Beth Moore: What Jesus Did Is Enough; the Gospel Is 'Glad News'
ATLANTA – Beth Moore, founder of Living Proof Ministries and one of America's leading Bible teachers, focused on the origins and significance of the Lord's Supper and its relevance for believers as she shared unique insights and symbolism from scripture at the Passion 2013 conference Wednesday morning.
In her energetic and scholarly style, Moore endeavored to help the 60,000+ attendees grasp a deeper understanding of the Passion of Jesus Christ – his servanthood and sacrifice – analyzing the Lord's Supper in the context of the original Passover in the book of Exodus and highlighting the rich Jewish traditions.
Reading from the Hebrew Haggadah, a Jewish text that outlines the order of the Passover Seder, Moore recounted her meaningful experiences in Israel where she has been invited to participate in Seders with Jewish families.
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Her presentation was a treat for visual learners, as she vividly displayed each component of the traditional Passover meal, even joking about how she had to carry a bushel of parsley through the Houston airport on her way to Atlanta. But beyond the concrete elements, she powerfully demonstrated the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ with a panoramic sweep of redemption history.
Moore used this opportunity to awaken college students to the clear and inextricable links between Old Testament prophecies and the New Testament fulfillment, enabling them to better appreciate the continuity and consistency of the entire Bible.
"The entire evening begins to take on incredibly important significance," said Moore of the Last Supper, explaining the account in Matthew 26. "Here you have the lamb of the table and the Lamb at the table [Jesus Christ]."
"In the four cups of Passover, God is saying, 'I will bring you out' (Cup 1); 'I will deliver you from slavery' (Cup 2); 'I will redeem you' (Cup 3); 'I will take you as My people' (Cup 4)," Moore explained. She described the Hebrew term "Dayenu," a Passover song which essentially means, "It would have been enough for us." This traditional Passover song is still sung during Jewish observances today, and the word "Dayenu" is sung repeatedly after each of the fifteen stanzas.
"But on the night of the Last Supper, Jesus was sitting there and knew that it would not have been enough," Moore said. "Something had to happen in those next hours that would be an answer to the question, 'What would be enough?' Jesus knew the significance of everything they were doing in the Last Supper because He was about to do it."
"The only way God will leave the cup in our hands is if it is absolutely crucial to what we are doing," she said of Jesus' final hours before his death by crucifixion. "This was the sole purpose for why He came. All days were made for this day; all time for this time."
Moore then connected the theological significance of Christ's sacrifice to practical application for daily life. "Not only is the Gospel good news, it is glad news," she said. "Until you receive it, you don't really realize what God has done for you. Today I'm not asking you 'Is it good news?' I'm asking, 'Is anybody glad?'"
With a crescendo in her tone, she concluded, "What Jesus did is enough. And because it is enough, I am glad. God's mercies are new every morning, Christ will come back and He will claim his kingdom, and there is a world coming where there will be no more bad news. As Psalm 126:3 says, 'The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.'"
Shelley Giglio, wife of Passion founder Louie Giglio, had introduced Moore to open the session, calling her "one of the most generous people we have ever met." She added, "Beth loves people, she loves Jesus, and she loves the Word of God." Moore has been an integral part of the Passion Movement since the beginning, and this year she gave 2,000 girls scholarships to attend Passion 2013.
Moore herself began her session with prayer, kneeling and saying, "I'm asking that every life be set aflame for the Word of God. I want these students to be more impressed with Jesus Christ than when they came, and secondly that they will be impressed with your Word."
Moore's prayer was answered Wednesday, as students and leaders alike expressed that this was the first time many of them had understood the profound significance of the Lord's Supper and its connection to Old Testament origins. "Beth Moore blew up the Lord's Supper like never before," said Louie Giglio on Wednesday night, reflecting on the second day of this four-day gathering.
The Passion 2013 conference continues through January 4 featuring messages from Francis Chan, John Piper, Judah Smith and other dynamic speakers, and can be streamed online for free on the Passion website .
