New Covenant Passover, the Way to Eternal Life (Heaven)

The New Covenant Passover that Jesus gave – Prior to visiting another country, many things must be prepared, including a passport. No matter how many things are prepared in advance (plane ticket, reservations, clothes, etc.), how confident or earnestly someone may wish to enter, without preparing a passport we will be denied entry into another country.

Likewise, the New Covenant Passover is our spiritual passport that grants us permission to enter the kingdom of heaven. Regardless of how many things we prepare in advance, or how confident or earnestly we wish to enter, without celebrating the Passover we cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Are We Saved by Faith Alone?

The importance of the Passover for a believer in Christ to enter heaven may come as a surprise to many. Today, it is commonly believed that we can be saved by faith alone. While others believe that following the teachings of the Bible is important, but not necessary for salvation as long as you believe.

Let us see the words of the Savior regarding this matter.

Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

These are the words of the Savior. Did Jesus say we can be saved only by faith, without being baptized? No, we need to do something with faith to be saved. We must believe and be baptized. Likewise, the Passover is an important regulation for people who want to live a life of faith pleasing to God, with the goal of entering the Kingdom of Heaven.

Who Commands Us to Keep the Passover?

As God is the One who lead us to heaven, let us study the teachings of God regarding the Passover. Let us confirm that in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, it is God who commands His people to celebrate the Passover.

Exodus 12:10-14 Do not leave any of it till morning… This is how you are to eat it… Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover… I am the Lord… “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.

Who commanded the Passover to be kept as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come? In the Old Testament times, the Passover was a law which God Himself established and commanded His people to keep. Then, what was the result when God’s people obeyed God’s word and celebrated the Passover? They were freed from their slavery in Egypt (Ex 12:40-42).

Now let’s find out who commanded us to keep the Passover in the New Testament times.

Luke 22:7-8, 19-20 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”.… And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

Who commanded us to keep the Passover in the New Testament times? Jesus! And according to the Bible, Jesus is God who appeared in the flesh (Isa 9:6; Jn 1:1,14). Then, was this New Testament Passover only for His 12 disciples, or only for the believers of Jewish descent? No! Jesus taught the apostles to make disciples of all nations, teaching all people (Jews and Gentiles) to obey “everything” He had commanded them (Mt 28:19-20). As Jesus taught us, this is not the Old Covenant Passover, but the New Covenant Passover established through the blood of Christ.

The Passover was a command given to the Israelites, not only at the time of the Exodus, but as a lasting ordinance. A lasting ordinance means it is a law for all time (New Living Translation). Therefore, its observance must continue in the New Testament times as well. In both the Old and New Testament times, it was God who commanded His people to keep the Passover.

Why Does God Command His People to Keep the New Covenant Passover?

Then, why does God command His people to celebrate the Passover? In the Old Testament, God freed His people from their slavery in Egypt through the Passover. Likewise, in the New Testament, God frees His people from their slavery to sin and death through the Passover of the new covenant.

John 8:34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.

All who sin are slaves to sin, and the wages of sin is death. Then, what man does not have sin? We are all sinners. Meaning, we are all slaves to sin and death.

As God saved His people from their slavery in Egypt through the Passover in the Old Testament, God saves His people from their slavery to sin and death in the New Testament through the New Covenant Passover.

John 6:53-54 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.

What should we eat to heave eternal life? It is Jesus’ flesh and blood. What if we do not eat Jesus’ flesh and drink His blood, can we have eternal life? No. According to the words of the Savior, we must eat Jesus’ flesh and drink His blood to have eternal life. Then, how did He teach us to do this? Through the New Covenant Passover!

Matthew 26:19, 28 So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover…. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

To free us from our slavery to sin and death, and give us eternal life, Jesus Christ gave us His holy blood poured out for us through the new covenant Passover. Whether it’s the Old Testament or the New Testament, it’s only God who gives His people the truth of the Passover for the sake of saving His people from slavery.

Why Does God Want to Give Us Eternal Life?

Then, why does God want to give us eternal life? To know the reason, we must first understand about the Kingdom of Heaven.

Revelation 21:4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

The Kingdom of Heaven is a place where there is no death. Since the wages of sin is death, no one with sin and death can ever enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This means that mortal being can never go there. This is why Jesus so earnestly wanted to give us eternal life, to take us to the Kingdom of Heaven. Since Jesus wants to make us eternal beings and bring us to Heaven, He commands us to keep the New Covenant Passover.

In obedience to the command of God, the World Mission Society Church of God teaches that the Passover is the way to receive eternal life. Just like when traveling to another country, one must prepare many things (plane ticket, reservations, clothes, etc.). However, without a passport we cannot even board the plane. Likewise, to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, we must prepare many things (love, faith, good deeds, prayer, baptism, etc.). However, without keeping the Passover, we cannot have eternal life nor enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, the Passover serves as our spiritual passport through which we can be granted entry into the Kingdom of Heaven and live there forever as immortal beings.

Let’s Keep the New Covenant Passover, Following the Will of God

To bring us to Heaven, God commanded us to keep the Passover. Then, what will happen to those who disobey God’s command and do not keep the Passover?  Without keeping the Passover, no one can enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

On the last day, many will claim to believe in God, but since they did not do the will of God, they cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Then, what is the will of God? Is it God’s will to keep the Passover or not? Regardless of what age we live in, the Old Testament times or the New Testament times, it is God who commands us to keep the Passover.

Therefore, the Passover is the absolute will of God given for the salvation of God’s people to lead them to the Kingdom of Heaven. For this reason, the World Mission Society Church of God celebrates the Passover of the new covenant every year longing for the Kingdom of Heaven, and earnestly shares the truth of the Passover with all people so we can all return back to the Kingdom of Heaven together!