S1: How does Passover relate to the Lord's Supper with Passover,
S1: Good Friday, Resurrection Day coming up. Tonight's Passover. It would
S1: be good to remember how the Messiah's last Seder is
S1: the basis for the Lord's table. Stay with me. We'll
S1: talk about that in just a moment. Hello, friends. Welcome
S1: to Open Line, Moody Radio's Bible study across America. My
S1: name is Michael Melnick. I'm the academic dean and a
S1: professor of Jewish studies and Bible at Moody Bible Institute.
S1: I'm so grateful to be joining you around the radio
S1: kitchen table. And we're talking about your questions about the Bible, God,
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S1: Hera is in the producer's chair today. Omar is our
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S1: get yourself a cup of coffee. Open your Bible because
S1: we're going to study the scriptures together. So what is
S1: the significance of the Lord's Supper? Although some people interpret
S1: the Lord's Supper as what they call a means of grace.
S1: And what they mean with that is that there's a
S1: mystical presence of the Lord Jesus and somehow, by taking
S1: the Lord's Supper, participating in the Lord's table, that it
S1: grants grace to us. Well, God grants grace to us
S1: in many ways, but, uh, I believe the Bible teaches
S1: that there isn't a mystical presence, but rather that the
S1: Lord's Supper is a memorial. It's a symbolic meal. Let's
S1: talk about the memorial and symbolic aspects. First of all,
S1: the memorial aspect. It's essential to recognize that the Lord
S1: Jesus inaugurated the Lord's Table at a Passover meal. Scripture
S1: says that the Passover was to be a memorial for you,
S1: referring to Israel. You must celebrate it as a festival
S1: to the Lord. That's in Exodus 1214. Similarly, the Lord
S1: Jesus would tell his followers that when they celebrated communion,
S1: they do so in remembrance, similar to memorial in remembrance
S1: of him. And that's, of course, in Luke 2219. So
S1: the Lord's Supper was intended to memorialize our redemption from
S1: sin by remembering the body and blood of the Messiah, Jesus.
S1: With regard to the symbolic nature of these elements. We
S1: need to recall once again that the the Lord Jesus,
S1: the Messiah, inaugurated communion at a Passover meal. It's called
S1: a Seder. So some people call it the Last Supper.
S1: I call it the Last Seder. By the New Testament era,
S1: Jewish people had developed all sorts of symbolic elements to
S1: be included in the Passover Seder, such as a bitter
S1: root which represented the bitterness of slavery, and a bowl
S1: of salt water which represented the tears of slavery. You
S1: can see those even mentioned in Exodus 12 eight and
S1: numbers 911. So when the Lord Jesus said that the
S1: bread and wine were his body and blood. None of
S1: the Jewish men present would have understood these words in
S1: a literal sense. Jewish people, the disciples would have been
S1: familiar with all the symbolic elements of Passover. Therefore, they
S1: would have recognized that the Lord was using a metaphor
S1: meaning this bread is a symbol of my body, and
S1: this cup is a symbol of my blood. The Lord's Supper,
S1: celebrated as a symbolic memorial, still remains a crucial outward
S1: celebration of the New Covenant. Now, if the Lord's Table
S1: is only a symbolic memorial, people wonder if specific elements
S1: are all that you know, the the specific elements are
S1: all that important. Would it be okay to observe communion with,
S1: let's say, potato chips and soda pop? I'd say no,
S1: because these symbols that the Lord used have specific and
S1: important meanings. The Lord chose unleavened bread. He chose the
S1: fruit of the vine to institute this ceremony because they
S1: represent his sacrifice. He used the unleavened bread, or what
S1: we call matzo. The matzo is eaten at Passover, and
S1: there are several reasons. First, matzo was significant because leaven,
S1: which is this is unleavened cakes of bread, unleavened bread,
S1: yeast in Scripture, that's what leaven is, is frequently used
S1: as a symbol for sin. The Lord Jesus, you remember, said,
S1: beware of the leaven of the Pharisees. Beware of the
S1: leaven of the Sadducees, the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, and
S1: the unbelief of the Sadducees. That's in Matthew 16 six.
S1: Paul urged that the Corinthians were to clean out the leaven,
S1: the yeast of malice and wickedness in first Corinthians five eight.
S1: So unleavened bread represents in the. In the case of
S1: the Lord using it his sinlessness, he was without spot
S1: or blemish. He was perfect without sin. Second, ancient and
S1: modern matzah, both in the ancient world and today, was
S1: pierced in straight lines to keep it from rising. This
S1: symbolized that the Lord Jesus was pierced through for our transgressions,
S1: and by his scourging the stripes, we are healed. Isaiah
S1: 53 five. Potato chips and fluffy loaves of bread, or
S1: even unleavened communion wafers miss the important symbolism of celebrating
S1: the Lord's Supper with matzo. Additionally, the wine used during
S1: the Passover meal is a deep bread and represents the
S1: blood of the Messiah, Jesus that cleanses us from sin.
S1: So soft drinks, even white wine or white grape juice,
S1: are inadequate to represent his blood for the cup to
S1: commemorate its symbol. We need to use red fruit of
S1: the wine. Whether juice or wine. It doesn't matter, but
S1: it has to be red. The symbolic nature of the
S1: Lord's Supper doesn't minimize its importance, as the God ordained
S1: Passover celebration didn't diminish God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt.
S1: We observe it regularly because one, the Lord Jesus commanded,
S1: we observe it. He said, do this in remembrance of me.
S1: Luke 2219. Two The Lord's Table is a proclamation of
S1: our faith that the Messiah, Jesus, died as our substitute,
S1: that he will return. You proclaim the Lord's death until
S1: he comes. That's first Corinthians 1126 and three. The Lord's
S1: Supper is a declaration of the fellowship of all believers,
S1: because by it we share our unity in the Messiah, Jesus,
S1: he says. Paul says in first Corinthians Chapter ten, verses
S1: 16 and 17, is not the cup. A sharing in
S1: the blood of Messiah? Is not the bread a sharing
S1: in the body of Messiah. We who are many are
S1: one body. That's first Corinthians ten, 16 and 17. So
S1: whether it's obeying a command, proclaiming our faith, or expressing
S1: our unity, the Lord's Supper remains a crucial celebration. Its
S1: value and importance isn't lessened by viewing it as symbolic.
S1: So some people call communion a sacrament, a grace giving practice,
S1: and others call it an ordinance, an observance commanded by
S1: the Lord. I prefer to call it a new covenant ceremony.
S1: Ceremonies were designed to communicate truth by our actions. Every
S1: time we celebrate the Lord's Supper, we're declaring that our Messiah, Jesus,
S1: died for us, rose again, and is returning as our King.
S1: Observing the Lord's Table is a living declaration of the
S1: good news that delivered us from our sin. That opening
S1: word was taken from a book that I wrote, although
S1: it wasn't exactly the same as sort of adapted into
S1: speaking form. But the book was called is called 50
S1: Most Important Bible Questions, if you're interested in that, and
S1: 49 other questions, that's a book that you can find
S1: at Moody publishers.com. Well, uh, I was wondering how many
S1: of you have ever wondered how we got the Bible
S1: that I encourage you and I read all the time.
S1: I encourage you to read it. Uh, how how do
S1: much do we know about how he got it? How
S1: did these ancient books that prophets and apostles wrote become
S1: a book that we should read every day? Well, that's
S1: a great question. And Doctor Jay Carlini's book, The Story
S1: of the Bible will take you on an informative journey
S1: through scriptures development. It really starts at divine inspiration, goes
S1: through transmission by copyists and ultimately to modern translations. This
S1: is a really helpful book. It shows how God used
S1: God's superintended human authors to write God's Word. So it's
S1: God breathed, it's inspired text in our hands. I hope
S1: that's something that you would like to get a copy
S1: of the story of the Bible, and it's yours. If
S1: you give a gift of any size to open line,
S1: that's just, uh, something that we would love to do
S1: for you. Uh, say thank you. If you give a gift. And,
S1: you know, a lot of people have told me, I
S1: listen all the time. Never thought about giving a gift. Well,
S1: this would be a great time to give a gift
S1: because this book is so helpful, it will really give
S1: you confidence in the Bible as God's Word, so don't
S1: miss out on the opportunity. And we just really want
S1: to say thanks for sending your gift in, and you'll
S1: really benefit from this book. If you'd like to give
S1: a gift, call (888) 644-7122. That's (888) 644-7122 or go to Openline radio.org. Well,
S1: we've been having some technical glitches and we can't take
S1: a phone call right now, so I thought I would
S1: deal with a couple of emailed questions that I received. Uh,
S1: and that would be a good way of dealing with it.
S1: It's not they're not official questions from the mailbag, but
S1: people sometimes ask about this. They and this is actually
S1: a question that I just received this week. Um, they
S1: say if Jesus didn't go to hell, why is it
S1: that Mary was told not to touch him because he
S1: has not yet ascended to the father. That's from John
S1: chapter 20 and verse 17 and the I'll read that
S1: to you. I think it's it's a helpful question because
S1: people have taken that to mean that this is proof
S1: that Jesus had not been yet purified from going to hell.
S1: Here's what it says. Uh. Don't touch me. Jesus told her,
S1: for I have not yet ascended to the father. But
S1: go to my brothers and tell them I am ascending
S1: to my father. Well, this sounds like Jesus had just
S1: risen from hell and was encountering Mary. Well, a couple
S1: of things about that verse. I think the King James says,
S1: don't touch me. But most versions would reflect a better
S1: translation of the Greek that would say, stop clinging to me.
S1: In other words, you can imagine Mary so excited about
S1: meeting her Lord that she grasped a hold of him.
S1: Can you imagine? She's holding on, and she's not going
S1: to let go for dear life. And he says, you
S1: can stop. It's not like, don't touch me. I'm impure
S1: or defiled by hell. It's stopped clinging to me. Let
S1: me go. I can walk, you can let go of me.
S1: You don't have to be afraid. I'm not leaving you
S1: because I've. I still haven't ascended to the father. He's
S1: not talking about that. He. His spirit didn't go to
S1: be with the father when he said, father, into your
S1: hands I commit my spirit. He is saying the Ascension
S1: hasn't taken place. I'm going to be with you for
S1: 40 days, and I'm going to ascend to the father then,
S1: so you can let go of me. Uh, I am
S1: not ascending to the father permanently just yet. And so
S1: that's the first verse that people have asked me about.
S1: And the other verse that the, the that I received
S1: in an email question has to do with acts 227. Uh,
S1: this one says, uh, that the proof of the resurrection
S1: is from Psalm 16. And in 227 it says, it
S1: quotes it this way you will not leave my me
S1: in Hades or allow your Holy One to see decay.
S1: So it says in the King James in the Old
S1: Testament it says, you will not abandon me to Sheol.
S1: And here the people. But it says in the King James,
S1: actually you will not abandon me to hell. And it
S1: says here, uh, the same thing. It uses Hades. So
S1: people think Jesus went to hell, but actually it's Sheol.
S1: That's that's the literal the the abode of the dead.
S1: And the point is, you will not leave me physically dead.
S1: My body will not undergo decay, but will be resurrected
S1: before undergoing decay. It doesn't mean that he went to hell.
S1: It means that you will not leave me in the
S1: place in the abode of the dead. But I will
S1: be raised first. Well, I hope that answers a couple
S1: of questions that, uh, others of you have had, because
S1: that's what's being sent to me personally by some people
S1: that know me. So I hope those, uh, those answers
S1: help you with those verses. We're going to be right
S1: back with more of your calls in just a moment.
S1: Stay right there with us. This is open line with
S1: Michael Ray Tillman. And we're back. I am, uh, I'm
S1: aware that there's some sort of, uh, technical difficulties, but
S1: I am back with you now. I'm glad to be
S1: with you. Uh, here on Open Line, I'm Michael Ray Dolnick,
S1: and we're going to go right to the phones. Now
S1: we're going to speak with, uh, Donna. Uh, actually, we're
S1: going to speak with Amy in Chicago listening on WNBA. Uh,
S1: welcome to Open Line, Amy. How can I help you today?
S2: Good morning. Technical gremlins are busy. I have two questions. Briefly. First,
S2: can I get your opinion on the accuracy of the
S2: Jewish calendar that we're. It's like, 5700 years.
S1: Yeah. Well, I probably that's the Jewish calendar counts from
S1: the creation of the world. I don't think that that's
S1: necessarily accurate. So, um, but it's what we traditionally call
S1: the the Jewish year.
S2: So you're right. Okay. And the other question is, at
S2: what point during the Passover was Jesus crucified?
S1: At what point during the Passover?
S2: Yes, because it's like a week long, right?
S1: Yeah, but it was on the on the Gospels tell
S1: us clearly that it was the first night of Passover
S1: that the Lord had the Lord's Supper. The last Seder
S1: with his disciples. That would have been Thursday night. And then, uh,
S1: he was arrested that night, tried very early in the
S1: morning by Pilate, uh, and then, uh, put on the
S1: cross at 9 a.m., um, so on on Friday, um,
S1: at about noon, it would have been when the Lord
S1: gave up his spirit to the father. Into your hands
S1: I commit my spirit. Uh, and that's when it would be.
S1: And I'm guessing you're asking about this, Amy, because people
S1: get all nervous about the three days and three nights
S1: in in the tomb. Is that.
S2: No, no, it's not that. It's just that I wonder,
S2: because Passover is based on the cycle of the moon, right?
S2: So it doesn't necessarily start on a Friday, right?
S1: It just happened to that day.
S2: Right?
S1: Right. That that year, A.D., uh, March 5th. I'm sorry.
S1: April 5th. Uh, AD 33. That was a Friday.
S2: Oh, you think it was April 5th? Okay.
S1: Yeah.
S2: Interesting. Okay.
S3: So. Okay. Thank you very much. God bless.
S1: Okay. Thank you. Amy. Uh, we're going to talk with
S1: Donna in Spring Hill, Florida, listening on Moody Radio, Florida.
S1: So glad to have you with us, Donna. How can
S1: I help you today?
S4: Um, yeah, I myself am a messianic Jew and living
S4: amongst New Covenant Christians. And I've always wondered why New
S4: Covenant Christianity continues to dismiss recognition of the Passover.
S1: Now, what do you mean by New Covenant Christian?
S4: Well, sometimes it seems to me like there's a God
S4: for the New Covenant Christians. And then there's the God
S4: that the Jews have.
S5: It's like your that's just your.
S1: Name for them, the new Covenant Christians, right?
S4: Well, I didn't know how else to refer to it.
S5: You mean your basic born.
S1: Again Christian that goes to church? Is that what you're
S1: talking about?
S4: Yes. The basic born again. Well, not necessarily even born again.
S4: Just just Christians in general that go to either Catholic
S4: church or Lutheran church.
S5: Okay. Okay. Okay. Well.
S1: First of all, let me just say that there's been
S1: a great movement to people who are not Jewish, understanding
S1: and appreciating the Jewish roots of the of communion, and
S1: that they understand the Passover, that so much of the
S1: Passover points to the Lord Jesus. Whether it's the, you know,
S1: the tears for the bitterness of slavery to sin and
S1: the symbolic element there, and the lamb, the shankbone of
S1: the lamb, which reminds us that Jesus is the Lamb
S1: of God who takes away the sin of the world.
S1: That was that he was pure and spotless. Uh, the matzo,
S1: which is pierced and striped. Uh, just as he was
S1: pierced and striped. And he it's without leaven. All these
S1: things point to the Messiah, and there's a greater interest
S1: than ever before. A few years ago, uh, some Jewish
S1: writers wrote in Christianity Today that they wish that Christians
S1: would stop having Messianic Jews come to their churches and
S1: explain Messiah in the Passover. They didn't like it. And
S1: I think, uh, yeah, I bet they don't, because it
S1: shows the really sharp, the very clear connection between the
S1: the foreshadowing of the Hebrew Bible with its fulfillment in
S1: the Messiah, Jesus. So, yeah, I guess stop, stop doing that.
S1: I said, no, I'm not going to stop doing that.
S1: I keep talking about that. So, uh. But anyway, the, uh,
S1: the the point is, I think there's a growing awareness,
S1: the reason that most Christians aren't really into it. Uh,
S1: but I think they're growing. Growing many, many more who
S1: are interested.
S4: But I hope so.
S1: Uh, but, you know, in the early Middle Ages, when
S1: Jewish people came to faith keeping Passover or anything Jewish
S1: was considered, quote, judaizing, unquote.
S4: Mhm.
S1: And and in fact, if you look at some of the, uh,
S1: faith statements that Jewish people had to make in the fifth, sixth,
S1: seventh century, they had to swear off keeping kosher food,
S1: eating kosher food. They had to swear that they wouldn't
S1: keep a Passover meal.
S4: Right.
S1: If you can imagine. And I think that was deeply embedded,
S1: that anything that we see in the they wanted to
S1: kind of sell Squeeze out. Obliterate the Jewish roots of
S1: the faith. Uh, that's contrary to the New Testament. But
S1: that's what they were doing.
S4: Yeah. So. Yeah.
S1: Yeah, yeah. But I am grateful that so many believers today, uh,
S1: who are not Jewish, want to learn about this. They
S1: want to understand their Jewish roots. And so don't don't
S1: presume that everyone isn't interested. There's many, many. I mean,
S1: if they weren't interested, I wouldn't be going from church
S1: to church from year to year explaining the Jewish roots
S1: of the Passover of of the Lord's Supper.
S4: So how often do you come to Spring Hill, Florida?
S6: Uh, not very often, but, uh, I go a lot
S6: of places, but there's.
S1: Always someone, uh, you know, one of our partners, Chosen
S1: People Ministries, they spread out all over Florida and have
S1: their representatives explaining the Jewish roots of of the Lord's Supper, uh,
S1: the Passover Messiah and the Passover. So contact that office.
S1: You should look look them up online. Chosen people ministries,
S1: and they'll direct you. Okay.
S4: Is there time for another question?
S1: No, I got to go to the next call. Call again? Okay. Donna,
S1: I really appreciate it. Okay.
S4: Thanks. Bye. Yep. Shalom. Shabbat shalom.
S1: Shabbat shalom. We're going to speak, uh, with Darryl in
S1: Crown Point, Indiana. Hey, Darryl. Thanks for listening on Wmbi.
S1: Welcome to Open Line. How can I help you?
S7: I was asking the question of where the Apostle's Creed
S7: talks about Jesus descending into hell, and where you stand
S7: on that, I don't. Yeah.
S1: Well, the earliest, uh, Apostles Creed didn't have that in there.
S1: That was added later on. Um, and, uh, but it's
S1: it's quite an ancient teaching. I don't think the Bible
S1: supports it. It's usually taken from first Peter three, where, uh,
S1: there's a mention of him, uh, preaching to the spirits
S1: now in prison. Uh, but I think that that's just
S1: meaning that the Lord Jesus preached through Noah. If you
S1: look at the context, Noah was the one. And he
S1: preached to the people of Noah's day through Noah. And
S1: then they died having rejected Noah's message. And therefore they
S1: are now spirits in, in prison. Uh, and so he
S1: preached through Noah to people who died and became spirits
S1: in prison. Uh, I think that's the main verse that
S1: is used for the Lord descending to hell to either
S1: proclaim his victory or or descending into hell, uh, to proclaim.
S1: Some people think a second chance. I don't think anyone
S1: really seriously who believes the Bible says that. But, uh,
S1: the main thing there is that he descended to hell to, uh,
S1: proclaim victory over the demons. But that's not what that
S1: verse is talking about. The context is that he preached
S1: to the spirits in prison. That means he preached the
S1: good news through Noah, that there was deliverance from the flood. Uh,
S1: so he preached through Noah. The people didn't listen to Noah.
S1: They died. And now they are spirits in prison, awaiting
S1: future judgment. That's what I think that that's talking about. Uh, so, uh,
S1: so I don't think the Lord descended to hell. Here's
S1: why the Lord says, father, into your hands I commit
S1: my spirit. He said, that's what he says as he dies.
S1: And then, uh, secondly, uh, he says, uh, to the
S1: thief on the cross today, this day, you'll be together
S1: with me in Paradise. So it appears that the Lord
S1: Jesus went immediately to the father. That's that's what I
S1: think he did.
S8: So, uh. Yes.
S7: Thank you, I definitely agree.
S1: Okay, good, good. Uh, you know, there's a lot of
S1: people that that feel like that's some essential to the
S1: faith because it's in the Apostles Creed, but it's not.
S1: It wasn't in the original Apostles Creed. It's certainly the
S1: essential of the faith that Jesus died for us and
S1: rose again. Uh, well, we're going to come back in
S1: a moment with the mailbag, so stay with us. You're
S1: listening to Open Line with Michael Ray Dominic. We'll be
S1: right back. Welcome back to Open Line. So glad to
S1: be with you. Uh, my name is Michael Melnick, and
S1: I'm so grateful that Far Eastern Broadcasting Company partners with
S1: us to bring you the Febc mailbag. Uh, every, Uh,
S1: every week. Uh, it's, uh, it's a terrific ministry that
S1: brings the gospel through media to people all over the world.
S1: And then also with personal follow up, if you'd like
S1: to know more about Febc, and I hope you do
S1: go to Febc. Uh, that's Febc. And also check out
S1: their podcast called Until All Have Heard featuring Ed Cannon.
S1: I think you're going to really like it. Joining me
S1: right now in studio is Tara Hanes. She's our producer today. Hey, Tara,
S1: how can I help? How are you doing today?
S9: Hi. I'm doing very well. How are you, Michael?
S1: Good, good. I can't see you.
S9: I know we've had technical difficulty difficulties today, but I'm
S9: glad you can hear me.
S1: Yeah, I'm glad I can hear you. Great. Uh, well,
S1: you know, I wanted to say this. That, uh, we
S1: just got got word, uh, about how many kitchen table
S1: partners we have, uh, with Open Line. And I was
S1: just so pleased and excited. More than 800 people have
S1: become part of the team. You know, we always think
S1: of we have a pretty great team here with Open Line.
S1: We've got, uh, Tricia and you and Lisa and Omar
S1: and even Karen sits in sometimes. We're so grateful for
S1: the whole team. But, uh, listeners are part of the team.
S1: We wouldn't have a program without our listeners. Appreciate them
S1: so much. Uh, they study the Bible. They want to
S1: know what it means. But also, there are those kitchen
S1: table partners, people who give monthly so we can be
S1: on the air weekly. And I appreciate them so much. Uh,
S1: we have about 835 right now.
S9: What a blessing.
S1: That's a great thing. And, you know, William Washington, Doctor
S1: William Washington, dean of student life and enrollment at Moody
S1: Bible Institute, everyone he meets. When he hears they listen
S1: to Open Line, he goes over to them and says,
S1: are you kitchen table partner? He's determined, uh, more than
S1: anyone I know, to to see their tribe increase.
S9: And that's so nice. Thank you, Doctor Washington.
S1: I appreciate that because I appreciate each one so much.
S1: It really does keep us on the air. And and
S1: that's one of the reasons why we do a Bible
S1: study moment every other week. For them, it's a special
S1: Bible study, audio Bible study designed exclusively for our kitchen
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S1: go to open line radio.org. Hey we better handle some
S1: of these questions people sent in. Don't you think.
S9: Yes, yes. Thank you so much. Our first question is
S9: from Mark in Indiana. Listening through Matthew 1240 talks about
S9: Jesus going down to the heart of the earth. Where
S9: is that?
S1: Where is the heart of the earth? The belly of
S1: the earth? Yes. Uh. It's a, uh, it's a euphemism
S1: or a figure of speech for burial. That's all it is.
S1: It doesn't. It doesn't mean that, you know, he journeyed
S1: to the center of the earth like the old TV show. Uh, is.
S1: It's just a reference to burial. So, for example, in
S1: Matthew 12, I'll read you the whole verse because it's
S1: interesting verse. And then I'll even talk about the thing
S1: that really troubles people about it. Mhm. As Jonah was
S1: in the belly of the huge fish three days and
S1: three nights, so the Son of Man will be in
S1: the heart of the earth. Three days and three nights. Well,
S1: obviously that has to do with being buried in a tomb.
S1: So it's just a figure of speech for burial. Now,
S1: the other issue has to do with, uh, three days
S1: and three nights. People get so worked up about the
S1: three days and three nights they want to recalculate the
S1: days of the, the, the, the day of the crucifixion and, uh,
S1: and the day of the resurrection that that refers to
S1: inclusive time reckoning and what that is, that's another figure
S1: of speech, where in the Bible and in Judaism, in
S1: the first century and even in the Old Testament, any
S1: part of a day counted as a day and a night,
S1: that's what it meant. Uh, so you could say a
S1: day and a night like, uh, Esther had the people
S1: fast for three days and three nights, it says. But
S1: then on the third day is when she went into
S1: the king. So she didn't wait for the full night
S1: on the third night. Uh, three days and three nights
S1: refers to any part of a day leading to three days.
S1: Three nights. And that would, uh. That's why it says
S1: three days. Three nights. Because Friday, Saturday, Sunday doesn't technically
S1: isn't three days and three nights, but it fits that
S1: figure of speech that Jewish people use for any part
S1: of a day, counting as a day and a night.
S1: So thank.
S9: You. Thank you for that clarification. And that actually leads
S9: right to our next question from Sandy. I think that
S9: inclusive time reckoning will apply to her question as well.
S9: Sandy's from Wisconsin, the Moody Radio, um, Alexa devices where
S9: she uses a friend said that she has a King
S9: James version of the Bible with a timeline at the
S9: end of Zechariah, and she states, it confirms that Jesus
S9: died on a Wednesday and rose on Saturday, the Sabbath.
S9: And she wanted the clarification as well.
S1: Well, I don't know what King James Bible she has.
S1: I don't think the King James Bible has any special
S1: insight into the days, and especially at the end of Zechariah.
S1: Perhaps it's referring to at the at the end of Zechariah,
S1: some sort of timeline that's added. That's not part of
S1: the text of the Bible. That wouldn't be any different,
S1: but it might be the way some interpreter put it.
S1: But I think the traditional time that it was Thursday night,
S1: Last Supper, that was a Seder. Um, and then the
S1: going to Gethsemane, uh, arrest on Thursday night and then
S1: through the night being held in captivity, uh, tried by
S1: the Sanhedrin, then tried before Pilate, Herod Antipas, Pilate again.
S1: 6 a.m. is when the crowd shouts, crucify him! So
S1: it's obviously a crowd of ringers we call people who
S1: are gathered together at 6 a.m. for that very purpose.
S1: It wasn't just the general populace, it was, you know,
S1: a crowd that that some people gathered up to intentionally
S1: call for his crucifixion. 9 a.m. crucifixion. And then, uh,
S1: noon at death, I think. Now, this this book can
S1: be a little technical, but I mention it all the time.
S1: It's one of the most helpful books to understand. Chronology
S1: about the and the chronology of the last week of
S1: the Lord is in there. And it's really helpful, really biblical.
S1: It's called, uh, chronological aspects of the life of Christ.
S1: Chronological aspects of the Life of Christ by Harold Hoehner.
S1: H o e h e r. Anyone listening? That's a
S1: book you got to get. It's it's. He was my
S1: mentor for my master's thesis, and it was a fairly
S1: new book when I read it the first time, but
S1: I've been I'm old now, so it's so it's it's
S1: a fairly old book, but it's still in print. It's
S1: still a great book. It's one of the most helpful
S1: books you'll ever read about the chronology of the last week.
S9: So you give great resources. Thank you for that.
S1: Yeah. So let's do one more question.
S9: Heidi listening in Illinois WNBA, how did the Passover sacrifice
S9: go from saving the firstborn male to payment for our sins? Um,
S9: what is the correlation or the relationship?
S1: Well, the Passover lamb never took away our sins. The
S1: Passover lamb was, uh, a picture that God used, that
S1: the judgment would come, judgment would come on every house
S1: in Egypt. And the way to escape judgment was to
S1: offer a pure and spotless lamb and put his blood
S1: on the doorposts of your house. And God said that
S1: when I when I, uh, go through Egypt to to
S1: exercise judgment, I will pass over you. Your household. When
S1: you have the blood on the doorposts of your house,
S1: of that lamb. And so that lamb became a symbol
S1: or a pattern for how we can personally escape judgment.
S1: And that would be that if we take if God
S1: took a pure and spotless, sinless Messiah like a lamb
S1: as a lamb, not like he's a lamb, but as
S1: a lamb that went to the slaughter if he takes him, uh,
S1: and he is. That's why the Lord Jesus said, no
S1: one gives my life. No one takes my life, but
S1: I give it up freely. It's why in acts four
S1: it says that the crucifixion was for ordained by God.
S1: Your hand and your purpose predestined this to occur is
S1: what it says in acts 428. Uh, that that's why
S1: God did it. And the result was that the Lord
S1: Jesus was raised and we can experience forgiveness. So just
S1: as there was a pure and spotless lamb, there was
S1: a pure and spotless Savior who died as a lamb.
S1: And if we apply his blood to the doorposts of
S1: our hearts by faith, God will pass over judgment. Uh, when?
S1: When we would expect to be judged for our sins. Instead,
S1: he took the judgment, just as that lamb did. So
S1: it's just a patterning. It's not necessarily a literal lamb
S1: that takes away our sin, but it is. Why, uh,
S1: John the Baptist, when he saw the Lord, said, behold,
S1: the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of
S1: the world. In John one. So it's not a literal he,
S1: the Lord, the lamb didn't take away sin. The Lord Jesus, uh,
S1: was not a literal lamb. He was a man, a
S1: God man. But, uh, do you follow what I'm saying?
S9: I do, I do. Thank you.
S1: I think sometimes we can get a little overly literal.
S1: We have to understand the Bible is filled with figures
S1: of speech because we speak in figures of speech. That's
S1: the normal way we speak. So. Well, uh, thanks for
S1: bringing those in. We're going to take a break here.
S9: Thank you. Thank you. Michael.
S1: Uh, when we come back, we're going to take more
S1: of your questions right here on Open Line. My name
S1: is Michael Ray Melnick. That was to hear Haines. And, uh,
S1: we'll be right back with more of your questions right now. Uh,
S1: just stay with us here on Open Line. Welcome back
S1: to Open Line. I need to mention a couple of
S1: things before we go back to the phones. First of all,
S1: I was in the midst of, uh, talking about our
S1: current resource when we had a a glitch with a
S1: technology glitch. So I do want to remind you that
S1: we're we're so committed because we believe the Bible. We
S1: love the Bible. And people have questions about how we
S1: got the Bible. I really want to encourage people to
S1: get a copy of our current resources called The Story
S1: of the Bible by Carl Laney. It's an amazing journey
S1: that it takes us on the amazing journey of the
S1: inspiration of the original texts of Scripture to transmission by
S1: different scribes, ultimately to translations, and how we have the Bible,
S1: the inspired Word of God that we read all the time.
S1: This is a great book, and it's easy to understand.
S1: If you'd like to deepen your confidence in the Bible,
S1: we want to send it to you as a thank
S1: you gift for a gift of any size. Uh, we
S1: want to send you a copy of The Story of
S1: the Bible by Carl Laney. Just go to to Open
S1: Line radio.org or call (888) 644-7122. two. And that's I think
S1: you're going to really be grateful. Remember to ask when
S1: you give your gift of any size for the story
S1: of the Bible. And also Passover begins tonight. It's a
S1: festival which is such a meaningful celebration of redemption. And
S1: so one of our partners, Chosen People Ministries, is offering
S1: a free booklet called Passover A time for redemption, which
S1: shows how the Passover foreshadows our redemption through the Messiah Jesus.
S1: If you'd like a copy of Passover A time for redemption,
S1: just go to our website openline. radio.org. Scroll down. You'll
S1: see a link that says A free gift from Chosen
S1: People Ministries. Click on that and you'll be taken to
S1: a page where you can sign up for your very
S1: own copy of Passover. A time for redemption. One last
S1: thing I need to mention. Uh, there. If you go
S1: to our web page Openline radio.org, there's a link there
S1: that says Michael Radionics homepage. It's my personal homepage. The
S1: reason I want to mention that is there's two things
S1: coming up. One is next December, I'm going to be
S1: doing a Bible conference on a ship tall ship in
S1: the Caribbean. It's going to be great studying the Book
S1: of Daniel there. And if you're interested, you can see
S1: that linked on my web page, as well as where
S1: we're going to plan to go to Israel again. It's
S1: become safe. We're not going to go to any war zone,
S1: but we're going to go to Israel in September of 2025,
S1: just a few months away. Um, and now that it's safe,
S1: we're going to go. And just today, we're we're letting
S1: people know that it's okay to check out going to
S1: Israel with Messianic Journeys in September. So I think those
S1: are some things you might be interested in. We're going
S1: to talk to Mike in Chicago listening on. Hi, welcome
S1: to Open Line, Mike. How can I help you?
S10: Uh, well, uh, doctor, thanks for taking my call. Um.
S10: Are you may I presume that you're familiar with Constantine's
S10: Easter decree?
S3: Yes.
S10: Yes. Well, for the benefit of your listeners, that may not.
S10: And my question relates to his decree that we should
S10: not celebrate Easter according to the Jews, and that we
S10: should not have. We the church should not have anything
S10: to do with the rabble of the, uh, the detestable
S10: mass of Jews, as Eusebius put it. So why does
S10: the church insist on celebrating Easter, according to Constantine, instead
S10: of the true date? According to the to the Jewish calendar,
S10: it seems highly disrespectful of Jesus and his origins and
S10: what you know Easter is all about.
S1: Well, I do know that, uh, Constantine, uh, wanted, you know,
S1: we think of the Council of Nicaea as clarifying the
S1: deity of Jesus, and that's a very good thing that
S1: came out of it. On the other hand, he changed
S1: the cycle for when to celebrate resurrection, to fit more
S1: with pagan sensibilities rather than Jewish ones. And he had
S1: his deeply anti-Jewish attitude, where he says he wanted to
S1: separate from the odious company of the Jews. And that's why, uh,
S1: he did that. Uh, so. What happened was this became embedded,
S1: at least in the Western Church, not necessarily in the
S1: Eastern Church. And so but, you know, the roots are
S1: clear if you go to if you speak Italian and
S1: you talk about Easter, they don't call it Easter. They
S1: don't call it anything. They call it related to that.
S1: They call it Pascha, Passover. Uh, that's the the way, uh,
S1: Easter or Resurrection Day is called Passover. So, uh, there
S1: are some that that recognize those routes. Here's the point, though.
S1: Western civilization has carried this out for so long. I
S1: think it would be really hard to turn over all
S1: of Western civilization and have them celebrate, uh, the atonement of,
S1: you know, Good Friday and the resurrection on, uh, on
S1: any other day except for Resurrection Sunday, because it's so
S1: embedded in Western culture. But I personally, I celebrate through
S1: the Passover week. That's when I celebrate those things. But
S1: that's my personal practice. I don't try to impose that
S1: on others, but that's how my family celebrates. Okay, Mike?
S10: Yes, thanks. I understand, but I think a lot of
S10: things in Western civilization, civilization might be overturned for the good.
S11: Listen.
S1: I. Yeah, but listen, as long as people are celebrating
S1: that Jesus is alive, I'm okay with it. It's okay.
S10: All right. Thanks.
S1: Okay. Yeah. Okay. Uh, we're going to talk to Emily.
S1: Listening in Pennsylvania on the Moody Radio app. Hi, Emily.
S1: How can I help you today?
S12: Oh, we love your show. We listen every Saturday. Thank you. Uh, so. So, uh,
S12: I came to the Lord, uh, at 37 after a
S12: very long search. Um, but my background is, um, Catholicism.
S12: So one verse that I had always wondered about, um,
S12: was it's in Luke. Uh, the kingdom of God is
S12: within you. When Jesus said that, what did he mean?
S1: Uh, well. He's he's not saying that there won't be
S1: a literal kingdom on Earth. Uh. I think what he's
S1: actually saying is that the kingdom of God doesn't start
S1: with a political upheaval where the Lord returns and establishes, Is, uh, a, uh, uh,
S1: an earthly kingdom. It actually starts when we trust in
S1: the Lord and believe in him and follow him and
S1: allow him to rule over us. Kingdom of God refers
S1: to the rulership of God, and his rulership doesn't start
S1: with a political upheaval. It starts with a personal transformation.
S1: And that's when he says, the Kingdom of God is
S1: in your midst or within you. Uh, it's it's it's
S1: in man's heart. Uh, your women's heart. It's in a
S1: person's faith decision. And only that's where it starts. But
S1: one day, when the entire nation of Israel makes that
S1: faith decision. That's a long time from when the Lord
S1: Jesus said it. But it does say that one day
S1: they will. He said, this is what he said. Oh, Jerusalem. Jerusalem. Uh,
S1: I would have gathered you as a mother hen gathers
S1: her chicks. But you were unwilling. You won't see me
S1: until you welcome me back. Until you say, blessed is
S1: he who comes in the name of the Lord, he
S1: will return, and the kingdom of God will come to earth,
S1: not as something just in our hearts, but actually, uh,
S1: his rulership on earth. So I hope that helps a
S1: little bit. Emily, we got to take our break here.
S1: Thanks for listening, everyone. That's it for the first hour.
S1: Keep listening for the second hour of Open Line, which
S1: is coming up during the break. Check out our web page,
S1: Open Line Radio. Org's got all the links you're looking for.
S1: The Bible study across America will continue in the second hour,
S1: so stay with us. Open line with Doctor Michael Melnick
S1: is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody
S1: Bible Institute. Stay with us. We'll be back.