12 August Exodus 12

Jesus became the sacrificial Lamb for us

Exodus 12:6-11 (NIV) “6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. 7 Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. 8 That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs and internal organs. 10 Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. 11 This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover”.The Passover is the LORD's because He created it to save the Israelites from the plague that killed the firstborn sons. It was made to help people remember how God saved the Israelites, and this memory is passed down through every generation. It also acts out the perfect sacrifice and rescue that Jesus would provide in the future. Paul writes about Christ as our Passover in 1 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV) “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” Mary Ellen Wright in her article, 12 Amazing Similarities between Jesus and the Passover Lamb highlights the following:“Four Days: A lamb had to be chosen and brought into the house four days before Passover. Four days before His death on the cross on the eve of Passover, Jesus came into Jerusalem on a donkey. Without Blemish: The lamb had to be without blemish. Without cuts, bruises, or deformities. Jesus was without blemish. He was sinless. One year: The lamb had to be one year old, in the prime of his life. Jesus was in the prime of His life when He was sacrificed as a young man, 33 years old.Man: The lamb had to be a male. Jesus came to earth as a man. Everyone: Every house and each family had to have their own lamb. Everyone has to open their own heart for what Jesus has done for them and personally accept Him as their Lord and Savior. The 14th day: The Passover Lamb was slain on the eve of Passover, on the afternoon of the 14th day of Nisan, which is the first month of the Jewish calendar. Jesus is the Lamb that was sacrificed at the same time the lambs were being killed on the 14th day of the first month.Broken Bones: The Israelites weren’t allowed to break the bones of the Lamb. Not during the cooking and not even during the eating. Jesus’ bones didn’t get broken during the torture and the mockery He endured or the crucifixion. No leftovers: The lamb had to be consumed entirely on the eve of Passover. Nothing was to remain overnight. Jesus was taken off the cross on the same evening of his crucifixion, although this wasn’t customary. First Born: The lamb died in place of the first-born of the Israelites. Jesus died in our place. He was the “firstborn of many brethren” – Romans 8:29. He died on the cross in order to reunite or reconcile us with God.Blood: The Israelites had to sprinkle the blood of the lamb on their doorposts as a sign to God. Whoever stayed in the house behind the blood of the lamb was safe from God’s judgment against the Egyptians. Whoever stays with Jesus and does His will, the blood of Jesus will keep them safe from judgment.Freedom: The lamb opened the way to freedom for the Jews from years of slavery in Egypt. Jesus’ sacrifice sets us free us from the bondage of sin. Consume: The lamb had to be consumed entirely on the eve of Passover. We must get Jesus in our lives and consume His word daily. We also drink wine or grape juice to symbolise His blood and eat unleavened bread, matzah, a symbol of His flesh during the Lord’s Supper.Jesus became the sacrificial Lamb for us. No more sheep, goats, or lambs need to be sacrificed. Jesus finished this work on the cross. His sacrifice at Calvary offers us salvation. It was a true sacrifice because God didn't have to send Him. Jesus, being one with the Father and the Holy Spirit, chose to be the Lamb to save humanity. Since humanity was created, we have been in decline. The blood of Jesus has changed everything.