Before we start, let us understand that Easter is not about bunny rabbits and hidden eggs. This has been the lie of the enemy, trying to distract us to worship pagan gods and away from the sacrifice of Jesus.
The Jews had been in slavery in Egypt for 400 years, and God called Moses to deliver His people. Moses told Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Let my people go,” but Pharaoh repeatedly refused, enduring nine plagues from God. Finally, God was going to send the tenth plague and kill the firstborn of every family in Egypt. But God had a plan to spare the firstborn of Israel.
Exodus 12:3 – “On the tenth of this month (the month of Nisan) every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household.”
Exodus 12:5 – a lamb without blemish
Remember how John the Baptist referred to Jesus in John 1:29: “Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.”
Palm Sunday: The fulfilment of Zechariah 9:9: “Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt.” – John 12:15.
Exodus 12:6 – and you shall keep it until the 14th day (Four days to examine the lamb, to make sure that it was without blemish.)
Jesus is that perfect Lamb.
During those four days, just like the Passover lamb, Jesus was examined, and He gave the disciples more revelation about Himself that in the previous three years, including His death, burial, and resurrection. John 17 records His prayer for the disciples (and for us.)
Then He went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, saying: “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
Jesus understood the cost. While He was taking upon Himself all our sins at the cross, the judgement of God would fall upon Him, and He would experience in His flesh the broken communion between Himself and the Father.
Matthew 27:45-46 – Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is to say, “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?”
Exodus 12:7 – And they shall take of the blood and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper post.
Lev 17:11 – For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.
Heb 9:22 – And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission (of sin.)
Exodus 12:12 – I will pass through the land of Egypt and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.
Exodus 12:13 – and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you.
The Israelites had to apply the blood to be spared from judgement. Similarly, it is only when we acknowledge that our salvation is only through the blood of Jesus shed on our behalf and receive Him as out Lord and Savior that we are delivered from the power of darkness, and translated into the kingdom of His dear Son (Col 1:13.)
Many people think that the blood was to keep God out and from these verses you may get that impression.
But the opposite is true!
The blood was to invite God in!
Look at Exodus 12:23 – For the Lord will pass through (abar) to smite the Egyptians, and when He sees the blood upon the lintels and the two side posts the Lord will pass over (pasach) the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in.
The angel of death cannot come in because God has passed over (crossed) the threshold and He is inside!
Let’s go back to Exodus 12:22 – And you shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the bason (and people interpret that word as basin or bowl). The word in the Hebrew is saf, which is translated 20 times either threshold or door, and only four other times bason, and all have to do with utensils in the Temple or cooking utensils.
We need to understand the Middle Eastern culture in biblical times. I want to talk to you about Threshold Covenant, something that you may not have ever heard, but that was common in that culture.
Before there was a temple, they would either build an altar or offer a sacrifice at the door of their home. The threshold had a long groove to catch the blood. That was to invite their god in and seek his protection. Also, when a guest was coming to their house, they would kill an animal and pour the blood over the threshold. As the guest crossed over the threshold, they would enter into a Threshold Covenant one with another. You would skip over the blood without trampling over it (see Hebrews10:29).
When a marriage occurred, the bridegroom would kill an animal and pour the blood on the threshold of the house (symbolizing that he would give his life for her,) and then the bride would skip over the blood, or the bridegroom would carry her over the threshold, thus entering into a threshold covenant. Many couples still do that today without knowing where the custom came from!
In John 10:9-10, Jesus said: “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”
Have you applied the blood of the Lamb (Jesus) to the door of your heart and invite Him to come in and enter into an everlasting covenant with you, sealed by His own blood? (See Revelation 3:20)
So, the blood on the threshold was to invite God to come in and enter into a Threshold Covenant with them and protect them from the angel of death.
JESUS CELEBRATED THE PASSOVER (THE LORD’S SUPPER) WITH HIS DISCIPLES:
Matthew 26:26-28. – And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” Then He took the cup (the cup of redemption,) and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
JESUS ARREST, TRIAL, AND CRUCIFIXION:
Jesus was arrested shortly after eating the Passover meal and was crucified at 9 a.m. (the third hour of the day) and died on the cross at 3 p.m. (the ninth hour) on Thursday.
He had to be buried quickly because the next day was a high Sabbath: (See John 19:31.)
Note that the Jewish day starts at sundown (6:00 pm)
Leviticus 23:5-6 – In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the Lord’s Passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month (the day after the Passover) is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread.
Leviticus 23:7 – On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it. (This was a “High Sabbath”)
THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB (JESUS) WAS SHED
TO SAVE YOU FROM JUDGEMENT:
Isaiah 53:5-6 – “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
Jesus is our Passover Lamb (1 Cor 5:7.)
2 Cor 5:21 – For He (God) hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (Jesus.)
At the cross there was an exchange of robes: Jesus put on our filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6,) that we may put on His robe of righteousness.
This is why there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1.)
John 8:36 – If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1.)
AT THE CROSS, JESUS TOOK UPON HIMSELF THE PENALTY FOR ALL OUR SINS.
BUT JESUS DID NOT STAY IN THE GRAVE.
JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD, AS PROOF THAT HE TRULY IS THE LAMB OF GOD AND THAT OUR SINS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN!
ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HE DID IT FOR YOU AND RECEIVE HIM AS YOUR LORD AND YOUR SAVIOR!
MAY YOU EXPERIENCE THIS EASTER THE LOVE, JOY, AND PEACE THAT ONLY HE CAN GIVE YOU.
HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY!
HE IS RISEN!!!!
