Passing Over

The tenth and final plague, the plague on the firstborn male of all humans and animals. No one was exempt from this. However, there is a meal still served today that commemorates the one way around this terrible fate. This meal is called Passover, because the Angel of Death passed over the houses of the Israelites that followed the instructions of the Lord. The instructions were to put the blood of a lamb - a perfect lamb without any defect or blemish - on the door frame of each house. When the Angel of Death saw the blood it would pass over that house. The book of Exodus chapter 12 verse 13 tells us, "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."

On the night in which he was betrayed, Jesus gave us a new set of instructions for the passover. He told us that he is the new Passover Lamb. He is the lamb without defect or blemish, and it is his blood that is now placed on our hearts. Ephesians 1:7 says, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace." Our wretched sinful souls are passed over from certain eternal damnation because of the blood of the Paschal Lamb.

Really this is but an extension from the previous post, "Bondage," and represents again the connection of Christ to the Old Testament, specifically the Passover and exodus from Egypt, and seems especially pertinent in this season of the Passover and Easter. Praise be to God for providing us yet again with the lamb of sacrifice.