The First Passover

TRANSCRIPT

Once again, I greet you in the blessed name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Our text for tonight's message is taken from Exodus chapter 12, verse 1 to 13. We have been studying through the 10 plagues that God sent to Egypt. Throughout the nine plagues God had not only demonstrated his power over the Pharaoh but primarily over the gods of Egypt. He had already demonstrated his power over the gods of the rivers, insects, pestilences, diseases, weather, and so forth. But God would send one more last blow, the death of all the firstborn in Egypt, and that was for the purpose of demonstrating his power and control over life and death.

All the previous nine plagues had left the Israelites untouched because God had made a clear distinction between the Israelites and the Egyptians, between the Believers and unbelievers. The Israelites were God's special chosen people. Now, it might be tempting for the Israelites to believe that they were more righteous than the Egyptians, that that was the reason why they were spared and that they could do no wrong; everything they did was right. But the truth was that they deserve to die just as much as their enemies. If God had not provided a way for their salvation like the Egyptians, they would also suffer the loss of all their firstborn sons. The Israelites were as guilty as the Egyptians.

So in this final plague, God would teach them about their sins and his salvation. You see, the Israelites had sinned against God in so many ways. Firstly, they had rejected God's word spoken by his servant Moses. If you remember in Exodus 5:21, the Israelites blamed Moses. They said to Moses, "You have made us a stench before the Pharaoh and his servants; you are the one who had put this weapon in their hands to kill us." So they had rebelled and rejected God's word.

The Israelites were also guilty of idolatry. Although the sin of idolatry was not particularly mentioned in Exodus here, later on during the time of Joshua when the Israelites renewed their covenant in Shechem, Joshua said to them in Joshua 24:14, "Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away” – which means throw away – “the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt;” – take note, “in Egypt” – “And serve ye the Lord.” Apparently, during the 400 years of captivity in Egypt, the Israelites had learned to embrace the gods of Egypt and they held on to those idols, even during the time of Joshua. That was the reason why Joshua said to them, "Throw away all those idols that you have embraced and worshiped, whether it be the gods on the other side of the flood or in Egypt."

So the Israelites had previously rejected God's word, they had worshiped idols, but most importantly, they were guilty because of the fact that they were born sinners. As soon as Adam ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden and fell into sin, all men had participated in the guilt of Adam's sin, including you and me. The Bible teaches that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. There is none righteous, no, not one, and the wages of sin is death, whether the Egyptians, the Israelites, or all the other races in this world, no one is exempted. In the entire history of mankind, no race, no generation, no man or woman has ever avoided death.

The question is not whether or not we are going to die. The question is when we are going to die. The wages of sin is death. So when God passed through Egypt, no one, no family, whether the Egyptians or the Israelites, will be spared. God himself must provide the way of escape, and that was on the basis of the death and blood of the Lamb. This is what we are going to learn from today's passage. The title of our message is "The First Passover."

I. The death and blood of the unblemished lamb

Our first point is the death and blood of the unblemished Lamb. Let us begin with verse 1 of Exodus chapter 12. “And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.” This first month is called the month of Nissan.

“Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.” In other words, some households might be too small for a lamb. In such a situation, they could share with their neighbours. Josephus, the Jewish historian, said about 10 participants shared a lamb. If that is true, 10 persons could share a lamb. So, if a family of two or three, then they could share with their neighbours. That is what this verse means.

"Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats". It must be a male lamb and at least eight-days-old, according to Leviticus 22:27, and it must be without blemish, which means pure and spotless. It had to be perfect because if it was to serve as a sacrifice for sins, it must be a sacrifice acceptable to God. And only one kind of sacrifice is acceptable to God: a perfect sacrifice. So, this lamb must be unblemished.

"And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening." Once the lamb was chosen, it was kept in the house for four days, from the tenth day to the fourteenth day. During this time, the Israelites would live with the lamb, feed it, take care of it, and even play with it. In that short time, the Israelites would identify themselves with the lamb. They would be attached to the lamb; it was like part of the family. And then when the time came, they would say, "This is our Passover Lamb." They would take it, slaughter it, and verse 7 says, "And they shall take of the blood and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper doorposts of the houses wherein they shall eat it."

Now, the reason for sprinkling the blood on the two side posts and on the upper posts of the door is found in verses 12 and 13. If you look down to verses 12 and 13, God said, "For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.” But there was one way of escape. Those houses that had the blood of the Lamb would escape death. Verse 13, "And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.”

In order to be delivered from death, they had to believe in God's word. They had to believe in the blood of the unblemished Lamb. When the Israelites obeyed God's command and put the lamb's blood on the doorpost, it was an act of their faith signifying their belief in God. They believed in the unblemished lamb's blood. You can imagine the children would be asking, "Daddy, why did you kill the lamb? Why do you sprinkle the lamb's blood on the doorpost?" The father would then explain to the children that the lamb was a substitute so that the firstborn would not die because the lamb had died in his place.

So, on that night, the Israelites would huddle together in their own houses, waiting for God to come in judgment to claim the lives of all the firstborn in Egypt all over the land of Egypt. They would hear crying and weeping over the death of their firstborn sons. But the children of Israel were spared; death passed over them. That is where we get the word "Passover." The reason why death passed over them was that they were covered with the blood of the Lamb. When God looked at the house of an Israelite, He could see the blood on the door. In a sense, when God looked at it, He would say, "On the basis of the blood, the penalty has been executed," and He would pass over. The blood of the Lamb was a covering for sin and turned away the wrath of God. That is where we get the theological word "propitiation." It had turned away the wrath of the Almighty God.

Dear friends, what does the Passover mean to us? Jesus Christ is the ultimate Lamb. He was unblemished, perfect without sin. And since the ultimate Lamb had come and died on the cross of Calvary, today we no longer celebrate the Passover; we celebrate the Lord's Supper. In the Old Testament, the Israelites celebrated the Passover, anticipating that the ultimate lamb would come one day. And we, on this side of the cross where the ultimate lamb had already come, each time we partake of the Lord's Supper, we eat of the bread, we drink of the cup, we remember our Lord Jesus, the unblemished ultimate lamb who died on the cross, sharing his precious blood to save us from our sins. So, in the Old Testament, the people looked forward to the cross. In the New Testament, we look backward to the cross. It is always the cross where our Lord Jesus died, the ultimate lamb. Our children may ask us, "Daddy, mommy, why must Jesus die? Why must we partake of the Lord's Supper?" And we explain to them that we are all sinners. The wages of sin is death. Jesus was our substitute so that we will not have to die the eternal death.

So, it was not only the death of the Lamb, but blood had to be spilled because blood acts as a covering for sins. It was for the purpose of washing away their sins. From the very beginning, when Adam fell into sin, God had required a lamb sacrifice. Remember Adam and Eve were so ashamed and guilty of their sins, and they desperately sowed fig leaves to cover the guilt of their nakedness, but it was futile. God was the One who made coats of animal skins and clothed them, which means an animal or a lamb had to be killed, and the blood had to be shed to provide this covering for Adam and Eve.

When Cain and Abel offered their sacrifices to God, Cain offered the fruit of the ground, signifying his own human efforts, while Abel offered the first fruit of the flock, which was an animal sacrifice, and we all know that Abel's animal sacrifice was accepted by God. From then onwards, every year, the Israelites would remember the Passover and sacrifice a lamb for every family. On the Day of Atonement, the high priests would bring an animal into God's presence, sacrifice it as a sin offering, sprinkling the blood to atone for the sins of the people. The lamb became a substitute for the people; the blood was shed to cover their sins.

Dear friends, all the lambs that were slaughtered throughout the years, millions and millions of them, were pointing to the ultimate Lamb that would come to provide salvation. So when Jesus came in the New Testament, John the Baptist said, "Look, behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the people" (John 1:29). First Corinthians 5:7 says, "Christ our passover is sacrificed for us". For Jesus to be the Passover Lamb, he had to meet God's standard of perfection, just like all the lambs had to be unblemished. By virtue of his virgin birth, his nature was free from sin and corruption; he was perfect, without sin. Hebrews 4:15 tells us, "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." He was 100% man. But as the 100% man, He is perfect. He is also 100% God; that is our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus did not just die any death; He could not be drowned or strangled or be poisoned. It had to be death by crucifixion on the cross. Why? Because according to Deuteronomy 21:23, the person that is hanged on the tree is a curse of God. You and I are cursed because of our sins, but Jesus took our curse on the cross of Calvary. It had to be death by crucifixion on the cross because his precious blood had to be shed. Hebrews 9:22 says, "For without the shedding of blood is no remission of sins." If we are true believers, you and I have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, “as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19). So when God sees us, He sees the blood of Jesus Christ that has been shed, and He will say, "It is enough; my justice has been satisfied." The price of sin is fully paid; death will pass over us, and we will be safe forever.

We must learn to see the connection between the first Passover and the final Passover. Remember, all the Passover lambs in the past were pointing to the ultimate Passover Lamb that would come and provide salvation, and that was none other than Jesus Christ. Remember, on the night Jesus was betrayed, He was celebrating the Passover, which was the final Passover, and he said to the disciples, "This is my body which is broken for you, and this is my blood that was shed for you." The disciples did not understand our Lord at that time, but essentially, Jesus was saying the Passover is all about me. I am the sacrificial lamb.

Dear friends, the wages of sin is death. The only way of escape is through the death and blood of Jesus Christ. There's no other way. Have you truly believed in the death of the Lord Jesus Christ and the shedding of his precious blood? If you have not truly believed in him for salvation, today is the day of salvation. Turn to Him. There's no way death, as in eternal death, can pass over you. There's only one way, and that is by virtue on the basis of the blood of Jesus Christ.

II. The reminder of God’s deliverance from Egypt

Our second point is the reminder of God's deliverance from Egypt. Let us move on and look at verse 8. "And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it." This meal was intended to serve as an annual reminder of what the Israelites had suffered in Egypt. The bitter herbs would remind them how the Egyptians had made their lives bitter with hard labour as slaves, as servants; they had to do all kinds of work in Egypt. The unleavened bread would remind them how they had to flee in haste, they ate the first Passover in a hurry, ready to leave Egypt in a moment's notice.

Verse 9: "Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof” (which means “inner parts thereof”). The entire lamb had to be consumed. The Bible does not tell us or explain why, but most likely it was too sacred to be used for any other purposes. It was so sacred that nothing should remain. That is why verse 10 says, "And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.”

Verse 11: "And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD's passover." In other words, they ate the Passover standing up already. Notice, the Israelites must do two things: all of them must be fully dressed, ready when they partake of the Passover Lamb. They must eat it in a hurry, as if they were about to go on a journey. The reason is that God wants to show the Israelites that the land of Egypt was not their home; their home was in the land which God had promised them, and God would bring them to the promised land. They were only strangers and pilgrims in Egypt, so they must be ready to leave at any moment God would call them.

Well, this is a wonderful illustration of us as Christians living in this temporal world. Take a moment and consider this: you and I are only strangers and pilgrims living in this world. As we often sing the song, "This world is not my home, I am just a passing through." Our true and permanent home is in heaven, and we must always be ready to leave, ready to go at any moment when God calls us. When Death knocks on our door, it will be sudden. None of us can say, "Well, I still have some unfinished work to do—my work projects, my school assignments, a new house is coming, I've just bought tickets for my holidays." All these things will be left behind when we draw our last breath. We will not even have the time to answer text messages; we do not even have the time to erase our email accounts. When Death knocks: there we go, we will leave this world in a haste. Is it not true? If God were to call us home tonight, at this very moment, the question is: are we ready to meet our Maker?

One practical lesson for us to apply into our lives is to have this attitude: live each day of our lives as if it is our last day. Listen to every sermon, sing every hymn, attend every worship service, partake of the Lord's Supper, serve the Lord as if it is going to be the last sermon we hear, the last hymn we sing, the last worship service we attend, the last Lord's Supper, and the last opportunity for us to serve the Lord. Dear friends, truly, it may well be our last. We have to be ready and live in haste; if God calls, we are ready to go. Let us pray.

Our Father in Heaven, we thank Thee for enabling us to consider this portion of scriptures in Exodus 12, verse 1 to 13. We pray that, as we consider the first Passover recorded in the scriptures, we remember that all the Passovers are pointing to the ultimate final Passover—Christ, our Passover is sacrificed for us. We look back to the cross, how our Lord Jesus was the ultimate lamb, the unblemished, perfect, without sin. And only His precious blood can wash away our sins. We pray that we who believe in Him will live our lives always to glorify Him, the One who came, died, was buried to save us. He was raised from the dead on the third day, for He is truly the Life and the Resurrection. We pray that we will live each day of our lives as if it is our last. Any day, it may well be our last. Truly, and we want to live in a manner that will glorify Him. And when He calls, we are ready to go. We pray all this in Jesus' name. Amen.

SERMON OUTLINE

• I. The death and blood of the unblemished lamb
• II. The reminder of God’s deliverance from Egypt

THE BOOK OF EXODUS

God’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To Pass

God’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To Pass

Exodus 1:1-7

From Prosperity to Persecution

From Prosperity to Persecution

Exodus 1:8-14

God’s Protection in the Midst of Adversities

God’s Protection in the Midst of Adversities

Exodus 1:15-21

The Faith of Jochebed

The Faith of Jochebed

Exodus 1:22-2:10

Moses in Egypt

Moses in Egypt

Exodus 2:11-15

Moses in the Desert of Midian

Moses in the Desert of Midian

Exodus 2:16-25

Moses and the Burning Bush

Moses and the Burning Bush

Exodus 3:1-9

Who Are You?

Who Are You?

Exodus 3:10-15

Who Am I?

Who Am I?

Exodus 3:10-15

God’s Message to Israel and Egypt

God’s Message to Israel and Egypt

Exodus 3:16-22

What If They Still Don’t Believe?

What If They Still Don’t Believe?

Exodus 4:1-9

Send Someone Else

Send Someone Else

Exodus 4:10-17

Moses’ Return to Egypt

Moses’ Return to Egypt

Exodus 4:18-20

When Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got Worse

When Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got Worse

Exodus 5:10-21

When We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble Comes

When We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble Comes

Exodus 5:22-6:5

Having to Learn the Same Lesson Twice

Having to Learn the Same Lesson Twice

Exodus 6:6-12

Faithful or Unfaithful

Faithful or Unfaithful

Exodus 6:13-27

What God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and Obedience

What God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and Obedience

Exodus 6:28-7:7

The First Plague - The River of Blood

The First Plague - The River of Blood

Exodus 7:14-25

The Second Plague - The Frogs

The Second Plague - The Frogs

Exodus 8:1-15

The Third Plague

The Third Plague

Exodus 8:16-19

The Fourth Plague

The Fourth Plague

Exodus 8:20-32

The Fifth Plague

The Fifth Plague

Exodus 9:1-7

The Sixth Plague

The Sixth Plague

Exodus 9:8-12

The Seventh Plague

The Seventh Plague

Exodus 9:13-35

The Eighth Plague

The Eighth Plague

Exodus 10:1-20

The Tenth Plague

The Tenth Plague

Exodus 11:1-10

The First Passover

The First Passover

Exodus 12:1-13

The Feast of the Unleavened Bread

The Feast of the Unleavened Bread

Exodus 12:14-28

Departure From Egypt

Departure From Egypt

Exodus 12:29-42

This Do In Remembrance of Me

This Do In Remembrance of Me

Exodus 12:43-51; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32

Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!

Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!

Exodus 12:48-49, Colossians 2:11-12

Redemption and Consecration

Redemption and Consecration

Exodus 13:1-2, 11-16

Precious Lord, Take My Hand

Precious Lord, Take My Hand

Exodus 13:17-22

Between the Desert and the Red Sea

Between the Desert and the Red Sea

Exodus 14:1-14

If Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up Hence

If Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up Hence

Exodus 33:12-23