April 1, 33 A.D.

Christian 'Easter' is a celebration of the events of a specific Jewish Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread and First Fruits of the Jewish year 3793 which coincides with April 1, 2 and 3, 33 A.D. respectively on the Gregorian calendar. It didn't start there though. The Word tells us that Jesus was the slain from the very creation1, the price of sin was determined, the plan devised and contract was set before it was ever needed. In fact, God is so very detailed and intentional, that He planned out a payment that would be a graphic illustration of the cancellation of the curse. He detailed every aspect of this event: the day and time of death, place, method,specific wounds and lack of broken bones, phrases spoken, how the clothing would be handled, sour wine and hyssop, the betrayal and price paid, the Messiah's name, parents' names, disciples names, and more. It is so graphically displayed that the Word says Jesus made a public spectacle of Satan and publicly paraded mankind as trophies of victory!2 Often it is described as salvation, “heaven after you die,” but it is so, so much more. Let’s look at it closely.

God doesn’t have the same value or currency system that humans have. He deals in life, blood. The scripture says that life is in blood, blood has a voice and blood is demanded as payment for life.3 The Old Testament temple, festivals and sacrifices were representations of this. Every drop of Jesus blood was shed intentionally, every wound was for a specific reason that had already been planned and documented. Pilate didn’t decide where or how Jesus’ would be wounded, the Roman soldiers didn’t randomly extract His blood, nor was it simply incidental. The wounds were purposely inflicted and blood specifically shed to buy back humanity and re-create it in the original image of God. 4

In the Old Testament, the high priest was instructed to cleanse the articles in the inner chamber--the Holy of Holies, the very Mercy Seat--in the cloud of God’s presence. The priest took the blood of the sin sacrifice animals and shook it over the mercy seat seven times to cleanse, make atonement and consecrate5. From our vantage point in history, we can correlate this to Jesus’ death generally, and specifically. Jesus spilled His blood in seven specific ways to fulfill the sacrificial representations of the Mosaic Law.

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus agonized over the plan He knew to be God’s will for Him. The Bible says He sweated great drops as of blood6. In the Garden of Eden, the first Adam surrendered his will to Lucifer and the curse began; in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus struggled in agony and surrendered His will to God, and the curse began to break. Mankind would be able to once again have the image God intended; the born-again believer would have access to the fellowship of righteousness with God. What the first Adam lost for all of mankind, the last Adam, Jesus, bought back for all of mankind.7

At the whipping post, Jesus was flogged. This was a part of all Roman executions with just a few exceptions. Most people have heard of the cruelty and severity of a Roman flogging, the assault on the flesh, tearing the skin and muscles; but the simple fact that the scourging was foretold made it clear that His death would occur in exactly this time period and in Roman culture, not the typical “stoning” that Jewish law would have inflicted. The blood loss at floggings was excessive. Isaiah tells us that Jesus’ scourging bought our physical healing. The Psalmist declares forgiveness of sin and healing of all diseases as benefits enjoyed by God’s people. Jesus equated forgiveness of sin with physical healing. Physical healing was a part of the Mosaic covenant, and it’s a part of the born-again believer’s blood-bought deal.8

The Roman soldiers made crown of thorns, this was NOT a normal part of the crucifixion process, although mockery was common. But Satan’s cruel and vindictive nature played directly into his own undoing. The thorny symbols of the curse on the earth and Adam’s curse regarding toil just to live by the “sweat of your brow” were pushed onto Jesus’ brow, drawing blood. The curse on the earth to withhold from man, that caused mankind labor and toil, was revoked with a covenant sealed in Jesus’ blood. God’s covenant promise to provide abundantly, so much that it cannot be contained, enough to share with others, was inked with blood, and that blood obliterated the curse.9

It was common practice for soldiers to taunt and beat convicts during the preliminaries before execution and the gospels record that this was what happened to Jesus. Luke tells us Jesus was beaten by the mob prior to Pilate’s inquisition as well. He was punched and slapped. Isaiah says He “has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;“ was “stricken, smitten….He was bruised or crushed for our iniquities.” Bruising is internal bleeding, hidden under the skin, not usually visible immediately; but it is spilled blood nonetheless. Iniquity is a type of sin that may not be readily seen, often a moral fault or perversity, with far reaching, long term impact; the word denotes guilt carried—sometimes through generations-- and punishment. Life-long struggles can be caused by the moral faults or learned negative behaviors of influences in our environment. Mental, emotional and physical ailments along with griefs and sorrows can be the results of this type of sin and guilt—on the sinner and those affected by the sin. Jesus’ bled specifically to break that curse, forgive iniquities and heal the invisible and visible results of iniquity.10

The hands are representative of power, authority. Under the Mosaic Law, the hands and feet of the priests were holy, cleansed with water and sanctified with blood. In the Old Testament, hands would be laid on children to convey blessings or on an animal to transfer sin. Jesus raised His hands to bless His disciples. Moses’ raised hands won a battle. The false god Dagon was stripped of authority (represented by hands and head) in the presence of God. Both Testaments use the term “holy hands.” In the New Testament, believers’ hands have power and authority over sickness and evil spirits along with use as a conduit for the baptism of the Holy Spirit; believers are told not to lay hands on people suddenly. The Mosaic Law and covenant promised “The LORD your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hands.” Jesus gave believers’ hands the prosperity of the old covenant and additional authority in dealing with sickness through the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ new covenant of authority is expanded and better and God sealed it in His own blood.11

Feet represented dominion. The first Adam was given dominion over the earth and its beasts--including the serpent. Jesus quoted the 110st Psalm about putting enemies under His feet, as does Peter and the writer of Hebrews; both references evoke the original curse to the serpent. Moses and Joshua were both promised dominion for Israel in every place they set their foot. The shadow of the Mosaic Law for the Aaronic priesthood of cleansing with water and sanctifying with blood is again represented here. Jesus had cleansed His disciples’ feet just a few hours before the sanctifying blood was shed from His own feet. And in shedding that blood, He gained victory over the enemy for mankind, crushing Satan under the feet of the blood-bought children of God.12

The final place that Jesus shed His blood was from His pierced side. Isaiah says “He was pierced for our transgressions”. Transgression is sin of rebellion or faithlessness. It is not an accidental sin. It is sin that is known in the sinner’s heart to be wrong. David, a “man after God’s own heart,” links broken hearts and spirits with contrite hearts and spirits, and calls these “the sacrifices of God” that precede forgiveness. Faithless human hearts need to be broken in complete repentance on the Cornerstone before the cleansing blood can complete its work and produce the new, healed heart. Many Bible scholars believe Jesus literally died of a broken heart evidenced by His loud cry at death and the spear’s resulting watery blood. Jesus proclaimed He was sent to ”bind up the broken hearted” and heal them. This is a picture of the sinner who is truly ‘broken’ over their sin. Although the blood/water mixture was spilled after Jesus’ death, it was released internally at His death. Jesus said “rivers of living water will flow from within" His believers, speaking of the Holy Spirit that would be poured out on all flesh because of His death. This is a beautiful detail John includes from his first-hand, up-close witness testimony, and the symbolism in the seventh place Jesus shed His blood is profound.13

His death bought us life with the Father after death but His wounds in His flesh before His death bought us life, healing, provision, blessing and fellowship with the Father in our flesh and life on earth before death. All the benefits covered in the Old Covenant are still covered in the New. But the New Covenant adds the most significant benefit of all. 14 We will explore that more next month.

God has given us a New Covenant, better than the first. It is sealed seven times with the powerful blood of Jesus; our part is a ‘circumcision’ of the heart--cleansed by His blood to make us a sanctified dwelling place for His Sprit. Let’s not stop short of the goal that was purchased for our benefit. This resurrection season, press forward and pursue ALL that Jesus accomplished for us as the Passover began on Nisan 14, 3793. Jesus’ bought more than salvation after death, He paid it all—a more abundant life for the believer in unity with Himself and the Father—and He inked it with His blood. Let’s not waste such a precious gift acquired at the highest of prices.21

1. The derivation of the name “Easter” is uncertain, but according to Bede (De Ratione Temporum, XV) it is derived from Eastre, a Teutonic spring goddess, to whom sacrifices were offered in April. The pagan festival probably gave way to the Christian celebration of Christ’s resurrection. Ēostre or Ostara is a Germanic goddess who, by way of the Germanic month bearing her name is the namesake of the festival of Easter in some languages. Wkipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ēostre

Revelation 13:8, And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 1 Peter 1:20, He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.

The Passover Lamb was selected four days before it was killed; if a day is as a thousand years to God, (2 Peter 3:8, Psalm 90:4), and Adam began aging circa 4000 BC, Jesus showed up right on time. The Lamb had been selected four 'days' prior to His death.

2. Colossians 2:14-15, He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; He triumphed over them by Him.

3. 1 Peter 1:18-19, For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

Deuteronomy 12:23, However, by no means eat the blood, for the blood is life itself--you must not eat the life with the meat!

Genesis 4:1, The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground.

Hebrews 12:2, Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Leviticus 17:11, For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life.

Genesis 9:4, But you must never eat any meat that still has the lifeblood in it.

Acts 15:20, Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood.

4. Hebrews 8:5, They serve at a copy and shadow of the heavenly sanctuary. That is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle, “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”

Hebrews10:1, The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming--not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship.

Colossians 2:17, These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

Romans 8:29, For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son

Colossians 3:10, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

5. Leviticus 4; 16:14, 15, 19, “Moreover, he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side; also in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.

“Then he shall slaughter the goat of the sin offering which is for the people, and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat.

With his finger he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times and cleanse it, and from the impurities of the sons of Israel consecrate it.

6. Luke 22:44, And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

7. Romans 5:12-19, Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, . . . . For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people . . . . For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

Romans 8:29, For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers.

Colossians 3:10, And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

1 Corinthians 15:45-50, So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man. I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.

8. Isaiah 52:14, But many were amazed when they saw him. His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human, and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man.

Isaiah 53: 5, And by his scourging we are healed.

Psalm 103:3, Who heals all your diseases

Mark 2:9-11, Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”

Exodus 15:26, and said, “I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”

Exodus 23:25-26, Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.

Deuteronomy 7:14-15, You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor will any of your livestock be without young. The Lord will keep you free from every disease.

Deuteronomy28:10-13,21-22, And the Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you. . . . .The Lord will make the plague cling to you until He has consumed you from the land which you are going to possess. The Lord will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with severe burning fever, with the sword, with scorching, and with mildew; they shall pursue you until you perish.

Matthew 8:16-17, And evening having come, they brought to Him many being possessed with demons, and He cast out the spirits with a word and He healed all those being sick, so that it might be fulfilled that having been spoken through the prophet Isaiah, saying, “He Himself took our infirmities, and bore our diseases.”

Hebrews 8:6, Jesus has been given a priestly work that is superior to the Levitical priests' work. He also brings a better promise from God that is based on better guarantees.

Hebrew 7:22, In this way, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant.

9. Deuteronomy 8:18, But remember the LORD your God, because he is the one who gives you the ability to produce wealth, in order to confirm his covenant that he promised by an oath to your ancestors, as is the case today.

Deuteronomy 23:2, Moreover, all these blessings will come upon you in abundance, if you obey the LORD your God:

Deuteronomy 23:11, The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity

Proverbs 13:22, A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.

John 10:10, I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Luke 6:38, Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your lap.

10. Matthew 26:67, Then they spit in his face and struck him with their fists. Others slapped him.

Matthew 27:30, And they spat on Him, and took the staff and struck Him on the head repeatedly.

Mark 14:65, Then some of them began to spit on Him. They blindfolded Him, struck Him with their fists, and said to Him, "Prophesy!" And the officers received Him with slaps in His face.

Mark 15:19, They kept striking His head with a staff and spitting on Him. And they knelt down and bowed before Him.

Luke 22:63, The men who were holding Jesus began to mock Him and beat Him.

Isaiah 53:4,5, Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. He was crushed for our iniquities;

11. Genesis 48:14, 18, But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim’s head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh’s head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn. . . .Joseph said to him, “No, my father, this one is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head.”

Exodus 17:11, As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.

Luke 24:50, Jesus . . . . lifted up His hands and blessed them.

Exodus 29:15, Take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on its head.

Leviticus 8:22, He then presented the other ram, the ram for the ordination, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head.

1 Samuel 5:4, But when they rose early on the next morning, behold, Dagon had fallen face downward on the ground before the ark of the LORD, and the head of Dagon and both his hands were lying cut off on the threshold. Only the trunk of Dagon was left to him.

Psalm 134:2, Lift up holy hands in prayer, and praise the LORD.

1 Timothy 2:8, Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or dissension.

1 Timothy 5:22, Lay hands hastily on no one, neither be a participant in other men's sins. Keep yourself pure.

Deuteronomy 15:10, the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.

Deuteronomy 28:8, he LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to.

Deuteronomy 30:9, Then the LORD your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands

Mark 6:5, 7, He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. . . . And he called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil spirits.

Luke 10:1, 8, After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two … and …. told them, “Heal the sick who are there,”

Mark 16:18, they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Acts 8:17, Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Acts 9:17, So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 19:6, When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

12. Genesis 1:28, God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.”

Matthew 22:44, "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet."'

Psalm 110:1, The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet."

Acts 2:34-35, For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, 35until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’

Hebrews 1:13, To which of the angels did God ever say, "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet"?

Hebrews 10:13-14, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.

Genesis 3:15, 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."

Deuteronomy 2:5, Do not provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land, not even enough to put your foot on.

Deuteronomy 11:24, Every place where you set your foot will be yours:

Joshua 1:3, I will give you every place where you set your foot

Exodus 29:20, Slaughter it, take some of its blood and put it on the lobes of the right ears of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet.

Exodus 30:18, Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet

2 Samuel 22:39, I crushed them completely, and they could not rise; they fell beneath my feet.

Psalm 18:40, You placed my foot on their necks. I have destroyed all who hated me.

Leviticus 8:23,24 Moses slaughtered the ram and took some of its blood and put it on the lobe of Aaron’s right ear, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. Moses also brought Aaron’s sons forward and put some of the blood on the lobes of their right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet.

Romans 16:20, The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

13. Isaiah 53:5, But he was pierced for our transgressions,

1 Samuel 13:14, “the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command."

Acts 13:22, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’

Psalm 34:18, The LORD is near to them that are of a broken heart; and saves such as be of a contrite spirit.

Psalm 51:17, The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Psalm 147:3, He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Matthew 21:44, “Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

Luke 20:18, “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

Isaaiah 61:1, He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,

Ezekiel 36:26, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

John 7:37-39, On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

Joel 2:28, I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

21. Hebrews 8:6, But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.

Hebrews 12:24, Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Romans 2:29, circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.

Hebrews 10:10, And by that will, we have been sanctified through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Hebrews 13:12, So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.

Romans 8:8-9, You, however, are . . . in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you . . . the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.

Hebrews 12:2, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;

John 17:21, I am not asking on behalf of them alone, but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.

Philippians 3:14, I press on toward the goal to win the prize of God’s heavenly calling in Christ Jesus.

John 10:10, I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.