Author: Katy Sorsher Smith

As followers of Messiah Yeshua, we know very well the spiritual significance of blood – Yeshua paid with His blood for our transgressions and wiped away our sins.  We also know the significance of water, the living water Yeshua promised to the woman at the well, water that quenches spiritual thirst once and for all.

It is no surprise, therefore, that these two elements appear all throughout Scripture – from Genesis to Revelation: the Spirit of God hovers over the waters, the blood of Abel calling unto God, the flood, the endless sacrifices in the tabernacle, just to name a few. Blood and water flow through the redemption story that the Word of God weaves, imbuing the literal with deep symbolic meaning.

Unsurprisingly, blood and water are also integral elements in the Exodus story which Jews all over the world recount during the first night of Passover.

THE FIRST PASSOVER – starting and ending with blood

The Bible tells us that blood is the vehicle of life: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood” (Lev. 17:11)  In the natural, spilling blood is a euphemism for killing and death. But in God’s wonderous plan, it becomes protection and life – to all who believe!

During the Passover seder meal, the ten plagues are recalled as everyone at the table dips a finger in their wine and drips it on their dinner plate, exclaiming the name of each plague. The first plague called out in unison is “blood!” Indeed, God’s opening volley of judgement against Egypt was turning the waters of the Nile, Egypt’s life source, into blood. In His amazing symbolism and foreshadowing, God offered protection through blood from the 10^th and final plague, His judgement against Egypt in the death of every firstborn:

“They are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs… The blood on the houses where you are staying will distinguish them; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will fall on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.…” (Exodus 12: 7, 13)

Not only Jews exited Egypt the next morning after the 10^th plague, but many people from other nations joined them as well. The blood of the first Passover lamb beautifully foretells the redeeming blood of Yeshua, the ultimate Passover lamb, which offers protection from judgement and freedom from sin to everyone who believes.

WATER – life and death

Water is the most critical compound for life on earth. Nowhere is this more apparent than in deserts like the Middle East. It is the reason ancient Egyptians worshipped the Nile: no water meant no life for them and their families. Yet, just as with the blood, examining the biblical meaning of water reveals that it is also a metaphor for death or dying: in baptism, going under the water symbolizes death to the old self. Only when we die to ourselves, can we then receive living water from the only source able to provide it – God.

After the night of Passover, those who were spared the 10^th plague by the blood of the lamb and fled Egypt gained their lives yet again when they crossed the Red Sea: they went through the sea on dry land while Pharaoh’s army, those who did not trust in the blood of the lamb, died in those waters.  After the passing through the Red Sea and seeing God’s judgement on Israel’s enemy, God provided the children of Israel and all the peoples with them life-giving water that flowed from the Rock in the desert.

“I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.”

(1 Cor. 10:1-2)

And having been buried with Him in baptism, you were raised with Him through your faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead.

(Col. 2:12)

THE ULTIMATE PASSOVER

As significant as it was for the children of Israel, the first Passover, called by Jews “the first redemption”, was only a foreshadowing of God’s ultimate plan of redemption – the ultimate Passover that provides the way of salvation and eternal life to all who believe.

Messiah Yeshua was crucified at the time the Israelites were slaying their Passover lambs in the Temple ahead of the Holy Day. Blood flowed from Him when He was beaten, crowned with thorns, and then nailed to the cross.

There was also water – when a soldier pierced him, making sure the King of the Jews was dead, water flowed from the wound in His side—the water of purification which purified anyone defiled by the “impurity of the dead”, the water Ezekiel prophesied that God would sprinkle on Israel to make them clean. (Num. 19, Ezek. 36:25-28)

Just like in the first Passover, Yeshua’s followers received the living water, the Holy Spirit, only after being sealed in the blood covenant of the Passover lamb. The Israelites drank living water from the Rock in the desert after the first Passover, and Yeshua’s disciples “…drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Messiah.” (1 Cor. 10:4)

Today, as we are preparing for Passover, Israelis are awaiting the return of 59 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza for over 550 days. IDF soldiers are fighting in Gaza again to pressure Hamas to release every single one and stop their reign of terror over the people of Gaza. There is much pain, desperation, and death all around us.

Yet we have hope. We have the promises. We have the blood of the Lamb of God and the living water of the Holy Spirit which give us strength and desire to see the future God has prepared for those who love Him.

Happy Passover!

 

Tiferet Yeshua regularly hosts special holiday events for Russian-speaking Holocaust survivors in the greater Tel Aviv area. Three times a year—at Passover, the Feast of Trumpets and Hanukkah—our very own Moti Cohen rolls up his sleeves and cooks almost 100 bountiful meals, including specialty Russian dishes, for these precious people who always show up with smiles and enthusiasm. In addition to the amazing food, we organize a concert of holiday songs and share a short message from the Word.

 

 

This year, Hanukkah fell on New Year’s Eve – the most important secular holiday celebrated in Russia which focuses on family and light. For the second year in a row it was my privilege to share a short encouraging message about the light of the world, Messiah Yeshua.

The creation of light is the first recorded words of God, and Yeshua testified that He is the Light of the world. During this time of year when the days are shorter and when “spiritual” darkness is increasing in the world, it can be easy to focus on the presence of darkness around us. Light, however, has a unique power: darkness can never overcome light, but even a small amount of light pushes back the darkness.

We are called to shine our lights before others (Matt. 5:16), and if Yeshua is the Light of the world, then we are to be like Him: humble servants of all. These Holocaust survivors holiday events are an amazing opportunity for us to do just that. Our team of volunteers spreads through the hall serving our important guests and taking time to chat with them, to give them attention and get to know them better. It was clear to us all that God’s love and light were in the room.

Seeing the smiling faces of people who lived through some of the darkest times in Jewish history, hearing their words of gratitude as they held our hands, and noticing the twinkle in their eyes as they received our love was a tangible demonstration of the power of God’s love and light to transform and give life. These Holocaust survivors are living examples that with God’s grace people can overcome great suffering and sorrow and live a life of faith and hope. Please join us in prayer for all the precious survivors who are receiving the witness of the Light of the world, Yeshua, and that they would open their hearts to Him!

When you support Tiferet Yeshua, you are helping us shine the light of God’s love to precious Holocaust Survivors here in Israel!

 

Immediately following Passover, after rejoicing in God’s deliverance of our people and celebrating His mercy and miracles, we enter a very somber season. First, we mark Holocaust Remembrance Day, and, a week later, Memorial Day which then culminates in Israel’s Independence Day celebrations only 24 hours later – making us all feel a little bit like being on an emotional roller-coaster.

These “ups and downs” are extremely difficult to explain to someone who has never experienced them in such proximity.  Yet for Israelis it is a part of life, as even on the saddest days we draw strength from stories of bravery and resilience, acknowledging the fact that no matter what troubles we have encountered along the way, we are still here… still strong… and are not going anywhere.

When I do, however, attempt to explain how we can endure this rollercoaster every year, Psalm 30 immediately comes to mind.

Sing praise to the Lord, you saints of His,
And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.
For His anger is but for a moment,
His favor is for life;
Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.

-Psalm 30:4-5

Since October 7, Israelis have been struggling with continuous loss, worry for hostages and soldiers, and darkness intertwined with the joys of life – not only national holidays, but also family celebrations of birthdays, newborns, weddings, and the general appreciation of being alive.

From the first verse of Psalm 30 until the last, these moments of rising and falling are intertwined with continuous thanksgiving and praise to our Lord – the one who lifts us up when we cry out, the one who heals us, the one whose anger is for a moment yet whose favor is for life, the one who hides His face but then turns towards us and transforms our mourning into dancing and gladness.

Most Israelis have what I believe is a God-given belief that we will rise up stronger than before – how else could we survive living in this country “pressed on every side”?

It is interesting that already in October right after the attacks, one of the top internet searches in Israel was “Tehillim” – Psalms. Religious or secular, willingly or not-so-willingly, Jews are connected to this land and to our God, the God of Israel, and, as a result, we tend to seek Him in times of trouble.

I believe this is exactly the reason why Paul states with such confidence in Romans 11:26 that “all Israel will be saved.” As Israeli believers we pray this verse daily over our nation, and we invite you to do the same as part of God’s olive tree.

One day, God will wipe away every tear, and sorrow will be no more – this hope is lifting us up during our present struggles, and it is our prayer that this hope will encourage and lift you up in any sorrows or loss you may be enduring.

by Katy Sorsher Smith