After the Passover Celebration (Argument 3)

My family celebrated Passover as we always do, my father and younger brother reciting the prayers and eating the feast which my mother, female relatives and I always spend the whole day preparing. Thinking about the sacrifice of a perfect lamb and how all the Jews still kill an animal to atone for their sins, I remember again how free I am by the sacrifice of Christ’s blood. Our high priest and our sacrifice—both perfect and complete. We Christians are so free compared to our Jewish brothers… we are no longer bound to these rituals in order to be right with God, our sacrifice is complete! Because Christ as our sacrifice is far better than the animal sacrifice of our fathers, we are able to have a far better faith than our fathers, even better than our father Abraham.

Think about it: Abraham did not know how animals sacrifices substituted for his sins, yet we not only know why Christ had to die, but our sacrifice did not stay dead! Because we have such a better sacrifice, how can we return to an imperfect sacrifice once we receive Christ? I am concerned that you are still wavering as to whether or not you may hide your new identity in Christ as act as if nothing had changed in your life. You have been given the Holy Spirit and been given the mind of Christ and tasted the goodness of God, so how can you fall away and hope to be given grace while you are putting the name of Christ to shame and crucifying Him again? It is impossible to repent while you are sinning! To deny Christ now in order to avoid persecution would be presuming upon God’s mercy, just like the Kadesh Barnea generation of our fathers.

They continued to sin, thinking that God would always be merciful, and so did not realize when God withdrew His mercy, sending them into the wilderness to wander. That was a terrible judgment which all of that generation who were disobedient paid for with their lives. Even worse was when our kings and people denied God through idolatry, taking no heed to the word of the prophets who were sent to warn them of coming exile. And so our fathers were carried off in chains, some never to return, because they tested God. So decide now to obey God, while you are sure that you may enter His rest after this trial, because a more terrible consequence than our fathers suffered lies before us if we fail. In fact, the consequence is so terrible, that we should not even desire to know what it is… because only through experiencing the limit of God’s mercy can we know where the line of His mercy is to cross.

As long as we continue to obey God and claim the name of Christ, enduring persecution, we can be sure that God will be faithful to us, as He was faithful to our father Abraham. If we persevere, God will give us rest after the persecutions have ceased. We cannot be sure of mercy or judgment from God if we are disobedient, so let us not kindle the Lord’s righteous judgment against us. Remember the greatness of our High Priest and the magnificent sacrifice He performed so that you will not fall away: Our Jesus was not a priest as Aaron who had to offer sacrifices for himself before he could atone for the people, but He is a perfect priest, always able to intercede on our behalf. Remember the account of Mechizedek, the priest-king whom Abraham encountered? He was just and perfect in the entire record of his life. In the same way, our Lord Jesus Christ lived and suffered as a man, but did so perfectly. Why would you want to turn back from the perfect to the imperfect?

First Sabbat in Jerusalem (Argument 2)

Worship in the Temple is spectacular. The rabbi exhorted us out of the Law of Moses to cleanse ourselves from all impurities as we prepare for the Passover celebration. I remember when I was younger, scouring the house for the leaven which my mother would hide for my father, that he might prove to the family that our house was free from sin. Passover has become such a solemn time, where did the joy of our deliverance go? Is it not marvelous that God spoke to Moses, freeing Him people not only from Egypt, but from the idolatrous practices of surrounding nations through the Law? For we know that any man who perfectly kept the Law would be perfect in God’s eyes: how many could do this, though? Not even our father Moses who received the Law!

That is why our hope is in the perfection of Christ rather than the Law—we would be doomed to the same inability to obey the Law as Moses and the Kadesh Barnea generation. Even though Moses is the “father” of our Jewish heritage because God revealed Himself through the Law of Moses, Moses himself is not as great as Christ (for he cannot save us). Moses could not enable the people to obey the Law, he could only give them the Law. Yet in Christ, we who believe are made to be sons, and enabled by partaking in Christ’s death and His life to perfectly follow the Law. Christ is our righteousness, our ability to please and obey the Father while Moses was “merely” God’s servant.

However, like the generation of Kadesh Barnea, we are faced with a choice: to believe God and obey or to disbelieve God’s Word and sin. We see that those of Kadesh Barnea were given God’s grace in spite of their sin—God forgave them for countless sins before sending them to wander in the wilderness. All the grace they were given was the time in which God expected them to decide whether or not they would believe Him. The time called “today” passed when the ten spies and all the people besides Joshua and Caleb disbelieved that God was great enough to remove giants and large walls from their path into Canaan. God closed the window of opportunity for repentance after this last act of disbelief, fating the Kadesh Barnea generation to wander till dead for forty years in the wilderness.

What will we choose, to believe God’s word or to doubt Him? Do we believe that God is great enough to strengthen us through this persecution? The time is still “today,” and we cannot waver in the balance forever: we must either obediently claim Christ and endure persecution, or choose to believe the One who endured all trials as we do now and overcame them is incapable of helping us. If we fail to obey God and our window of opportunity passes, it is the same as if we chose not to believe God. Remember my brothers and sisters that this trial is only for a time—just as God promised rest in the land of Canaan to Israel if she obeyed Him, so He promises us rest after our time of persecution. His rest is still available to us now if we choose to obey, but a time will come when we cannot choose rest anymore. Let us obey now while we still can.

Think of our fathers leaving Egypt who disobeyed God: He caused them to wander 40 years and never enter His rest, leaving all the disobedient to die in the wilderness. And we who walk closer to God, what more terrible things would befall us to deny the truth of our Savior to save our own skins? Our fathers did not have the same atonement for sin that we have—Aaron had to continually sacrifice for both himself and the people that they might be right with God. With Christ as our high priest, there is no more sacrifice, for Christ’s perfect sacrifice paid once for all sins—enabling us to live freely from the law of sin and death. Let us take rest, then, in the completeness of our sacrifice in Christ and remain free through our obedience to God by persevering through this trial.

On the road to Jerusalem (Argument 1)

We set out for Jerusalem one week ago on the perilous Passover journey. These days, my father tells me, are far different than when he made this traditional pilgrimage at my age. Now, the Romans rule our Holy City with an iron fist. Dangers await us on this road, not only from the wintry weather and bandits, but from Roman guards: if a man in our group looks threatening or speaks out too loudly in Jerusalem, he may be imprisoned. Zealous Jews have caused too many uprisings in recent days to allow us to peace of a Roman-free city in which to celebrate Passover. Because of the increasing Roman supervision, costs of this journey rise every year, more taxes, more bribes. I know my father has saved and sacrificed greatly to allow us this month long journey. I cannot wait to set foot in the Temple... to see the house where God chose to reside… to be in the place not only God’s presence resides in, but where God Himself walked.

Rumors have caught up to our caravan that the persecutions are drifting towards our town out of Rome. I wish I could be there with you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, that we might encourage one another through this coming trial. I remember how fearful many grew when the shadow of persecution fell upon us. But we have such a greater hope than we used too; we no longer need to run from our enemies as we did before we knew Christ. While our fathers only knew God through the messages of His prophets and tidings of angels, we have a surer knowledge of our hope, for Christ made Himself visible to us! We know that Christ was a greater messenger than the prophets or angels because He has conquered where they were overcome: He has dominion over death, as do all who are sons in Him. We have so much a better understanding of truth than we did with just the revelation to the Jews, because God’s own sons have brought it to us!

What should persecution matter to us, if God Himself was willing to risk pain to bring us hope, bringing it through a far greater messenger than our fathers knew? Not only did the Son, Christ, bring to earth the news of the gospel, but we too heard the truth from sons rather than servants! Why are we so afraid of pain? Didn’t God allow His own sons (both Christ and other believers) to suffer for the truth? But we have the hope of glory beyond the pain of our bodies. Listen, I know its frightening to hear accounts of the pain our fellow believers have faced for Christ. I am on my way to our Holy city where James was recently killed, don’t you think I want to continue living? But Christ did not withhold His life from death in order to save me, so why should I not risk my life for His sake as well?

Be careful that you do not succumb to the temptation to hide behind your Jewish heritage. No, they will not persecute you if you renounce Christ, but how much greater will the consequence be for your disobedience to the call of a greater message? We know more fully than our fathers did of God’s salvation… and did they ever renounce their faith when times grew hard? Abraham believed God was his righteousness without ever seeing that righteousness, and yet we have seen ours, Christ! With our understanding, how will we be held blameless if we reject the truth to protect ourselves? How can we pretend we never saw the gift we have been given, never took part in it? That would be worse than having never accepted God’s salvation!

Jesus Himself knew what our pain was like, He knew from walking as a man in the will of the Father that we would face troubles. Jesus Himself suffered the same temptation in the Garden, the pain of death, separation from His beloved disciples even a greater pain than we face in persecution: the prospect of separation from God. Our Savior too agonized to the point of bleeding over the temptation to reject God’s will and be comfortable. But He chose obedience to the Father, cutting the path in which we might follow—perfectly obedient in spite of the pain. Therefore hold fast to the path God has prepared for us, even though pain and death may lie ahead, because He who endured the same struggle can keep you from falling!

Whispers...

Rumor has it that a movement in Rome has begun to try and eradicate Christians. A ripple ran through our gathering tonight when one of the elders mentioned it... some began to panic and dread a terrible fate like some of the incidents we have heard of... like when Stephen was killed by Jewish zealots... a story the Apostle Paul was witness too... except this time its on a much wider scale. The news came from Ostia Antica that in Rome that some Christians have been disappearing in the streets. Some of the older ladies like Maura in the congregation began fretting and trying to quiet the more outspoken youths. One even grabbed me by my hands and began to earnestly plead that if I were ever to be caught, not to reveal the meeting place or names of our small congregation in Pitigliano. At this, I was horrified... should we hide behind the faith of our fathers, should we cower beneath our Jewish heritage and renounce the freedom we have in Christ?

The woman held my wrists so tightly that I couldn't move from my seat. I looked over to Eleazar, my friend who is bold in the faith and dares to question the rabbis. He saw my distress and stood to his feet. A hush fell over the group and many looked ashamed, even the older ones. We Jews are hearty survivors, but as Christians, we do not compromise the truth to appease even our greatest tormentors. Brother Timothy, when he accompanied Paul, reminded us of what Jesus Himself told the Apostles: that they would face troubles in this world for His name's sake. Eleazar exhorted the group as Moses had Joshua to be of good courage, for we have assurance of the Lord's favor. We have been delivered from so much, from bondage to a law that could only redeem our souls if followed to perfection... which no man has ever done aside from Christ. In Christ's fulfillment of the Law and our identity being found in Him, we have a greater grace than our fathers.

I am not known for my speaking in the congregation. I am the only young woman in our small party who is not married or betrothed... the other single girls are too afraid of losing their opportunities for a respected husband in the community. They sacrifice their souls for those marriages. I have heard that the Apostle Paul writes many letters to the churches he visits. I should very much like to read those letters. Perhaps if I am called away some day I can encourage my own community too through letters. My Father has always spoken of celebrating passover in Jerusalem... he heard tales of its glory from his grandfather, and wants to see it before it is spoiled by the Romans. My father has lost his hope in God and relies on his righteous acts and business to get him by in this world. He is a good man, but he does not know God. The bread will burn if I write any more!