Infinite and Eternal Sacrifice

Reading:   Exodus 12

At the current rate of one chapter a day, I won't be finished with the Old Testament until April of 2015...at least I'm reading right?  Oh well, once I get through these first few months of the new job I should be able to kick up the rate a bit - I will finish by years end!

Passover...

EXODUS 12:12-13, 29-30

12    For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. 

13    And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. 

29    And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle. 

30    And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. 

The intensity is hard to even imagine...the firstborn of all, man and beast.  The importance was of such magnitude that its annual observance became an ordinance to all, a memorial requirment of God.  As I read through the verses of God explaining in detail how the Passover was to be observed and the requisite stipulations as to who could observe, what they were to to do, when they were to do it, where the observance should be performed, and how they should observe, I could not help but think, "Ahh crap, this is serious stuff why is it that I, as a Latter Day Saint, don't observe this most sacred and serious practice?"  Now, please understand that I soon recalled the reason for our omitting this observance from our religious practice; but, for a moment I found cause for concern...

Our Savior, the firstborn son of God, accepted the role of the sacrificial lamb and, through the atonement, He has replaced the observance of Passover with our observance of the sacrament.  We partake of bread and water in remembrance of the body and blood that Jesus freely gave for us, our sins.  The observance of Passover was a precursor to the arrival of Jesus.  God wanted his people to understand the importance of such a sacrifice and that life was the result - death literally passed you over!  We, through the blessed atonement, are also given the substantial blessing of being passed over  in a greater death, spiritual death.  We can live with our Savior again because He has given us the avenue to cleanse ourselves of sin.

I know I have said this before, but, repetition is never a bad thing when it comes to eternal salvation, right?  The ordinance of the sacrament, something we have the privilege of taking part in every week, is our means to bypass death.  It is absolutely important that we do all that we can to partake of this sacred ordinance whenever possible!

Why did I have a moment of concern when reading the awesome requirements of the Passover observance?  Because I have taken the sacrament for granted, forgot (again) how vitally important it truly is...maybe, if it were a once-a-year occurance, we would show a more reverent observance but how great is it that we have a weekly opportunity for such a blessing!  The magnitude of this ordinance can still be observed we just have to pinch ourselves every week and remember what it is we are proclaiming "Amen" to...listen, partake, and live!

Finally, I want to share a quote from Howard W. Hunter from his talk, Christ, Our Passover (1985 April General Conference, Saturday morning session):

 In this simple but impressive manner the Savior instituted the ordinance now known as the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. With the suffering of Gethsemane, the sacrifice of Calvary, and the resurrection from a garden tomb, Jesus fulfilled the ancient law and ushered in a new dispensation based on a higher, holier understanding of the law of sacrifice. No more would men be required to offer the firstborn lamb from their flock, because the Firstborn of God had come to offer himself as an "infinite and eternal sacrifice." 

 This is the majesty of the Atonement and Resurrection, not just a passover from death, but a gift of eternal life by an infinite sacrifice as so beautifully stated by Amulek: 

 "For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice." (Alma 34:10.) 

Enough said...

~Kipling