The Passover

Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on 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 are. 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. (Exodus 12: 7 to 13)

At the final plague, God would strike all the firstborns in the land of Egypt. Even though it would only affect the Egyptians not the Israelites as God promised, yet the Israelites still needed to put the blood of the lamb on the two doorposts of the houses as God instructed Moses below.

Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. (Exodus 12: 3 4)

Also, the Passover needed to be kept throughout their generations as God instructed Moses below.

This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. (Exodus 12: 14 15)

So, the Passover was not just for the plague but a ritual for the Israelites to follow. It was applied to each household, not the congregation as whole. Whoever didn't follow the ritual would be cut off from Israel. The lamb needed to be specific as described below too.

Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. (Exodus 12: 5)

That's because the lamb was prepared to die in place of the men. Why? Because all men had sinned. So, the Passover was not just for the plague but for men's redemptions. Later on, Christ was prophesied as the lamb of the Passover as described below.

But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? (Isaiah 53: 5 to 8)

The redemption was not free. For the Egyptians, their firstborns had to die in order for them to survive. For the Israelites, a lamb had to be slaughtered to shed the blood for them being saved. As for the believers nowadays, Christ had to die for us to be saved. So, the Passover was not just a ritual for certain people but a glad tidings for all mankind who are willing to accept Jesus Christ as a savor as described in the Bible below.

But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10: 8 to 13)

Jesus Christ not only died for our sins but also was raised from the dead by God. So, just claim it as the fact then we are saved. Emmanuel.

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