The Passover Lamb: Jesus' Sacrifice and Redemption

There was something about to happen, and John had the privilege of witnessing the person that would become the means by which we could live with God once and for all. And we read these words in the first chapter of of John when Jesus John looked up and he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, look, The lamb of god who takes the sin of the world. Wow. What a moment. The declaration this declaration set in motion Jesus' ministry. [00:37:17] (37 seconds)  #LambOfGodMoment

Today is Palm Sunday, and as Jesus entered Jerusalem on this day two thousand years ago, the words that the crowds were shouting were, Hosanna to the son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord. Hosanna in the highest heaven. Hosanna meaning save and a and a word of praise. But these were the same crowds that only days later would say, crucify him. Is this not the epitome of the human heart, The single most defining choice a human being can make is to whether accept Jesus or to reject him. [00:24:43] (55 seconds)  #PalmSundayChoice

So as the Israelites received God's promise through Moses, a new way of living was set in motion. Old practices were replaced with law that allowed God to dwell among his people, first through the tabernacle as they traveled through the desert and eventually in the temple. How was God able to be present among his people? Because he wanted to draw near. And so they were to perform rituals, and at the heart of these sacrifices was blood. And so the most sacred of elements in god's creation was the very source of life. Where blood flows, there is life. [00:31:50] (47 seconds)  #SacredBloodLife

And it feels like in their words, there's a tipping point. Sacrifices, god's people were performing sacrifices according to the law as they should, but hearts were not with God. Justice had been abandoned. Instead of love for for neighbor, there was corruption. Instead of a right relationship in the context of community, there was abuse. And so the prophets came, and they were like a jolt. Their voices were highlighting god's reality, not their own. [00:34:29] (43 seconds)  #HeartOverRituals

This is crucial in our story because Jesus now made Passover about himself. The paradox of blood is now facing the disciples and us. This is the blood that produces life that cleanses and atones but only made possible via sacrifice. In other words, he became the Passover lamb. And so I have to ask some questions. How is this possible? How could Jesus become this Passover lamb? What means did he have to accept this role? What confidence did he have that his sacrifice would be once and for all? [00:40:25] (61 seconds)  #JesusThePassoverLamb

The lamb was used to make atonement and to cleanse. Sometimes this was done for the sake of an individual, and other times it was done for the sake of the whole community. This is the paradox. The lamb that was pure and had life flowing through it becomes death so that its blood replaces the need for us to provide our own as due payment for sin. And so for this reason, lambs became a symbol of meekness, gentleness, and innocence. And as we move along the Old Testament story, we start to hear the voices of the prophets. [00:33:30] (58 seconds)  #LambForAtonement

It feels like in this moment in Genesis, the very first book of the bible, this sacrifice really highlights the seriousness of what it means to live with Jesus despite our sin, despite our brokenness. This is a vivid, tangible example of what Abraham was called to do in order to be well with god. And as the story unfolds, Isaac is not eventually sacrificed because at the very last moment, god provides a ram to take his place, and this would not be the last time that he does this. [00:28:24] (45 seconds)  #AbrahamsTest

But now it's our turn to see and experience his heart, and this revelation came in a really surprising way through a lamb. How strange it seems on the surface to engage with the living god through ordinary, the mundane sheep. In order to connect the dots this morning, I think the big picture is really a starting point for us, the Old Testament part of the bible, the scriptures, and the story that unfolds for us there. Here we see that sacrifices are an act of worship, but by the time we get to the books of Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy, god guides his people to use sacrifices for very specific purposes. [00:26:38] (60 seconds)  #LambRevealsGod