Then I saw a scroll in the right hand of the one who was sitting on the throne.
There was writing on the inside and the outside of the scroll, and it was sealed with seven seals.
And I saw a strong angel, who shouted with a loud voice: “Who is worthy to break the seals on this scroll and open it?”
But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll and read it.
Then I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll and read it.
But one of the twenty-four elders said to me, “Stop weeping! Look, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the heir to David’s throne, has won the victory.
He is worthy to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Then I saw a Lamb that looked as if it had been slaughtered, but it was now standing between the throne and the four living beings and among the twenty-four elders.
He had seven horns and seven eyes, which represent the sevenfold Spirit of God that is sent out into every part of the earth.
He stepped forward and took the scroll from the right hand of the one sitting on the throne.
And when he took the scroll, the four living beings and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb.
Each one had a harp, and they held gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.
And they sang a new song with these words:
“You are worthy to take the scroll and break its seals and open it.
For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.
And you have caused them to become a Kingdom of priests for our God.
And they will reign on the earth.”
Then I looked again, and I heard the voices of thousands and millions of angels around the throne and of the living beings and the elders.
And they sang in a mighty chorus:
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered— to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”
And then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. They sang:
“Blessing and honor and glory and power belong to the one sitting on the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever.”
And the four living beings said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb.

Our salvation had to have been on His mind before this world was created, before “the fall”. To the natural mind this is amazing—a mystery.

Thank God however that this mystery is revealed to us. That is, to those who have had their eyes opened and we cannot do that ourselves.

According to 2 Corinthians 4:4, the god of this world, in which we once lived, has blinded people’s eyes to the truth.
Yes, us too, until we met the Lord, but that is only the start of our journey. There are things that were once hidden to us and are no longer hidden from us—but we need to discover them. They are hidden in plain sight for us.

This is why Paul prayed for us. In Colossians chapter one, he was talking to believers like us—people who had met Jesus and been converted.
Think of the time before you had such an encounter how your life changed. Old things passed away and everything started to took on a brand new perspective. Think also of the time you started to read a bible.

I had to go to the table of contents every time to find where a particular book was found.
Even then I did not understand much, but day after day, things started to fall into place and understanding started to arrive—and it is still happening! Paul’s prayer may answer a question, or explain the reason.

Every time we pray for you our hearts overflow with thanksgiving to Father God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For we have heard of your devoted lives of faith in Christ Jesus and your tender love toward all his holy believers.
Your faith and love rise within you as you access all the treasures of your inheritance stored up in the heavenly realm.
For the revelation of the true gospel is as real today as the day you first heard of our glorious hope, now that you have believed in the truth of the gospel.
This is the wonderful message that is being spread everywhere, powerfully changing hearts throughout the earth, just like it has changed you!
Every believer of this good news bears the fruit of eternal life as they experience the reality of God’s grace.
Our beloved coworker, Epaphras, was there from the beginning to thoroughly teach you the astonishing revelation of the gospel, and he serves you faithfully as Christ’s representative.
He’s informed us of the many wonderful ways love is being demonstrated through your lives by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
Since we first heard about you, we’ve kept you always in our prayers that you would receive the perfect knowledge of God’s pleasure over your lives, making you reservoirs of every kind of wisdom and spiritual understanding.
We pray that you would walk in the ways of true righteousness, pleasing God in every good thing you do. Then you’ll become fruit-bearing branches, yielding to his life, and maturing in the rich experience of knowing God in his fullness!
And we pray that you would be energized with all his explosive power from the realm of his magnificent glory, filling you with great hope. Your hearts can soar with joyful gratitude when you think of how God made you worthy to receive the glorious inheritance freely given to us by living in the light. He has rescued us completely from the tyrannical rule of darkness and has translated us into the kingdom realm of his beloved Son. For in the Son all our sins are canceled and we have the release of redemption through his very blood. Colossians 1:3-14 emphasis mine

Notice that Paul often spoke of receiving revelation and by “revelation”, this does not mean some “new and perhaps “secret” thing many people want to produce as if they have discovered a “hidden book” of some kind. That’s both foolish and dangerous, because they risk invoking what is said in Revelation 22:19. In simple terms, what this “revelation” means is an opening up of a truth that we just have not seen yet.
It is already there, hidden in plain sight for us to discover—as the Holy Spirit, the revelator, reveals it to us. Jesus told the religious people who could quote scriptures ad-nauseum that they had no understanding. Paul was once one of those people and they are still with us today. Jesus’ own disciples did not understand much until He revealed it to them and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus are also classic examples. The parable of the sower and the seed in Mark chapter four may talk about the kinds of soil and different people, but that parable is about the word of God.
Jesus told us that the seed is the word in verse fourteen.
No one including the disciples, other believers and religious leaders understood it. No one can really understand God’s word properly until it is also opened up to us.

Our salvation is a mystery until it is revealed or opened up to us. Scriptures tell us that the angels would like to inquire into it. They do not experience the things we do and marvel and rejoice when a sinner comes to the Lord. They are happy for us of course and give glory to the Lord for what He has done.

Despite all the prophecies and the anticipation the Jews had concerning the arrival of Messiah, they really did not comprehend it until John came and declared:
The very next day John saw Jesus coming to him to be baptized, and John cried out, “Look! There he is—God’s Lamb!
He will take away the sins of the world!
I told you that a Mighty One would come who is far greater than I am, because he existed long before I was born!
My baptism was for the preparation of his appearing to Israel, even though I’ve yet to experience him.
Then, as John baptized Jesus he spoke these words: “I see the Spirit of God appear like a dove descending from the heavenly realm and landing upon him—and it rested upon him from that moment forward!
And even though I’ve yet to experience him, when I was commissioned to baptize with water God spoke these words to me, ‘One day you will see the Spirit descend and remain upon a man. He will be the One I have sent to baptize with the Holy Spirit. And now I have seen with discernment. I can tell you for sure that this man is the Son of God.” John 1:29-34 emphasis mine

God is raising up a breed of prophet today who avoids the usual “prophets” and their “words” to tickle itching ears . They will not talk of anything other than Jesus and His (second) appearing.

John called Him the Lamb of God. Behold—the Lamb of God.

The lamb is thus extremely important. Let us take a closer look...

Cain and Abel:

The man had sexual relations with Havah his wife; she conceived, gave birth to Kayin [acquisition] and said, “I have acquired a man from Adonai.”
In addition she gave birth to his brother Hevel. Hevel kept sheep, while Kayin worked the soil.
In the course of time Kayin brought an offering to Adonai from the produce of the soil; and Hevel too brought from the firstborn of his sheep, including their fat.
Adonai accepted Hevel and his offering but did not accept Kayin and his offering. Genesis 4:1-3

No mention is made of such an offering before. What prompted Abel to offer a lamb? Did Adam tell him how God clothed Eve and himself with an animal skin? One must wonder where God obtained that skin.
The bible does not say so as such, but it does seem to me that to obtain that skin, an animal died. If so, then God Himself made the first sacrifice for a covering.
If Adam had not said anything about that, something inside Abel instinctively realized that this was the only offering that God would accept.

Abraham:

Some time afterward, God put Abraham to the test. He said to him, “Abraham,” and he answered, “Here I am.”
And He said, “Take your son, your favored one, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the heights that I will point out to you.”
So early next morning, Abraham saddled his ass and took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac.
He split the wood for the burnt offering, and he set out for the place of which God had told him.
On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place from afar.
Then Abraham said to his servants, “You stay here with the ass. The boy and I will go up there; we will worship and we will return to you.”
Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and put it on his son Isaac. He himself took the firestone and the knife; and the two walked off together.
Then Isaac said to his father Abraham, “Father!” And he answered, “Yes, my son.” And he said, “Here are the firestone and the wood; but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”
And Abraham said, “God will see to the sheep for His burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them walked on together.  Genesis 22:1-8

Key points:

• God took the initiative and called Abraham
• Abraham answered
• Abraham made an early response and made the necessary preparations. He planned ahead.
• On the third day, he saw the place from afar. This may have been a prophetic vision, looking forward to Calvary and the Lord’s resurrection.
  He told his servants to remain behind whilst he and his son made sacrifice—and that both of them would return. This reveals that the events are personal, that our salvation is personal. No other person, religious institution, leader or religious action can result in our salvation. We as individuals have to make that choice.
• Both Abraham and his son obeyed. Isaac was not a boy but a young man who could have refused and easily overcome his father. Jesus could have refused to comply with the Father’s wishes, knowing that He could have called on all those angels to rescue Him, but did not and followed through with the plan. The account says that the two of them walked on together, up the hill to Mount Moriah that many students believe is Golgotha. The rest as we now know is history.

Passover:

We now jump forward to Passover, the Exodus and the Tabernacle. We shall not delve much at this time into the significance of the Tabernacle other than to say that this is one of the most profound types of God’s plan of salvation and how we are to approach Him with absolute confidence.

Everything associated with the Tabernacle speaks in some way about Jesus, from the tent pegs to the ropes, the furniture and fittings.

Please take note of my emphasis and several key points.

• The lamb was chosen on the tenth day
• It was kept for 4 days
• Each household was to take it
• It was thoroughly inspected to ensure it had no fault of any kind
• It was to be a lamb for a family. The only time others could share in that house was when they were not able to partake of all that lamb in their own home
• The blood was to be collected and applied to each and every house. No one could do that for anyone else.

In the Tanakh from which this portion was selected, notice how it is worded. “I the Lord—And—the blood”. God stated that He was looking for the applied blood. It was to be a sign and Passover was to be kept as a perpetual memorial.
The Jewish Passover is still a valid and powerful memorial.

If you ever have the opportunity to attend a Jewish Passover (not the Christian version) as I have, it is extremely powerful and for me, very emotional. I wept profusely. It is much closer to our Christian observances than we realize. Next time you take communion, try to avoid the traditional communion messages and sacraments. They are emblems supposedly helping us remember. Try to picture a resurrected and glorified Christ looking through the lens of Passover.

Jews have a special cup of wine that is supposedly poured out for Elijah the prophet who will announce the coming of Messiah.
We can look forward to Messiah’s return and when a Jew discovers that Jesus is the Messiah, as many are today, they have a kind of “double portion”. It’s powerful.

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt:
This month shall mark for you the beginning of the months;
it shall be the first of the months of the year for you.
Speak to the whole community of Israel and say that on the tenth of this month each of them shall take a lamb to a family, a lamb to a household.
But if the household is too small for a lamb, let him share one with a neighbor who dwells nearby, in proportion to the number of persons: you shall contribute for the lamb according to what each household will eat.
Your lamb shall be without blemish, a yearling male; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats.
You shall keep watch over it until the fourteenth day of this month; and all the assembled congregation of the Israelites shall slaughter it at twilight.
They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they are to eat it.
They shall eat the flesh that same night; they shall eat it roasted over the fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs. Do not eat any of it raw, or cooked in any way with water, but roasted—head, legs, and entrails—over the fire. You shall not leave any of it over until morning; if any of it is left until morning, you shall burn it. This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly: it is a passover offering to the Lord.
For that night I will go through the land of Egypt and strike down every first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and I will mete out punishments to all the gods of Egypt, I the Lord. And the blood on the houses where you are staying shall be a sign for you: when I see the blood I will pass over you, so that no plague will destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

This day shall be to you one of remembrance: you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord throughout the ages; you shall celebrate it as an institution for all time. Exodus 12:1-14

Four days:

According to what God told Moses, that lamb had to be selected four days before Passover and thoroughly inspected before slaughter.

If Jesus is our Passover according to 1 Corinthians 5:7, He must have been “inspected” in similar manner to that lamb.

Consider those four days and ascertain if and how Jesus was inspected to ensure He was fit for sacrifice.

Think of it, because this is very important.

Jesus had to fulfill all prophecy and meet God’s stringent requirements.  How did that happen?

Matthew, Mark and Luke all speak of the time Jesus took Peter, James and John to a high mountain. We shall look at Luke’s account.

Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white.  And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem Luke 9:28-31

They were all talking about His death. Jesus was transfigured (that means changed). The Greek word is metamorphoō and this is the same word used to describe things that have happened to us when we are saved and when we are taken home. He was Talking with Moses who represented The Law and Elijah who represented the prophets and He met the requirements necessary to be that perfect lamb.

Mankind was also represented by Peter who thought it was great to be there. But the Father—the Father gave His approval. While Peter was talking, a bright cloud enveloped them and God spoke from the cloud saying that Jesus was His beloved Son and that He was well pleased with Him. He also told us to listen to Him! I consider that a command. Are we really listening to Jesus? Only you can answer that.

Why 4?

To hopefully provide an answer, look first at the numbers 1 and 3.  The number one speaks of unity and declares that there is only one God. The number three signifies Divine perfection, with special reference to the Trinity: The Father, one in sovereignty; the Son, the second person, in incarnation and salvation and the Holy Spirit, the third person, presently residing in us as our teacher and guide, empowering us and revealing Jesus to us.

The number four is made up of three and one (3 + 1 = 4) and it speaks of what follows the revelation of God in the Trinity—His creative works. He is known by the things that are seen. Hence the written revelation commences with the words, “In-the-beginning God created.” Creation is therefore the next thing—the fourth thing and the number four always has reference to all that is created.
It is the number of things that have a beginning and is the number of material completeness.

There are four elements of earth, air, fire and water, four points of the compass—north, south, east, and west, four divisions of a day—morning, noon, evening, and midnight.

Jesus speaks of His coming at evening, midnight, cock-crowing, or in the morning.

We have four seasons of the year—spring, summer, autumn and winter and four variations of the lunar phases.

The number four can refer to division. We see  In Genesis 2:10–11 that the one river of Paradise was parted and became into four heads, the fourth of which is the river Euphrates.

There were four cherubim who are usually associated with creation. They guard the tree of life. They are seen in connection with atonement, showing the only ground on which creation could hope for the end of its groaning. They are seen on the veil and on the mercy-seat in the Tabernacle. This reveals that there is no hope for a groaning creation apart from atonement, apart from Christ and apart from Israel.

In the Apocalypse the same four cherubim are called “the living creatures” in Revelation 4. They announce the Coming One, sing of creation and of the One who created all things and for whose pleasure they were created in Revelation 4:11. Whenever they speak it is in connection with the earth.

They call forth and announce the judgments or plagues in Revelation 6 and are the beings who speak of Jesus in exaltation when all the kingdoms of the world become the kingdom of our Lord and His anointed, and when the LORD God omnipotent reigneth.

The last supper:

The gospel accounts reveal the time when Jesus commanded the disciples to prepare the Passover. Luke’s record is as follows:

And the Festival of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called Passover...
 And the Day of Unleavened Bread came when the Passover had to be slaughtered.
And He sent Kěpha and Yoḥanan, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us to eat.”
 And they said to Him, “Where do You wish us to prepare?”
 And He said to them, “See, as you enter into the city, a man shall meet you carrying a jar of water. Follow him into the house he enters.
 “And you shall say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room where I might eat the Passover with My taught ones?” ’
 “And he shall show you a large, furnished upper room. Prepare it there.” And going they found it as He had said to them, and they prepared the Passover. Luke 22:1, 7-13

Key points:

• Jesus knew that the man would be there as they entered the city.
• We are not told his name, nor the name of the man who owned the house—but Jesus knew them. This “man with no name” may never have preached a sermon, performed a miracle or did anything we associate with “successful ministries”, yet he was the right man at the right time in the right place doing the “wrong thing” because men did not fetch water. Women did that.
  Our salvation could have depended on that one unknown person. God could ask you to do a simple task that might never bring you into the limelight, but it is important to Him and He knows...
  The owner of the house also played an important part. Was he a follower of the Lord? We do not know, but he started to make preparations four days in advance for the Lord to use.
   
• Jesus called His disciples “Taught ones”. That is what real discipleship is about.
   
• The upper room was a special room used for special occasions and this man had laid the tables out, arranged the seating and what is important to realize is that he had already selected the lamb four days in advance in accordance with God’s instructions hundreds of years beforehand.

If we think of the scriptures that tell us that Jesus was the lamb slain before the foundation of the world, God had all this meeting planned to perfection before Adam fell.

What we call “the last supper” was really a Passover meal. The owner of the house had already arranged the furniture layout and according to custom they reclined at table. Religious art generally portrays them all sitting at a straight table with Jesus in the middle, but it is more likely to have been U-shaped.
This may surprise you but I believe that John and Judas were the closest to Him.
John was reclining so close to the Lord that the scriptures tell us that  he was resting against Jesus’ bosom. See John 13:23. They were not sitting upright on chairs, but reclining on one side. It was not uncommon for people to recline on cushions on their left side and eat with the right hand. Judas could have been on the Lord’s right hand or opposite Him. John asked the Lord who that person would be and Jesus replied:

He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the sop Satan entered into him. John 13:26-27

Matthew’s account states:

The one who dips his matzah in the dish with me is the one who will betray me. Matthew 26:23

To be able to dip that morsel in the same dish with Jesus implies that he was very close physically. That person was Judas.

Peter had to ask John who would betray the Lord. He was not close enough!

John’s account states that Judas immediately departed after that and after his departure, Jesus spoke extensively about things that relate to us today concerning His return, the Holy Spirit, giving us His peace, the union between Himself and His Church, the office of the Comforter and His prayer for us that is not the “Lord’s prayer”.

Our traditional opinions of that “last supper” may need to be re-evaluated.

We can now take a closer look at this lamb.

‘Az’azel

In Leviticus chapter sixteen, God gave strict instructions as summarized:

Adonai spoke with Moshe after the death of Aharon’s two sons, when they tried to sacrifice before Adonai and died; Adonai said to Moshe, “Tell your brother Aharon not to come at just any time into the Holy Place beyond the curtain, in front of the ark-cover which is on the ark, so that he will not die; because I appear in the cloud over the ark-cover. Leviticus 16:1-2

Aaron’s sons died because they made offerings that God had not ordained them to do. Whilst that is in Old Testament conditions, God’s requirements have not changed that much really.
It is great to want to “do things for the Lord” especially in the ministry, but no one should take it upon themselves to do so as many do unless the Lord appoints that person. According to Ephesians chapter four, Jesus does that. There is an alarming trend in many places whereby men take it upon themselves and give themselves such titles as apostle or prophets etcetera but lack the biblical qualifications to do so.

Jesus told people in the gospel account that they may indeed have been casting out devils and performing wonderful things—but He had not authorized them to do them and called them workers of iniquity.

Aaron had to enter the presence of God in the correct manner. He had to bathe and dress appropriately, make a burnt offering for himself and his family—before doing anything else. We live in a different era of course, but the principles remain. Whilst we are able to come before the throne of grace with boldness, it does not mean brashness, or slack behaviour. Common courtesy, reverential awe and respect, dignity, and high standards in dress code should still apply. Often times it seems that we dress and behave as if we are going to a football match or the beach instead of having an audience with the King. I know a “pastor” who often came to church in shorts and sandals. That is not setting a good example. Perhaps I am just “old fashioned”, but it suggests that what is really inside a person is manifested by the way they conduct themselves in church. Jesus said that we know them by their fruit.

Aaron then had to take two goats and present them before the Lord at the entrance of the tent—not inside.

Then Aharon is to cast lots for the two goats, one lot for Adonai and the other for ‘Az’azel. Aharon is to present the goat whose lot fell to Adonai and offer it as a sin offering.
But the goat whose lot fell to ‘Az’azel is to be presented alive to Adonai to be used for making atonement over it by sending it away into the desert for ‘Az’azel. Leviticus 16:8-10

He cast lots to select one goat for a sacrifice and the other reserved for a different purpose. The bull was sacrificed to atone for his sins and for his family’s sins and its blood was then sprinkled on the Mercy Seat of the Ark of the Covenant. Before the priest was able to offer sacrifice for sin on behalf of the people, he had to first ensure that he was capable of doing that. He had to deal with his own sin principle first.

He then slaughtered the Lord’s goat and brought its blood in behind the veil and sprinkled that on the Mercy Seat. That atoned for the sins of the people.

Aaron then confessed the sins of the people, laid his hands on Az’azel’s head and gave it to someone appointed to do so, to lead it away into the desert and release it. The sins of the people were thus taken away and never seen again.

But that was not the end of it. Aaron then had to remove his priestly garments and wash himself and make another offering for himself and the people.
Whilst he was performing the priestly duties as commanded, he became ceremonially unclean. Dealing with sin can be messy! Proper ministry can “contaminate the pastor” so there are certain requirements to be able to minister. The man who took ‘Az’azel away also became contaminated and had to do likewise. No one was to touch them and they were not permitted to rejoin the people until everything had been completed.

It is to be a permanent regulation for you that on the tenth day of the seventh month you are to deny yourselves and not do any kind of work, both the citizen and the foreigner living with you.
For on this day, atonement will be made for you to purify you; you will be clean before Adonai from all your sins.
It is a Shabbat of complete rest for you, and you are to deny yourselves.
“This is a permanent regulation.
The cohen anointed and consecrated to be cohen in his father’s place will make the atonement; he will put on the linen garments, the holy garments; he will make atonement for the Especially Holy Place; he will make atonement for the tent of meeting and the altar; and he will make atonement for the cohanim and for all the people of the community.
This is a permanent regulation for you, to make atonement for the people of Isra’el because of all their sins once a year.” Moshe did as Adonai had ordered him. Leviticus 16:9-24

In many modern day churches in certain places, priests, bishops and other leaders often dress in elaborate vestures, often very richly adorned, wear miters and some carry elaborate “pastoral staffs”, perhaps relating to the Old Testament priestly garments, but that priesthood has been fulfilled in and by Jesus. He never dressed like that, but one day shall do so. Personally, I dislike what those people do and feel it is worldly pride. Nevertheless, I like to dress well and wear a suit when I can as a mark of respect to the Lord, not to draw attention to myself.

The goat that was sent away into the wilderness is known as the scapegoat. Jesus was our scapegoat and the sacrificial lamb.

Unlike the Old Testament conditions, such things had to be done every year, but now, according to scriptures, Jesus entered once into that place, just as Aaron had to do. That sacrifice is never to be repeated.

If you wonder why the Lord forbade Mary from touching Him after His resurrection, Jesus was the lamb and the priest and that man who led the scapegoat away. When Jesus went in behind that veil, He took that blood. He was that bull. He was that scapegoat (lamb).

There is a belief amongst some Jews that when that goat was set free, the priest tied a red ribbon around its neck and watched it as it walked away. If the ribbon turned white God had accepted the sacrifice.
I do not know if that really happened but God said in Isaiah 1:18:

“Come now,” says Adonai, “let’s talk this over together.
Even if your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow; even if they are red as crimson, they will be like wool.

The priest laid his hands on the lamb, transferring the sins of the people from them to that lamb.

Look for a moment at what Isaiah said in Isaiah 53, a “familiar” passage to us but do we really fully understand what happened? Perhaps not. Let us see:

...it was our diseases he bore, our pains from which he suffered; yet we regarded him as punished, stricken and afflicted by God. Verse 4

God was the offended party when Adam transgressed. God had clearly stated that death, both natural spiritual would be the result, but also stated that the day would come when the son of Adam—the Second Adam would crush the serpent’s head. Although man crucified Jesus, in God’s eyes did He do that to Jesus? This is mind boggling.

But he was wounded because of our crimes, crushed because of our sins; the disciplining that makes us whole fell on him, and by his bruises we are healed. Verse 5

The book of Hebrews, especially chapter five talks much about Jesus’ priesthood, but He was also a man just like us who yielded to the will of the Father and disciplining was part of His life.

During Yeshua’s life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions, crying aloud and shedding tears, to the One who had the power to deliver him from death; and he was heard because of his godliness.
Even though he was the Son, he learned obedience through his sufferings. And after he had been brought to the goal, he became the source of eternal deliverance to all who obey him, since he had been proclaimed by God as a cohen gadol to be compared with Malki-Tzedek. Hebrews 5:7-10

Isaiah said that Jesus was like a lamb that was led away to be slaughtered.

We all, like sheep, went astray; we turned, each one, to his own way; yet Adonai laid on him the guilt of all of us.
Though mistreated, he was submissive— he did not open his mouth.
Like a lamb led to be slaughtered, like a sheep silent before its shearers, he did not open his mouth. Isaiah 53:6-7

Man may have been the “tools” that God used to transfer our sins and place them on that lamb, not man. That lamb was sacrificed but the ‘Az’azel was freed.

Although he had done no violence and had said nothing deceptive, yet it pleased Adonai to crush him with illness, to see if he would present himself as a guilt offering.
If he does, he will see his offspring; and he will prolong his days; and at his hand Adonai’s desire will be accomplished.
After this ordeal, he will see satisfaction.
By his knowing [pain and sacrifice], my righteous servant makes many righteous; it is for their sins that he suffers.
Therefore I will assign him a share with the great, he will divide the spoil with the mighty, for having exposed himself to death  and being counted among the sinners, while actually bearing the sin of many and interceding for the offenders. Isaiah 53:9-12

There is much more to this than we realize. In Hebrews chapter seven, the writer asks a leading question after talking about Melchizedek.

If any of the Levitical priests who served under the law had the power to bring us into perfection, then why did God send Christ as Priest after the likeness of Melchizedek?
He should have said, “After the likeness of Aaron.” —And furthermore, for God to send a new and different rank of priest, meant a new law would have had to be instituted even to allow it! Hebrews 7:11-12

As our Kohen Gadol, our Great High Priest, Jesus fulfilled all of the priestly duties we briefly touched on and there is much, much more we could have explored whilst also taking on the role of the sacrifice in His own person. That is almost impossible for us to comprehend. Every prophecy was fulfilled.

For example in Exodus 12:46, God commanded that not one bone of the lamb was to be broken and that prophecy was fulfilled in John 19:36. In the Jewish Passover celebration today, a lamb shank-bone is placed on the Seder plate in a special position as seen below.

Hag HaMatzot: The Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The feast of unleavened bread was an agricultural festival that celebrated the beginning of the grain harvest when an offering of the first fruits was made and unleavened bread eaten. This feast coincided with the feast of the paschal lamb. The principal feature of the feast of unleavened bread is stated in the Bible, Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.

The unleavened bread commemorated the speed with which the Jews had to leave Egypt and thus became symbolic of redemption.

The Matzos used today seen here is striped with 39 stripes and perforated.

Jesus body was perforated and He took our sicknesses and diseases and I have been told that there are 39 major kinds or families of illnesses we suffer. That cannot be coincidental.

It was a general rule that all  offerings were to be made on the day of the festival and only the priests officiated at the actual slaughtering. Passover however was different.
The priesthood had not yet been established and each head of each house performed that function.

According to Exodus 12:43-46, no alien sojourner, hired servant, or uncircumcised person could eat the meat of the paschal lamb and the feast was to be held in one house.

No part of the meat was to be taken outside the house. What remained was to be taken outside and burnt, not retained. Nothing was to remain. This speaks of the efficacy, the total completeness in every respect of what Jesus did for us.

This reinforces the fact that salvation is personal and that communion should only be partaken by genuine born again believers—not as a sacrament as often happens, but as an act of worship and memorial of both the death and the resurrection of our Lord. When I partake of communion, I remember His death of course, but look forward to the day when we shall eat and drink with Him in glory.

Jesus, as the Passover Lamb, broke the power of sin over us by offering His life in place of sinners. The blood on the doorposts stands as an image of faith by which believers accept the covering and forgiveness Jesus provides. There  is no more need, nor should there be any need to perpetuate that. We were once sinners, but are now declared by God (not man) to be saints.

This summarizes my thoughts about this amazing and wonderful man, why He came and what He did.