Christ Our Passover Lamb

Where do you run when the waves rise? Egypt teaches us that money, people, and self-reliance cannot shield us from the deeper storm—the storm of sin and judgment. Israel cried out from bondage, and God heard. He sent Moses, and after nine plagues exposed Egypt’s gods as empty, the final judgment fell: the death of every firstborn. God’s justice was not random; it was personal and holy. “Israel is my firstborn son,” He declared, and the warning was clear—refuse to release My son, and I will take yours. Sin leads somewhere. The wages of sin is death.

Into that night of judgment, God opened a door of mercy. He told His people to take a spotless lamb, kill it, and mark their doors with its blood. “When I see the blood, I will pass over you.” Death moved through the streets, but in the homes under the blood, there was peace. Israel was not spared because they were better; they were spared because a substitute died. God commanded them to remember this deliverance every year—not only to look back—but to look ahead to a Savior.

Jesus is that Savior. He is the Firstborn who died in our place, the spotless Lamb without blemish, the blood that shields us from wrath, and the Deliverer greater than Moses. On Passover night with His disciples, Jesus took bread and cup and said, “This is my body… This cup is the new covenant in my blood.” The first Passover gave life for a moment; Jesus gives eternal life through His blood. In Him, judgment passes over, not because we are worthy, but because He is.

God did not merely get Israel out of Egypt; He brought them to Himself. They were freed to worship and to walk in obedience. The tabernacle, the altar, the priesthood—all of it pointed forward to Christ, who tabernacled among us. We still face wildernesses, but we do not walk unprotected. We live under blood that still speaks better things. So we keep the feast with sincerity and truth. We live as people redeemed. And when accusation, guilt, or fear draw near, we remember: the blood has been applied.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Judgment is personal, justice is holy. God’s judgment is not abstract karma but the measured response of a holy God who knows names and histories. That should sober us and strip away any casual posture toward sin. But it also comforts us—evil is seen and will be addressed. The cross shows both realities at once: justice upheld, mercy opened.
• 2. Covered by blood, not merit. Israel’s safety that night had nothing to do with moral superiority; it hung on the lamb’s blood alone. The same is true today—our assurance rests outside of us, in Christ’s finished work. This frees us from the exhausting cycle of self-justification. Faith clings to what God sees—the blood—and finds rest.
• 3. Saved for worshipful obedience. Deliverance is not an exit only; it is an entrance into God’s presence and ways. Freedom without formation becomes another kind of bondage. God brings us out to bring us in—into holiness, into habits that align our loves with His. Obedience becomes the shape that gratitude takes.
• 4. Remembering redemption forms identity. Passover was a yearly rehearsal that told Israel who they were: a rescued people. Christian remembrance—Word, Table, prayer—does the same work in us. Memory trains desire and directs hope; we become what we rehearse. Regularly returning to the story of the Lamb steadies us in the wilderness.
• 5. The blood silences accusation. The enemy traffics in half-true indictments that magnify our failure and minimize Christ’s sufficiency. Answer him with what God sees: the blood of Jesus applied to your life. This is not denial of sin but confidence in atonement. Let the louder word over your past be the Lamb’s.

1. In Exodus 11 how is the tenth plague described and who is specifically affected by it?
2. What exact instructions were given about the lamb and the blood in Exodus 12, and what did the blood on the doorposts signal to God?
3. Picture that night from the passage: what contrasts does the text draw between what happened inside the houses with blood and what happened in the streets?
4. What command did God give about remembering this event, and what reason does the passage give for that ongoing remembrance?

1. How should a person understand the relationship between God’s personal, holy justice in the tenth plague and His mercy in providing the Passover lamb as a substitute?
2. What would it mean for someone to live with the conviction that they were spared not because they were better, but because a substitute died in their place?
3. How would a person explain the phrase “saved to worship and walk in obedience” in light of Exodus 12? What behaviors or rhythms would demonstrate that idea?
4. How should someone interpret the lamb and the blood in Exodus 12 when thinking about Jesus’ death and the Lord’s Supper?

1. Think of a recent “storm” in your life (fear, guilt, crisis, temptation). Where did you turn first—money, a person, yourself, or God? Be specific. What will you do differently next time?
2. When guilt or accusation comes, what specific truth about the blood of Jesus will you say aloud to yourself? Practice writing one short sentence you can use; share it with the group.
3. Identify one way you try to earn God’s favor (extra religious activity, performance for praise, perfectionism). What is one concrete step you will take this week to stop relying on that and instead rest in Christ’s finished work?
4. The Passover was meant to be remembered yearly. What spiritual practice will you adopt or strengthen to regularly rehearse your redemption (examples: a daily verse, monthly Communion reflection, telling your testimony)? State which practice and when you will begin.
5. Name one specific area of obedience that should change because you are “freed to follow” (speech with a family member, generosity, Sabbath rest, dealing with anger). What one action will you take this week to move toward that obedience, and who will hold you accountable?
6. Is there one person in your life who needs to hear that a substitute died for them? Who is that person, and what specific plan will you make this week to begin that conversation (call, invite to coffee, share a verse)?
7. When shame or self-justifying thoughts arise, what concrete habit can you put in place to remind yourself of the blood that covers you (sticky note in mirror, phone reminder of Ephesians 1:7, a confession to a friend)? Describe the habit and when you will start it.