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Celebrate Recovery is a safe place with kind people who are working together to deal with hurts, habits, and hangups. Have questions? Contact our CR Leader - Tim Hughey

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Join us for a night of food, fellowship, and communion, as we remember and celebrate what Jesus did for us on Good Friday. Bring a side dish or dessert. We will provide the meat, bread, and drink.

Childcare provided. 

Everyone hunting eggs needs to bring 12 plastic eggs, filled with goodies, and their basket by WEDNESDAY, March 27th. We will split the groups up by age (Nursery & Pre-K, K-2nd and 3rd-5th). I will need a couple of volunteers, per group, to help hide eggs and watch children.

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Passion comes from the Greek term “paschō” - meaning suffering. The term is used in Acts 1:3.

The Greek term becomes the Latin passio which in turn becomes our English - passion.

Hundreds of years before Jesus suffered, the Hebrew prophets sketched a portrait of the Promised Savior.  

Peter knew Jesus. But Peter’s audience, like us, had not seen Jesus - yet these people love Him. 

How can you tell when someone really loves another person? They think about the other person, talk about the other person, look forward to spending time with the other person. These people were willing to face various trials for the One they had never seen, and they looked forward to Jesus’ return, because…they love Him.

And those believing and loving Jesus are - currently receiving - the salvation of our souls. 

• Our minds ARE being transformed, our lives are being restored. Our thoughts, actions, and words are being made clean, all of which results in inexpressible and glorious joy that find only in our unseen Savior…Who will one day be seen!
• Do you LOVE Jesus? What evidence from your life would demonstrate that?

Adam & Eve sin, recognize their nakedness before God, and HIDE from Him - covering up with leaves. God graciously provides a covering for them, made out of animal skins (Gen 3:21). Because they sinned, another living creature had to die to cover their sinfulness.

Abraham is commanded by God to take his son up onto Mount Moriah (current day Jerusalem), and sacrifice him (Gen 22:2). Isaac, not knowing HE was going to be sacrificed, ends up carrying the very wood for the burnt offering - that HE would be sacrificed on (Gen 22:6)! Before they get to the top Isaac says, “The fire and wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham responded and said, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering.” (Gen 22:7)    

As Abraham lifts the knife the angel of Yahweh stops him & points him to a substitute sacrifice within his view…

Over 400 years later, as the Jewish people have become slaves in Egypt, Yahweh calls Moses from a burning bush, to speak to Pharaoh to let His people go. After 9 plagues on Egypt, giving evidence of Yahweh’s power over all their false gods, Yahweh tells the Hebrew people to prepare to leave Egypt. Each family was to choose an unblemished 1-year old male lamb, slaughter them just after the sun sets - making sure not to break any bones (Ex 12:46), and take the blood of the lamb and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes where they eat the lamb that evening (Ex 12:3-7). 

Later that night, Yahweh killed all the firstborn in Egypt, people & animals (Ex 12:29-30)., BUT…Yahweh would PASSOVER any home with the blood of the lambs on the doorframe (Ex 12:13).

The blood of the lambs did 2 things: 1) protected them from Yahweh’s wrath 2) released them from bondage - as they were set free that next day. Notice: an unblemished male animal had to die on behalf of the people. 

On Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), NONE of the sacrificed animals were to be eaten. 

First, 1 bull was sacrificed for the sins of the high priest & his family. The high priest alone,

ON THIS ONE DAY ALONE, would enter into the Most Holy Place and take blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger - seven times on the mercy seat - the place between the 2 angels - the place representing the throne of Yahweh.

Next, back outside, the 2 goats were brought before the priests casting lots to determine which goat was chosen to be sacrificed for the rest of the Hebrew people.

This goat would be slaughtered and it’s blood would be taken INTO the Most Holy Place & sprinkled on the Ark of the Covenant by the high priest - making atonement for sins of the people (Lev 16:27a).

The high priest would lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and then “confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. The goat was sent away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task (Lev 16:21-22). This was known as…the scapegoat. The sins of the people were placed on him, and he was sent far off into the wilderness - NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN!

Next, instead of offering/grilling the body of the bull or goat on the altar like other sacrifices, the bodies of these sacrificial substitutes were taken away from the tabernacle/temple and OUTSIDE the Hebrew camp to be burned (Lev 16:27b). Finally, all who touched the sacrifices, the bull or the goats, would take a bath, put on clean clothes and return - a picture of being CLEAN - forgiven!

The Promised Savior would be pierced, crushed, & wounded - for the sin of others! He would be the substitute sacrifice that the thousands of animal sacrifices had been pointing to all this time! His blood would be spilt and offered before Yahweh God to bring PEACE between God and mankind. And just like the scapegoat, the sin of the people was laid on Him - carried off by Him & NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN!

He would be mistreated and led like a lamb to the slaughter, yet…He would not open His mouth to defend Himself. Finally, he would be cut off from the land of the living.

He would DIE. WHY?

All these sacrifices actually pointed to the ULTIMATE SACRIFICE of The Promised Savior. 

Take some time to discuss these questions with your family, friends, or group.

1. Have you ever thought about Adam & Eve, Abraham & Isaac, or the Passover lambs as being pictures of what was to come - a SUBSTITUTE the would have to die in our place to cover our sin? Explain your answer. 

2. Why do you think all the sacrifices were so bloody? How does this speak to the SERIOUSNESS of our SIN before God? 

3. What do the sacrifices of Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) tell us about God’s graciousness to be willing to forgive? What did you think about the sacrifice of 1 goat, and confessing the sin of the people to send the scapegoat out - never to be seen again? (Leader Note: Be familiar with sacrifices on Yom Kippur - Lev 16)

4. How does knowing that Jesus fulfills prophecies of 1) being in King David’s family (Is 9:6-7), 2) being born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2), and 3) doing the miracles of the Promised Savior (Is 35:44-6) give you confidence that JESUS is The Promised Savior? ‌

5. Which of the prophecies about The Promised Savior in Isaiah 53 stood out to you the most & why (Leaders Note: Be familiar with Isaiah 53)? 

6. Take a moment to discuss how the sacrifice of Jesus shows that: People are Precious, Sin is Serious, & God is Gracious. 

7. Share any ‘aha’ moments in today’s study - what you learned or how you were challenged. What’s God want YOU to do with what we studied today? 

8. How can we pray for you? (Leaders: Share your desire to talk with any individual who needs time to ask questions or talk further)