The Passover Lamb

Exodus 12

The Passover was a significant event in the history of Israel. It was part of the culmination of a series of plagues that fell on the nation of Egypt in order to persuade them to let the people of Israel go from slavery. The final plague God brought on Egypt was the death of all the firstborn. The Passover occurred because God in His mercy ‘passed over’ the families of Israel and none of their firstborn died. So how did this happen?

The key to this account is the Passover Lamb. Each household had to have an unblemished, or perfect, year old male lamb. They were to bring the lamb into their family area on the tenth day of the month and keep it until it was sacrificed on the fourteenth day of the month (vv3-6). Once the lamb had been sacrificed, the blood of the lamb had to be put on the doorposts and lintel of each house in which a Passover meal was being eaten (v7). God explained the reason for this: ‘The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt’ (v13). Putting the blood on the doorposts was a sign of faith and indicated that the household was part of God’s people.

When the judgement fell, it affected ‘the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon’ (v29). This was a universal judgement. No-one escaped. In contrast, no Israelite was affected because the blood covered all of the people. This was a salvation available for all who were ‘under’ the blood of the lamb.

The Passover Lamb reminds us of Jesus. ‘For Christ our Passover has been sacrificed’ (1 Corinthians 5:7). He was killed at the time of the Passover Feast. He was the perfect, unblemished Lamb of God (John 1:36). He was sacrificed for us. It is His blood that saves us and sets us free from slavery.

Further reading:   1 Corinthians 5:7    John 1:36

Worship Video

To think about:
In what circumstances have you experienced God’s mercy?

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