Exodus 12:1-14
The Passover was instituted during Israel’s deliverance from Egypt. It required a lamb without blemish, whose blood would protect the Israelites from God’s judgment. Jesus Christ perfectly embodies and completes the Passover. His life, death, and resurrection fulfill the symbolic and redemptive significance of this Old Testament practice.
The Passover lamb is described as without blemish, emphasizing its purity and perfection. Jesus is repeatedly affirmed in the New Testament as sinless and undefiled. Hebrews 4:15 declares that Jesus, our high priest, was tempted as we are, yet without sin, and 1 Peter 2:22 echoes Isaiah 53:9, stating, Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in His mouth. The Passover lamb’s unblemished nature qualified it to bear the weight of Israel’s deliverance; in the same vein, Jesus’ sinless life qualified Him to be the perfect sacrifice for our sin.
The slaughter of the Passover lamb, performed at twilight by the whole congregation, foreshadows Jesus’ crucifixion, which involved the collective responsibility of humanity’s sin. The lamb’s death was a communal act, as all Israel participated in the sacrifice to secure deliverance. Likewise, Jesus’ death on the cross was the result of humanity’s rejection; Jews and Gentiles alike played a role, as Acts 4:27-28 notes: Both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, did whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.
The blood, painted on the doorposts and lintels, marked the Israelites’ homes, causing God to pass over them. This act of faith in the blood’s efficacy prefigures the saving power of Jesus’ blood shed on the cross. Hebrews 9:22 states that, without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. Jesus’ blood establishes the new covenant, as He Himself declared at the Last Supper in Matthew 26:28, saying, This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Ephesians 1:7 further asserts, In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses.
Just as the Passover lamb’s blood shielded Israel from physical death, Jesus’ blood protects believers from spiritual death, securing eternal life. The act of applying the blood by faith parallels our trust in Christ’s atoning work, as Romans 3:25 describes Jesus as the one whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.
The Passover lamb’s role in averting God’s judgment finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus as the substitute who bears divine wrath. The lamb’s death spared the firstborn of Israel from God’s judgment; similarly, Jesus’ death absorbs the penalty of sin, satisfying God’s justice. Isaiah 53:5-6 describes this substitution: He was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities… the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Romans 5:9 emphasizes this, stating, Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
In 1 Corinthians 5:7, Paul writes, For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. This declaration ties the Exodus event directly to Jesus’ crucifixion, stressing that His death accomplishes what the Passover lamb symbolized: liberation from bondage. In Christ, we are freed from slavery to sin.
The Passover’s lasting ordinance underlines its eternal significance, which Jesus fulfills as the mediator of an everlasting covenant. The annual Passover reminded Israel of God’s faithfulness, but Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice sanctifies us through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Unlike the repeated sacrifices of the old covenant, Jesus’ death is sufficient for all time, fulfilling the Passover’s temporary provisions with permanent redemption.
The call to remember the Passover is transformed into the call to proclaim Christ’s death until He comes. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes (1 Corinthians 11:26). Jesus Christ’s fulfillment of the Passover is therefore central to our worship and hope.
Life Application
The Passover reminds us that redemption comes through substitution; Jesus, the sinless Lamb, took our place, bearing God’s judgment so we could receive mercy and freedom. We are invited to place our faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. We are called to live in gratitude for His sacrifice, proclaiming His death and resurrection, and walking in the new life He secured for us.
Prayer Points
- Thank God for sending Jesus, whose perfect life and sacrificial death on the cross secured our redemption from sin and eternal life.
- Pray for firm trust in the atoning work of Jesus’ blood and ask for boldness to live out this faith daily.
- Ask for strength and opportunity to proclaim Jesus’ death and resurrection.
