"Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."1 Corinthians 5:7-8

Passover is, commemorating the day the Angel of Death passed over the Israelite slaves in Egypt, sparing their firstborn because the blood of a lamb was applied on their doorposts. Many believers in Jesus also recognize this as the day that Messiah was crucified, offering Himself as the perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, which reconciled man to His Maker, and restored them to close relationship. The word for sacrifice in Hebrew is "korban"; its root coming from the word "karov" which means closeness, or relative. So the word itself is an expression of what it produces; closeness...between man and God. Since the fall of mankind, sacrifice has been a way in which God expresses love for man and man expresses love for God, bringing the two closer in relationship. Brothers & Sisters, Passover is a yearly reminder of the sacrifice of Messiah, provided for every person who desires to be close to God. He longs for intimate relationship with us. His Korban is our way of approach to be near to Him...as near as we choose to be. We who love Him might take the time this Passover season for offering spiritual sacrifices and drawing near to our Lord Jesus. He opened the way as our "korban" because He loves it when we do. GET CLOSE FOR PASSOVER!