Message for the final day of Passover - “Choose This Day!”
Although the Season of Passover continues until Pentecost (Shavuot), today we welcome you to the final day of the Feast of Passover.
This message comes to you today as a reminder that no matter what situation we find ourselves in, Yahusha has the solution.
Nailed to the cross, Yahusha said to the criminal hanging on the cross next to Him:
“Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
What a thing to hear when you know you’ve done wrong, you are a sinner and guilty as charged.
Painfully hanging on a tree, lamenting your plight. Maybe considering the awful deeds you have done. Knowing there is no mercy because you showed none.
What must that have been like?
Forlorn, destitute and without hope because of your own actions!
Then, into your miserable desolation, you hear mocking voices shouting scornfully, “Drink this sour wine! If You are King of the Jews, save Yourself!”
You feel a stirring of injustice within.
You try to open your bloodied, swollen and blackened eyes and dimly see the inscription: “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”
The stirring grows and reaches its peak when you hear your fellow guilty criminal shout, “If you are the Christ, save Yourself and us!” Somehow you know deep inside you that the One they’re referring to is NOT guilty.
You summon your remaining weakened voice to redress the injustice:
“Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?” You say, “We indeed are guilty; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man has done nothing wrong!”
You turn to Yahusha and with a trembling voice say: “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”
Then you, who was desolate, dejected and without hope, hear:
“Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
So, I say again, What a thing to hear when you know you’ve done wrong, you are a sinner and guilty as charged.
But the Blood of the Saviour brought redemption to the guilty, wiping his slate clean, even at the point of physical death. Deserving of judgment but in receipt of redemption and justification.
“But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
In these challenging times many have had their faith tested. Perhaps through the loss of loved ones, or family financial pressures. Maybe even questioning if Yahuah is still by your side. This journey of faith is not an easy one.
How many of us have been guilty of behaving, saying things, or even thinking things that we know are not pleasing to God? And have experienced that feeling of desolation and hopelessness. Feeling that there is nothing you can do now to make things better and turn the situation around.
Into your misery you hear the voice of Yahusha stirring hope in you; bringing you salvation and redemption, reminding you of the sanctifying power of His Blood, wiping your slate clean.
Maybe you are still in that state right now.
But take heart today, because the Season of Passover is just the time to hear and receive from Yahusha the redemption that comes in His holy Name. He is still wiping slates clean today.
So, in remembering His sacrifice for us, it is a good time to have our slates wiped clean!
The term “Clean slate” comes from the time people wrote on (slate) chalk boards. Whether that was their tavern bill or their letters in school. Starting with a 'clean slate' meant you wiped the board clean and started over.
For many years now, the term has been used figuratively, and it has long outlived the practice of writing on slate.
Yahuah uses this phrase Himself and we can find that in some passages in the Bible. The main one is found in Hebrews 10:17 where, in the Message Bible, it says: “... I'll forever wipe the slate clean of their sins.” In other Bibles this statement is written as, “I will remember no more.” meaning exactly the same thing - slates wiped clean!
Have you taken the opportunity yet to have your slate wiped clean?
One of the thieves next to Yahusha did not take the opportunity to have his slate wiped clean and his sins forgiven. While the other recognised that he was in the presence of the Son of God.
He grabbed hold of the chance to be with Him. He took hold of the mercy and unmerited favour of God. Someone who was on the brink of his soul perishing, had a change of heart and secured his place in paradise with Yahusha.
Remember the most important part of forgiveness of our sins is that we change. We turn away from our old life to a new life in Yahusha.
We do as the thief on the cross did, which was to recognise Yahusha as Saviour, to make the decision to change and take action in declaring our belief in Him, as it tells us in Romans 10:9
“... if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”
With his last breath the thief made that decision and declared His belief in Yahusha.
You may have already done the same. But in this season of Passover, as we reflect upon the ways in which we may have drifted away from Yahusha or have become complacent in our walk of faith, scripture tells us in 1 John 1:9 that:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Wherever you are in your relationship with Yahusha, don’t miss the opportunity to have your slate wiped clean in this Passover!
Consider that Yahusha went all the way to Calvary for you.
He did not stop short, He did not cut corners. He did not allow His feelings or circumstances to hold Him back.
Yahusha went through the fullest extent of extreme mental and physical suffering for you. He suffered and gave His life for you, without limit and without reservation!
“He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)
Today the Lord gives you another chance - no matter who you are, no matter what you have done!
Like the thief on the cross - lean on Yahusha’s grace and mercy, recognise your faults and purpose in your heart to change your life to live as Yahusha asks you to.
“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”/ Yahusha Messiah (Romans 3:24).
It cannot get any better than that.
Yahusha is reaching His hand out to you right now.
Will you take the chance today to have your slate wiped clean?
Passover 2021 - Introduction
The theme for Passover this year is ‘All the Way to Calvary’. The phrase comes from the song ‘All the way to Calvary He went for me’ and it speaks of a number of things. First and foremost it tells us that Yahusha went ALL THE WAY to Calvary, not just part of the way. This means that the deliverence He did there wasn’t partially done, it was FULLY done.
We cannot imagine what this felt like for Him. This is someone that did not know sin, yet He carried the sins of all mankind in His body. We cannot fathom the pain he went through. On top of this, consider that while we might give our lives for our child or a dear friend, the fact that He gave it for someone who utterly despises him is unthinkable.
So, part of the ‘All the Way to Calvary’ is realising what Yahusha has saved us from. Who and where would we be if He hadn’t gone all the way to Calvary? What state would our life be in right now.
Every believer should know that in doing this, Yahusha has shown His grace and mercy towards each of us personally. We must also remember that His body was ‘bent and twisted out of shape’ in order for us to be repositioned back into a relationship with Yahuah through Him, and realigned into our heavenly realm and function.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. (Matt. 16:24 NKJV)
It is because of His great sacrifice, and our gratitude to Yahusha as a result, that we cannot be afraid to tell our own story. We cannot be afraid to tell of how He went ‘All the way to Calvary for me’. In other words, we are to tell people about the processes Yahusha has taken us through for us to become free.
We must speak with frankness and in detail about what He delivered us from personally. Whether it be witchcraft, idolatry and fornication. We must tell it all.
He went all the way for us and so we must now go ‘all the way’ for Him and tell our testimonies.
We invite you to celebrate Passover 2021 with us starting with the Passover Seder.
Click here to learn about the Seder plate and how to create it.
Click here to learn about the Unleavened bread and how to make it.
So join us for this year's celebration of Passover 2021, and make your journey All the Way to Calvary.
Carol James (Deputy Overseer of Acorn Life Ministries)
An explanation of Passover
Passover is one of the three main feasts God asks us to celebrate, in Leviticus 23:41. But why are we still celebrating it today? This and other questions about Passover are answered in this Passover teaching, explaining the history and the “Seder plate” items in more detail.
Passover 2021 message trailer
To launch this Passover 2021, a trailer for our main Passover message will be available here from midday (GMT) Saturday 27th March.
(WARNING: This video contains short scenes that some may find upsetting and may not be suitable for children).
Passover 2021 main message
This is the main message for Passover 2021 from Acorn Life Ministries on our theme for this year: “All the Way to Calvary”.
Yahusha’s sacrifice on the cross was done because of His love, brought the joy we needed and established His enduring victory of death and the grave.
He went All the Way to Calvary for us and now He asks to do the same for Him!
(WARNING: This video contains short scenes that some may find upsetting and may not be suitable for children).
Seder at home
Here is the link for how to deliver the Seder service yourself, at home: Bread and Wine Seder 2021 (simpler version).
The full version is here if you prefer: Full Passover Seder 2021.