The spirit of unity without compromise increases each year. To the faithful church in Philadelphia God said in Revelation 3:8, “I have set before you an OPEN DOOR, and no one can shut it for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” It seems the annual Christ Our Passover banquet has proven to be an open door for unity in the body of Christ. Today, the body of Christ has the same common bond through the blood of Jesus on the doorposts of our heart, regardless of our denominational identity. Israel as a nation had a common bond through the blood, regardless of their tribal identity. It was the shed blood of a lamb that was placed on the doorposts of every house that saved them individually as well as corporately. The blood placed upon the passage way is even more so. Why the blood on the door posts? Why not the window? The door, as a symbol, is profound. In Israel at the first Passover God told Moses, “Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper DOOR post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it." (Exodus 12:3,7) He shed His blood for our unity as he prayed, “May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me.” (John 17:23) We do not have to compromise our doctrinal positions in order to acknowledge brotherhood in Jesus. We must remember that salvation is through the shed blood of Messiah Jesus, and keeping this focus is the best way we can have unity without compromise. Too many Christians fear rejection from other Christians because of our differences or because of an attitude of spiritual superiority. Regrettably this same lack of trust holds true among us - His followers. What Jesus really wants to do is to be a friend in whom we can confide because He too was “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” (Isaiah 53:3). The problem is one of trust in “opening the door.” We are often fearful that if we really get close to Jesus, He may not like us or be looking for an opportunity to correct or judge us. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” (Revelation 3:20) Jesus really longs to have fellowship with each of us personally and with His body corporately.
Jesus says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. John 1:7 says, “If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.” This feast day is not man conceived, it is God ordained and biblically defined to give focus to the all-important blood of Jesus as our basis for unity and forgiveness. Passover was intended to be a family affair! The Christ our Passover event celebrates our common heritage through the blood of Jesus. If we have invited Jesus into our hearts to come and dine with us, how can we in good faith shut each other out? Yet this is exactly what we do when we fail to walk through the door of opportunity for close fellowship with other brothers and sisters in Christ.
Hebrews 2:11-12 says, “For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” Why? Because we have a common bond with each other through Messiah's blood which is upon each of our hearts. The Christian community gathering for the Feast of Passover could be the DOOR to celebrating Christian unity. By: Robert (Bob) Somerville and Paul Jablonowski
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