John 16:27,28 - The Father Himself loves you

16:27

“The Father Himself loves you”. We have a personal relationship with the Father, and He loves us. Why does He do this? Because we love Christ and believe that the Father sent Him. All of God’s plans hinge on Jesus. So we need to love Christ and believe in Him if we want to have any part with God.

16:28

Jesus came into the world from the Father. He was sent by the Father with a specific task to fulfil. That task would soon be complete and He would return to the Father, leaving the world. Things were going to change. With the disciples’ limited understanding at this point they wished that wasn’t happening, and very shortly these feelings would be even more intense. However, this would only last for a time.

Exodus 12:33-42 - The Lord had given them favour in the sight of the Egyptians

12:33-36

The Egyptians were desperate to see the back of the Israelites, fearing that the death may spread to all of them. So the Hebrews leave. They had done as Moses told them with regard to silver and gold. So they plundered the Egyptians. This obeying the Lord was sadly to be a rare occurrence on the part of the Israelites.

12:37-39

So they journeyed from Rameses to Succoth. The number is given as being about six hundred thousand men, so the total would be approximately two million. Doubt is cast upon this number. People always cast doubt on the numbers in the Bible, though the figure is repeated in Num 11:21. However, there is a suggestion that the number for “thousand” can also mean “clan”.

12:40-42

They had spent about 430 years in the land of Egypt. Again, there are questions about this. Some take it as actually 430 years, others as 215 years, taking the 430 to cover the time of the patriarchs as well. We will stick with 430. The Lord was watching over the people on that night, seeing them safely out of Egypt. The Lord watches over us, this is a fundamental fact that we need to appreciate. The Passover is unique in being a festival celebrated at night.

John 16:25,26 - You will ask in my Name

16:25

“Figures of speech” here does not necessarily mean that Jesus was speaking in parables, it could simply mean that the disciples did not fully understand what He was saying, which is certainly true! There would come a time when they properly understand what Jesus was saying about the Father. A key aspect of Jesus’ teaching is about our relationship to the Father.

16:26

“You will ask in my name ..” We must beware of taking an overly literalistic interpretation of Jesus’ words. They must always be understood within their context. So this does not mean that Jesus does not pray on our behalf. He does pray for us. However, part of the fruit of being born again is that we become more Christlike, we develop the mind of Christ. So the things of God become the primary motivators in our lives. Of course, this takes a long time, and none of us have achieved perfection, but this is the direction we are moving in. So we will be praying what Christ would have prayed.

Exodus 12:23-32 - The Lord will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses

12:23-28

The Lord was going to pass through Egypt to strike the Egyptians. Note the reference to Himself as “the destroyer”. This is no easy passage, and salvation is no easy matter. Moreover, the exodus and what went with it, was not something that was to be forgotten, it was to be remembered by every generation. They would, eventually, enter the Promised Land, when they did so they were to remember from whence they had come, and how the Lord had rescued them. Future generations were to be reminded of what had happened. No generation exists alone, but is built upon all that has gone before. Here the key thing is the generations knowing that it was the Lord who had rescued them, without the Lord there would have been no nation.

12:29-32

So at last the plague takes place. “At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt”. We should note that it was the Lord who did this. The Bible is far less squeamish thaan we are about the Lord’s involvement in these matters. This struck everyone, there was no escape, even if you were in a palace or in a dungeon. There was a cry all across Egypt at the horror of what was happening, every household was affected. Pharaoh summons Moses and Aaron and tells them to go, all of them, taking everything with them. There are no ifs and buts this time. Interestingly, he also asks Moses to bless him. This could be ironic, or a serious request, recognising the power associated with Moses.

John 16:23,24 - That your joy may be full

16:23

The cross and resurrection would result in a profound change in their relationship with the Father, and we get another prayer promise. “You will ask nothing of me”. This does not mean we should never pray to Jesus, but so far they had always looked to Jesus. Instead they would ask the Father directly, and do so in Jesus’ name. I.e. they would ask in accordance with Christ’s will. Just as when they asked Jesus for the right thing He did it, so if they ask the Father for the right thing it would be given to them.

16:24

So far they had not asked for anything in Jesus’ name. Their characters were very much worldly characters. They were about to be changed, their hearts would be more Christlike, not perfectly as incidents with Peter showed (see Galatians 2). We are born again, instead of being rebels against God, we become disciples of Christ, growing evermore Christlike.

Exodus 12:16-22 - You shall hold a holy assembly

12:16-20

There were to be holy assemblies on the first and seventh days, these days were to be work free, save for making the meal. The reason for commemorating this was that it was the day that God brought them out of Egypt, out of slavery. And the day was to be celebrated for all time. 

The eating of unleavened bread was to last for seven days was clearly seen as being very important. 

12:21,22

These verses are essentially a repetition of what has gone before, and is addressed to the elders of Israel. They were to select lambs, kill them, and daub the blood on the doorposts and lintels. The lamb was not just one selected at random, but was selected so that it was without spot or blemish. Once the blood had been daubed on the doorposts they had to stay inside the house until morning. They had to stay under the protection of the blood.

John 16:21,22 - I will see you again

16:21

Jesus then likens it to a woman giving birth. This was a quite widely used analogy. Before the birth there is great pain, but one the baby is born this turns to great joy, and all the pain is forgotten. The joy of the birth far outweighs the pain of the birth. So it would be with the cross and resurrection. The sorrow they felt now would soon be forgotten. However, the pain they felt now was very real.

16:22

The disciples were sorrowful, and when in a very short time the events of the crucifixion itself began to unfold, and they saw Jesus nailed to that cross, their sorrow would increase massively. But death was not the end, Jesus would rise again and they would meet Him. Then they would rejoice, and it would be a joy that no one could take away. All the forces of evil would have been defeated.