Passover and Easter Page One

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PASSOVER AND EASTER

Passover and Easter are holidays which commemorate deliverance from slavery, redemption of the soul, and salvation of the spirit. In my opinion, they also celebrate and exemplify the Messianic concept, without which these three things would not be possible. It is God's will to work His miracles through His children so that we might see and know His power, glory, and love for us. And so there has to be people who are willing to take up the cross and to lay down their lives for His Truth so that others might learn by example and be set free.

What is the Messianic concept? It is a philosophy and practice of servant-leadership, sacrifice for the greater good, and martyrdom, if necessary, in order to get the point across. There have been many other Messiahs throughout history besides Moses and Jesus, but for those of us who were raised in Judeo-Christianity, these two stand alone as the pinnacles of the motto "Ch Dien," which means, simply, "I serve." Interestingly enough, the word "Messiah" has its roots in ancient Egypt. The word for "crocodile" in Egyptian was "messeh," which corresponds to the Hebrew word "Messiah," or "Anointed One." In the Song of Solomon (1:12), there is the bridal refrain, "While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof." Not only did Mary of Bethany anoint Jesus' head at Simon's house (Matthew 26:6-7 and Mark 14:3), but she also anointed his feet, and wiped them afterward with her hair. Later she performed this same ritual of foot anointing three months after the Cana wedding feast. On both occasions this was performed while Jesus was seated at the table (just like the king, according to the refrain in the Song). In origin, the anointing of the king was an Egyptian custom, and it constituted the privileged duty of the Pharaoh's semi-divine sister-brides. Crocodile (messeh) fat was the substance used in the anointing.

Other examples of Biblical Messiahs are in the excerpt below from "The Word In Life Study Bible" by Norton:

Deliverance from Oppression (ref. Exodus 3:7)
God is a God of justice. Therefore He takes notice when people are oppressed and abused by governments, bosses, and others in power. As the ultimate Judge, He can be counted on to right the world's wrongs, if not in this life, then in the life to come. Exodus is the story of what God did when He heard His chosen people Israel crying out for justice and deliverance.
The theme of deliverance is developed through hundreds of biblical passages about the poor and oppressed. Many of those passages remind us that such people ought to receive justice and reform, not just mercy or relief. The biblical teaching suggests several models of deliverance, as the table below shows.

BIBLICAL MODELS OF DELIVERANCE
MODEL IMPACT COMMENTS

The Exodus Model Geographical deliverance Seen in deliverance of the Jews from Egyptian bondage. Its rallying cry was "Let My people go!" (Exodus 5:1; 7:16; 8:1; 9:1.)

The Jubilee Model Land redistribution Rooted in Israel's civil code (Leviticus 25) and perhaps alluded to by Jesus (Luke 4:18-19). It allowed for periodic redress of inequalities to avoid large gaps between haves and have-nots, by restoring property to its original owner.

The Naboth Model Land reclamation Based on the Old Testament scandal in which land was unjustly taken from powerless Naboth by powerful King Ahab (1 Kings 21). The prophet Elijah condemned Ahab for murdering Naboth to get his land.

The Esther Model Social and political deliverance Seen through Queen Esther working within the structures of a pagan society to save an oppressed minority from genocide. (The Jews commemorate this event with the holiday "Purim.")

The Jonah Model Deliverance through preaching and repentance Based on Jonah's appeal to the Ninevites for repentance. His effective preaching resulted in an evil nation turning to God, at least temporarily, with perhaps some positive impact on its infamous foreign policy.

The Cyrus Model Deliverance by pagan political leaders The result of a sovereign God appointing Cyrus of Persia to accomplish His purposes. (Isaiah 45:13)

The Kingdom Model Deliverance by, of, and from those in authority A New Testament view of governing authorities that stretches from Paul's optimism about the Roman Empire (Romans 13:1-6) to John's pessimism about the same empire, 40 years later (Revelation 13). God's people await His ultimate triumph over evil and Christ's reign "on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10)

The infancy stories of Moses and Jesus are believed by some scholars to be rooted in the popular mythology of their times and places. The drawing of a Messianic child from the water,as was the case with Moses, or being conceived immaculately, as was the case with Jesus, are two time-honored and cross-cultural stories for that part of the world for those of royal blood. There are also those who believe that Moses and Jesus were actually distant blood relatives, both being of the royal line of King David before and after he lived, which, when traced down from Adam, is called the Blood Royal, or the Messianic Line.

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Written and designed by Micki
March 2000

MODEL	IMPACT	COMMENTS
The Exodus Model	Geographical deliverance	Seen in deliverance of the Jews from Egyptian bondage. Its rallying cry was "Let My people go!" (Exodus 5:1; 7:16; 8:1; 9:1.)
The Jubilee Model	Land redistribution	Rooted in Israel's civil code (Leviticus 25) and perhaps alluded to by Jesus (Luke 4:18-19). It allowed for periodic redress of inequalities to avoid large gaps between haves and have-nots, by restoring property to its original owner.
The Naboth Model	Land reclamation	Based on the Old Testament scandal in which land was unjustly taken from powerless Naboth by powerful King Ahab (1 Kings 21). The prophet Elijah condemned Ahab for murdering Naboth to get his land.
The Esther Model	Social and political deliverance	Seen through Queen Esther working within the structures of a pagan society to save an oppressed minority from genocide. (The Jews commemorate this event with the holiday "Purim.")
The Jonah Model	Deliverance through preaching and repentance	Based on Jonah's appeal to the Ninevites for repentance. His effective preaching resulted in an evil nation turning to God, at least temporarily, with perhaps some positive impact on its infamous foreign policy.
The Cyrus Model	Deliverance by pagan political leaders	The result of a sovereign God appointing Cyrus of Persia to accomplish His purposes. (Isaiah 45:13)
The Kingdom Model	Deliverance by, of, and from those in authority	A New Testament view of governing authorities that stretches from Paul's optimism about the Roman Empire (Romans 13:1-6) to John's pessimism about the same empire, 40 years later (Revelation 13). God's people await His ultimate triumph over evil and Christ's reign "on earth as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10)