Passover Season

There is so much depth to the Passover season! I hope to post a bit more than usual during this time in a (feeble) attempt at unpacking some of its riches. I thought it best to start first with the ordination of (Pesach) Passover as a feast to be remembered forever. I plan to build on this text in later posts...

The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, "This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. "Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt. "This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread."
-- Exodus 12:1-20

Email Archives: Christocentric Theology

Occasionally I run across emails that I've written or which have been sent to me which make for good blog material. As I find and post these, I'll add the "Email Archives" label to them. Google Desktop helped me find this one - sent in early 2008 to a group of believers who used to meet each week to discuss theology:

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I've been reading (and listening) a lot lately to several theologians who are unpacking "Christocentric theology". For me, this is simply an outgrowth of covenant theology - but it also bears strong Lutheran (and others) influence. In short, Christocentric theology teaches that Christ is at the center of the entire Bible - Genesis to maps. All Scripture points - either forward or backward - to Jesus as Messiah. As an example - beginning immediately after the fall in (Genesis 3:14,15) God promises Eve an offspring (Messiah) who will crush the head of the serpent:

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."

From this account onward, Scripture is filled with prophesies, types, and shadows - all pointing to Christ. The most complex and amazing plotline ever developed. Moses served as a "type" of Christ; as did Joshua, David, Elijah, etc... Thus, I tend to react negatively when a Biblical figure such as Joshua is taught as an example of leadership - or when we’re charged to emulate star qualities ("dare to be a Daniel") of a particular character in redemptive history. Yes, Joshua was a leader, and yes, Daniel was courageous - but more importantly - they foreshadowed Christ - serving as role players in the story of Jesus. An understanding of Christ’s roles as prophet, priest, and king are of vital import. Thus, when I read Scripture I don’t see a character study - but rather a series of Messianic prophesies and their fulfillment. Building on the theme, Christ’s exemplary life is of secondary importance to the work that He performed on the cross for our sins. Christ’s substitutionary atonement is the "good news" that we are to proclaim. The Gospel message (theology of the cross) should never be confused with "you too can become a better person" (theology of glory). Muslims who respect Jesus as a prophet would do well to try to emulate His life (even lifestyle) - and they would probably admit as much. Ghandi did when he quipped:

"I like your Christ, but not your Christians"

Who doesn't find the popular characterization of Christ as appealing across culture boundaries? Everyone would do well to emulate Christ (where possible; His most important acts cannot be followed!). The snag comes with the "offense" (scandal) of the cross. This is where the Muslims draw the line; they don’t want any part of Christ as Messiah. His character traits - sure. His redemptive role as prophet, priest, and king? No way. This sacrifice and its implications are distinctly Christian. The atonement is at the front and center of Christianity; all else pales in comparison. Which is why I insist on hearing Christ and His atoning work preached *every* Sunday. This is not to say that the story of the cross is weekly repeated - but rather, the week’s passages interpreted as they point to Christ and His work on the cross. Christocentric preaching. Whether we’re studying Lamentations or Revelations - the focus of the service should be on Christ and his atoning work. Towards this point, I'm reminded of the scorn with which one of my Lutheran friends views sermon titles; in his words, every sermon should be titled "Christ and His Atoning Work" - as if anything else warrants mention. Christocentric theology in action!