How does Josiah's Passover celebration in 2 Chronicles 35:1 inspire our worship today?

Setting the Scene

“Josiah observed the Passover to the LORD in Jerusalem, and they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month.” (2 Chronicles 35:1)

---

Key Observations from 2 Chronicles 35:1

• Purposeful timing – exactly “the fourteenth day,” obeying Exodus 12:6.

• Covenant focus – “to the LORD,” centering every action on Him.

• Corporate participation – the nation gathers in Jerusalem, not in isolated pockets.

• Sacrificial centerpiece – the lamb is slain: atonement and deliverance visually proclaimed.

---

Timeless Principles for Worship Today

• Precision in obedience

 ▪ Worship flourishes when we honor God’s detailed instructions (John 4:24).

• God-centered orientation

 ▪ Every element—songs, prayers, preaching—exists “to the LORD,” not to impress people (Colossians 3:17).

• Shared experience

 ▪ Regular assembly strengthens faith and unity (Hebrews 10:24-25).

• Cross-shaped focus

 ▪ The sacrificed lamb anticipates Jesus: “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7).

• Joyful remembrance of redemption

 ▪ Passover recalled Israel’s rescue; Communion recalls ours (Luke 22:19-20).

---

Practical Ways to Respond

• Prepare hearts before services—confession, Scripture reading, silent reflection.

• Elevate Scripture in gatherings—read it aloud, sing it, preach it, trust its sufficiency.

• Highlight Christ’s sacrifice regularly—celebrate the Lord’s Table with reverence and gladness.

• Cultivate congregational participation—encourage unified singing and serving.

• Schedule worship intentionally—marking key dates (Resurrection Sunday, etc.) teaches God’s redemptive timeline.

---

Looking to the Greater Passover

Josiah’s celebration points beyond itself to Jesus, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). As we worship, remembering His once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 9:14), we echo the ancient Passover yet rejoice in its complete fulfillment, offering God the wholehearted, obedient, Christ-centered worship He desires.