Title Passover and my salvation
Content: My salvation (Ex 12:1-14)
The Passover is the day when the Israelites were liberated from Egypt after 430 years of living in Egypt. The Hebrew word for “passover” means “to skip” or “to pass over”. “The judgment of God is passed over.” From the plague of beating the firstborn, the Israelites were saved from the plague of death by applying the blood of a lamb on the doorposts and lintels of their houses. The salvation of Israel was accomplished through the Passover. So, how did my salvation come about? Does my salvation have anything to do with Israel?
1. The Passover is a season of new beginnings
(1) Let it be the first month of the year (vv. 1-2)
The month in which Israel was originally liberated was not the first month. However, because the Passover was the day that brought salvation to Israel and the chosen people, God made the Passover as the greatest festival for the Israelites and made it the first month of the year to establish a new prayer. For us saved saints, the Passover event is the beginning of a new spiritual month.
(2) Family salvation (verses 3-4)
First, the Passover signifies prepared salvation (verse 3).
The Passover ceremony begins with the preparation of the Lamb. First of all, Israel's liberation from Egypt is 15 days, but you must prepare it on the 10th day and keep it well for four days until the 14th. Then he told them to slaughter the sheep at sunset on the 14th.
Second, the Passover signifies shared salvation (verse 4).
The Israelites prepare the lamb for ten days. But each one must prepare a lamb for his family. If one lamb can eat enough, you only need to prepare one lamb (usually for 10 people), but in some cases, if the sheep is large and the family is small, you can team up with a neighbor to slaughter one sheep. It is caring for the poor. Lambs should be 1 year old males. We see that God's promise of salvation saved families as a unit, just like Noah saved his eight family members in the days of Noah. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul saved the jailer's family through evangelism in the Philippian prison, saying, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you and your household will be saved” (Acts 16:31).
Even today, when a person believes in Jesus, that family is destined to be saved. However, it is important to remember that salvation is achieved through a one-to-one relationship with God. (KJV) Verse 3 says “a lamb”, verse 4 “the lamb”, and verse 5 “your lamb”. The Passover Lamb must be my Lamb.
2. How to offer the Passover lamb as a sacrifice (verses 5-7)
(1) Offer a sacrifice of a lamb without blemish (verse 5).
The sheep that Israel prepares on the day of liberation from Egypt must be without blemish (Deuteronomy 17:1). In the ceremonies set by God, the animals used must be clean and without blemish (Leviticus 22:18-19). This unblemished Passover Lamb typifies the sinless Christ (1 Corinthians 5:7). Jesus, without blemish and without sin, became the sacrifice for our sins. John the Baptist said of Jesus, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Only the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse us because Jesus is without blemish (1 Peter 1:18-19). Jesus said, "Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you are not worthy of me."
(2) Catch it at night (v. 6).
The sheep must be slaughtered on the night of Nisan 14. The reason we catch them at night is because the Lord comes on this dark earth and comes as the light of life. Darkness means that there is no hope, and darkness means that the devil, the ruler of the world, reigns. Therefore, in the place where death reigns, he slaughtered the Lamb and made it bleed, thereby freeing us from the power of sin and death.
⑶ After slaughtering the sheep, put the blood on the doorpost (verse 7)
The lamb of the Passover is roasted meat and fed to the people of the house of Israel, but rather than that, it sheds blood to save them from death. What is the principle of bloodshed? “According to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22).
Where should the blood be sprayed? First, it should be sprayed on the door lintels and the left and right posts. If the doorposts are not sprinkled with blood, it is of no use slaughtering many lambs.
What does it mean to sprinkle the blood of the Lamb? It symbolizes the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. The sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ means that we realize the evil of our conscience and repent and receive forgiveness of sins and be exempted from judgment (Hebrews 10:22).
So, does anyone receive this sprinkling of blood? Only Israelis? no. Even though they are Egyptians, God's chosen people will receive them all (Exodus 12:38).
Also, when applying blood, it should be applied outside the door. It is applied so that other people can see it from the outside. The belief is that it should be open to all.
3. The Passover meal method (verses 8-11)
(1) Eat unleavened bread (verse 8)
There are three things to eat during the Passover. Those who have already applied the blood of Christ to their hearts must eat three things. First, you must eat the meat of the lamb. In John 6:56, it says, “Everyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.” It means fellowship with the Lord. Second, you must eat it with unleavened bread. Leaven is a symbol of sin (Mark 8:15). We must guard against eating out within us. Third, we must eat bitter herbs. This is what it means to live a life of suffering together.
(2) Eat meat, but burn it (verse 9).
To eat with fire means to believe that this death of Jesus Christ is a judgmental death that takes the place of our judgment. This is a message to truly realize and believe in the fact that you are the one who received the judgment of fire that you deserve.
“Eat all” means that nothing but the Lamb can be placed on our salvation. There is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12).
⑶ Do not leave it until morning and eat it quickly (verses 10-11).
He looks like he's ready to go somewhere soon. This is a quick escape from the city of sin. It is to give the power and blessings of God's children (Genesis 12:2).
4. The sign of the Passover (verses 12-14)
(1) The plague of death of the firstborn (verse 12)
The salvation of Israel is the salvation obtained by paying the price of the death of the firstborn in Egypt (Isaiah 43:3-4). Distinguishing God's things is the secret of survival from disasters.
(2) The blood of the Lamb will be a sign (verse 13).
“Put it on the doorpost, and live in it with the blood on it” refers to life in Jesus. If you see blood, disaster will pass. It is always the blood of Jesus that protects us.
⑶Eternal ordinance (verse 14)
He told us to remember the urgent situation at the time of the Exodus until now and to commemorate it for generations. It is a message that we must inform our descendants so that they can keep it (Deut 16:1-3).
The important thing is to have my Passover. To do that, I have to apply the blood to my household every day and eat three foods. We must have personal fellowship with Jesus Christ every day, beware that sin does not grow in us, and not hypocrisy, and we must live with the faith that we suffer together with the Lord. Relating this to my salvation is the beginning of my life of faith.
Ministry: Pray and practice to spread the blood of Jesus on me and my family.