Jesus, The Passover Lamb

March 29 - April 1, 2024 marked the Easter celebration for this calendar year. It was a time of reflection of Jesus’ life, His finished work on the cross and His resurrection. Full of gratitude, sadness, gladness, victory and love for Jesus, it is one of the most meaningful times of the year for Christians. But did you know the origin of our faith didn’t involve Easter?

Let us look back to the time of Moses to see the introduction of a celebratory feast that would play a major role more than one thousand years later during the time of Jesus.

In the book of Exodus, we learn about the Israelites being held in captivity by the Egyptians. Once promised to be a great nation, they were slaves in a foreign land. Years of captivity and bondage threatened their existence, but God had other plans.

In Exodus 12, we read about the story of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt and the Passover. God had sent nine plagues to Egypt during this time of captivity, as Moses was demanding and pleading with Pharoah to let his people go. Pharoah’s heart continued to harden and he would not release the Israelites from slavery. This led to God sending a tenth and final plague.

 

This plague would affect every household in Egypt. However, the homes of the Israelites were safe as they spread the blood of the lamb on the sides and tops of their doorframes. It was a sign that they were to be “passed over.” But for them to be safe, they had to follow through on what God told them to do. So, Moses instructs them.

“Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, ‘Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb.'” (v. 21)

So, the people did as instructed and that night, the tenth plague arrived, killing the first born of both people and animals. This caused Pharoah to give in and to finally allow the Israelites to be free from slavery.

As a reminder of God’s faithfulness and deliverance, they were to celebrate the Passover each year and to tell their children and families about it.

 

Passover tells the story of the Exodus of Egypt. God chose to deliver His People. God was faithful to pass over their homes and spare their lives because of the blood of the lamb – the Passover lamb.

That brings us to Jesus.

Over one thousand years after the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, the Israelites would still experience captivity and bondage. After the Egyptians it was the Assyrians, then the Babylonians. At the time of Jesus, they were in captivity to the Romans due to their disobedience and sin towards God. God continually chose to deliver His people, but they kept going back into disobedience. Because of this, God sent Jesus to earth to solve this ongoing problem.

Jesus is the firstborn of God and of all creation (Col. 1:15; Hebrews 1:6). He is the lamb of God (John 1:29). God would send Jesus to earth to deliver His people once and for all. He would live a sinless life and sacrificially give Himself up on the cross. But there is something quite special about the timing of it all.

Matthew 27:46 says:

 

We know from reading the Biblical accounts that at this time when Jesus was on the cross, it was the start of Passover. Three in the afternoon was known to be the “ninth hour.” The ninth hour was the hour of prayer. It was when the Jews would go into the temple at the daily evening sacrifice. It was the time that the Passover sacrifice, the Passover lamb, was slain.

It was also at this time that during the Passover, the shofar would be blown. And as the shofar was blown, Jesus exclaims “It is finished,” breathes His last breath, gives Himself up and commits His Spirit to the Lord. Those watching Jesus’ crucifixion, especially those who were Jewish and observed the feasts, would surely make this amazing connection. 

At the same time the Passover lamb was slain and the sacrifice was to be made, Jesus gave Himself up to become our Passover Lamb and sacrifice.

A beautiful portrayal of love and deliverance. A beautiful portrayal of God’s perfect intention and sign to the Israelites (remember the passage from Exodus). Jesus was crucified on Passover. He laid down His life. He is the lamb that was slain. Jesus is the Passover Lamb, but because of His blood we have been passed over. Because of the blood of Jesus, believers are “passed over” in the judgment from God. We are no longer slaves to sin (Rom. 6:1-7). We have been set free (Gal. 5:1).

Each year Christians celebrate Easter, but may we also remember Passover and the deliverance that God provided to Moses and the Israelites. Let us remember Passover and look to Jesus, the Passover Lamb, who provides us with deliverance today.

This year, Passover begins at sundown on April 22nd and ends the evening of Tuesday, April 30.

Romans 10:9: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

 

Spread the Word in style with our Christian clothing. Our trendy and faith-inspired designs are perfect for sharing your belief in a fashionable way.

Check out our Christian Hoodies, Sweatshirts and T-Shirts by heading over to the product pages.