Easter Devotional | 2023 - Day 4
Protected by the Passover Lamb
By Sherry Forester
“For Christ our Passover [lamb] also has been sacrificed.” ~ 1 Corinthians 5:7b
Prophecy: Christ will be our Passover Lamb.
Passwords are necessary when it comes to protecting our personal information and electronics. Wouldn’t it be nice if we needed only one password for a lifetime of protection? That would mean no electronic site requiring a password in order to access your list of passwords, no need to change passwords, no trying to remember to keep every password up to date, never being locked out and having to change your password. If only we could be protected from slavery to passwords!
In Exodus, the Israelites were in Egyptian slavery. Those who believed and obeyed God’s commands were Passover Protected.
During the many years of the Israelites’ enslavement, God heard the incessant groans of His people. He sent various plagues to Egypt to bring about deliverance for His people from Egyptian bondage. Each time the Egyptians experienced a plague, Pharaoh refused to free the Israelites, but this was no surprise to God. Through Moses, God warned Pharaoh that the last plague was coming. This plague on the firstborn could have been avoided if Pharaoh had been willing to let the Israelites leave Egypt.
In Exodus 12:12-13, God told Moses, “For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.”
As God had revealed to Moses, Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites leave Egypt, despite the news of the upcoming deaths of all the firstborn in Egypt. Pharaoh responded to Moses’ warning exactly as God had said.
For protection from the destructive plague, God through Moses instructed each Israelite family to sacrifice a lamb without defect and paint some of the lamb’s blood on the sides and tops of the door frames of their houses.
God fulfilled His promise as He went through Egypt looking for blood on doorposts. If He found no blood, He struck down every firstborn, including the firstborn of Pharaoh, the prisoner, the slave, and the firstborn of all the livestock. Any house without blood on the doorposts suffered God’s judgment. There was loud wailing in Egypt after God had passed through, for there was not a house without someone dead.
The sacrificial blood of a perfect lamb was the basis for averting judgment. God didn’t tell the Israelites to do good works, recite a certain phrase, or perform a specific task. Rescue from judgment and death was only accomplished by the Israelites who trusted the blood of a perfect sacrificed lamb would protect them.
Why is this important? Why did God require the blood of a lamb? Is this just an ancient Jewish tradition that no longer matters to those of us in the 21st century? No.
When Adam and Eve sinned, they tried to cover themselves with fig leaves, which was unacceptable to God. So, God killed an animal and shed its blood to cover Adam and Eve. This led to a sacrificial system throughout the Old Testament, by which God’s wrath would be temporarily satisfied. The sacrifices could not fix the problem of sin but looked forward to a day when God would provide a permanent solution to the problem of 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, our Passover Lamb, shed His blood so God’s judgment would pass over all who believe in His sacrificial death. In Exodus, the Passover lamb was a foreshadowing of the once-for-all Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ. Through His sinless, perfect life and sacrificial death, Jesus is the only One who can forgive sins, once-for-all, and provide eternal life.
As believers, we, by faith, apply Jesus’ blood to our hearts and escape God’s judgment and eternal death. Just as the lamb’s applied blood caused God to pass over the Israelites’ homes, Christ’s applied blood causes God’s judgment to pass over believing sinners and allows us to live with Him forever in heaven.
For our salvation, God requires nothing else of us but that we believe in His Son, the Passover Lamb. We are not required to do good works, join the church, recite a certain phrase, or perform a specific task.
Because of Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, believers have a lifetime of protection from judgment. Because Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed, believers are Passover Protected forever.
Questions for Thought
- Through faith, have you applied Jesus’ blood to your heart?
- How does Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection prompt you to worship Him this Easter?
Daily Challenge
Consider what Jesus did for you when He became the Passover Lamb and how your gratitude for His sacrificial gift can be expressed to others.
Author Bio
Sherry Forester
Sherry Forester was blessed with Christian parents who faithfully took her to church. When she was 10 years old, she accepted Christ as her Savior. At 15 years of age, she gave my life to serve God and wondered what He had in mind. As the years unfolded, God revealed His plan was for her to serve Him at church with her husband, and in Bible Study Fellowship as the Teaching Leader of the Plano, TX Evening Women’s Class for 28 years. Currently, she and her husband are Directors of the Sonburst Class, and she serves on the WBS Teaching Team as the Coordinator of Women of Prayer.
