By: Lanora Campbell

Tonight, as I sit here at home after this past Sabbath meditating on the days ahead with Passover, Night to be much observed and the Days of Unleavened Bread all drawing closer. I was thinking about what a tremendous sacrifice God made for mankind by giving His only Son as a living sacrifice for each of us.  I had to ask myself could I have made this same sacrifice.  Could you?  Sadly, to say I don’t think I could have especially without God’s divine intervention. Thankfully, God has a plan for mankind, and it is perfect. His plan was made before the foundation of the world so all of mankind could have salvation each in their own order and to have a chance to have their name written in the Book of Life.

As I was meditating about God’s plan for mankind, I began to compare my marriage vows to my vows that I took at Baptism. Yes, at Baptism I had repented and accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. I promised that I would change my life and serve our Great Father of Heaven, Jesus Christ and God’s people from then on.  I was thinking about what those same vows meant to me as a Baptized member of God’s Church as I believed I represented only a small part of the Body of Christ. In essence I was trying to prepare my mind and really think about how the unleavened bread that each of us will partake of at Passover represents the scourged and beaten body of Jesus Christ who was without sin or leaven (leaven representing sin). How Christ suffered an excruciating death beyond what our minds can even comprehend.  How he was beaten beyond recognition. How at the crucifixion Christ for the first time before his death felt what it was like to be alone without his Father. At that moment when Christ took on mankind’s sins because his Father could not dwell with sin. It was at that very moment just before Christ died at that ninth hour he cried out to his Father “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”  Mark 15:34 Christ must have felt the absence of his Father at that very moment.

I began to think about the Passover evening the night before Christ was crucified when Christ instituted the new symbols with his disciples passing the cup of wine to each of them and how He told them He would not drink it again until that day when He drinks it new with them in His Father’s Kingdom. Which we too will soon drink of the wine at Passover just as the disciples took it with Christ at the appointed time, the wine representing Christ’s shed blood that was poured out for each of us. 

I continued in my thoughts to compare my marriage vows that I took with my husband David and compared those same vows to a future spiritual Bride in waiting.  A Bride that is betrothed, faithful and promised to a future Groom Jesus Christ.  Have you ever given any thought about Passover as a renewing of your vows to Christ our future Groom? These symbols of the bread and wine are a reminder to me of the renewal of my contract because we are betrothed to Christ.  He bought and paid for us through his blood and sacrifice.  We are in a waiting period a betrothal period. Yes, waiting for the actual marriage to our Groom to take place and for the consummation of the marriage.  As I continued to think on these things I was thinking about my first cleansing at baptism over 35 years ago when I was fully immersed in water and had the laying on of hands to receive the down payment of the Holy Spirit. I felt relieved that I had a clean slate going forward.

Today at Passover it is done annually through the foot washing when we wash one another’s feet in service to one another.  The foot washing humbly prepares each of us for the days ahead, a reminder if you will to live a life of overcoming, service, love and forgiveness towards one another. We are to be a living sacrifice daily as Christ was, not just once a year but continually throughout the year. 

Each of us at baptism was asked if we had repented, accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and if we had counted the cost of a life long commitment. To me it is a renewed vow at Passover, an annual event and another annual rehearsal practicing until our Groom comes. We are a betrothed Bride waiting for her Groom and we are in an engagement period. The Groom is waiting at His Fathers house preparing for the marriage supper which is coming soon in God’s Kingdom.  Scripture tells us that only the Father knows when the Son will come to receive His Bride. Christ himself doesn’t know when the Father will send him. We should ask ourselves are we ready?  Have we prepared our Bridal garment?  Is it spotless, without blemish and wrinkle?

I thank God that He has given us a way to overcome each of those spots, blemishes and wrinkles through the promise after Baptism with the laying on of hands where we received His Holy Spirit “the Helper.” For some of us we struggle daily on some type of sin that we need to conquer and overcome.  I know I have much work yet to do on my garment, ironing out the wrinkles, getting rid of the blemishes, making sure it is clean and white and preparing it with beautiful spiritual adornments so I can receive my Groom. Yes, I am a Bride anxiously waiting, overcoming, and obeying as best I can in this body of flesh and staying faithful and true to my future Groom with God’s daily help. As I renew my vows this Passover I think and meditate on these things and I prayerfully give thanks to my Father in heaven for His Son, our Savior and the sacrifice He made for me and all of those that God may call into His Family in the future.