Passover Covenant
(Sermon Notes) By Warren Zehrung 3/28/2020
This is a pre-Passover sermon. In today’s sermon, we will examine the wonderful promises of the New Covenant Christian Passover.
If God made a personal promise to you – gave you His word that He would positively do something – how important would that be to you? He never lies, or goes back on His word – never!
Psalm 89:34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
Psalm 89:35 … I will not lie …
Jesus Christ will take His rightful throne and rule the nations on earth as King of Kings and continue His office as High Priest. The kingdoms and nations of this evil world will be subdued and Jesus will be King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 17:14).
Deuteronomy 4:30 When you are in Tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if you turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto His voice;
Deuteronomy 4:31 (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) He will not forsake you, neither destroy you, nor forget the covenant [God’s Promise to] your fathers which He swore unto them.
In today’s sermon we will look at exactly what it is that Jesus has promised us. We will see the word Covenant a lot. Don’t let that word throw you. It has been the subject of much confusing controversy.
So, in order to clear the air, let’s simply think in terms of His word—His Promise. You may want to think of other terms like Agreement, Pledge or Contract. I find it easier to understand when I think of what it is that Jesus has promised us. Jesus has two kinds of promises:
The first Promise Jesus makes is one wherein He promises to keep His word to us no matter what happens.
The second type of promise is dependent on us. We receive the promise only when we do what we are supposed to do.
The first is unilateral, the second is contingent on our performance. In the first kind of promise, Jesus performs no matter what happens.
The second kind of promise is for those who stay in God’s good graces. Let’s talk about Eternal Life because that is the greatest promise that God makes to us:
Romans 6:23 …the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The promise of Eternal Life falls into the second category where we are required to perform, because the same verse also says, “For the wages of sin is death.”
Passover Covenant of Life!
On the evening of His last Passover, Jesus instituted the New Covenant Passover – the Passover Covenant. This Passover Covenant carries with it the promise of Eternal Life.
John 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Unless ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
John 6:54 Whosoever eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, hath Eternal Life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
John 6:56 He that eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, dwells in me, and I in him.
John 6:57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eats me, even he shall live by me.
John 6:58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eats of this bread shall Live forever. [Eternal Life]
What is our part in the New Covenant Passover? What do we promise in response to Christ’s promise to us?
Our part is our pledge to live by Jesus Christ, as He lived by His Father—absolutely everything He stands for. Notice Jesus’ words closely:
John 6:57 As the living Father has sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eats me, even he shall live by me.
That is the only way for a Christian to come to the Father. Jesus is Savior, and we are to be Co-Saviors with Him – and live just as He lived His life.
Living in Jesus requires a major effort on our part, with the aid of God’s Holy Spirit, – a major ongoing effort.
John 14:6 Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.
Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
The New Covenant Passover is central to the Plan of God.
We will go back to Adam, and Abraham, and follow the development of Jesus Christ’s covenants to man. What has Jesus promised all along? And you will notice that Christ’s promise remains constant. Let’s trace the development of God’s Covenant Promise through the Bible:
Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the Tree of Life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
The Tree of Life was the promise of Eternal Life to all who ate of it. There were conditions – and Adam and Eve chose disobedience and death! They ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
Genesis 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the Tree of Life, and eat, and live forever:
Adam and Eve were driven into the world. They chose for themselves – and they chose for their children also. They chose death for themselves and for their children also. Adam and Eve were duly warned by God:
Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eat thereof thou shalt surely die.
That was not God’s desire. That is not God’s Plan. Man had gone off track – and desperately needed to be put back on course – toward Eternal Life. That would require a Savior and a Redeemer!
God gave His Holy Spirit to some – like Righteous Able – but most of mankind sank into sin and moral depravity. God destroyed all flesh on earth in the flood – except for eight lives. To Noah and his family – a promise of Eternal Life must have seemed remote.
God made a Promise: The Rainbow Covenant with which God promises not to destroy all flesh from the face of the earth with a flood (Genesis 9:9-17).
Genesis 9:8 And God spoke unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, Behold, I establish my Covenant with you, and with your seed after you;
Genesis 9:10 And with every living creature that is with you,
Genesis 9:11-14 I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there anymore be a flood to destroy the earth. And, this is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud.
Without God’s Holy Spirit mankind continued in sin. God called Abraham from Ur of the Chaldees: Abraham followed God to the Promised Land.
Our God is a God of covenants – a God of promises.
The Passover Covenant Sacrifice
Genesis 12:1-3 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee: (2) And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and you shall be a blessing: (3) And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curses thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Genesis 12:7 The LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto your children will I give this land:
About ten years later, when Abram was about eighty-five years old, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision. During the dark portion of Passover on the 14th of Abib, God showed Abram the nighttime stars in the sky and promised him innumerable descendants:
Genesis 15:5 [God] brought [Abram] forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and count the stars, if thou be able to number them: and He said unto him, So shall thy seed be.
Abram, (he was not named Abraham until the advanced age of 99), asked God to assure him that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him, seeing that he had no children yet. God stipulated the provisions of the Sacrificial Covenant, making it clear that He would not deviate from its terms. God promised Abram, with an incontrovertible oath, that he would become a great nation (Genesis 12:2, 7). Then God promised Abraham that he would become a father of many nations (Genesis 17:5). Was it possible for Abram to grasp the full spiritual aspects of Genesis 15:5? Just so we do not miss the implication here – Paul spells it out for us in Galatians 3 – that these future children are not all Abraham’s physical children – but they also include all those who become spiritual children – through Christ.
Genesis 17:6-7 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
The Covenant of Promise to Abram was ratified by God with a Covenant Sacrifice. We will see in Chapter Five how Jesus Christ’s sacrifice of His life provided the ratification of the New Covenant.
Jesus Christ asked Abram to prepare a sacrifice on Passover afternoon in preparation for the Covenant Sacrifice. It was the 14th day of the first month of the year at the same time of day that Jesus would die on Passover Day. The 3 pm time of Christ’s death on Passover Day coincides perfectly with the sealing of the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 15, and upon which the New Covenant is based:
Genesis 15:9-10 And [the LORD] said unto Abram, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not.
Known historically as a “covenant between the parts,” the parties to such a ritual would both pass between the parts of severed animals. In so doing, they were stating that if one (or both) of them broke the covenant agreement, they should likewise be put to death (Jeremiah 34:18-20).
In this case however, Jesus Christ, the God of the Old Testament, was showing that He alone would take the penalty upon Himself—by the sacrifice of Himself—for mankind’s sins. That is why, as we will see, Abraham did not pass between the pieces—only God passed between the parts of the animals. Thus in this ceremony, our Lord and Savior pledged His own life to guarantee the fulfillment of that Covenant!
This sacrifice which Abraham prepared, those slain animals, corresponded to, and symbolized Jesus’ body, who was the ultimate sacrifice killed on Passover, and the One who made the Covenant. Notice that the timing is progressing into the next day, because according to God’s clock the day comes to an end at sunset – and a new day begins at dusk just before the stars come out.
Genesis 15:12 And when the sun was going down, a trance-like sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of profound darkness fell upon him.
We will see that this takes place on The Night to be Much Observed. It’s meaning is The Night to be Much Replicated (Exodus 12:40-42).
Abram’s deep sleep corresponds to, and symbolizes Jesus death and burial in the tomb as the Night to be Much Observed begins. The Night to be Much Observed marks the beginning of the First Day of Leavened Bread which begins at sunset.
Genesis 15:17-18 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. In the same day the LORD made a Covenant with Abram. What Abraham saw was like a bright blast furnace – a brilliant shaft of light that passed through the sacrifice (Isaiah 62:1, Daniel 10:6, Exodus 19:18)!
Jesus Christ made a very emphatic point of passing through the pieces of the Sacrificial Covenant. This was that oath by God Himself—the Covenant Sacrifice. Jesus said in effect, “I will give my life to bring this Covenant to fruition.” Abib 15th had arrived— it was the Night to Be Much Observed and the beginning of the First Day of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:6).
It was none other than Jesus Himself—who appeared as a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. We find in the New Testament that Paul explains the extreme importance of this Sacrificial Covenant – and how it was made:
Hebrews 6:13 When God made promise to Abraham, because He could swear by none greater, He swore by Himself.
Jesus stood in the breach when He passed between those sacrificial pieces of Genesis 15:17 and said in effect, “I will shed my blood and die, as these dead animals at my feet, to pay the price of the broken covenant.” God and Abram were close enough friends, that he was made to understand that complete justification of man would require the life of One greater than everyone being justified—which could only be the Creator. When Abram witnessed this phenomenal spectacle – he believed!!!
The God of the Old Testament made the unilateral Sacrificial Covenant, and later as Jesus Christ in the flesh, He became the Paschal victim of that sacrifice. Jesus, in passing between the pieces of the sacrifice, prophesied His own death – in order to bring all men to salvation.
The Children of God gained their victory over sin on the exact selfsame day – it marks the point of salvation – victory over bondage and over death as Jesus was laid in the tomb just as The Night to be Much Observed began.
The Sacrificial Covenant was the sign or miracle that Jesus would surely keep His oath to Abraham to provide him with children that would be in number as the stars in the sky and the sand of the seas.
We find a number of examples where God made an Eternal Covenant that He alone could fulfill the terms thereof. Another time was the occasion when Abraham was asked by God to sacrifice his son, Isaac. Again, it was rich in prophetic meaning in that it foreshadowed God the Father offering His Son, Jesus Christ in sacrifice. Again, God swore by Himself:
The Covenant of Promise to Abram was ratified by God with a Covenant Sacrifice. God’s Promises were repeated and re-emphasized to Isaac and Jacob.
The pre-incarnate Jesus Christ, God of the Old Testament, revealed His Covenant name to Moses as “LORD” [Hebrew Yahweh] (Exodus 6:2). It is a personal name, YHVH, signifying that He is the ETERNAL ONE who does not change (Malachi 3:6). Jesus again, promised Eternal Life!
Jesus had previously appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, by the name of “God Almighty” [Hebrew El Shaddai] (Exodus 6:3). God gave ancient Israel deliverance from Egyptian captivity, and He gave them the Old Covenant Passover. Under Moses, the Law of God was written down.
Ten Words
And, just like with Adam and Eve – whoever violated the Ten Commandments would die. The Old Covenant was called the covenant with death.
Question: Has the New Covenant made the Old Covenant obsolete?
Isaiah 28:18, 21-22 Your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with the grave shall not stand.
This is where Paul got the wording for 1Corinthians 15:54.
Hebrews 8:13 In that [God] said, A New Covenant, He hath made the first old. Now that which decays and waxes old is ready to vanish away.
When Worldwide was breaking up the argument had become, “We have been Old Covenant Christians” “We need to be New Covenant Christians. The Old Covenant is obsolete – the law is no longer binding on Christians.”
It was only a ploy to do away with the Holy Sabbath Day. They didn’t approach Killing, stealing, adultery, etc. I was talking to Joe Tkach Jr after I had been fired and disfellowshipped. I told Joe that I was a New Covenant Christian. He offered to hire me back and send me to New Jersey!!!
What does God mean when He said, A new covenant, He hath made the first old. Now that which decays and waxes old is ready to vanish away.
**What was done away with was the death penalty – not the Ten Commandments.
Hebrews 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
The Old Testament has not been done away with. In fact, the only weakness in the Old Testament was in them who heard and did not believe (Romans 8:3).
That fault was with the people who lacked God’s Spirit, not with the Old Covenant itself. Paul compares the Old Covenant with the New:
Hebrews 8:7 If that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
brews 8:8 For finding fault with them [the people], He said, Behold, the days come, says the LORD, when I will make a New Covenant with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah (Jeremiah 31:31-34).
The only fault with the Old Covenant is that Israel did not have the heart to live it (Hebrews 8:7-8). They lacked God’s Holy Spirit! Jesus is the mediator of a better [New] Covenant, which was established upon better promises [the promise of eternal life] (Hebrews 8:6).
It is the better Covenant because it is able to be kept by a Spirit led people—unlike the Old Covenant which could not be kept by ancient Israel nor modern Israel today.
There was nothing wrong with the Old Covenant Promises God gave to Israel. Israel of old was to become a great and blessed physical nation—a showcase to the world (Deuteronomy 4:6-7).
But to the brethren of the Church of God are given exceeding great and better promises of the Kingdom of God and eternal Glory forever more— the New Covenant (Hebrews 8:10, Jeremiah 31:33).
Hebrews 8:6 Jesus has obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. [eternal life]
A careful study of the scriptures will reveal that all of the terms and conditions that were in the Old Covenant with ancient Israel are a part of the New Covenant promise. The Old Covenant has not been abrogated, repealed or done away with.
Except for, Christ’s sacrificial offering of death—which has replaced all the Old testament animal sacrifices. Jesus brought the New Passover Covenant Promise of Eternal Life.
Hebrews 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
The Sabbath Day, Feast Days, Commandments, health and food laws, are as binding now as they ever were for God’s people. And, Jesus added the Footwashing. The concept of spiritual cleansing portrayed by the Footwashing is rich in spiritual depth and implication. By His example, Jesus was teaching us how to serve and forgive others just as He has done. We literally lay our lives down to help others into the Kingdom of God—it is not optional for converted Christians.
Title: The Passover Covenant Promise makes the Church Brethren the opportunity to be made a part of the Eternal Family of God—we are Children of God—even now.
1John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the Children of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as he is.
It is the Passover Covenant Promise that offers us immortality and a spiritual eternal inheritance that is too great to be imagined (1Corinthians 2:9)
Thank God for our calling now! Questions: Has the New Covenant made the Old Covenant obsolete? Has the Old Covenant been done away with? Are we living under the terms of the Old Covenant, and is that the only reason we do not “kill,” Lust, steal, covet, etc.?
Jesus expanded the law. Jesus added the concept that we cannot hate or hurt either. It is difficult to prove or prosecute hate, coveting, etc. Which covenant covers the ruling against murder? Do we inherit Eternal Life just because we do not commit murder? We are the salt of earth – -> we are to behave so that our lives are meaningful to other people. Let our Light so shine.
The Law of the God of the Old Covenant has not been destroyed but established. Jesus said that He did not come to lay aside or destroy any of the Old Covenant “teaching” [that is the meaning of the word] or Law.– all is still there for our instruction
Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Matthew 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
The Old Covenant has not passed away!
Matthew 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of heaven.
The New Covenant does not do away with the law of God as Protestants teach. With God’s Holy Spirit, the New Covenant gives Christians the motivation and means, not to merely obey God’s law, but to accept it, love it, believe it, and make it a part of their lives (Jeremiah 31:31-33; Hebrews 8:8-12; 10:16-17).
Ezekiel 37:26- Moreover, I will make a Covenant of Peace with them; it shall be an Everlasting Covenant with them:
Matthew 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees [some were not hypocrites], ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. b/b letter of the law – no killing only!
Matthew 5:21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
Jesus did not say that the law was done away – now you can kill -> no, He set the bar much, much higher.
The 10 Commandments – They were on stone – not in the heart as intended from the beginning.
Matthew 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry [much higher standard] with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment [even God expresses righteous anger]: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Spirit of the Law = intent of the law from the beginning. Talmud = what the doctors of the Law said.
“Anger” is not defined here in the Bible. We must judge ourselves – God holds us responsible for our intent. Do I have a just cause under God – or not. The intent goes much farther than the letter of the law—to see why God gave the Law.
The New Covenant Passover demonstrates to us that God has already redeemed us through Christ, and that He has a yet future, complete redemption in store for us and mankind.
Jesus is the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8; 1 Peter 1:18-20).
New Covenant with New Israel is even better Promises than the Old Covenant offered.
Because of the sinful human nature that ancient Israel continuously reverted to, God declared that they would require a “heart transplant.” God said:
Deuteronomy 5:29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my Commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children forever!
Hebrews 8:10-11 This is the covenant that I will make with the House of Israel after those days, says the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people… for all shall Know the Lord, from the least to the greatest.
Jeremiah 31:31-33 Behold, the days come, says the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the House of Israel, and with the House of Judah: Not according to the Covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my Covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, says the LORD: But this shall be the Covenant that I will make with the House of Israel; After those days, says the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
God’s Covenant provided for Israel to receive a new heart.
God’s Holy Spirit will be poured out on New Israel, giving them a new heart and converted attitude. (Ezekiel 11:19-20). God says: Ezekiel 36:25-27…
Where the synoptic Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke mention the establishment of the bread and wine at Passover, John’s Gospel entirely omits those accounts, giving weight to the Footwashing in the meaning of the Passover.
Jesus served mankind – and He intends that we serve one another. The concept of spiritual cleansing portrayed by the Footwashing is rich in spiritual depth and implication.
We know what it means to be served our coffee and a meal by a server, waiter or waitress. True Christian service to one another entails so much more than being a cordial host or hostess.
The introduction to the Footwashing begins on Passover evening before Jesus Christ died. Passover is a most solemn Feast picturing the death of Jesus Christ, and all that entails.
The New Passover Feast is nothing less than the body and blood of Jesus Christ which brings eternal life.
John 13:1 Now just before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour was come that He should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved His own which were in the world, He loved them unto the end. [Very powerful poetic words!]
On this night Jesus observed and brought to an end the Old Testament Passover meal, and initiated the New Testament Passover service. While the Old Testament Passover Seder was in progress:
John 13:4-5 Jesus Christ rose up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and took a servant’s towel, and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the servant’s towel wherewith He was girded. Extrapolating backward, the translators of the Amplified Bible correctly joined the word, “servant’s,” to this passage.
Why did Jesus wash the disciple’s feet, and why did He institute the Footwashing command as an integral part of the New Testament Passover? What spiritual lesson should be drawn from the Footwashing?
When Jesus said, “You also ought to wash one another’s feet,” He was inaugurating a most important Passover element (John 13:14).
Is the Footwashing optional, or is it commanded? Why must Christians wash the feet of others? Some people think that the Footwashing is for the sole purpose of teaching us to be humble. The Footwashing does require that we have a humble attitude, but it means much more than merely humbling ourselves by washing the dirty feet of others. We must be careful not to fall into the trap of acquiring a false humility as a result of the Footwashing ceremony. By His example, Jesus was teaching us how to serve and forgive others just as He has done. There is no greater servant in the universe than God the Father (John 3:16-17). Godly service is the essence of Godliness. The Footwashing is about learning to serve one another in a spiritual way. Not having yet received God’s Holy Spirit, the disciples could not understand the spiritual aspect of the ceremony Jesus was establishing.
John 13:6-8 Then came Jesus to Simon Peter: and Peter said unto Him, Lord, is it for you to wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do you know not now; but you shall know hereafter. Peter said unto Him, You shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash you not, you have no part with me.
Jesus established that the Footwashing ritual was absolutely required. The Footwashing, when performed in the spirit in which Jesus established it, assures our place in the Body of Christ, the Family of God, the Kingdom of God and eternal life.
John 13:9-10 Simon Peter said unto Him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus said to him, He that is washed need not except to wash his feet but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.
Jesus establishes here that Peter has been forgiven—washed all over—and cleansed from sin through baptism. When Jesus said, “He that is washed, need not wash except his feet, but is clean every whit,” Jesus was alluding to baptism which cleanses a sinner completely of all past guilt. And, Jesus shows here that the yearly Footwashing is still necessary and required. Because we are human – we sin. We must immediately seek God’s mercy and forgiveness because unforgiven sin removes one from a right relationship with God and removes one as a part of the Body of Christ. The annual Passover Footwashing is a reminder of the necessity of being clean in God’s eyes in order to remain in His good graces.
Sin separates man from God (Isaiah 59:2).
Because we are in the flesh, we are not perfect. Sin can and does occur after baptism, and must be acknowledged, repented of and forgiven (1 John 1:8-10).
The Footwashing is a needed spiritual cleansing – because we come short throughout the year – we are sinners – and Jesus Christ is our advocate, comforter, intercessor and consoler.
1 John 2:1 If any man sin, we have an advocate [parakletos] with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
**Though we were once washed at baptism, the Footwashing symbolizes our renewed commitment to walk in the newness of life that we made at our baptism.
Because we are yet sinners, the yearly Footwashing indicates our desire to “clean our slate,” so to speak, in a reaffirmation of our baptismal vow.
But, this explains only having our own feet washed.
Why is it necessary to wash the feet of others?
John 13:12-15 So after He had washed their feet, and had taken His garments, and was sat down again, He said unto them, Do you know what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also are required, [you must, obligated, duty-bound] to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
In the same way that we want to be clean before God, He requires us to help other brethren be clean before God in our common spiritual quest of His Kingdom. Jesus taught:
John 15:12-13 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Jesus laid His life down for us, so we must lay our lives down for others – but how do we do that?
When a brother or sister has strayed and allowed a serious sin to enter their life – we must serve them by going to their spiritual rescue, no matter what it takes – that is laying down our life for them.
In a New Testament context, Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread teach us that eternal life is a fulfillment of Jesus’ ultimate promise of deliverance.
End: Passover Covenant