The Passover
Exodus 12:13,14 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. This
day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you
shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord - a lasting ordinance.
Pharaoh had resisted God’s will to allow the Hebrews to leave Egypt, and he had punished Egypt because of it with several plagues. With each plague Pharaoh only became madder and more determined to not let the Hebrews go. Now, God would bring one last plague that would kill the firstborn of every person and even cattle in Egypt. The only way to survive would be to surrender to God by putting the blood of a sacrificed lamb or goat on each side and on the top of the doorposts of their homes. Only then when God would see the blood, would his wrath and sentence of death passover that household. Before it ever happened God said that the sorrow and crying in Egypt would be greater than it had ever seen before or would after. That night would bring judgment on Egypt’s rebellion against God, but it would also bring freedom and life to those who chose to honor and obey the Lord. God was about to make a distinction that would be remembered to this very day!
To this day Jews and Christians celebrate Passover every year, but for different reasons. For the Jews it is a time to remember that because their ancestors chose to honor and obey the Lord, and they were set free of their slavery and bondage. For the Christian it is a time to remember how on the celebration of Passover, God gave his only begotten Son to become the sacrificial lamb for all people. It would be through Jesus the perfect Lamb of God, that everyone that would want to humble themselves before God could receive Jesus’ forgiveness of all their sins. It would become a marriage covenant that by faith in the grace given through Jesus’ atonement all past, present and even future sins could find perfect forgiveness. It would be a forgiveness that would cause God to never bring up their sin again. God’s wrath and perfect judgment would pass over all who put their trust in Jesus. And where once sin held so many in slavery and bondage, now the blood of the Lamb of God would set multitudes free. And those Jesus set free would be free indeed! Free from the guilt and torment. Free from being a people without hope and a future to a people with a sure hope and sure eternal presence with Almighty God. When Jesus stood before Pilate and Pilate asked what should do with Jesus, the religious leaders and the people shouted to crucify him and that his blood could be on them and their children. Israel (means struggles with God) like Pharaoh rejected their only means of life. For Pharaoh it was a physical life, but for the Jews it became a loss of eternal life.
The question for us today is; What will we do with Jesus! Will we humble ourselves before God and allow his Passover Lamb to place his blood over the doorposts of our heart, or will we be like Pharaoh and millions of others who reject their only hope of freedom from bondage in sin and eternity in hell? Jesus is knocking on your heart today! Have you received him as your Lord and Savior? Are you living each day in his presence and enjoying his love and blessings? Well, to make no decision is really making a decision not to honor and obey God. Jesus alone is the way to heaven. Jesus alone is the truth that will set you free from all your bondage. Jesus alone is the life that will come to live in you to give you eternal life in heaven. Choose Jesus today!
Prayer: Thank you Lord Jesus for coming to earth to do for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves. You are a wonderful God and Savior! We love you!
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