The Lamb

As many of you know, one of my favorite Bible verses is John 15:13, which says, "There is no greater love than that a man would lay down His life for His friends." I have been quoting this verse and using it as a basis for my Bible studies, devotionals, and sermons for several years. This Easter season, I will continue to focus on the theme of love and the unbelievable story of my rescue. However, this will not be a series about me or my family. Instead, it will be a series that applies to all believers. Your story of redemption, salvation, grace, and mercy is no different from the story of the Israelites, whose lives were saved by the lamb's blood on their doorposts in the book of Exodus. This story is unbelievable because God loves us so much that He sent His Son as the perfect Lamb to lay down His life for His friends.

As we approach this season of reflection, remembrance, and celebration, our Jewish friends will observe Passover, and we, as Christians, will celebrate Easter. However, it may surprise many that the Lord never explicitly instructed Christians to celebrate Easter. Instead, He commanded us to keep the Passover. This is not to say that we should not celebrate Easter, but as Christians, we should also understand the significance of Passover and its importance to our faith.

In Exodus 12, God spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, where the Israelites were enslaved under Pharaoh's rule. God promised them a new life and instructed them to take a lamb without blemish and keep it until the 14th day of the same month. On that day, the whole congregation of Israel was to kill the lamb in the evening and eat it with their loins girded, shoes on their feet, and staff in their hand. This was to be known as the Lord's Passover.

In the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 5:7 refers to Christ as our Passover lamb, emphasizing the significance of Passover in Christianity. The Apostle Paul instructs us to keep the feast, which means that Christians should celebrate Passover. But we must understand how to keep it.

The promise of the Passover lamb is wrapped up in the promise of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. In Exodus 12, the symbol of Egypt was a venomous serpent, and it was through the sacrifice of the lamb that God delivered the Israelites from Egypt's bondage. Similarly, it is through the sacrifice of Christ, our Passover lamb, that we are delivered from the bondage of sin.

The Lamb was characterized as spotless and was condemned to die on the cross. The Lamb's confession was that the doorpost should be displayed with the precious blood of the Lord Jesus. In addition, we have fellowship with one another and with God Himself when we feed on God's Lamb and invite Him into our bodies. When we come to the Lord's table, we are keeping Passover by openly and publicly feeding on Jesus. The broken bread represents His body, and the cup represents the new covenant in His blood. As we partake in communion, we show that we believe the Lamb has conquered and lives in us. We should not approach the Lord's table as if we are going to a funeral but rather to celebrate the victory of the Lamb who has slain the snake.

Therefore, as Christians, we should not only celebrate Easter but also understand and celebrate the significance of Passover. Let us keep the feast of Passover, not just as an Old Testament tradition but as a New Testament commandment.

How does understanding Jesus Christ as the perfect lamb referenced in Genesis 12:7 deepen our appreciation for His role as Savior and Redeemer? This is depicted in Luke 1:46, John 20:27, and Galatians 2:20. Additionally, how does the imagery of the Passover lamb in Exodus 12:7 point to Jesus Christ as the ultimate sacrificial Lamb for the household of God? Moreover, in what ways do the New Testament affirmations of Jesus' sinlessness deepen our understanding of His sacrificial death on the cross? These affirmations are found in 2 Corinthians 5:21 and 1 Peter 2:21-25. How does the sacrificial lamb of the Passover in Exodus 12 foreshadow the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross? Lastly, how do these events reflect God's plan of redemption for humanity?