How does Exodus 23:15 connect with Jesus' teachings on giving and sacrifice? Setting the Verse in View Exodus 23:15: “You are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you must eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of Abib, for in that month you came out of Egypt. No one is to appear before Me empty-handed.” Why the Offering Matters in Exodus • The feast remembers God’s literal deliverance from Egypt. • Bringing a gift underscores gratitude: rescued people respond tangibly. • “Empty-handed” worship is unthinkable—acknowledging God costs something. Echoes in Jesus’ Teaching on Giving • Worship and reconciliation go together (Matthew 5:23-24). • Generosity flows from the heart (Matthew 6:21; Luke 6:38). • Even the smallest sincere gift is prized (Luke 21:1-4—widow’s mites). • True love for God includes costly love for neighbor (Mark 12:33). Jesus Fulfills and Deepens the Principle • He keeps the Law perfectly (Matthew 5:17), becoming the unblemished Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). • His self-offering sets the standard: “greater love has no one than this” (John 15:13). • Because His sacrifice is once-for-all (Hebrews 10:10), our ongoing “offerings” shift from animals to: – Praise (Hebrews 13:15) – Doing good and sharing (Hebrews 13:16) – Presenting ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1) Practical Connections for Today • Come to corporate worship prepared—spiritually and materially—so you’re never “empty-handed.” • Let every act of giving recall your own Exodus: Christ freeing you from sin. • Prioritize first-fruits generosity, not leftovers (Proverbs 3:9; 2 Corinthians 9:7). • Measure sacrifice not by size but by cost to you, just as Jesus highlighted the widow. • See every gift as participation in Christ’s continuing ministry to others (Philippians 4:18-19). Summing Up Exodus 23:15 commands redeemed people to bring a tangible offering when they gather. Jesus affirms the same heart—generous, sacrificial, grateful—and provides the ultimate model in His own life-giving sacrifice, inviting His followers to mirror that generosity in every arena of life. |
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