Leading The Way

Guest (Male): Dr. Michael Youssef begins this episode of Leading the Way audio, helping you understand the difference between the first Passover and the last.

Dr. Michael Youssef: In the first Passover, the angel of death passed by, and when he saw that blood on the doorposts, he passed over. That's where we get the word Passover. Of the firstborn of God's children and they lived. But in the last Passover, which is the cross, the angel of death will pass over and cannot touch anyone who has been washed in the blood of Jesus Christ.

In the first Passover, God's people had to offer sacrifices whether they could afford it or not. But in the last Passover, which is the cross, Jesus paid the full price by his own blood on Calvary.

Guest (Male): Dr. Michael Youssef is ready to guide you toward a deeper understanding of the cross as he passionately proclaims uncompromising truth on this episode of Leading the Way.

Please do remember, Leading the Way is a listener-supported, world-impacting, gospel-preaching, life-changing ministry, made possible by the generosity of listeners like you. Learn ways that you can passionately stand with Dr. Youssef and the team when you call 866-626-4356 or at LTW.org. Here now, the Cross Conundrum with Dr. Michael Youssef.

Dr. Michael Youssef: We have been looking at the centrality of the cross in the Christian faith in this short series of messages, the Cross Conundrum. Because without the cross, there can be no forgiveness of sin, there can be no salvation, there can be no freedom from guilt, there can be no relief from guilt and shame, there can be no peace of mind, there can be no eternal life with God in heaven.

And today, as I conclude this series of messages, a very short one, I want to share with you how the cross is the fulfillment of all of God's plan from beginning to end. So I want you to turn with me, please, to Luke chapter 22. I want to show you how the Lord Jesus Christ saw His cross as the ultimate fulfillment of God's plan from beginning to end.

And as you're finding that verse, verse 14 of chapter 22 of the Gospel according to Luke, I want to set it in the historic context here. Jesus made preparation to host His disciples for this last Passover meal. And as they prepared this last Passover meal, He reveals to them God's eternal plan for salvation. Without understanding that, you will not understand the Christian faith at all.

Now, listen to what Dr. Luke said, beginning at verse 14 of Luke 22. Luke, being a scientist and a man of medicine, he was writing his gospel with meticulous details as he took the account from eyewitnesses. And so he begins by saying that when the hour came, Jesus sat at the table and the apostles were with Him. And He said to them, "I have eagerly desired to have this last Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds its fulfillment in the kingdom of God."

What is Jesus doing here? He's wanting His disciples to know the deeper meaning of the cross before it takes place. He wanted His disciples to understand the deep roots of the cross before they watch him hang on that cross. He wanted His disciples to comprehend the historic roots from the Old Testament to the cross before they become confused as they watch the Messiah, God of very God, being nailed to that cross. Jesus wanted His disciples to know that the Passover was a mere shadow of what the cross is all about.

Now to the reasons why He was so anxious to have this last Passover meal with them. And I have two reasons. Reason number one is because in the cross of Christ, the Passover has been fully fulfilled and completed, and to that extent, it ended. Secondly, because in the cross of Christ, the Passover gives way to communion. In the cross of Christ, the Passover reached its end.

Remember, the Passover was the foreshadowing of the cross. A shadow is telling us somebody is behind that shadow. And then you see the person, the shadow is no longer important. And that's what Jesus is doing here, that He is the complete fulfillment of what the Passover was all about. And I want you to listen very carefully because you must understand the contrast between the first Passover and the last Passover.

In the first Passover, Israel was delivered from being slaves to Pharaoh, a symbol of Satan. And they were transformed from being slaves of Pharaoh to being servants of the living God. But in the last Passover, which is the cross, the servants of the living God become sons and daughters of the living God. In the first Passover, the blood of the lamb was sprinkled on the doorposts of God's children in the land of Egypt.

But in the last Passover, which is the cross, the Lamb of God sprinkled His own blood on the doorposts of the hearts of everyone who would believe in Him. In the first Passover, the angel of death passed by, and when he saw that blood on the doorposts, he passed over. That's what we get the word Passover of the firstborn of God's children and they lived.

But in the last Passover, which is the cross, the angel of death will pass over and cannot touch anyone who has been washed in the blood of Jesus Christ. In the first Passover, God's people had to offer sacrifices whether they could afford it or not. But in the last Passover, which is the cross, Jesus paid the full price by His own blood on Calvary. In the first Passover, only the firstborn of God's people were saved. But in the last Passover, which is the cross, everyone who comes to Him in repentance and faith will receive eternal life.

What an incredible truth. Jesus said, "I have earnestly desired to have this last Passover meal with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God." You know, as I restudied the passage afresh, there was something parenthetically wonderful that just jumped out of the pages for me. I just got so excited. It's so clear that Jesus always, always thought of others. Isn't that incredible?

Even on the cross, when He hung there, one of the first things He did in the midst of His agony, in the midst of His pain, the first things He did, He was thinking of His mother and He made sure He provided for her welfare. And said, "John, take care of her." That is an incredible, incredible thought. You know and I know when you get a sniffle, you got the flu, you get a little bit of aches and pain, man, the only one you can think of is yourself.

But here He is. Here He is. He's about to face the most incredible thing that you and I will never understand this side of heaven. Until we go to heaven, we will never understand what it meant for God the Father and God the Son, who have been together in unity, one person, since before eternity, before the world was created, that for a moment on that cross, He was going to be separated from the Father. Because the Father's eyes could not look upon the sin that He was carrying on the cross. That's your sin and my sin. And we will never understand that fully until we get to heaven.

This is to say nothing of His physical pain. And yet, He thinks of the disciples first, not of Himself. He thinks of them, He thinks of their feelings, He thinks of their pain, He thinks of their discouragements, He thinks of their fear, He thinks of their confusion, He thinks of their anxiety. And He says to them, "I have anxiously wanted to have this meal with you, this last Passover with you before I suffer." Not they suffer, "before I suffer."

I know that thousands of you would testify to this fact. If you walked with the Lord for any length of time, if Jesus Christ been the Lord of your life for any length of time, you must surely testify to the fact that He always thinks of us, always ahead of time. Before any darkness that can fall upon our life, He gives you enough light to see your way. Before any pain that can come your way, He gives you enough strength to stand.

Before any fear that can fills your heart, He will give you enough courage to pass through the fire and through the floods. Before anxiety permeates your horizon, He gives you His assurance that He will never leave you nor forsake you. Before you face any difficulty in life, He is there saying, "I wanted to sup with you and you with me."

The second reason why Jesus was eager to have this last Passover meal with them is so that He may establish communion for time and eternity. So He can may establish this memorial once and for all for time and eternity. And you know, if you think about the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, you can't help but see the confusion in the Christian church about the whole concept of the Lord's table and what it means. There are so many views.

There are some who see it superstitiously and sort of mystically. There are some who think it's real flesh and real blood. There are others who see it as something nuisance, you gotta get it out of the way. In fact, I remember an evangelical pastor saying to me, he said, "We don't celebrate communion or the Lord's Supper in the main service ever on Sunday morning because it gets in the way." And I wanted to say, "The way of what?"

And there are others who practice it as a private club that only those who belong to that club can participate, not all the believers. And the list goes on and on and on and on. But Jesus's purpose for establishing the Lord's Supper, for establishing communion, His purpose of this last supper, first supper, call it whatever you want, is to make the cross of Christ to be central. That's the purpose of communion. It's not the table, it's not the elements on the table. They point beyond themselves to the cross of Jesus Christ.

Communion has only one meaning and that is the cross. Communion was established by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself to remind us of the enormity of our sin and the generosity of the grace of God. To remind us of the colossal price that Jesus paid for the forgiveness of our sins. To remind us to come to Him in humility and brokenness and thanksgiving for the salvation that He's given us freely.

The power of the communion is in the meaning that it should evoke in our minds. Nothing in the elements themselves of bread and wine, but what it does in terms of reminding us of what it's all about. Many people get so hung up about the details of communion and this and that and the other thing, and they forget that they're supposed to approach the Lord's table with a heart that's skipping a beat or two and a mind that's overwhelmed with gratitude and thanksgiving as they come to the Lord's table.

I am personally convinced that the disciples never participated in the Lord's table, never participated in the Lord's supper, without those words literally ringing in their ears: "I have eagerly desired to have this last Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds its fulfillment in the kingdom of God."

Several years ago, Dr. Roger Rose tells a story to illustrate what I'm trying to tell you. As a young boy, he grew up on a farm next to a dirt road. And he said, "Seldom there was a car would ever come down that dirt road." But one day, Roger's younger brother was crossing that dirt road on a brand new bike when a car was coming down the hill so fast it could not stop and killed his brother instantly.

And Roger explains how when his father picked up that mangled bike, he began to sob. He said he began to sob out loud for the first time I've ever heard him do that in my life. And then he carried that mangled bike and he placed it in a very prominent place. And he said that with the passing of time, the sorrow that nearly crushed his father's heart began to ease.

But he said never again would his father walk into that barn and look at that mangled bike without tears start flowing down his cheeks. And Dr. Rose said, he said, "Since that experience, I have prayed to God, 'Lord, keep the memory of Your substitutionary death on the cross as fresh as that.'" When Jesus said, "I will not eat it again until it found fulfillment in the kingdom of God," He knew that within 44 or 45 days He was going to be ascended into heaven.

And when He gets to heaven, when He's lifted up, He was going to sit at the marriage supper of the Lamb, at His table in heaven, in which He's inviting everyone who will turn to Him and believe in Him and surrender to Him and receive His forgiveness to come and be part of. He wanted them and He wanted us to lift up our eyes to heaven and know that's our home, that we know that's where we're heading, that's where our citizenship is. We are sojourners, we are travelers, we are pilgrims along this road.

He wanted to remind them that every time you receive the Lord's Supper, that you look back and you thank God for the cross, but then you look forward and you anticipate heaven with all of its glory at the marriage supper of the Lamb. During the time of Jesus's earthly ministry, there was a common legal practice that took place whenever a debt is settled. Whether it was settled by forgiveness or settled by payment, whichever way it's settled, the creditor would take that canceled bond and he would write on it "canceled." And then he would nail it to the door of the one whose debt had been canceled.

The reason is obvious. Every passerby and look at the door of this person's house and know that this person is debt-free, that this person is no longer under obligation, that a debt has been paid and he has been set free. And that's what the cross is all about. It's a constant reminder that your debt and my debt of sin, that your debt and my debt of guilt has been fully paid by the blood of Jesus Christ.

In fact, this is the very picture of this canceled debt that the Apostle Paul had in mind when he began to think of the cross as he writes to the Colossians. And he said to them in effect, he said on the cross, Christ took our debt. He took that canceled bond and He nailed it to the cross, having disarmed the principalities and the powers and made public spectacle of them, triumphing over them.

And listen to me. That's exactly what God did for you and for me when we came to Christ. He canceled the debt past, present, and future and for eternity. And here's what it means for everyday life. Listen to me very carefully. Here's what it means to you when you face your problems tomorrow morning, when you face your difficulty tomorrow morning. That's what it means in every hour of every day.

It means that Satan has no hold over you. He disarmed the principalities. He rendered Satan toothless. He no longer can harm you. You no longer under his authority. You no longer can be enslaved by Satan or sin. It means that when guilt and shame tries to plague you and tries to hamper you and hamper your progress in your walk with Christ, you say, "Jesus nailed it all to the cross."

Now I want everybody to participate. Come on now. Jesus nailed it all to the cross! When Satan accuses you and he tries to remind you of your past sin, sins of which you have repented and turned to the Lord, when he comes to you and try to bring accusation against you, you say what? Jesus nailed it all on the cross!

When your conscience condemn you, Paul said, God of His is greater than our conscience. Therefore, you say, Jesus nailed it all to the cross! When doubt begins to creep into your life and Satan comes and says, "Do you really feel that you're saved?" and you know that your salvation is not dependent on your feeling, so what do you say? Jesus nailed it all on the cross!

When others falsely accuse you and try to guilt you and try to manipulate you and you feel down and discouraged, you say, Jesus nailed it all to the cross! When you face failure and the temptation is for you to feel that you're a failure, you say, Jesus nailed it all to the cross! When you fall into sin and Satan wants you to stay there, but God wants you to get up and get washed and cleaned and come to Him in repentance and faith, you say, Jesus nailed it all to the cross! Amen. Give God glory. Give God glory. Amen.

There's one last thing that I want to tell you about the power of the cross. Jesus said about seven things on the cross, seven statements. I told you one of them was to make sure John would take care of His mother. But the last word. I don't know I can get through it. I'm going to try. As He was drawing His last breath, stretching on the gibbet. As He was breathing His last breath, He says He made one statement. He said, "Tetelestai," which means, "It is finished."

But I want to tell you something. Amen. I want to tell you something. You never thought that grammar was going to bless your life when you were in school. Now I'm going to give you a principle of grammar here in this passage, in this word, that will bless you. That word is in the perfect tense. You say what's so big about being in the perfect tense?

Here's what it means. Listen carefully. It means that it has been and will forever remain finished. It is done, now and for eternity. That this was God's proclamation that He now and forever accomplished all that He came from heaven to do. That He deliberately and freely endured the judgment in your place and in my place when He said, "Tetelestai."

Matthew tells us that the curtain in the temple, which represented our alienation from God, he said when He said those words, that curtain in the temple was ripped from top to bottom. Why? Why? God wants you to know that on the cross and in the cross of Christ the Lord alone, there is power to the powerless. There is strength to the weak. There is salvation to the repentant. There is hope for the hopeless. There is peace to the troubled mind. There is meaning to suffering. There is power in the blood and that power can be yours today.

Guest (Male): Dr. Michael Youssef with another life-changing episode of Leading the Way. Thank you for listening. And if today's message stirred life questions and you'd like to speak with one of the Leading the Way pastors or counselors, begin your confidential life-changing conversation by filling out a short contact form at LTW.org/Jesus.

As we move further along this week, leading into the celebration of Easter, I want to remind you that Dr. Youssef has a powerful message planned for his church in Atlanta. And he's inviting you to join him, if not in person, online. This Sunday morning, if you're not able to attend your local church, or maybe you find yourself at home at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time, just make it a point to join Dr. Youssef for a very special Easter episode of Leading the Way Live.

You'll experience amazing worship, music, and prayer, along with a powerful Easter message by Dr. Youssef inviting resurrection power into your life. Leading the Way Live can be found at Leading the Way's website, LTW.org/apostles, or by launching the Leading the Way mobile app. No matter how you watch, you will be blessed.

Introducing the Leading the Way mobile app, redesigned with a fresh look and powerful features to help you go deeper in God's word. Easily connect with Dr. Youssef's trusted Bible teaching anytime, anywhere. Write down what God is teaching you and return to your sermon notes whenever you need them.

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Take uncompromising biblical truth wherever you go with Leading the Way's mobile app. This is an amazing free resource available right on your phone. Download the Leading the Way app. Go to the App Store today. I need to say goodbye for now. Thank you so much for joining us. And remember, you're invited back again next time, right here, for another very special word from Dr. Youssef on Leading the Way.

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