Weekly D'rash Pesach VII

I hope that you are having a rich celebration of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This week, the Torah portion for the Shabbat during Passover is Exodus 13:17–15:26. It describes the great miracle of the parting of the sea and the Song of Moses which praises God for the powerful victory of deliverance. What is amazing about the song is that it never mentions the sacrifice lamb! The beginning of the song summarizes the whole chapter: “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and said, ‘I will sing to the LORD, for He is highly exalted; the horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea’” (Exo. 15:1–2)

This is like the death and resurrection of the Messiah. Yeshua is our Passover lamb sacrificed for us. However, after the fact, when Peter is preaching in Acts 2–3, much is made of the resurrection, but hardly anything is said about the sacrificial death of Yeshua. The resurrection became the main preaching message! The death of Yeshua was essential, but it was not an end unto itself. It led to the resurrection. As Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 15:13–14, “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Messiah has been raised; and if Messiah has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.”

If there is no resurrection, the death of Yeshua would have meant nothing. It is the resurrection which gives His death meaning. In the same way, in the Passover story, the parting of the sea gives the sacrifice lamb meaning. The Israelites were not delivered until they crossed the sea on dry ground. The resurrection of the Messiah is the beginning of the fulfillment of the Messianic hope. We read about the resurrection in the Prophets, the Siddur and Rabbinic Literature. It is the beginning of the World to Come! We participate in Messiah’s resurrection via the indwelling Ruach HaKodesh. In addition, Messiah’s resurrection ensures us of a future physical resurrection when Yeshua returns.

In Acts, Paul refers to the resurrection as the hope of Israel. See Acts 23:6; 24:15; 26:6–7. This is the Good News! Yeshua is the Messianic King who has risen! The sting of death is removed. Many physical maladies may take our body, but no one can remove the hope of the resurrection. “Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 15:58)

Shabbat Shalom!

Rabbi Howard