Easter "lamb cakes"

This week we have been celebrating Easter in my English classes. It has been exciting! There is a tradition that is held by most Czech people of making cakes in the shape of a lamb for the Easter holiday. Unfortunately, most of the students do not seem to connect that tradition with the Passover or with Jesus-the Lamb of God.

For the Bible portion of our lessons this week, we read from Exodus Chapter 12 about the first passover celebration. What a great story. The students heard how Moses repeatedly asked Pharaoh to let the Israelites be released from their bondage of slavery. Pharaoh refused to let them go, despite the plagues that God sent across the whole land as a warning to him. We read about how God instructed His people to sacrifice a perfect one year old lamb and then put the blood from the lamb on the doorways of their homes. The Israelites obeyed God and their sons were spared when the Spirit of God passed over the houses in Egypt, killing the firstborn sons. Pharaoh did not obey and his son died. What a powerful illustration of the power of the blood of the lamb!

In our classes we connected the story from the Old Testament to Jesus Christ, the true lamb of God. We talked about how, like the passover lamb was sacrificed to save the firstborn sons from death, Jesus died to save US from sin and death! When we acknowledge that Christ died for us (and drink his blood in communion with him) God passes over us...we are saved from death and eternal punishment in hell! Jesus' blood frees us from sin. He died and rose again so that we can have new life with God! Alleluia! It is finished. Through the blood of Christ we are forgiven and can live with God in His kingdom for ever and ever! :) Hooray. What good news!

Let us pray that the students will understand what Jesus did by dying on the cross for them and rising again at Easter. Let us pray that the lamb cakes that the Czech families make will have new meaning this year because of the students' knowledge that Jesus, the lamb of God, died to take away the sins of the world (including their sins!)

Also...thank you for your prayer for my students...steps of faith are being made!

When asked how she would describe God, Jana accurately described Jesus Christ with many true characteristics including his love and forgiveness. When asked the same question, Alena and Jarmila agreed that God exists in the Trinity. Hooray! This is progress (especially in a society where many people refuse to acknowledge God's existance at all!)

Another student, Jitka had a question about how God could be both loving and just...but she agreed with John 3:16 that Jesus Christ died for her sins! Hooray!!! Rejoice! :) Let us pray that Jitka will continue to grow in her faith in God through prayer and reading of the Word and that she will be surrounded by a loving community of believers.

Thank you for your prayers! God hears and He answers us! He is working and His Spirit is moving here among these Czech students. Let us pray that the seeds of truth that have been sown in peoples' hearts would continue to grow and that the next few months would bear eternal fruit for the Kingdom of God.