(Our daughter and her family will be coming for our Thanksgiving meal today, so there is not much time for writing, but I wanted to share these thoughts.)

When we think of our family feasts, are they just traditional ~ spending time with our family, eating and drinking to satisfy our human desires ~ or do we gather for a purpose beyond the physical?  Do we, as God’s people, understand the meaning of thanksgiving and feasting from a spiritual and eternal viewpoint?

During Jesus’ time, one of the feasts of the Jewish people was set for families to celebrate Passover in Jerusalem. They gathered as God’s people to remember the end of their bondage in Egypt. The Passover lamb was sacrificed and offered as atonement for their sins. Even as a lamb’s blood was slain in Egypt and painted on the doorpost of the houses of those who belonged to Him, the same sacrifice was being performed in Jerusalem year after year.

Going Up To Jerusalem

As Jesus spent three years with His disciples, He continually spoke of their “going up to Jerusalem.” He also said on different occasions that His “hour had not yet come.”

The last Passover celebration for Jesus, when His hour had come, He went up to Jerusalem. He instructed His disciples to prepare the evening meal, and then during their meal together He established the Lord’s Supper, a meal that would be for us a means to celebrate with Him as our once, and for all time atonement and the end of our bondage to sin.

From this dinner, He went to the Garden of Gethsemane where He prepared Himself to become the sacrificial Lamb. While the world was sleeping He was basting in prayer and tears. Then in the secret chambers of the enemy, He met “the power of darkness” and willingly submitted to be offered up as our sacrifice.

Jesus was crucified, and on the post of the cross the Father saw the blood of the Lamb. We look, in faith, to the blood of the Lamb of God, sacrificed for our sins, high and lifted up. We look to Him, partake of His sacrifice, and live, free from the power of the enemy and sin, now and for eternity.

Is there anything for which we should be thankful, anything that would supersede our feasting on the Lamb that was offered for us.

Dear Father, such gratitude is beyond our offering, for such a sacrifice that is beyond our understanding. Work in the hearts of your people that we may taste, see, and experience the life of freedom and joy that is ours in Christ, your Son. Work your Spirit in our spirits to set forth praise and thanksgiving to you, to our Lord Jesus Christ and to your Holy Spirit for the work of our salvation. Keep us always rejoicing in you, with a daily celebration of praise and living to your glory. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Related Article:  The Feast

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