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PASSOVER, A PATTERN OF SANCTIFICATION
The word "sanctification" is a popular biblical expression, but what exactly does it mean? Today, I fear that we often hear
such biblical terms, and even use them, without having a clear understanding of their meaning. Sanctification, which is sometimes
translated as "holiness" or "consecration," refers to that process whereby we are set apart completely for God's use. Since God is
holy, this is necessarily a process whereby we are also made holy. In the Bible this concept is applied to things as well as to people.
In Exodus 29:44, the Lord says, "I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron
and his sons, to minister to me in the priest's office" (KJV). In the Tanakh (Old Testament) we read about the sanctification of many
other items such as the laver, the veil and the Temple vessels.
In the New Testament, the emphasis is almost wholly upon people as the objects of sanctification. The New Testament
doctrine of sanctification seems to be a two-sided truth. First of all, as in the case of Aaron and his sons, it is God who does the
sanctifying for the Christian. Sanctification is another of those gifts from God that are freely given, and we certainly cannot deserve
it or attain it. It is given because of the atonement of Jesus. We see this clearly in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, where Paul says, "May God
himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through." It is obvious in Hebrews 13:12 that the blood of Jesus is the basis of
this sanctification.
There is another side to sanctification. Like all free gifts from God, it must be worked out in our experience. Paul admonishes
us: "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling" (Phil.2:12). I suppose this process is much like that of becoming a
father. As soon as that little gift from God is born, the husband becomes a "father." He is a father legally, naturally, and every other
way. However, during the next twenty years or so, his fatherhood will be worked out in experience. So it is with sanctification. It
has to be worked out to be fully experienced and truly received.
The ancient Passover celebration speaks a great deal of the concept of sanctification. It not only speaks, but it gives us many
pictures on this subject, pictures so vivid that even small children can quickly understand them. Let us look at some of the teachings
in this old, old celebration.
RIDDING THE HOUSE OF LEAVEN
Days before the Passover begins, the women of Israel busy themselves with a very thorough spring cleaning. Particular
attention is given to areas of the house where food has been served or stored. All foods containing leavening are entirely removed
from the house. Then, shortly before the Passover celebration begins, the father carries out a symbolic search of his home. He is
looking for one item - for chametz or leaven (yeast). When he finds that last tiny bit of leaven, he scrapes it up with a feather and
takes it outside to be burned. All this is in answer to God's command that no leaven is to be found in the house during this celebration
(Exo.12:19). In biblical times, the person who ate leaven during Passover was cut off from the people of Israel.
We know from scripture that leaven is a type of sin. In Corinthians we are admonished by Paul to "Get rid of the old yeast that
you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed" (1 Cor.5:7). Leaven
puffs up, and that is exactly what sin does. Think of a few sins like pride, anger, self-centeredness, etc. All these sins clearly puff us
up, sometimes even with outward physical manifestations. Leaven does a similar thing to dough. Paul tells us "that a little yeast
works through the whole batch" (1 Cor. 5:6).
God's purpose is that we be like unleavened bread - that we be without sin. His purpose is that we feed upon the Messiah, who
is the true unleavened bread. When Satan came to Jesus in the garden that night, the Lord said, "the prince of this world is coming.
He has no hold on me" (John 14:30). There was nothing in Jesus that would puff him up; nothing the devil could get his hands on.
God desires that we live in exactly this way. An unleavened life is a life without pretense or hypocrisy.
On the night of Passover and for the next week, there is no leavened bread eaten in Israel. This is also true of all other leavened
items. It is always interesting to watch Israel prepare for this celebration. Certain aisles in the food stores are roped off, or the
leavened items are simply covered over. Instead of the normal bread and rolls, there are great stacks of boxes filled with matzot, the
flat, cracker-like unleavened bread. Most bakeries simply close down for vacation during this week. Some eating establishments
remain open, but they have to be experts at improvising. Ice cream is served in paper cups instead of leavened cones; pizza is served
on a thick cardboard-like unleavened crusts. About the only available sweets are things like coconut macaroons, chocolate covered
matzot, etc. Even the ubiquitous felafel stands close down during this week.
THE KADDESH, RITUAL WASHINGS, AND MAGID
There are several other pictures of sanctification in the Passover. The celebration itself is built around four cups of wine, two
before the meal and two after. The four cups are based upon the four "I wills" of Exodus 6:6-7. God says, "I will bring you out from
under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with
mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people."
The first cup is called the "kiddush or kaddesh," or the cup of sanctification. In this cup God is saying to his people, "I will
bring you out." God will bring us out from among them; out of bondage, slavery, darkness and death. With the drinking of this cup
the leader of the celebration blesses God with these words: "Blessed art Thou, Lord our God, King of the universe,...Thou did choose
and sanctify us above all peoples."
Immediately after the kiddush the leader washes his hands in the first of two ritual washings. Again, this seems to be another
picture of sanctification. This picture reminds us of the ritual washing of hands and feet carried out by the priests in olden times as
they entered the Tabernacle and Temple. This ancient washing marked their separation from the world. The Passover washing
reminds us of Christian baptism, which also marks such a separation. In addition, it reminds us of the "washing with water through
the word," spoken of in Ephesians 5:26.
It was probably at this point in the Passover ceremony that Jesus introduced a shocking and significant change. He girded
himself and began to wash the disciples’ feet. As Jesus explained his act to Peter, it is clear that this act was also meant to be a
picture of sanctification (John 13:10).
In the Passover service, the leader soon begins to recount the redemption story. This section, known as the maggid or
"telling," surveys the whole redemption drama, from the Patriarchs, to Moses, to Pharaoh, and to the plagues and the deliverance
from Egypt. Throughout this story, God stresses sanctification. The plagues did not fall upon the land of Goshen where Israel lived,
because God said to Pharaoh, "I will make a distinction between my people and your people" (Exo. 8:23). The first-born of Israel did
not die as the Egyptians did because God shielded them through the blood of the lamb, and made a difference between them and the
Egyptians. Later the Israelites were able to pass through the sea, but when the Egyptians tried to do the same thing they were all
drowned.
We must remember today that God is doing the same kind of work for us. His desire is that we be different from all the people
around us. His command for us today is this: "Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean
thing, and I will receive you" (2 Cor. 6:17).
A TASTE OF EGYPT
In the Passover ceremony, as we have seen, it is abundantly clear that God's people are separate or sanctified from all other
people on the face of the earth. This knowledge should inspire us to a devout and holy lifestyle. However, human nature being what it
is, we are sometimes tempted with the craving for the leeks and garlic of Egypt. We sometimes think it possible just to take a little
trip back to Egypt.
The Passover gives us a vivid and lasting message concerning the possibility of our return trips to the land of flesh and sin
(Deut. 17:16). Each participant at the Passover is served a goodly portion of marror or bitter herbs (usually spicy horseradish). Soon
after they taste this morsel, the guests often begin sputtering and groaning. In this vivid way, they once more remember the
bitterness of Egypt. As tears come to their eyes they are reminded again that Egypt, or fleshly living, was certainly not a happy
experience.
After the meal, the participants in the Passover drink the cup of redemption, which is thought to be the cup Jesus used in
instituting the Lord's Supper, and then later, after a time of singing praise Psalms, they finish the celebration with the cup of praise.
When we consider all that the Lord has done for us, there is really nothing left for us to do but praise him. With this last cup God
says to us, "I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God" (Exo. 6:7).
The completion of God’s sanctifying work is seen in 1 John 3:2, where the apostle says much the same thing as in Exodus 6:
"Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears,
we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2).
- Jim Gerrish
This updated article is presented courtesy of Bridges For Peace, Jerusalem. Original publication date, 1994.