U.S. Constitution, page 1
ACLU attorneys in Florida have been naughty. They’ve been endlessly pursuing the defendants in a Santa Rosa School District freedom of speech case without having any plaintiffs to represent.
This is a fact the courts should have been made aware of – because it would make the ACLU’s position moot and could have changed the outcome of the case.
But I’m still waiting for the ACLU to have their hand slapped.
The Santa Rosa School District had entered into a “Consent Decree” that demanded an end to the freedom of speech for Christian students and teachers. This resulted after the ACLU had approached the School District on behalf of two atheist students who alleged that Christian teachers were forcefully witnessing during class time and within class lessons. “Evidence” of this was subjective and sorely lacking.
The atheists further demanded that the Christian school personnel should not even be able to pray at off-campus, privately sponsored events. More information about the initial case can be seen in previous Underground articles here and here .
School personnel were forced to sign the Consent Decree to cease and desist any Christian free speech on school grounds, and the case could have ended there.
But soon, two school administrators found themselves facing a lawsuit for praying at an off-campus privately sponsored event. They were criminally charged for being “in violation” of the decree.
A school district employee who asked her husband to pray at an event, because she wasn’t allowed, was still included in the suit because – after all – he was her husband.
All were eventually cleared of those initial charges.
However, as time went by, it turned out the unlawful ordinance was still being enforced – because it’s so worded that the ACLU and the School District are constantly trying to find charges against Christian teachers, other school personnel, students, volunteers and even outside associates for not following demands like these:
- The school board could dictate to local pastors how to seat their audiences for private religious services held at their houses of worship, if the events involve school faculty or students.
- Students could no longer say “God Bless” in any situation – they were told to say “Good Luck.”
- School personnel could not be seen praying, even to themselves – anywhere in public.
- Teachers could not answer parents’ e-mails if anything about God was in the parents’ text; nor could parents and teachers conduct God-led conversations.
- School volunteers could not answer any questions regarding religion.
- Christian groups weren’t allowed to rent school facilities for private religious functions if it involves benefiting the students in any way.
A snag in the case for the ACLU:
By this point in time, the ACLU had no clients! The atheist students had graduated, and therefore no longer had legal standing as plaintiffs the last time the case was in court. Without clients, by law, the ACLU should have been barred from continuing litigation. But the ACLU never informed court officials.
Thankfully, Liberty Counsel (legal firm for the defendants) found out about this and brought it to the attention of the District Court. In March, 2010 the Court began demanding an explanation from the ACLU about why they continued to pursue the enforcement of the Decree.
Furthermore, the defendants now have a case against the Santa Rosa School District for the illegalities in the Consent Decree and violations against the students’ and teachers’ First Amendment rights to freedom of religious expression.
Mathew Staver of Liberty Counsel states on the law firm’s latest press release that the constitutional violations in the ACLU’s court order have been outrageous; that it directly conflicts with previous United States Supreme Court opinions, and that schools are not religious-free zones.
An injunction against the further persistence and enforcement of the Consent Decree has now been requested.
As these types of things happen more and more around the country, we as Christians can stand firm and pray. While peacefully exerting the avenues we have to petition the government with our grievances (another First Amendment right), we can know that God is with us.
“When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say” (Luke 12:11-12, NIV).
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It’s something Americans associate with a few European or third world countries. But the U.S. State Department’s 2009 “Trafficking in Humans” Report documents problems in 175 nations.
Girls, women, children and even teen boys are being deceived, kidnapped, trapped and shipped everywhere from America to Africa.
And it could be happening at our neighborhood mini-market.
The wholesale trafficking of humans
From California to New England, the problem is spreading within the United States. It’s becoming as uncontrollable as the drug war that has raged for decades, despite the government’s best efforts.
The estimated FBI numbers from sources as varied as ABC Primetime in 2006 to Christianity Today in 2010 show 100,000-300,000 teens and children under the age of 18 have been trafficked within the states per year.
It is harder to obtain statistics for adult victims, because of a finer line between “voluntary” and forced prostitution or sexual slavery.
In April 2010, the U.S. Attorney’s office brought sex trafficking charges against the Gambino family, notoriously reputed to be part of the elusive “mob” in America.
With the arrest of 14 people, the charges include trapping girls to sell for sex at high stakes poker games in the middle of busy Manhattan.
Engaging in human trafficking is a new low even for the mob, U.S. Attorney’s office representatives stated in a press conference covered by MSNBC.
Also in April, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement reported that human trafficking has become the biggest “invisible” crime in the state. Florida House Bill 633 and Senate Bill 966 are currently being proposed to help law enforcement push back against the sex slavery trade.
How can this happen in America?
The massive amounts of money to be made through human trafficking is a powerful aphrodisiac that has enticed more people, even women, to deal in such crimes. In the Gambino case, one of the people arrested was a woman known to be involved in luring the victims.
The process of obtaining victims for human trafficking:
For most teen girls and women, if they are not outright kidnapped, they’re being enticed by the possibility of modeling or acting jobs. The Hollywood dream of obtaining fame and fortune at a young age through television and movies has become an obsession.
When they get to their destination, they are thrown into vehicles or locked in back bedrooms and sold to countless customers for sex acts, sexual abuse, and to appear in pornographic movies against their will.
They may be starved, drugged, verbally abused to the point of having no self-esteem, and threatened with death if they attempt to escape.
For girls and boys who do run away from home, criminals recognize their vulnerability, hunger and brokenness and are able to entice them into prostitution and porn films with the promise of money. The victim may receive tiny payments to keep them involved.
For children, it often starts with simple nabbing from neighborhoods.
A U.S. Government grant helped reveal the child trafficking problem:
In 2008, an organization called Shared Hope International (SHI) applied for and received a government grant to study the suspected nationwide crisis of child trafficking between states. Their resulting survey revealed that many of the children were often being misidentified as delinquents, and punished for crimes when they were actually victims.
Since then, the FBI and agencies such as the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children & Families have started training personnel to recognize when a person is a human trafficking victim instead of a runaway or criminal themselves (HHS Fact Sheet here).
See the Underground’s previous report, “Sex + Money,” about the ongoing production of a new movie aimed at exposing the U.S. sex slave industry.
]]>Writers and religious skeptics have always come up with alternative narratives about Jesus’ life and ministry. But author Dan Brown brought it to center stage in a spectacular way, with his blockbuster 2003 fiction, The Da Vinci Code, followed by the movie and all its sequels and franchises.
Brown provoked speculation in both secular and theological circles—all the way to the Vatican:
Did Leonardo Da Vinci write an encrypted code on his famous Vitruvian Man? Was Mary Magdalene married to Jesus? Is there really a Holy Grail?
Seven years later, even Christian magazines are still asking questions like, “Why weren’t there women in Da Vinci’s Last Supper painting?” (Light & Life Magazine, March, April 2010, pp. 10-11).
I’d like some answers from you, Mr. Da Vinci…may I call you Leo?
How is it that you lived from 1452 to 1519—over 14 centuries after Jesus—yet you have all the secrets of his ministry that not even his contemporaries revealed, or the prophets were inspired by God to write?
Surely, a Renaissance man like yourself, jack of many trades, was able to construct a Time Machine. Is that how you went back and did the portrait of Jesus at the Last Supper, and hid at least one woman in the background, as some say?
What about those who claim you purposefully left women out of the picture?
Grid reproduction of Da Vinci's "The Last Supper"
Let’s spend some time on this unfounded “women missing from The Last Supper” claim. Before we ask why Da Vinci left them out of his painting, we could ask why they were left out of the Last Supper accounts, when we see women mentioned in many other New Testament scriptures.
All four disciples who wrote the gospels found it important enough to mention that women were the first to see Jesus’ empty tomb (Matthew 28:8-10; Mark 16:9-10; Luke 24:8-11; John 20:10-18). John speaks of the Samaritan woman at the well to whom Jesus offers “living water” (John 4:7-42), and the woman whom Jesus saved from punishment for adultery (John 8:3-11).
Matthew 14:21 specifically mentions women as being present, yet outside of the 5,000-man count at the five loaves and fish miracle. Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus, are mentioned in Luke 10:38-41 and John 11:1-40.
Throughout the book of Acts and his later writings, the apostle Paul mentions by name many women who participated in spreading the gospel. In 2 Timothy 1:5, he gives credit to Timothy’s mother and grandmother for how they raised the young disciple.
So why, then, would women be left out of the Last Supper accounts? And why would Da Vinci leave them out of his painting?
Simple answers to these questions:
A Boston Museum of Science website devoted to Da Vinci’s works quotes the artist:
The most praiseworthy form of painting is the one that most resembles what it imitates.
I doubt Da Vinci, having said this, would have put brush to canvas for The Last Supper without first reading the Biblical accounts of its occurrence. Therefore, he imitated what he saw in scripture.
He didn’t read anything between the lines like people love to do with the Bible today in order to discredit the Book itself and its sources. He didn’t add women for one simple reason…they weren’t there.
And, I’m sure Da Vinci would say Jesus wasn’t married either.
But the most important answer comes from a Christian’s own faith: What’s in the Bible was divinely inspired by God through the hands of man, and God knew what books would be canonized.
The New Testament’s writers had a hunch their stories would seem unbelievable and questionable. That’s why Luke 1:1-2 states:
Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses.
And 2 Peter 1:16 says:
We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
Why should Christians stick with what the Bible says?
As Christians, we must learn to trust the Lord with all our heart rather than leaning on our own human understanding (Proverbs 3:5). Our faith grows through hearing and reading the Word of God (Romans 10:17).
In other words, the greatest faith in knowing that Jesus was who He said He was, and that things went down exactly as they appear in the Bible, comes from believing the book itself…not through the speculations of man.
The people who write these modern-day things can’t prove what they’re saying; neither have they yet proven the Bible is false.
Scriptures quoted in italics within this commentary are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
]]>A press release by Personhood Mississippi states they already have enough votes to put their measure on the 2011 election ballot as an Amendment to the Mississippi Constitution.
Fetal sonogram
What is a Personhood Amendment?
“Personhood” amendments are pro-life measures being proposed at state-level legislatures.
The goal is to recognize, within the states’ constitutions, that every unborn child has the same inherent rights, dignity and value as every living human from the beginning of their biological development.
Another aspect being pursued in some states is to assure dignity and human rights to every physically or mentally disabled or elderly person; to prevent the notion of involuntary euthanasia.
The “Personhood Movement” is an official nationwide pro-life movement.This website clarifies that Personhood Amendments can also be called Human Life Amendments.
A list of participating states and where they are at in the process can be seen here at Personhood.Net – a subsidiary of the Georgia Right to Life Committee. Georgia was the first state with such a proposal in 2007. It hasn’t resulted in being placed on a voters’ ballot.
Joining those states that have already constructed or proposed Personhood Amendments between 2007 and April 2010, approximately 26 other state legislatures are taking action to draft similar wording.
Additionally, Personhood.Net carries information regarding ongoing attempts to get enough petition signatures to file a Federal Personhood Amendment to the United States Constitution.
In September 2009, The Underground reported on Florida’s “Personhood Amendment” movement .
Update: The Florida movement continues to press forward. The proposed Personhood Amendment, if enough votes are collected, would be placed on the next Florida election ballot for citizens’ votes.
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Moroccan palace gate
The government of Morocco has suddenly expelled large groups of Christians on the charge of “proselytizing” Muslims.
The sudden expulsion of more than twenty Christian house parents and workers from an orphanage has left thirty-three Moroccan children without the only parent figures they have ever known.
According to Australia’s Christian Today, the Village of Hope orphanage, registered with the Moroccan government since 2002, has always included workers from America, New Zealand and other countries who were open about their Christianity.
The house parents were not allowed to adopt the children, as only Muslims are allowed to adopt Moroccan children. So they acted as foster parents.
World Magazine’s Jamie Dean states that beside the orphanage workers, a number of Christian businessmen and their families who have lived in Morocco for years were given one day’s notice to leave the country. World Magazine has been covering the deportation event.
Dean was interviewed on Moody Christian Radio’s Prime Time America show in April 2010.
When asked in the interview about what might be changing, Dean explained there has been a rise in terrorist activity in Morocco since a suicide bombing in 2003. The magazine staff speculates that the government may be succumbing to threats if they don’t strengthen their Islamic stance against the influence of other faiths.
Separate research by the International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism shows that nine convicted terrorists escaped from a Moroccan prison in 2008. Their current activities are unknown.
The deported workers, both from the orphanage and businesses, are denying any efforts to evangelize the Muslims around them.
About Morocco’s Islamic government and laws
Morocco won independence from France in 1956. It constituted into a Kingdom, ruled by a constitutional monarchy in 1972.
The kingship of Morocco (currently Mohamed VI, ruling since 1999) is a hereditary position. The king is considered a direct descendant of the prophet Mohammed, and as such the protector of the country’s Islamic faith. He appoints a Prime Minister. There is a Supreme Court and an elected Parliament. Although the legal system is based on Islamic law, they rule by review, taking into consideration French and Spanish civil laws.
Morocco, long considered a vacation haven, has been known as the most progressive Islamic nation – open to Christians, Jews and other faiths who have been free to worship openly – but not to evangelize. It is against the law to proselytze Muslims.
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Male-femal symbols
The American College of Pediatricians has launched a new web site appealing to educators across the United States.
They are asking schools, school officials and parents not to encourage sexual experimentation among students who feel they may be homosexual or gender-confused.
The Web site, “Facts About Youth” also carries information for the students themselves.
The ACP has also sent a letter and fact sheet to more than 14,000 school superintendents.
This group of health professionals presents the theory that children and adolescents are often confused at first, but if given the chance, they grow out of it and into natural affections for the opposite sex.
Little boys and girls may switch to playing with dolls of the opposite gender. That behavior, says ACP, is usually discouraged but may actually be healthy. Most children also don’t often like the opposite sex until they are pre-adolescent.
The pediatricians say these feelings should not be a green light to encourage alternative sexual orientations or experimentation.
Some points The American College of Pediatricians brings up:
-Schools should refrain from adopting policies encouraging non-heterosexual attractions.
-Schools should not be quick to establish and accept various sexual labels.
-It should never be offered as proven fact that a homosexual or trans-gender orientation is non-changeable.
The organization refers to evidence from The National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) that homosexuality, lesbianism and bisexuality are not necessarily fixed, life-long conditions.
NARTH’s evidence has long been refuted by organizations supporting gay rights, but claims to date there is no scientific proof of a gay gene.
NARTH advises that Gender Identity Disorder (GID, transexualism) is a correctable mental disorder, but that these feelings are encouraged today instead of applying recommended treatment to correct the disposition.
The Facts for Youth website also offers information from the Centers for Disease Control about the overwhelming dangers of homosexual or bisexual activity to the health of young people.
ACP’s position runs contrary to today’s political correctness:
What the American College of Pediatricians is saying could be declared “hate speech” according to current trends in tolerance and diversity:
-In April of each year since 1996, a “Day of Silence” takes place in public schools. This day was created by GLSEN (The Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network) in conjunction with other gay rights groups to end what they consider to be the constant bullying and taunting of gay children and teens across the country.
On the Day of Silence, all students are to remain silent about the issue of homosexuality or gender confusion for an entire day. Liberty Counsel and other law firms are informing parents that it is not illegal to keep children out of school that day, as a form of protected religious free speech.
-Cities in Florida, Texas and other states have recently adopted or are considering ordinances to allow persons of various sexual orientations to use the other sex’s bathrooms in public places.
-Congress is once again set to vote on ENDA, The Employment Non-Discrimination Act, (S. 1584/H.R. 3017 ). ENDA has circulated for years without garnering enough votes to pass. It is a measure guaranteeing, among other new rules, that schools and businesses must allow cross-dressers, transsexuals, and other gender-confused persons to appear as they wish on a daily basis without being reprimanded.
President Obama’s recent appointee to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is Chai Feldblum, one of the main authors of ENDA. Critics of ENDA fear the sexual orientation language is so broad that it could include fetishes such as bestiality.
What does the Bible say?
Bible critics state that if we obey the Old Testament’s laws about homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22-23; 20:13), we would still be stoning gays and lesbians to death. But in the New Testament, Jesus died once for all to cover our sins (Ephesians 1:7 for example).
And although same-sex behavior is still considered a sin (Romans 1:26-32, 1 Corinthians 6:8-10, 1 Timothy 1:9-11), Bible believers are in no way instructed to hate or harm the person(s) involved.
On the contrary, we are to lovingly attempt instruction and restoration of people involved in all sin. The problem is—behaviors of a sexual nature outside marriage between a man and a woman are no longer considered sin by secular society.
]]>Here are some highlights from the findings in Women in Peril: A Look at TV’s Disturbing New Storyline Trend:
-There’s been a 400 percent increase in the depiction of teen girls as victims across all networks from 2004 to 2009.
-Incidences of violence against women on the four main TV channels –ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC—rose 120 percent between 2004 and 2009.
-Overall violence of other types during the same time frame increased only 2 percent.
-The most frequent type of violence shown is beating (29 percent), followed by credible threats of violence (18 percent), shooting (11 percent), rape (8 percent), stabbing (6 percent), and torture (2 percent);
-Violence against women tends to be depicted rather than just described, and of the above violent story lines, the acts resulted in the woman’s death 19 percent of the time.
-Bodies are being shown close-up, with special effects carefully recreating blood and all sorts of critical or fatal injuries.
In a 2010 Survey conducted for Seventeen Magazine, a popular teen girls’ publication, over three-quarters of teen boys polled stated there is too much pressure from society to have sex; due at least in part to being influenced by pornographic images.
Almost the same percentage of boys reported having received nude or semi-nude “sexting” (phone or internet photos) from girls.
Actress Jessica Alba stars in a violent new 2010 movie.
Both studies conclude that the acts of violence along with explicit sex seen on TV may contribute to young people viewing aggression and violence against women as normal and acceptable.
The increase in violence against women doesn’t stop with TV:
The trend is growing in Hollywood films and pornographic videos. Latina Magazine online recently carried a video trailer for actress Jessica Alba’s new mainstream movie, “The Killer Inside Me.”
In the movie, Alba plays a woman involved in a sadomasochistic relationship, where she enjoys being beaten. The trailer is explicit, and you don’t need to be any certain age to call this page up on your computer.
The pornographic film industry also relies greatly on scenes depicting violent or forceful sex between men and women or same-sex female encounters. Not all the women involved are doing so willingly.
A recent Underground article by reporter Josh Givens covers a new cable TV project, “Footnote,” that aims to expose the exploitation of women in porn—a business now making over three billion dollars per year.
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U.S. President Barack Obama signs an executive order as Vice President Joe Biden looks on.
The executive order replaces acceptance of the Stupak Amendment, which was keeping some members of Congress from signing the health care legislation.
According to the text of this executive order, the newly passed health care legislation is supposed to protect the previously existing conscience clause against abortion and prohibits discrimination against health care facilities or providers who are unwilling to participate in funding or providing abortions.
Exceptions allowing federal abortion funding will be rape, incest and “health of the mother.”
Though questioning executive orders is nothing new (Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and many presidents before them had their executive orders challenged), for some, the “health of the mother” clause of this executive order is problematic.
“Health of the mother,” according to Doe v. Bolton, the companion case to Roe v. Wade signing legal abortion into law, defines “health of the mother” as any factors decided by the woman and her doctor “that affect physical, emotional, psychological, familial and the woman’s age.”
This definition is still used today and means that some physicians may recommend abortions for some women because the “health of the mother” is at stake.
Since 1996, at least 500 physicians and surgeons, including former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, have been writing to newspapers and even testifying before Congress that abortion, especially late term, should never be used as a preferred method to terminate a pregnancy if a mother’s life is in danger.
A Wall Street Journal letter by the physician group called PHACT (Physicians’ Ad Hoc Coalition for Truth) stated that instead of protecting the mother, certain methods of abortion “pose a significant and immediate threat to both the pregnant woman’s health and fertility.”
The fact that this executive order was over the controversial issue of federal abortion funding has called attention to the entitlement of presidents to sign executive orders as an executive order is a legally binding document giving a certain direction to administration agencies within the government.
An executive order can: (1) Direct an agency in carrying out their legislative mission, or (2) interpret a declaration of policy for the public.
Each U.S. President has the “executive privilege” to initiate new executive orders, or sign executive orders overturning or amending those of a previous president.
Since the early 1900’s, records of Executive Orders have been kept. Today, the National Archives has online records, listing the executive orders by each President since the recording began.
The term “executive order” traces its origin back to President Abraham Lincoln in 1862, although presidents have been signing them as “directives” since 1789.
]]>See The Underground’s original story here.
Gilbert’s Mayor John Lewis told One News Now that the town council members didn’t know about the “cease and desist” orders issued by a zoning inspector.
An additional Christian Post report states that Lewis expressed his commitment to religious freedom and was proud that faith-based groups and religious activities take place all around Gilbert.
Lewis said the code will probably be changed to allow in-home services, prayer meetings and Bible studies free of government intervention. The definition of “religious assembly” may be altered.
On March 22, the Gilbert Town Council held a meeting to discuss changes to the Land Development Code which disallows religious assemblies in private homes. The Alliance Defense Fund was present to represent the Bible study leaders from Oasis of Truth Church.
The actual Town Council Meeting Notes confirm that Lewis reiterated his media-reported sentiments in the meeting; and that the sole agenda item was to revisit and begin revamping the city’s interpretation of freedom of religious assembly.
For now, all restrictions according to current statutes have been suspended. A final change is expected in June.
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A properly set Passover Seder table. The Haggadah book is in foreground.
The biblical event takes place in Exodus 10 through 13 in the Old Testament.
God instructed the Jewish people to mark their doorposts with lamb’s blood so He would “pass over” them when slaying the first born of Egypt (the last of the “10 Plagues” causing Pharoah to release them from bondage).
Many Christian churches have begun incorporating a Passover “Seder” (say-der, meaning service) into their activities around Easter.
Passover is what Jesus and the apostles were celebrating at the Last Supper, because they were Jewish men with Jewish observances:
“This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord – a lasting ordinance.” (Exodus 12:14)
“Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying ‘go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.’” (Luke 22:7-8)
Passover is also celebrated by “Jewish believers” – Jews who believe that Jesus is the Messiah of both the Jews and Christians. Psalm 22; Isaiah 11:1, 7:14; Zechariah 9:9, Matthew 1:1-16, 21:7; Mark 15; John 3:16 are a few parallel passages in the Old and New Testament supporting this belief.
Jesus’ Hebrew name is “Yeshua” – the Lord saves. Jewish believers attend Messianic Synagogues or Christian churches.
How is Passover celebrated?
The opening night Passover Service (“seder”) is usually held in family homes or in unison as entire congregations. A large meal is served, with some items representing the hardships faced in Egypt and in the desert.
Prior to the meal, attendees read from the Haggadah, which is the re-telling of the Exodus story. The Haggadah has existed for about 300 years and includes songs about the sacrificial lamb and the escape via the Red Sea.
How does the perspective differ for Christians and Messianic Jewish believers?
The story of the Exodus remains the same. But countless parallels exist for Christians and Jewish believers between the lambs sacrificed in the Old Testament, and Jesus as the “Ultimate Sacrifice.”
There are also striking prophetic similarities between the first Passover dinner in the book of Exodus, present-day Jewish Passover activities, and what Jesus did at the Last Supper:
- The Jews were told to take only unleavened bread on their journey.-Jesus broke unleavened bread with the disciples.
- The ceremony contains glasses of wine as an honor to the lamb’s blood and sweat of the Jews.-Jesus offered the disciples wine as a symbol of his blood, yet to be shed.
- The “matzo” crackers (today’s symbol of the Israelites’ unleavened bread) are dipped in bitter herbs and eaten to represent sorrow and hard labor.-The disciples dipped and ate unleavened bread to represent Jesus’ body.
- Lamb’s blood was shed at the first Passover to save the Jews from the plagues and free them from a seemingly never-ending bondage.-Jesus was “sacrificed” (crucified) soon after he celebrated Passover at the Last Supper. His blood was shed to save us from our sins and free us from eternal death.
- The ceremonial matzo (“Afikomen”) is hidden under a cushion, not to be seen until the end, when the children uncover it and bring it out.-Jesus was entombed and wasn’t seen again for three days. At the end of three days he is seen alive outside by the women, having shed his wrappings.
- There are 3 matzohs separated in different folds of a napkin, used in the ceremony at various intervals.-Jesus was born, died, and rose again. (3 stages).
About the author: Sheryl Young is a Jewish believer in Jesus and author of “What Every Christian Should Know about the Jewish People: Improving the Church’s Relationship with God’s Original Chosen Nation.” The book contains more information on Jewish Holidays.)
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.
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