Are You Packed?
By John Hendrix
When God visited the last plague on the Egyptians, He commanded the children of Israel to kill a lamb, put its blood on the doorposts and lentils of their houses, and eat it as part of a "Passover" meal. The Lord promised He would "pass over" these houses marked by the blood of the lamb, not slaying the people inside.
God gave further instructions to the Israelites about the Passover meal: what they were to eat and how they were to eat it. For one thing, the Israelites were to fully prepare themselves to leave Egypt:
And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD'S Passover. (Exodus 12:11)
The unleavened bread was part of the "ready to go" mindset that the children of Israel were to have:
So the people took their dough before it was leavened, having their kneading bowls bound up in their clothes on their shoulders. (Exodus 12:34)
Those in Israel who believed God did just as He commanded. Before the Destroyer passed through the land, before anyone had died, and certainly before Pharaoh had given the order for them to leave, the Israelites were packed and ready to go. The manner in which they at the Passover showed their complete trust that God would fulfill His promise that very night. The faithful Israelites were prepared as though the order to leave had already been given.
For over a thousand years the faithful in Israel celebrated this event with the same type of meal. From parent to child, the Israelites passed down this memorial of God's deliverance and protection. They continued to use unleavened bread--as well as the lamb--because unleavened bread was "way bread," because the first Passover was eaten in hast while they were ready to make their journey out of Egypt.
Then Jesus--during His last Passover meal--instituted a new feast, a new memorial and a new promise of deliverance:
And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you." (Luke 22:19-20)
After Jesus died, rose again, and ascended into heaven, faithful Christians met together on the first day of the week to keep a feast of unleavened bread and grape juice (see Acts 20:7 and the rebuke of 1 Corinthians 11:20). They do this remembering the death of Jesus through which their sins are forgiven. They also remember that the Lord is coming back, just as He promised. The unleavened bread--way bread--is still a good reminder that they should be ready to go. Faithful Christians take care of the manner in which they eat it:
For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. (1 Corinthians 11:26-28)
Paul says that a man must examine himself before eating and drinking. There are many things that a man should examine about himself. Certainly these are a high item on the list: Do you believe that Jesus' sacrifice removes your sin? Do you believe that Jesus is coming back? Do you believe that your eternal home is in heaven with Him?
Like the Passover, the Lord's Supper is a statement of faith. Just as the Israelites believed that God would deliver them, faithful Christians fully expect that Jesus is coming back to take them to His home in heaven. This earth is not their home; they look forward to an everlasting home in heaven. As pilgrims in an evil land, they are always packed and ready to leave when the Lord gives the command.
The Christian is taught to separate himself from the world
"Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty." (2 Cor. 6:17-18)
The Christian is taught to live in the world, but not be part of the world (John 17:16). He is commanded to not behave like people of the world:
Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:11-12)
The faithful Christians lives with the understanding that his real home is in heaven:
In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2)
Faithful Christians are reminded that Jesus may come back at any time:
But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. (1 Thessalonians 5:1-6)
In Matthew 24:46-51 Jesus spoke of two servants: the faithful servant and the unfaithful. The distinction boiled down to one thing: the faithful servant was ready at all times for the lord to return. Are you ready for the Lord to return? Are you packed and ready to go?