The Lamb of God

Passover is the most important annual festival in the Jewish faith. This feast was to change forever the way in which Jews worshiped their God. The tenth plague to hit Egypt and God’s subsequent plan of salvation was so important that God changed the month in which it took place to be the first month of the Jewish year.  This annual festival has been performed faithfully and continually for the past 3446 years. It is one of three annual festivals that require all male Jews to present themselves at the Temple in Jerusalem. Passover is a high point on which the Jewish faith rests and, as we will discover, is related to what Christians call “The Last Supper”.

The tenth plague on Egypt hit at the very heart of the Egyptian family unit. Firstborn males of both man and beast were going to die that night as the Lord passed through Egypt. The memorial of Passover was to become a fore shadow of God’s promised Messiah. In fact, the gravity of this event would one day even change Egypt from a polytheistic culture to a nation that would one day worship only one god. 

In Exodus chapter 12 God spoke to Moses and told him to tell the congregation of Israel that the month that the Passover took place was to become the first month of the year. Each family was to take one lamb on the 10^th day of the month of Nisan. They were to keep it close by (in their home) until the fourteenth day of that same month. The lamb was to be without blemish, a male of the first year. The whole assembly was to kill their lamb at twilight on 14th day of that month. They were to take some of the blood and put it on their home’s doorframe. Then the family was to stay inside and feast on roasted lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Anything left over was to be burned with fire. In Exodus 12:46, we read that not one of the lamb’s bones should be broken.

As God passed through Egypt, He struck down every firstborn male of both man and beast that were not protected by the blood. Remember, the nine other plagues were directed at a specific Egyptian god. This last plague was to be no different.  The key was the blood; the life is in the blood. All of Israel who was obedient to the Lord, who killed a lamb and put its blood on their doorposts, would be passed over. The plague of death would not be upon them but God would see the blood as a sign and Passover them and go to the next house.

What a beautiful picture God was painting for us of the coming future Messiah. Jesus Christ would one day present Himself in Jerusalem to become the final Passover Lamb.  In the gospel of John 1:29 John says of Jesus “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” The Israelites were not saved because they were children of Abraham, performed great works or had immoveable faith but only because they were obedient to receive the free gift of salvation God offered them through the provision of the Passover lamb.

Consider the similarities of the Passover lamb and Jesus Christ. First, He was God’s firstborn male child who did not escape being sacrificed.  Jesus came to the earth (our home) and lived a sinless life. He was without spot or blemish. That means He was without acquired and inherited sin. Not a bone was to be broken in the Passover lamb and, if you remember back to when Jesus hung on the cross, He died before the Roman soldiers could break a single bone in His body. Jesus presented Himself by riding into Jerusalem on the 10^th of Nisan and then was executed on the 14^th day of that month. Jesus became the final Passover Lamb. And the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD made it impossible for all Jewish males to continue the Passover memorial.

On the night before Jesus would die on the cross, He and the twelve apostles gathered in the upper room to recline and eat the Passover meal together. This feast was the same memorial that all faithful Jews had been observing for the past 1478 years.  However on this night it would become “The Last Passover”. And while they were all together Jesus blessed and broke the bread saying “Take and eat; this is My body.” which has been broken for you. Then He raised the cup of wine and proclaimed “Drink from it all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

 Jesus Christ fulfilled the Passover that night once and for all by redeeming us with His precious blood. God had to come to earth and redeem us Himself. His blood was the only instrument powerful enough to take away sin and set us free from our bondage to it. All you have to do to be saved is to apply the blood of Jesus to the doorposts of your heart.