PASSOVER FORESHADOWS CHRIST’S SACRIFICE THAT SAVES ALL WHO BELIEVE
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“Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” – John 1:29 –
Jesus is our Passover Lamb. We see the foreshadowing of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for our sins in the Jewish celebration of Passover. This festival commemorates the night God “passed over” the homes of the Israelites, sparing them from the final plague inflicted upon Egypt. God commanded His people to choose a lamb with no defects, slaughter it and place its blood on the doorframes of their homes.
“The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.” – Exodus 12:13
Innocent blood was shed in the killing of the Passover lamb. Its life was sacrificed for the life of the firstborn who would have died in the plague. Its blood on the doorframes of the houses identified the inhabitants as God’s chosen people, protecting them from death. What an amazing foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ!
“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” – Colossians 1:15
Jesus is God incarnate… fully God and fully man… without defect, without sin. He is the firstborn over all creation whose innocent blood was shed for us for the forgiveness of our sins. He chose death on our behalf so that we could have eternal life.
“God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21
God instructed Moses that life is in the blood… and only through blood is atonement fulfilled. The sacrificial blood of Christ was shed on the cross once for all. He took upon Himself our sin and gave us His righteousness. His life for ours… the “great exchange”.
We receive Christ’s perfect sacrifice through faith. The blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin, protects us from death and evil, and seals us in God for all eternity. Let us then apply the blood of Jesus Christ upon the “doorframes” of our lives… marking us as God’s children, children of the New Covenant.
“We can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By His death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place.” – Hebrews 10:19-20
Christ our Redeemer has satisfied God’s wrath against sin… granting us peace with God. The curtain into the Most Holy Place was torn at Christ’s death. Nothing can now separate us from God and His perfect love for us. How incredible that we can come into His holy presence with confidence that we are His beloved and forgiven children… because of the ultimate sacrifice of Christ.
