As we prepare for Memorial Day, let us remember the Passover Lamb that was sacrificed and reminded the people that their freedom came at a great cost.
The Passover Lamb Exodus 12:1-13
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.
If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat.
The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.
Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast.
Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs and internal organs. Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover.
“On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.
Elements in the Exodus Passover:
Battle
There was a battle, not between Moses and Pharaoh. Not between God and the Egyptians. The battle was between the one true living God and the false gods of Egypt. God was about to demonstrate His power, His love for His people. God was about to deliver the people into freedom with a resounding victory over the Egyptians.
Bloodshed
God's people were instructed to kill a lamb and to sprinkle it's blood on the door frames where they would eat the lamb. When God passed over that night, homes that had the blood on their door frames would be spared The key was the blood. Blood on the door frames had the power of saving all those in that house. There was significance and power given to the blood.
Sacrifice
Freedom comes at cost. That cost is the sacrifice of life. God's people were given detailed instructions for sacrificing a lamb. God would make sure this was a lesson they would never forget. By being obedient to God, sacrificing the lamb, and applying the blood, the lives of the firstborn would be saved.
Freedom
The people were also instructed to eat the meal with their cloaks tucked into their belts, sandals on their feet, and their staff in their hands. They were to eat in haste. God was about to deliver them from the hands of the Egyptians and into freedom. The would be free of the yoke of slavery. God is the deliverer and the one who sustains freedom. As He led them out of Egypt, they were about to experience a renewal of life and freedom.
Remembrance
The Passover meal became a regular observance for the Israelite people. Despite all they had seen in the plagues, the escape, and even the Red Sea, God knew thew would be tempted to let those memories fade as they basked in the new life of freedom they were enjoying. He wanted His people to remember what He had done for them. He wanted them to pass those memories on to their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.
As God was true to His promise, the prophesied Messiah came. And in Jesus all people would have the opportunity for salvation through the Perfect Passover Lamb.
Jesus: The Perfect Passover Lamb 1 Peter 1:18-20
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
Battle
Again we this picture of battle. Battle between God and the evil one, Satan. God prophesied this battle even back in the garden of Eden. As God was placing His curse on the serpent He told him-
And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring[a] and hers;
he will crush[b] your head,
and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15
The battle would be marked by a resounding victory found in the empty tomb.
Bloodshed
The precious blood of Jesus was shed on the cross that man might have the opportunity to experience God's grace that leads to true freedom in Christ. Just as the blood of the Passover lamb was to be sprinkled on the door frames, the blood of Jesus applied to our hearts brings salvation and freedom to us.
Sacrifice
As seen in Exodus, the cost of freedom is sacrifice. Jesus came to lay down His life for us. His sacrifice leads to freedom. A freedom not found in any other way or by any other name in this world. Jesus sacrificed being with the Father to come to earth. He sacrificed by doing the will of the Father. He came to seek and save the lost by giving His life as a ransom for many.
Freedom
The truth of God's Word makes clear the hold that sin has on the lives of people. We all have been dead in our sin, slaves to it. We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Because Jesus was willing to lay down His life and to take it up again, leaving an empty tomb, we can experience true freedom through Jesus Christ. The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Remembrance
It can be very easy to get comfortable in this world and let the sacrifice for our freedom slip from our memory.
God has given us three reminders that very powerfully remind us of the price that has been paid for our lives.
The Cross
There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle. John 19:18
The Empty Tomb
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Matthew 28:5-6
The Lord’s Supper
And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
Luke 22:19-20
When our children were young, we took a vacation to Washington D.C. We saw the many different memorials. The highlight of our trip was Arlington National Cemetery. It was quite a moment standing there with my wife and children watching the changing of the guard at the tomb of the unknown soldier. It was a very special lesson for our children- our freedom that we enjoy every day comes at a cost. How thankful we should be for those that were willing to pay the ultimate price that we might remain free
God has given us another lesson as well. An even greater tomb- the empty tomb. The empty tomb reminds us that Jesus is the perfect sacrificial lamb, that His love for us was demonstrated at Calvary, that He has won victory over Satan, death, and the grave. When we share in Jesus' death and burial through baptism we will also share in His resurrection!
The battle has been won,
The blood has been shed,
The Lamb has been sacrificed,
The cross is vacant,
The tomb is empty,
Jesus is King,
Our lives are to be a living memorial!
