A Gift From God

As December quickly approaches soon boxes of colored Christmas lights and ornaments will be hauled out from their dusty resting places in our attics. Beautiful colored glass bulbs and lights will not only begin  to fill and illuminate  our homes but will also remind us of another very beautiful and bright light that 2000 years ago appeared in the world to bring us all hope and salvation. Christmas is, without a doubt,  my most very favorite holiday and season of the year. It is a great opportunity for the entire world to celebrate the birth of the Messiah, our Emmanuel (God with us). God Himself actually being born into His own creation to provide the only “Way” for all men to one day stand in His most awesome presence.

It’s interesting to note, that even in Nepal other religions celebrate Christmas. While in Nepal I was told that some Hindus and Buddhists celebrate Christmas by setting up a tree with colorful decorations and exchange gifts with one another. These people in a very traditional way even without being part of the larger universal church of Jesus Christ celebrate His birth. They honor Jesus even while following their own gods and religious practices, taking the time to acknowledge Jesus Christ, who they admit was God’s great gift to the world. The good news of Jesus Christ being born is the greatest story that will ever be told anywhere in this universe. It is paramount to understanding how “we” as fallen, sinful human beings can be restored back to fellowship with a holy and righteous God.

As we continue our study in the book of Exodus and before moving on through the Red Sea crossing I believe it to be very important to take another look at the institution of Passover. We left off just before Pharaoh let the Israelites leave which is found in Exodus 12:21-28. What is most curious to me is how God imbedded the role and mission of the Messiah and His plan for salvation into this extremely important festival in the Old Testament and Judaism. It can’t be overstated and would be sad if overlooked how God’s plan of redemption was concealed in the Old Testament scriptures. 

In Exodus 12:21 Moses is now instructing all the elders of Israel to prepare for their family’s salvation and deliverance from their 430 years of bondage in Egypt. They were to take a lamb from the flock on the tenth day of Nissan and keep it in their homes until the fourteenth day. Here’s a question for you all, what happens to animals we bring into our homes? Children immediately begin playing and naming the animal and soon it becomes a pet, a pet that unfortunately will be brutally slaughtered in just four short days. The idea God is trying to get through to the Israelites and to us is that our salvation comes at a very high cost. It wouldn’t be until Jesus would arrive on earth that the stark reality of the Passover convocation would come into complete focus. Even as the nails are being driven into Jesus’ hands and feet and as they watched Him die they wondered if they had miss placed their faith in Him.

God instructed the head of each family to kill the Passover lamb. Then they were to take a bunch of Hyssop, dip it in the blood and strike both the lentil and doorposts of their home. In the gospel of John 19:29 we have additional information concerning the use of a Hyssop plant that was used to offer Jesus wine vinegar. Here the Israelites were to strike the wooden members, which supported the doorway or entrance to the house, with the blood from the lamb. In the very same way God invites us to apply the blood of Jesus to the lentil and doorposts of our own hearts securing our place in His presence. What a picture the Passover gives us of how one day the actual Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, would shed His own blood on that old wooden, rugged cross that stood on Calvary. 

The passage goes on to say how the Lord would not allow the destroyer to come into the Israelite’s houses and strike them down. Once we put our faith, trust into Jesus we are sealed by the Holy Spirit and the destroyer has no more power or claim to our souls. The bible teaches that no one or can pluck us out of His hands. And so the Passover was to be an everlasting ordinance forever to be observed and remembered for eternity.  So as we pull out the dusty boxes filled with garland and bows, colored lights, nativity scenes and all our favorite trapping of the Christmas season let us remember the Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ who became the brightest light of all.