Making Passover Personal

Read Exodus 12.

The LORD gave Moses the message of how He would deliver the people of Israel.  They were to be dressed, packed up, and eat a good meal standing with their walking staff in hand, ready to leave Egypt.  Imagine the faith it took on the part of these slaves to believe that after more than 400 years they would actually be leaving.  Yet, they worshiped God when they heard His word and prepared accordingly.

God is a God of justice and, therefore, He judges sin.  God is a God of mercy and, therefore, provides a way of escape from that judgment.  The details included:

1. Instruction: sacrifice a lamb and apply the blood to the top and sides of the door frame

2. Condition: without blemish

3. Perfection: no broken bones, watched for four days to be sure of the condition

4. Reason: "I will execute judgment and kill all firstborn"

5. Personal application: "every man a lamb", "your lamb", personal identification with the sacrifice

6. Results: God promised when He saw the blood applied He would "passover" those who responded

(Source: Walk Thru the Bible)

This is not the first time we have seen God provide the death of an animal, especially a lamb, on behalf of person's sin.

Genesis 3:21-in the Garden of Eden, after the sin of Adam and Eve, God took the skin of an animal and clothed the guilty couple.

Genesis 4:4-Abel brought the firstborn of his flock and offered it to the LORD as a sacrifice.

Genesis 22:1-13-God called Abraham to offer his firstborn son as a sacrifice.  On the way, Isaac asked where the lamb was for the burnt offering.  This clearly indicates the normal expectation in the worship of God at that time.  Abraham answered, "God will provide for himself the lamb for the burnt offering."

Keep in mind that those statements in Genesis are centuries prior to the law.  The law only incorporated what God had already expected as a covering for sin.

From Genesis to Revelation the concept of the sacrificial lamb, shedding blood in atonement for personal sin, is consistently taught.  Hebrews 9:22, "...without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins."

Isaiah 53:7-12 describes the Messiah as a lamb and as One who will die as an offering for sin. 

When John, the Baptist, saw Jesus, he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).  Jesus said of Himself that He came "to give His life as a ransom" (Matthew 20:28).  In Hebrews 9:26, referring to Jesus, "...he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."

And, in the final judgments God has announced for this earth, in preparation for the glorious return of the Messiah to rule and reign, Revelation 5:11-12 describe the opening scenes with these words-"Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!'"

Jesus, the perfect and only sacrificial payment for our sin, mercifully offers the way of escape to all from eternal judgment.  Is Jesus your personal passover lamb?