The Lamb and the Covenant
By Dean Collins
In reading chapter 12 of Exodus we find the instructions to the Jewish people regarding Passover. Moses had announced his final plague to Pharaoh. While each plague had grown increasingly intense and debilitating to the Egyptians, this final plague would be the worst. Every family would pay the unbearable price of the life of their firstborn child.
The Passover was instituted so that God would spare every Jewish family from the loss of their firstborn. The Jewish people were to sacrifice their finest lamb for the Passover meal. They were instructed to put the blood of the lamb on their doorpost so that the angel of the Lord would see the blood and pass over their home without harm.
For centuries before Jesus came to earth, the Jewish people celebrated the Passover feast, remembering that God had delivered them from their slavery and given them life in the land that had been promised to Abraham long before.
We cannot imagine how many lambs were sacrificed each year at Passover from its inception until Jesus celebrated his last supper with his disciples. Passover was truly a messy event, as was the entire sacrificial system that we learn about in Exodus and Leviticus.
When Jesus walked toward John the Baptist at the shoreline of the Jordan River, John proclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” It is hard to imagine that the audience who heard that announcement could have understood the implications and the importance of those words.
On the night that Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples, he told them that he earnestly wanted to eat this meal with them. He then took the bread and broke it and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise, the cup, after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”
The next day the lamb of God, Jesus, died on the cross for us. No longer would the blood sacrifice system of the old covenant be necessary. The lamb of God, Jesus, gave his life not just for the Jewish people but for all people and for all time.
Next time you have an opportunity to gather with fellow believers to share in the Lord’s supper, remember as Jesus asked us to remember the price he paid for our sins. And then celebrate that because of this great sacrifice we can daily celebrate the victory we have been given over sin and death. God’s deep and abiding love for us was demonstrated when he sent Jesus to die for us. His resurrection guarantees our resurrection as well. And one day we will all eat the with Jesus at the banquet table of heaven when he returns to take us home!
Father, open our eyes to see and our hearts to understand the connection of all the events of scripture. Help us to see them not just as ancient stories but as your living and active work throughout history that continues today as we embrace the kingdom of God through the gift of Jesus. Use us today for your kingdom purposes and continue to do so until you come again. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
Exodus 12:14; John 1:29; Luke 22:7-9, 15-20 ESV
Photo by Kat Smith
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