The Passovers of JesusBy Evelyn Pointer

An example of a Fig Tree

How long did Jesus preach the gospel? We say about three and a half years. How do we know? I have not found it anywhere that tells us that directly. By reading and understanding prophecy we can look at the things that were a pattern of Christ’s work, such as the three and a half years that it did not rain during the time of Elijah, and then Elijah prayed and the rain came. We know that the rain pointed to the out pour-ing of the Holy Spirit. We also know about the prophecy to come about the last martyrs whose testimony will last three and a half years before they are killed. They will lay dead in the streets for three and a half days prior to the resurrection. They are also a

pattern of Christ. Christ also told us through his teachings. Luke 13 tells the parable of the fig tree. He spake also this parable; a certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vine-yard, behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answer-ing said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. Luke 13: 6-8Christ was warning the chil-dren of Israel to repent or else they would perish.

The Parable of the Fig Tree

Luke 13: 1-5. He went on and spoke about the man who had a fig tree and sought fruit on it for three years. These are the years Christ preached the gospel. luke 13: 6-7. When the man threatened to cut it down the dresser asked him to let him dig about and dung it first. This

the time after the Pentecost when the Holy Ghost fell and the disci-ples preached the gospel--digging about it would loosen the hard soil to allow the rain to get to it. Luke 13: 8-9. The hard soil is the hard or uncircumcised heart and the rain is the Holy Ghost, and the dung fertil-

izes and nourishes the tree like the word of God nourishes the person. Then he says, “well”, but if not cut it down. Israel did not do right. They persecuted church and killed the apostles, therefore the destruc-tion of Jerusalem in AD 70 was the cutting down of the fig tree.

We can also go through the scriptures and count the Passovers. The only book that lists them is the book of John. John lists three Passovers that Jesus kept prior to his death the first one listed occurred right af-ter his first miracle in Cana of Galilee at the beginning of his work and the last one, found in all of the books of the gospel is of course at the time of the crucifixion.

First Works

P r i o r t o t h i s Passover Jesus was in Galilee and went to Jordan w h e r e h e w a s baptizied of John. Then on to the wilderness to be tempted of the

devil. Then Jesus returns to Galilee, and calls his disci-ples. This all found in the first chapter of John. It does not tell us how long this took. But it had to be well over forty

d a y s b e c a u s e Christ was in the wilderness for forty days. While Jesus was still in Galilee in Cana he went to a wedding. There he performed his first miracle.

....“Jesus saith unto her, woman, what have I to do with thee?

He turned the wa-t e r i n t o w i n e . When his mother told them that they had no wine he said something strange to her. . . . . “Jesus sa i th unto her, woman,

what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not come. Why would he say that? Be-cause the wine rep resen ts t he b l o o d t h a t h e w o u l d s h e d .

John 2: 1-11.Afterwards Jesus goes to Caper-naum and then to J e r u s a l e m . H e drove the money changers and the sellers of doves out of the temple.

Parables and Symbols

This shows how he is going to purge his house and remove all things that offend. John 2: 13-17. Jesus also told the Jews, “destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up,” John 2: 18-23, pointing to his death and resurrection. You

can see that all of these things that occurred just prior to the Passover at the beginning of his ministry was a powerful lesson to us about the meaning of Passover. The wine represented his blood, and he demonstrated how he will purge his

house; he showed us that his tem-ple would be built or raised up through his death and resurrection. We who serve hime are raised up to a new life within him.

The True

Bread of Life

John 6: 1-4. Prior to the second Passover Jesus preaches to multitudes on a mountain. He feeds 5000 people with 5 loaves and a few fishes. John 6: 5-14. Je-sus teaches the people. The following day the people seed for Jesus. When they find him he tells them not to labor for carnal food, John 6: 27, and explains that he is the bread of life. John 6: 31-37, 47-51. Jesus knew that they just wanted food to eat

but were not interested in his word. He told them that his flesh was meat indeed and that his blood was drink in-deed John 6: 54-58. Here we see a powerful sermon on the true meaning of the Passover. Recall also how Jesus rebuked the devil when he tempted him in the wilderness, “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeded out the mouth of God.”

A very significant event oc-curred shortly before the Passover, the resurrection of Lazarus. What did Christ tell Martha? John 11: 23-26. It was this event that so an-gered the Jews that they de-cided that they must at all costs find a way to kill him.

The following is a list of im-portant events preceding Christ’s crucifixion. John 12: 1, Six days before the feast of Passover Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus was. Two days before the feast of the Passover Christ teaches his disciple about the signs of his coming to Judgement and also about the destruction. He

teaches them also about the parable of the 10 virgins also. You can read about this in Matthews chapter 24-25 and Mark chapter 13. While he was sill in bethany in the house of Simon the Leper, they made a supper for him, and Mary Magdalene comes and anoints his head and feet. Matthew 26: 2-7, Mark 14: 1-9, and John 11:3. Judas be-comes indignant at this sup-posed “waste” and conspires with the priests to kill Jesus. Christ begins to to travel to Je-rusalem. He tells his disciples to bring to him a colt of an ass and he travels into Jerusalem as prophesied int the book of Isaiah.

The Last Passover

The people lay branches before him and wave palms and sing hosanna to the king. Jesus tells the disciples ex-actly where to pre-pare the Passover

in an upper room. He warns and in-structs his disciples because we must all drink the cup of salvation and walk as Jesus walked Luke 22: 17-18. Then he took the

bread and blessed and brake it, “this is my body”, and the cup after din-ner, “this is the new testament in his blood.” After supper (found only in the book of John),

Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God believe in me. St John 14:1.

Jesus girded him-self and washes the disciples feet, telling them to do so also to each other. This is the work and service that we must do bowing to each other and helping

our brothers to also enter into the kingdom of heaven. The beau-tiful sermons and prayer found only in the book of John chapters 14-17 were spoken to the apostles after

supper with John leaning on his breast. Then Christ goes to the garden with Peter, James and John and prays in agony be-fore his death.

Here in this garden is where Judas and his captors meet him and Judas betrays him with a kiss. I will leave it here as we all know what proceeded, how Jesus was interrogated, beaten sav-agely, mocked, spit upon, crucified with thieves, died was placed in a tomb and was resurrected after three days. We know fully well how Christ’s victory is our victory. As he said “ in this world ye shall have tribula-tion: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

All praise, honor and glory to Christ our savior, our Passo-

ver, the lamb who was slain, whose blood was shed for the saving of our souls. All glory to God in the highest who loved us so much that he sent his only begotten son that he might through him have life, through his suffering and his stripes we are healed. Give all praises to God and his son Jesus Christ who gave his life as a ransom for many, Happy Passover!