worthily, not unworthily. And we first judge ourselves, lest we be judged by thee. O Lord remind us because as humans, we always forget. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

SERMON OUTLINE

• I. Who should partake of the Passover
• II. What was the requirement of the Passover
• III. How should the Passover be observed

THE BOOK OF EXODUS

God’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To Pass

God’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To Pass

Exodus 1:1-7

From Prosperity to Persecution

From Prosperity to Persecution

Exodus 1:8-14

God’s Protection in the Midst of Adversities

God’s Protection in the Midst of Adversities

Exodus 1:15-21

The Faith of Jochebed

The Faith of Jochebed

Exodus 1:22-2:10

Moses in Egypt

Moses in Egypt

Exodus 2:11-15

Moses in the Desert of Midian

Moses in the Desert of Midian

Exodus 2:16-25

Moses and the Burning Bush

Moses and the Burning Bush

Exodus 3:1-9

Who Are You?

Who Are You?

Exodus 3:10-15

Who Am I?

Who Am I?

Exodus 3:10-15

God’s Message to Israel and Egypt

God’s Message to Israel and Egypt

Exodus 3:16-22

What If They Still Don’t Believe?

What If They Still Don’t Believe?

Exodus 4:1-9

Send Someone Else

Send Someone Else

Exodus 4:10-17

Moses’ Return to Egypt

Moses’ Return to Egypt

Exodus 4:18-20

When Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got Worse

When Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got Worse

Exodus 5:10-21

When We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble Comes

When We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble Comes

Exodus 5:22-6:5

Having to Learn the Same Lesson Twice

Having to Learn the Same Lesson Twice

Exodus 6:6-12

Faithful or Unfaithful

Faithful or Unfaithful

Exodus 6:13-27

What God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and Obedience

What God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and Obedience

Exodus 6:28-7:7

The First Plague - The River of Blood

The First Plague - The River of Blood

Exodus 7:14-25

The Second Plague - The Frogs

The Second Plague - The Frogs

Exodus 8:1-15

The Third Plague

The Third Plague

Exodus 8:16-19

The Fourth Plague

The Fourth Plague

Exodus 8:20-32

The Fifth Plague

The Fifth Plague

Exodus 9:1-7

The Sixth Plague

The Sixth Plague

Exodus 9:8-12

The Seventh Plague

The Seventh Plague

Exodus 9:13-35

The Eighth Plague

The Eighth Plague

Exodus 10:1-20

The Tenth Plague

The Tenth Plague

Exodus 11:1-10

The First Passover

The First Passover

Exodus 12:1-13

The Feast of the Unleavened Bread

The Feast of the Unleavened Bread

Exodus 12:14-28

Departure From Egypt

Departure From Egypt

Exodus 12:29-42

This Do In Remembrance of Me

This Do In Remembrance of Me

Exodus 12:43-51; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32

Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!

Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!

Exodus 12:48-49, Colossians 2:11-12

Redemption and Consecration

Redemption and Consecration

Exodus 13:1-2, 11-16

Precious Lord, Take My Hand

Precious Lord, Take My Hand

Exodus 13:17-22

Between the Desert and the Red Sea

Between the Desert and the Red Sea

Exodus 14:1-14

Crossing the Red Sea

Crossing the Red Sea

Exodus 14:15-31

The Song of Praise

The Song of Praise

Exodus 15:1-21

Will You Obey Or Not?

Will You Obey Or Not?

Exodus 15:22-27

The Danger of a Complaining Spirit

The Danger of a Complaining Spirit

Exodus 16:1-3

God’s Response to Israel’s Complaints

God’s Response to Israel’s Complaints

Exodus 16:1-10

The Test of Faith

The Test of Faith

Exodus 16:11-20

Lessons About the Sabbath

Lessons About the Sabbath

Exodus 16:21-36

Do Not Test God

Do Not Test God

Exodus 17:1-17

Lift Up Your Hands

Lift Up Your Hands

Exodus 17:8-16

The Blessedness of Reunion

The Blessedness of Reunion

Exodus 18:1-12

Why Do We Have Leaders?

Why Do We Have Leaders?

Exodus 18:13-27

I Will Carry You On Eagles’ Wings

I Will Carry You On Eagles’ Wings

Exodus 19:1-6

Approach God Fearlessly or Fearfully

Approach God Fearlessly or Fearfully

Exodus 19:7-15

God Reached Out And Spoke

God Reached Out And Spoke

Exodus 19:16-25

Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods

Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods

Exodus 20:1-3

Thou Shalt Not Make Graven Images

Thou Shalt Not Make Graven Images

Exodus 20:4-6

Thou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s Name

Thou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s Name

Exodus 20:7

Thou Shalt Keep The Sabbath Day

Thou Shalt Keep The Sabbath Day

Exodus 20:8-11

Thou Shalt Not Kill

Thou Shalt Not Kill

Exodus 20:13

If Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up Hence

If Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up Hence

Exodus 33:12-23