Jim Gallagher

Exodus 12:13
“…when I see the blood, I will pass over you…”

There are many pictures of Christ portrayed in the Old Testament narrative. We see Him as the offering of Abraham on Mount Moriah, the Angel wrestling with Jacob, the Captain of the Lord’s armies in Joshua, and on and on. One of the clearest pictures, is found here in Exodus. We see Jesus as the Passover Lamb. Paul, writing to the Corinthians put it like this,

“Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” 1 Corinthians 5:7

We see some of the most important aspects of our relationship with Christ illustrated in the Passover story.

Like Israel, who was in severe bondag under a harsh task master, and facing the threat of death, we are in bondage to sin and death. All other plagues, which represented natural events and Egyptian gods, were unable to deliver Israel. It was only through the shed blood of the Lamb of God that deliverance could be found. In the same way, Scripture declares boldly and consistently, there is NO salvation apart from faith in Christ. If a person wanted to be delivered from the curse, they must hide under the blood of the lamb. As exclusive as the offer of deliverance was, it was made openly to all of Egypt. All Israel, and anyone in Egypt, could have obeyed the message from Moses and been delivered from the curse.

Israel was instructed to eat the meal with their shoes on. It seems God wanted them ready to walk, once they had partaken of the Lamb. This walk included getting all the leaven out of the house. As the years passed, they would commemorate this event by removing leaven from their homes for a week after Passover. Leaven is used in Scripture to illustrate sin. Once a person comes to Christ, it is time to take inventory of life, and remove anything that is not pleasing to God. It wasn’t cleaning up their lives that delivered them, but once delivered, it was time to clean house.

The Passover changed the calendar year for Israel. From now on, their year would start with this event. It became the beginning of months for them. The same is true of all who put trust in Christ. No matter what our past holds, we become a new creation, once we respond to Christ. ALL old things pass away and ALL things become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). We no longer have to live with the guilt, fear, disappointment, weight, or baggage of the past. All has been washed in the blood of the Lamb, and we can press toward the goal of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).

Will you make Christ your Passover? Will you partake of the Lamb whose blood was shed for you? His blood was spilled so your sins could be washed, and you could be made right with God. Partake of Him today.

Pastor Jim