1140-Do You Know What the New Year Is?#
1140-Do You Know What the New Year Is?
(JP Text Group - Organized by Life Like an Eagle)
Brothers and sisters, peace in the Lord! Today is the first day of the new year.
Let us first pray together:
Loving Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you for your grace. Lord, we believe that during the Chinese New Year, such a day symbolizes the beginning of our new year. On the first day of the new year, we come to worship you and give you thanks. We believe that the source of all our blessings is in you, God. Today, as we celebrate, we also celebrate our Lord Jesus Christ. We look to you, may you bless us, and may we also become a blessing to others. Thank you and praise the Lord. We commit this time into your hands. Holy Spirit, may you guide each brother and sister, and we open our hearts to you. Thank you and praise the Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!
Alright, today our main text is Exodus 12:18-24.
18 From the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month until the evening of the twenty-first day, you must eat unleavened bread. 19 For seven days, there must be no leaven in your houses, because anyone who eats anything with leaven, whether a foreigner or a native, must be cut off from the congregation of Israel. 20 You must not eat anything with leaven; in all your dwellings, you must eat unleavened bread.”
21 Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go, select an animal from the flock according to your families, and slaughter the Passover lamb. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and apply some of the blood to the top and sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning.
23 For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, the Lord will pass over that doorway and will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down. 24 This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.
The title of our sharing today is "Do You Know What the New Year Is?"
Thank the Lord, over ten years ago, when I was still in college, a foreign friend asked me, "What does the Chinese New Year really mean? Why do you have the New Year?"
At that time, I was a bit taken aback by the question. I thought for a long time and told him that I heard there was a monster in ancient times that would come to eat people and animals on that day, so people would spend that time in their homes to get through the difficulties. So today, many people refer to this "year" as "the year-end."
Where did this come from? He asked me.
Where did this come from, and when did it start? I really didn't know. It wasn't until later when we read the Bible that we discovered that the Chinese New Year actually has more than 90% similarity with the Passover mentioned in the Bible. Today, many people may be celebrating the New Year without knowing why, because in our Spring Festival, we only treat it as a day of reunion, a holiday, because the main character has been taken away. So by the end of this holiday, people don't know what to do anymore.
Many people now say that the New Year feels less and less festive. What is the reason? You have taken away the main character; you are worshiping an empty shell. When you meet, you say, "Happy New Year!" but in reality, they don't even know why they are celebrating this New Year. When you ask them many things, they also don't understand where it all came from. They might say, "Because our ancestors have done it this way, so we do the same." But we need to know why we celebrate the New Year. So just now we read something in Exodus.
In Exodus 12:1-2, let’s take a look. 1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2 “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year.
Many people believe they do not understand this. When you ask others, "Why is this month called the first month? Why not another month?" What exactly is the first month? They say, "Oh, it was mentioned later that it is the first month of the year." But let’s see why God called this month the first month. The term "first month" is in reference to our Chinese lunar calendar.
After you finish listening to this sermon, during this holiday, you can tell others that through this day, this festival, you can share the gospel with them. You can ask them, "Do you know why this month is the first month?" They might say, "Because it is celebrated in the lunar calendar." Then you can ask them, "Where did the lunar calendar come from?" Most people do not know this.
Where does the Chinese lunar calendar come from?
This lunar calendar just happens to mark the beginning of our first day of the new year. Many people are amazed by our current Chinese lunar calendar. It mentions 24 solar terms and many other things that are very accurate at this time. Many people think that for thousands of years, the Chinese have summarized some experiences based on their understanding of climate and geography during labor.
Until one day, when CCTV's Exploration and Discovery mentioned this, I realized that the current lunar calendar was compiled by a German missionary named Johann Adam Schall von Bell. You can find him online. This person officially began the compilation of our Chinese lunar calendar during the Ming Dynasty under Emperor Chongzhen, when he came to China to spread Catholicism.
This person was proficient in astronomy, geography, mathematics, and medicine. At that time, the domestic calendar had many drawbacks. For example, how did we record the calendar in the past? Which emperor was in power, such as the first or second year of Chongzhen, made it difficult for later people to accurately relate to those dates. If you didn't understand, you wouldn't know. At that time, China was also an agrarian country like we are today, so it indeed needed an accurate calendar to play its role in agricultural production.
Johann Adam Schall von Bell began to study and compile a calendar suitable for China's current situation based on Western scientific theories. Therefore, he received the highest honors from Emperor Chongzhen and was the only foreigner allowed to enter and exit the palace.
Later, after the Qing Dynasty was established, Dorgon ordered that all non-Manchu people in Beijing must move out within three days. However, Johann Adam Schall von Bell wrote several letters to Dorgon, stating that the compilation of the calendar was very important. So later, Dorgon greatly appreciated this missionary and made an exception to allow him to stay in Beijing and continue compiling the calendar, which is now referred to as the lunar calendar.
He was skilled in medicine and cured the illness of Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, and he was invited to serve in the palace. Later, he rose to the highest official rank. After Johann Adam Schall von Bell completed the calendar, the Qing Dynasty began to use this new calendar, which is what we now call the lunar calendar.
Later, when Kangxi became emperor, Johann Adam Schall von Bell was already a 70-year-old man. This old missionary loved Eastern civilization, and his important purpose in coming to China was to spread the teachings of Christ. So he stayed in China. He did not seek fame or participate in court struggles. He dedicated his life to China, and his greatest contribution to China was compiling this lunar calendar.
When the power of Aobai rose, he unfortunately got caught up in the court struggles and was later imprisoned. Just as they were preparing to execute him, on the third day after his sentencing, earthquakes of magnitude six or higher occurred in various counties in Beijing, and many buildings were destroyed, including the palace which caught fire. So the people said that this was divine retribution because many believed that he was a person who understood the future, sent by God to spread the gospel.
Later, Aobai, fearing the public opinion, spared Johann Adam Schall von Bell from execution. When Johann Adam Schall von Bell died, Kangxi valued him greatly, and in one of Kangxi's poems, he specifically mentioned "Jesus on the cross."
After Johann Adam Schall von Bell died, he was buried next to the famous missionary Matteo Ricci in the royal cemetery. The new calendar he compiled, which is our lunar calendar, was widely promoted and has been used to this day. It is a calendar that guides our agricultural production.
So what is the lunar calendar for? It is a calendar that guides agricultural production. It includes spring equinox, rain and dew, autumn harvest, etc., all of which are related to agricultural production, and agricultural production must be related to climate and weather changes. Now we know where this lunar calendar comes from, and you can share this with others. Moreover, you can tell them that they do not understand why we celebrate the lunar calendar today, as it greatly helps our agricultural production, and there is another important point: it is remarkably similar to the Passover in Israel.
Because we know that this wisdom was not invented by this missionary; where did it come from? He himself was a person who read the Bible, so he understood very well some aspects of the Passover mentioned in the Bible. When this lunar calendar was compiled, it was largely similar to the Passover.
So today, let us take this time to share where their similarities lie.
First, the Jewish Passover is one of the most solemn of the three major festivals in a year, and our Chinese New Year is also one of the most solemn traditional festivals. Both are very important. To this day, Jews still participate in and value this festival, and the same goes for us Chinese; it is the biggest festival of the year, where the whole family reunites to celebrate the New Year.
Let’s take a look at the timing:
Exodus 12:2 says: "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year." Our Chinese New Year just happens to be the first day of the first month, which is around the time of the beginning of spring, and Exodus also happens to be around the time of the beginning of spring. The dates are very close.
Another common point is: both require returning home.
In fact, we can know today that during this festival, Chinese people seem to be very united in their actions. In Exodus 12:3, regarding the Passover: "Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household."
In reality, it is all about spending time at home. Today, Jews, like us, are scattered across various countries and places for work, but during Passover, they all return home, and each family takes a lamb from all directions to celebrate Passover. Similarly, we Chinese rush home from all directions to celebrate the Spring Festival. Brothers and sisters, isn’t there a very important similarity? Therefore, the Spring Festival travel rush has become a keyword we mention every year.
Similarly, there are abundant feasts.
Exodus 12:4: "If any household is too small for a lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are and what each person will eat."
Verse 8 says: "That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs and unleavened bread." Today, when Jews celebrate the Passover dinner, they still eat unleavened bread.
Let’s talk about how the Israelites eat unleavened bread.
I have mentioned before that the eating habits of the Israelites are quite different from ours. They sit with their feet facing outward, one arm resting on the ground, and the other hand reaching for the food on the table. So in their left hand, they hold the bread, and with their right hand, they take the vegetables, put them in the bread, and roll it up to eat. You can think of it as a bit similar to wrapping vegetables in a large pancake.
Now, how does this compare to us? During the Spring Festival, we Chinese might be too clever, so we prepare the unleavened bread in advance. Isn’t the unleavened bread similar to dumpling wrappers? You will find that dumpling wrappers are all unleavened, made from non-rising dough, and then we wrap the meat and vegetables inside and roll them up. The only difference is in the method. So in China, we prepare them in advance, place them in one spot, and eat them together.
But the Jews prepare them on-site, holding the bread in one hand and putting the vegetables in with the other, then rolling it up to eat. Thank God!
Another common point: they hold some programs during the feast.
But what do the Jews do? During the Passover dinner, after they eat, they read the Talmud. What kind of book is the Talmud? The best-selling book in the world is the Bible, and the second best-selling book is the Talmud. The Talmud is a book that the Jewish people must read, which contains many methods for doing business, educating children, and so on.
As for us Chinese, we are much more abundant. During the New Year’s Eve dinner, we have the Spring Festival Gala, watching TV, and such things, which are merely entertainment. But when the Israelites do it, they are commemorating the blessings that God has given them.
Do we know today that we celebrate the holiday by throwing away the main character? This is similar to what the Israelites did at the end of the Old Testament in the book of Malachi. They worshiped God and offered sacrifices, but in the end, it all turned into a ritual, becoming a holiday, and they didn’t even know why they were celebrating it.
So God said, "You bring me the blind, the lame, and the sick; would you offer them to your governor? Would he accept you?" But the Israelites replied, "When did we do that?" God finally said, "Alright, then I will no longer speak to you." So for 400 years, God was silent.
What is the reason? By the end, the Israelites had thrown away their God, leaving only the religious rituals, only the framework of a holiday, and within that framework, they filled it with many unnecessary activities. Just like us today, if we forget what the Spring Festival is really about, and we only treat it as a time to eat together and watch TV, we actually overlook the most important main character—Jesus Christ. Because today, by looking at the Passover, we will find that this matter is very important.
Looking further, there is also the saying of getting rid of the old and welcoming the new.
In Israel, what do they do? Exodus 12:14-15 says,
14 "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance. 15 For seven days you are to eat unleavened bread. On the first day, remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel."
This means that on the first day, this time is equivalent to our New Year’s Eve, when we must remove all leavened items from our homes.
In China, this is called "New Year’s Eve." What is New Year’s Eve for? Many people do one thing—clean the house. They thoroughly clean the house, and the older generation tells you that we are getting rid of the old things to welcome the new beginning, which is why it is called "New Year’s Eve." There is mopping, cleaning... but if you ask them why they do this, many people do not know.
Today’s Jews do the same thing, and they do it even more thoroughly. They take out all the jars and bottles from their homes and wash them. In the past, this was very spectacular because there was no advanced technology like today. Back then, the men in their homes would take those things out and wash them by the river. Many people would go to the river to wash their jars and bottles, as the most important items were made of clay.
Today, we also do such things, getting rid of the old, which means getting rid of the old.
So why is it that when you usually do not call it getting rid of the old, but on this day, you must get rid of the old? When you ask them, many people do not know. They say, "Oh, it’s the New Year, let’s clean the house and make it tidy to welcome the new."
So the Bible tells us that you must remove all the leaven from your house. What does this leaven represent? It represents sin. Some bad things must be removed. We only know that we need to remove the dirt but do not know why we need to remove it. Because it symbolizes that all our sins will be removed by God on that day. If you forget this, you will not know why you are doing this.
So the Israelites had to remove all leavened items from their homes, and God would also remove all their sins on that day. Hallelujah! Through whom? Through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Thank the Lord! So on the eve of the New Year, which is the thirtieth day of the twelfth month, we call it "New Year’s Eve." Many people do not know what they are getting rid of, but in reality, it is to remove all the sins and bad things from our lives!
Let’s take a look at this date. In fact, the date of the Chinese New Year coincides exactly with the time of Israel. The way Jews calculate time is different from ours: most Chinese people say that when they wake up in the morning, the day begins. But in fact, Jews start their day at sunset. So, when it is already dark, they have entered the next day.
When we celebrate the Spring Festival, our timing coincides perfectly with theirs. At this time, we are called the evening of the old and new transition, so it is "getting rid of the old and welcoming the new." On this day, the whole family gathers together to stay up late, eat dumplings, and do these things together. Some also eat rice cakes, etc.
This date perfectly coincides with the Jewish timing because the first Passover for the Jews was around this time, around seven or eight o'clock, when they had already returned home and started eating. So I believe that last night at this time, most people were eating, right? This date completely coincides with the Jews.
Furthermore, looking at the similarities.
Exodus 12:7 says, "Then 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."
This is the most important part of the Passover: why their lives could be saved from sin and have a new beginning? Why is it called the first month? On this day, they were freed from bondage, from sin, from death, and the application of the blood is directly related to the lamb's blood being applied to the sides and tops of the doorframes.
Do we Chinese also do such things during the Spring Festival? Of course! As I mentioned earlier, we Chinese are very clever, so today we no longer take the blood of the lamb to do this; we put up couplets. So you will find that during the Spring Festival, almost every household puts up red couplets. What color are these couplets? Red.
Here we have a question: you can ask them, "Why do we have to use red for the couplets?" Many people will tell you that red wards off evil! You see, during the New Year, there are not only red couplets but also red Chinese knots, red envelopes, and many red decorations, etc.
You ask them, "Why must these be red?" Many people will tell you that red can ward off disasters!
Then you ask them, "Why can red ward off disasters? Can’t green do the same?" You see, green is healthy, right? Now they advocate green and environmental protection. We could directly use green for the couplets, and it would look much nicer. The elderly would definitely not agree, but they do not know why it must be red.
Today, you must return to the Bible to understand that the red color does not represent something that can ward off your disasters; that red represents the precious blood of Jesus Christ. If the blood of Jesus Christ flowed out as green, then today, the Chinese New Year would definitely be green. Unfortunately, the blood is red, so today, during the New Year, we predominantly use red. That is the reason. Thank God!
We must always remember why red is the main color during the New Year because it is what the Lord has left us. So it is the main color. Thank God! We have always talked about the significance of red, but we do not understand it clearly because it truly represents the precious blood of our Lord Jesus. Thank God.
During the first Passover in the Old Testament, the Israelites did not know that it represented the Son of God, Jesus Christ. They only knew that red could ward off disasters. So today, the Chinese have learned a little about how to ward off disasters but do not know that it truly represents the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! Thank God.
Today, we will share another theme. Many people may have misunderstandings about this question:
Now that we believe in Jesus, should Christians put up couplets?
Many people say, "Oh, you can put them up; putting up a couplet is nothing, it’s a Chinese tradition!" Some people say, "No, that’s a secular thing; we cannot do that with them; we should not put them up." So today, when you understand what the couplets truly represent, you will know whether you can put them up or not.
It represents the precious blood of Jesus Christ, just like the Israelites who applied it to the doorframes and the sides. Today, if you know that it represents the precious blood of Jesus Christ, whether you put up the couplets or not, it is still a representation of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! When you do not put up the couplets, Jesus Christ is in your heart, and you still have the testimony of the precious blood upon you. When you do put them up, you are commemorating the salvation that Jesus Christ has brought you, so it is still acceptable. Therefore, whether you put them up or not, it is all fine.
When you understand what it signifies and symbolizes, you will no longer be bound by it. You will have freedom in Christ. By relying on the precious blood of Jesus Christ, you have been saved, so it does not matter what the outside looks like. Whether you put them up or not, what matters is that you have already received the salvation of Jesus Christ in your heart. By relying on His precious blood, you have been saved, so God has already seen the price of the precious blood on the outside. Hallelujah! Thank the Lord.
Let’s continue to look further.
The Jews refer to the Passover as "Pesach." What does "Pesach" mean? Pesach means that when I come to your door, I will pass over. This is the meaning of Passover. It means to pass over, which is the Passover.
And what do we Chinese call it? The New Year. Thank the Lord! What does "pass" mean? It means to cross over. Alright, the Chinese New Year also has this meaning, to cross over this year, to pass over this year. Isn’t it exactly the same as the Passover? Thank the Lord. It’s just that as it has been passed down, it has eventually turned into a beast, but the Bible clearly tells us that it is the angel of death. Hallelujah. If you pass over it, you can be safe. This is the Chinese New Year.
The names are completely the same. The reason why we celebrate this New Year is found in Exodus 12:12, which tells us that "On that night, I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord."
God sent the angel of death. What is even more interesting for us Chinese is that it is said that in ancient times, there was a very fierce monster with horns that would come down on this day to eat people and animals. People called this monster "Nian," also known as the "Nian beast," which had a ferocious appearance and was inherently cruel, specializing in eating people and animals. So during this time of year, everyone was very afraid, fearing for their children, fearing for themselves, and fearing for their animals, so they would put up couplets and hide in their homes to celebrate the New Year.
What is the real origin of this? The Israelites celebrated this festival in their homes to avoid the pursuit of the angel of death, so it is called Passover, while in China, it is called "the New Year." Hallelujah.
Let’s look further; they are both at the same critical juncture of life and death.
Earlier, we specifically mentioned that people regard this day of getting rid of the old and welcoming the new as a critical point, also called the New Year’s Eve, where they close their doors and gather as a family until dawn. Why do they stay awake during that time? Thank God. People do not know why they stay awake.
But the Bible tells us the answer: because on that day, God was leading the Israelites out of Egypt, so they were not to sleep but to be on their way.
Today, many people stay up late, exhausting themselves to the point of being completely drained, and when they finally wake up, they do not know what to do, so they just waste time playing cards or watching TV. In the end, when they have nothing to do, they say, "You all stay up; I will go sleep for a while, and wake me up later." People exhaust themselves without understanding why they are doing this.
But today we need to know that this represents our departure from the house of slavery, our being brought out of sin, and our being brought out of death. So we should not sleep; we are about to be on our way!
If you do not know this, you will just stay up all night until the next day, sleeping soundly. I think many people are sleeping today because they are too tired from staying up last night. Thank God. I believe some people are already smiling because I have hit the nail on the head.
Thank God! So only when you return to the Bible and come back to Jesus can all these questions be resolved. Hallelujah! Thank God!
Earlier, we also specifically mentioned that this is a critical juncture of life and death, where the family takes some blood and applies it to the doorframes, representing avoiding disaster and turning misfortune into good fortune. The blood can protect them and keep them safe. We do not know that today, it is not the couplets that can keep you safe; it is the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! The resurrected Jesus Christ is the true King of Peace. Hallelujah.
Therefore, the most favored color during the New Year in China is red, with couplets, big red lanterns, red envelopes, Chinese knots, and firecrackers, etc. Let me share a little more with my brothers and sisters.
In Exodus 11:1-2, it mentions that God will bring one more plague upon Pharaoh and Egypt, and then he will let you go. At that time, the Israelites began to ask the Egyptians for gold and silver, asking their neighbors for these items, and when they asked, they did not do so in a lowly manner but boldly said, "Alright, you can let us go, but give us your valuables, gold and silver!"
The Egyptians were very willing to give them, saying, "Alright, hurry up and leave! You disaster-bringers, take our gold and silver and get out of here! I never want to see you again because I do not know what other disasters will come upon my house!"
Did you notice that God has a special wisdom, settling the wages of over 400 years in one go? Thank God! So Christians, do not feel that you are at a loss because one day God will repay you all of this double. Hallelujah! Thank God!
Let’s look further.
What similarity does this have with our Chinese New Year? This situation may have already appeared less frequently now, but when I was young, during the Chinese New Year, we would ask for red envelopes. I don’t know about you, but perhaps customs vary in different places. It was not like now, where the elders would consciously give us red envelopes. When we were young, we would go to the elders’ homes, kneel down, and bow to them. This is a Chinese tradition. After bowing, we would extend our hands to ask for the red envelope, and they would give it to us.
Now, looking at Exodus, did they also have to ask for red envelopes? Yes. The Israelites would say, "Give it to us, hurry up!" They were not asking in a lowly manner; they were asking with confidence. When we ask for red envelopes, we do not say, "Please have mercy on me; it’s New Year, give me a red envelope." Instead, we say, "Bring the red envelope!" Nowadays, when children ask their parents for red envelopes, they do so confidently.
This is a very similar point. Many times, we do not understand that when family elders give, they are very willing to give. Have you noticed that? At this time, when you ask, they are very willing to give. This is God’s grace. Try asking your neighbors for a red envelope at other times, and they will say you are crazy. But during the New Year, you can ask because they are willing to give.
This returns to the meaning in the Bible: because on that day, the Israelites were to leave Egypt, so when they asked their neighbors for gold and silver, their neighbors were very willing to give them, saying, "Hurry up and leave my house; I do not want to see you anymore."
This is the original source of the red envelope, asking for gold and silver, and clothing. Now, the elders have already prepared the lucky money, the red envelopes, and distribute them to the younger generation. When they give them, they also offer blessings, saying, "I give you this red envelope so that you can be safe."
Brothers and sisters, do you know? This is a very important point. When the Egyptians were willing to give their gold and silver to the Israelites, they said, "When I give you these things, you leave, and I can be at peace."
Thank God! We must return to the Bible to find the answers.
Another thing we briefly mentioned is that during the Chinese New Year, a very grand event that many places do is setting off firecrackers.
Brothers and sisters, I believe each of you may have different views on this matter. But to be honest, this really has no benefit. When you ask others why they set off firecrackers, they say, "Isn’t it loud? It sounds exciting!" In reality, it has no benefit at all. First, it causes serious environmental pollution; you will find that on the first day of the New Year, all over the country, it is hazy. Isn’t it because too many firecrackers were set off? There is also a danger; every year, there are places where fires occur due to firecrackers. Thank God.
Let’s see if there is anything like this in the Bible. If you ask your elders why firecrackers are set off during the New Year, some elders might tell you that it is to scare away the Nian beast! If that is the case, then why do we still need to put up couplets? Why do we still need to hide in our homes? If firecrackers can scare away the Nian beast, then you wouldn’t need to be afraid of it, right? You could just carry firecrackers with you and set them off all around your village, and the Nian beast wouldn’t be able to come in, right? Firecrackers are not meant to scare away the Nian beast. What do firecrackers represent in the Bible?
Let’s look at Exodus 12:11. When the Jews celebrate Passover, they eat with their staff in hand, with their belts fastened, and they eat quickly.
In fact, China did not originally have firecrackers; in the past, they were called cannon sticks or explosive sticks. It was only later that the term changed to firecrackers. This "stick" is the same as the staff that the Israelites are now talking about because initially, this stick was a bamboo pole filled with gunpowder, and when lit, it would make a popping sound. This bamboo pole was originally a stick, so it is the same as the staff that the Israelites held.
So we find that after setting off firecrackers in China, we immediately start eating. But the Israelites held their staffs while eating the lamb. We let the firecrackers go first, and then we eat. In reality, we do not understand why we do this. The true reason is that holding the staff represents authority; only this staff can drive away all evil forces. Only this staff can lead you to peace. Hallelujah! And this staff represents the authority of us Christians.
On Sunday, we will continue to discuss what it means to hold the staff; it represents the authority of us Christians. Today, when you believe in Jesus Christ, God gives you a staff.
This staff possesses all the authority of Jesus. When you encounter danger, stretch out your staff, and the devil will be driven away. Hallelujah! Stretch out your staff, use your authority to declare, and you can become a victorious Christian. So the true representation of the staff is this; it is not that we have turned it into firecrackers today, which completely deviates from its original meaning. If we do not understand this, in a few hundred years, people may forget what firecrackers are for.
Let’s continue to share about the same reunion festival.
Exodus 12:6 says, "You are to keep the lamb until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight."
Brothers and sisters, I do not know if we have listeners from all over the place celebrating the New Year. Like today, you no longer need to go to the market to buy vegetables or meat; when guests come, you do not need to cook on the spot, right? You prepared everything yesterday afternoon, right? Because yesterday afternoon was New Year’s Eve, so many families had already prepared their food by that time, and when it came time for the New Year’s Eve dinner, everything was ready. There was no need to buy vegetables or meat from New Year’s Day until the seventh day. Thank God! This has biblical basis.
Earlier, we read that God told the Israelites to slaughter the lamb at twilight, which means that on that day in the afternoon, the Israelites prepared everything for the Passover dinner. Today we know, brothers and sisters, that at twilight symbolizes entering into darkness.
God already knew that we were about to face darkness, so He sent His only beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to us, telling us that even if you are in darkness, I have given you my Son Jesus to be with you; He is your help.
The Passover lamb has already been slaughtered, and when you eat it at night, this lamb will become your strength. Hallelujah! So brothers and sisters, do you know? During the New Year’s Eve dinner, you do not need to prepare anything; everything is ready. Thank God! This is what true reunion is.
The same festival
Verse 14: "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance." This lasts from the first day of the first month until the twenty-first day.
When do we Chinese consider the New Year to be over? It is only after the first month that the New Year is considered over.
The Passover is recorded like this. So on this day, the Israelites observe this day, and when others ask them why they observe this day, they will tell their descendants that on this day, God brought us out of the house of slavery in Egypt. Thank the Lord.
Today, when we celebrate the New Year, it is also such a day; God has saved us from death, brought us out of our past dead lives. The day you accepted Jesus is your Passover. From that day on, you are no longer under death, you are no longer under the control of the devil, you are no longer under the power of sin; all of this God has delivered you from through the blood of His Son. Hallelujah! Thank the Lord!
This day is a day we should commemorate as the day we were redeemed because this day is when the Israelites remember God’s salvation. On this day, they were freed from the slavery of Egypt and began their lives of freedom. They were freed from a life of sin and began a life centered on God. Hallelujah! Thank the Lord! So we Chinese refer to it as "getting rid of the old and welcoming the new."
The past year has already passed, and today marks the beginning of a new year, a brand new start. No matter how the past was, the new year is a chance to start over. Doesn’t this perfectly align with the Passover?
The days of the Israelites began on the first day, marking a brand new beginning, which was the day God led them. So brothers and sisters, the day you accepted Jesus is the day God led you; your days have completely changed. Therefore, I believe that I would rather have brothers and sisters remember the day of your redemption during this New Year, which is this day. Hallelujah! On this day, remember that God has saved you from death and sin, and today you stand on the path of new life. Hallelujah! Thank the Lord!
God led the Israelites out, and on that night, the next day, when the morning light appeared, God began to lead these people completely out of Egypt. That was a day of God’s grace, a new beginning. From then on, the Israelites lived a new life, walked a new journey, and the place they were to enter was the land of Canaan, flowing with milk and honey. Hallelujah! The Bible tells us that the path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
Today, we are all on the path of God, walking in the love of God, on the path of life, and in the abundant life. Therefore, our goal is the land of Canaan; our goal is the eternal abundant life of Jesus Christ. The path we are walking now leads us to our ultimate goal, which is God’s new heaven and new earth. Hallelujah! Thank the Lord! You know this is a beginning, and your path will shine brighter and brighter. Thank the Lord.
A year led by God, because on the first day of the New Year, you understand why we celebrate this New Year. You understand that the main character of this year is Jesus Christ, and it is His precious blood that brings me the salvation of life; it is His lamb's body that gives me the strength of life. Hallelujah!
This year, I do not walk relying on my own strength; I walk relying on our Lord Jesus Christ, relying on the power of the Holy Spirit. We walk in this blessed year. This is a year of harvest, a year of abundant results. Hallelujah! You will see more of God’s grace in Christ, just like the milk and honey of Canaan, continuously flowing upon you. You will see God’s miracles, you will experience God’s mighty power, and you will see God’s endless supply every day in your life. Hallelujah! Thank and praise the Lord!
Let us pray together:
Loving Heavenly Father, we truly thank and praise you. Lord, I wish to see the beautiful promises of Christ during the New Year. Our celebration of the New Year is to remember Jesus Christ, who saves us from evil, who saves us from death, who saves us from sin.
In the name of Jesus Christ, bless our families, bless our friends. Lord, also through this day, let more people understand why we celebrate the New Year today, commemorating the Lord’s salvation.
Lord, thank you for being with all of us brothers and sisters today, especially blessing every brother and sister who seeks you today. May God bless them. Thank you, Lord. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, Amen!