The Death, Burial, and Resurrection

Devotional

Day 1: Lamb Without Blemish

The Israelites painted doorposts with lamb’s blood while death passed over. Exodus 12 detailed every instruction: unblemished male lambs, roasted flesh, bitter herbs. Centuries later, John pointed to Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Blood once spared households; Christ’s blood now spares souls. [16:27]

Jesus fulfilled Passover’s shadow perfectly. The lamb’s perfection mirrored His sinlessness. His death wasn’t random—it answered ancient prophecies, closing the old system of animal sacrifices. God planned redemption long before Calvary.

You live under Christ’s blood, not Pharaoh’s threats. Stop striving to earn safety—the Lamb’s work finished it. When fear whispers condemnation, declare His finished work. Where do you still act as if His blood isn’t enough?

“Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats.”
(Exodus 12:5, ESV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus aloud for being your flawless Passover Lamb.
Challenge: Write “Christ my protection” on your doorframe today.

Day 2: Buried Without Leaven

The Israelites baked bread without yeast for seven days. Jesus warned against the “leaven of the Pharisees”—hypocrisy. At His burial, He entered the tomb’s “oven” sinless, like unleavened bread. The old system of empty rituals died with Him. [07:38]

Leaven spreads; Christ’s burial ended sin’s contamination. His sinless body in the tomb declared our old nature fully dealt with. The law’s demands—once against us—were nailed to His cross.

Many still carry guilt Jesus buried. Stop revisiting forgiven failures. Live as unleavened bread—cleansed, untainted. What hypocrisy do you cling to, fearing grace’s purity?

“Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”
(1 Corinthians 5:7, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one area where you’ve tolerated “leaven” this week.
Challenge: Remove literal leaven (bread/crackers) from your home.

Day 3: First Sheaf of Harvest

Priests waved the first barley sheaf, anticipating full harvest. Christ rose as “firstfruits” (1 Corinthians 15:20), guaranteeing our resurrection. His empty tomb wasn’t closure—it was creation’s new beginning. Dead seeds now sprout eternal life. [09:01]

Resurrection power birthed a new humanity. Like wheat springing from soil, believers rise with Christ’s DNA. Adam’s failure ended; Jesus’ victory became our lineage.

You’re part of God’s harvest. Stop living as a buried seed. Walk in resurrection confidence. What “dead” situation needs your declaration of Christ’s life?

“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
(1 Corinthians 15:20, ESV)

Prayer: Ask God to make you aware of resurrection power in one struggle.
Challenge: Plant a seed today, thanking Jesus for making all things new.

Day 4: Nailed Handwriting

Roman soldiers pinned Jesus to wood. Colossians 2:14 says He nailed the law’s accusations to that cross. The parchment of decrees condemning us—gone. His blood blotted out every “you owe” from heaven’s ledger. [43:35]

The cross canceled debts, not minimized them. Jesus didn’t negotiate with the law—He obliterated its claims. You stand before God debt-free, clothed in Christ’s righteousness.

Many still kneel before canceled bills. Stand up! What imaginary “debt” do you keep trying to repay?

“By canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross.”
(Colossians 2:14, ESV)

Prayer: Name one shame you’ve carried, then declare “nailed to the cross!”
Challenge: Tear up a paper listing a past failure. Burn it safely.

Day 5: As He Is, So Are We

John wrote, “As He is, so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). Resurrected Jesus sits enthroned—and we share His position. You’re not awaiting approval; you’re already seated in heavenly places. [01:13:57]

Identity determines behavior. Lions don’t beg for courage. You’re Christ’s sibling—act like it. The old Adamic chains? Shattered. The new creation? Unshakable.

Why beg God for what He’s already given? What would today look like if you fully believed you’re “as He is”?

“By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as He is, so also are we in this world.”
(1 John 4:17, ESV)

Prayer: Thank Jesus for making you His exact likeness here and now.
Challenge: Tell one person, “Christ lives in me—I’m exactly like Him!”

Sermon Summary

We continue our study of God’s eternal plan by tracing how Israel’s feasts point to the death, the burial and the resurrection of Christ. We hold that the feasts functioned as God’s timetable of redemption, not as random holy days, and that each feast foreshadowed a reality fulfilled in Christ. The Passover pictured a spotless lamb whose blood delivers life; the unleavened bread pictured a sinless burial, free from hypocrisy; the first fruits pictured a risen firstborn who inaugurates a new harvest. Together these three events represent one divine act that closed an old system and opened a new order.

We read the Old Testament shadows with the expectation that scripture anticipates its own fulfillment. The law and its sacrifices reminded people of the coming reality but could not remove sin. Christ’s death satisfied the scriptural need for a sin-bearing sacrifice; his blood atoned where bulls and goats could not. His burial signified final separation from the age that condemned us, and baptism joins believers to that burial so that a new life begins now. His resurrection as first fruit launched a new priesthood, a new humanity and a new creation.

We insist that the end announced was not the end of physical existence but the end of the old covenant structures: law-bound sacrifice, Levitical priesthood and temple-based rites. The cross nailed the handwriting of requirements that stood against us, and the resurrection established Christ’s authority to usher believers into a present, lived reality. This reality is spiritual and concrete: we are united with Christ in his death and in his rising. The gospel does not call for performance to earn standing; it calls for aware participation in what Christ has already accomplished.

We must read these things in the Spirit so understanding turns into confidence. The life of the believer flows from what Christ has done, not from fluctuating feelings. When we live by the substance revealed in Christ, condemnation falls away, our path becomes clear, and we begin to walk in the works God prepared for us. The feasts, once mere shadows, now shape our identity: we belong to the new age inaugurated in Christ, living as risen people today.

Key Takeaways

1. Feasts are God’s redemptive timetable The appointed feasts map a deliberate pattern from shadow to substance. Each festival anticipated a stage in redemption so that the people could see God’s plan unfold across time. We receive confidence when we read those types as markers pointing to Christ’s finished work. [01:23]
2. Death, burial, resurrection unified in Christ The three feasts form one economy: one death, one burial, one rising that changes the age. Christ bore not only sin but the structures that enforced sin, and he decisively ended them. We identify with that work through faith and baptism, not by repeating shadowed rituals. [10:47]
3. Shadows removed; substance is Christ The law and temple rites functioned as shadows until the substance, Christ, appeared. When the handwriting of requirements was nailed to the cross, the legal claims against us lost authority. We stop building our standing on shadows and start living from the reality Christ provides. [43:07]
4. We live already in resurrection Union with Christ means we have died, been buried and risen with him in spiritual reality now. Resurrection life is not only future hope but present power that changes our identity and choices. We move from trying to perform for favor to walking in the freedom and works prepared for us. [76:14]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:22] - Anniversary Thanks
[01:23] - Series Overview: Feasts and Shadows
[05:41] - Review: Passover and Unleavened Bread
[07:51] - Firstfruits and the Harvest Picture
[10:47] - Three Feasts United: Death Burial Resurrection
[15:30] - Feasts as Holy Previews
[20:41] - Death According to Scripture
[26:00] - Blood and Atonement
[33:46] - Christ Entered Heaven Once
[41:50] - Colossians: Nailed Handwriting To Cross
[50:53] - Burial and Unleavened Bread Meaning
[60:03] - Resurrection: Firstfruits and New Order
[73:27] - Living Now In Resurrection
[80:05] - Closing Praise and Benediction

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Colossians 2:14 (ESV)
"[God] by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross."

Observation Questions

According to 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, what three events form the core of the gospel, and how do they align with the three feasts discussed (Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits)? [10:47]
What does Colossians 2:14 mean by the "record of debt" being "nailed to the cross," and how does this relate to the end of the old covenant system? [43:07]
In Romans 6:4, how does baptism symbolize both burial with Christ and resurrection to "walk in newness of life"? [50:53]

Interpretation Questions

The sermon states that the feasts were "shadows" pointing to Christ’s work (Colossians 2:17). How do these shadows deepen our understanding of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as a unified act? [01:23]
Hebrews 10:1-4 explains that animal sacrifices could not permanently remove sin. Why was Christ’s sacrifice uniquely able to "take away sin" (Hebrews 10:11-14)? [26:00]
The phrase "end of the ages" (Hebrews 9:26) refers to the closure of the old covenant. How does this redefine what it means to live under grace rather than law? [36:32]

Application Questions

If the old covenant’s "handwriting of requirements" is canceled (Colossians 2:14), how might this truth free someone from feelings of guilt or inadequacy in their relationship with God? [43:07]
The sermon emphasizes that believers "live already in resurrection" power. What practical steps can help someone shift from striving to earn God’s favor to resting in what Christ has already accomplished? [01:16:14]
Baptism signifies union with Christ’s death and resurrection (Romans 6:4). How does this truth shape the way you view daily struggles with sin or fear? [50:53]
The feasts were meant to give Israel "confidence" in God’s plan. How can studying Old Testament shadows strengthen your trust in God’s faithfulness today? [01:23]
If "resurrection life is not only future hope but present power," what habits or mindsets might need to change to align with this reality? [01:16:14]
How does recognizing Christ as the "substance" of the law (Colossians 2:17) challenge religious routines or traditions that focus on external performance? [14:00]

Sermon Clips

So you are not waiting to die to be buried and rise. Friends you already have died, buried, risen in Christ Jesus. This physical death. But in as far as your relationship with Christ is concerned, you're not waiting to die to be buried and rise, you already have in Christ. Haven't we seen that in Romans six? And this then also means that the gospel is not a call for you to perform, but it is a call for you to be made aware. [01:16:14] (39 seconds) #AliveInChrist

If he has taken it out of the way, then why do you keep breaking things along the way? Because if the way has been cleared by Christ Jesus and you're still clearing the way, then it means you are not sure or you do not trust Christ being the clearer of the way for you. That is why later on when he says in Ephesians chapter two in verse 10 that we are the workmanship of Christ Jesus, uh-uh, we are the are the workmanship of God made in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. [00:44:26] (34 seconds) #WayClearedByChrist

That is why you can feel happy, you smile, you can feel sad, you frown, you can feel sick indeed your body becomes weak, but that is not the reality of what Christ is in you. Amen? So but in those sacrifices verse three, there is a reminder of seeds every year. The people that in these days feel the need that they are so blooded with sin. They are the kind that always have to try to buy God. Please Lord forgive me. Because if we believe the work of Christ Jesus for forgiveness of sin was complete then we ought to just celebrate the forgiveness we have received from of Christ. [00:31:12] (48 seconds) #CelebrateForgiveness

Yet scripture says they were buried with him. Now so it means that burial was not a physical burial. And yet when we are expecting the fulfillment of the rest of the things in Christ, we are waiting for physical things. Physically and scripture says they were buried with him. How come now you're waiting for physical things? The life of a believer is spiritual in Christ. So they were buried with, does scripture lie? So indeed they were buried and yet no one was physically put there with Christ. [00:51:06] (42 seconds) #BuriedWithChrist

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The Death, Burial, and Resurrection | New Covenant Reality