Over the past two months, Christians commemorated the death, burial, and resurrection of Yeshua (Jesus). Some celebrated in the month of March, and others during April. The reasons why the disagreement on when the memorial observance of these events are sometimes a month apart can be found in some of my previous blogs, or through a simple google search of Quartodecimanism. However, this blog isn’t about the Passover-Easter debate between Christians and other Christians, or Christians and Jews.
This blog is about the Passover debate which pits Christians against Yeshua Himself. Yes, you read that right. Today, there are millions of Christians who celebrate the death, burial, and resurrection of Yeshua, which they proclaim, and rightfully so, is the basis of their redemption and salvation, while at the same time they are publicly proclaiming that Yeshua is a liar.
Before you stop reading and unfollow me, please let me explain. If you read or watch the news, you know that globally we are at one of the most dangerous moments in history, as we see active wars on several continents. As you know, one of those wars is taking place in Israel, in the Gaza Strip between the Israeli army and the Hamas terrorists.
This war is causing division between Jews and Arabs, and it is causing division between Jews and Christians. But, the most dangerous division this war is causing is a division between Christians and Yeshua.
You may be asking how. So, let me answer. If you are a Christian and you believe that Israel is occupying Palestinian land, and should either leave all or part of “Palestine,” then you are calling your Messiah, Yeshua, a liar and a false teacher.
In Luke 22, we read:
Luke 22:14-15 ”When the hour came, Yeshua reclined at table, and the emissaries with Him. And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.“
And, in Matthew 26, we read:
Matthew 26:17-19 Now on the first day of matzah, the disciples came to Yeshua, saying, “Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and tell him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near; at your house I am to keep the Passover with My disciples.”’” The disciples did as Yeshua had ordered them, and they prepared the Passover.“
Now, you may be asking me, “How do those verses prove that I, as a Christian, may be calling Yeshua a liar?” The answer to that question is found in remembering what the Passover is about.
Passover is the memorial observance of the redemption of Israel from Egypt, and their return to the land G-D gave to Abraham: The Promised Land, The Land of Israel. When Yeshua was eating the “Last Supper,” His Passover meal, He was remembering that there was a time when the Children of Israel went from Israel (Canaan) to Egypt and lived, and then were enslaved there for over 400 years. Then G-D delivered them from slavery in Egypt and brought them back to their homeland.
By Yeshua celebrating Passover, He proclaimed that Israel, since Abraham, was and is the ancestral homeland of the Children of Abraham, the Jewish people.
While it is true that since that time Israel has been occupied by the Persians, the Babylonians, the Hellenists, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Arabs, the Crusaders, the Mamluks, the Ottomans, and the British, you will notice this list doesn’t include any historical reference to a Palestinian nation, because one never existed.
While Israel was occupied over the years by many different rulers and nations, none of these occupations changed the historical fact that Israel is the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people. So, when the British ended their occupation of Israel, and returned the land they occupied to the Jewish people, the Jews didn’t occupy the Land belonging to the Palestinian people. Rather, the Jews were restored to their ancestral homeland, just as they were after they returned from Babylon, and just as they did when they returned when G-D brought them out of Egypt by His strong arm.
When Yeshua celebrated Passover with His disciples, He proclaimed His belief that Israel is the ancestral homeland of the Children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - the Jewish people.
So, you see, it is impossible to believe that Israel is occupying Palestinian land without calling Yeshua a false teacher and a liar, because He believed that Israel was and is the land promised by G-D to Abraham and his descendants forever.
I agree with your statement that Israel was promised to the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Given that to be true, where should the Palestinians live? How can a solution be found that does not involve violence, starvation, and murder? Followers of Christ should love, even "their enemiies". There is an appalling lack of love to be found as Palestinians and Isrealis fight a war hoping to wipe each other out of existence.
I rest only in knowing that God is still in charge of this world. How sad it is that we have failed Him through our stone-cold hearts.
It is not so much that Christians deny the land belongs to Israel. I believe the issue has little interest to many Christians. They have been taught that 'The Church" will be raptured as some point and apparently will be there to live happy lives in Heaven. The disconnect with 'The Old Testament' is pretty complete.
The one thing that echoes in the heart each Passover is Adonai's commandment to "remember what I did.." and Yeshua reflected that in both word and action. I remember Him in the breaking of bread and partaking in His cup and what the Father did. It is a beautiful picture of promises made and fulfilled. Praise Adonai for the work he did, is doing and will do!