Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Holy Qurbana: A Foretaste of the Kingdom of God

 

Bible Reading: Exodus 12:21-28

Key verse: “It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.” (Exodus 12: 27)
 

DEVOTION

 

Exodus 12:21-28 recounts the institution of the Passover, marking Israel’s liberation from Egyptian slavery. The text reveals a God who liberates, who invites us to His table, and who meets us in worship. This narrative helps to envision how God’s saving acts invite people into a deeper relationship, shaping their faith and worship. The Passover tells us that God sides with the marginalized and leads them toward freedom. The Passover event declares that God’s power is greater than the systems that seek to enslave, and that God’s ultimate purpose is the liberation of all people from whatever holds them captive. The communal nature of the Passover meal emphasizes solidarity among the oppressed. The Israelites were to gather as families, sharing the meal in unity, which reflects the communal struggle for justice in our own contexts. Freedom is not just an individual pursuit but a collective one, where communities come together in faith and action to confront systems of oppression.
Metaphorically the Passover lamb points to Christ, the Lamb of God, whose sacrificial death brings deliverance from sin and death. We celebrate Qurbana as a foretaste of God's Kingdom, just as the Israelites celebrated Passover in anticipation of their liberation. In Communion, we remember Christ’s sacrifice and share in the redemptive work He accomplished. The Holy communion becomes a sacred meal where we anticipate the fullness of God’s Kingdom, a place of justice, peace, and eternal life. In the Qurbana, we participate in Christ’s victory over sin and death, celebrating our deliverance and our call to live as God’s liberated people. In Exodus 12:26-27, the Israelites are instructed to explain the meaning of the Passover to future generations as a lasting ordinance. In the same way, Jesus, during the Last Supper, commanded His followers to celebrate the Eucharist “in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). Every time believers partake in Communion; they not only remember Christ’s sacrifice but also proclaim the hope of His return and the establishment of His Kingdom. It proclaims that God’s liberative interventions are not just a one-time event but an ongoing historical experience. The command to observe Passover and pass it down through generations opened a ritual meant to shape Israel’s identity. Through worship, we also are continually reclaiming our identity as God’s people. Thus, Qurbana is not just about recalling the past but making God’s saving work present among us.
 

PRAYER
Lord of liberation, thank You for freeing us through Christ. May our worship and Communion empower us to seek justice and anticipate Your coming Kingdom. Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
God’s work of liberation continues today. In Communion we taste the future Kingdom, and through worship, we are continually shaped as God’s people.
 

Gyanel Zac Pramod
Epiphany Mar Thoma Church

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