Welcome to the Word of Life Study Series- The Passover! The word ‘Passover’ in the Hebrew means: “To Pass” or “Spring Over” or “To Spare”. Exodus Chapter 12 begins with the creation of the Jewish calendar- Exodus 12:1-2, “The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, ‘This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year.’”
1. Why a Lamb?
The Lord went on to instruct them that on the tenth day of the new month they are to take a lamb for his family, one for each household- they must be year old males without defect or blemish. They are to keep the lamb with the family for the next four days so they become familiar and attached to it- making the sacrifice that much more personal. Why a lamb and not an adult sheep or goat, perhaps the lamb symbolizes innocence, being only a year old.
2. A Lamb Defeats a Serpent
This was the Lord’s Passover, and we see that He used the blood of the lamb as the means for bringing His people out of bondage to Egypt. Now the symbol of Egypt was the serpent. In the Bible, the serpent represents Satan- Genesis 3:15; Revelation 12:9. What God is saying with this exodus is that in His own appointed time, He will use the blood of the lamb to destroy Satan’s power and set people free from bondage to him.
3. Jesus Partook of Passover
Let’s look at how Jesus partook of the Passover under the Old Covenant on that night when Jesus and His disciples met together to eat the Passover- Matthew 26:19; Mark 14:16; Luke 22:13. The manner in which the Passover feast was kept by the Jews of that period differed in many details from that originally prescribed by the rules of Exodus 12. The multitudes that came up to Jerusalem met as they could find accommodation.
4. The Lamb on the Cross
Jesus went out and had a personal confrontation with Satan. At 9 o’clock that morning as the lambs were being prepared for sacrifice, Jesus was nailed to the cross in Mark 15:25. The third hour was 9 o’clock in the morning, Jewish time. There He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The Lord laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted. Yet He opened not His mouth, like a lamb led to the slaughter. His strength was poured out like water. His bones were out of joint and His heart melted like wax. His strength dried up like sun-baked clay. His tongue stuck to His mouth. His bones protruded out of His body. He was sheared like a lamb at the slaughter house. His heel was bruised- See Isaiah 53; Psalms 22:14-17. These are prophecies describing Jesus’ crucifixion.
5. The Lamb on the Throne
In the Revelation of Jesus Christ, John stood before the One on the throne who had a scroll with writing on the inside and the back. It was sealed with seven seals. John heard a mighty angel with a loud voice saying. “Who is worthy to open the book and loose the seals?” No one in heaven, nor in earth, nor under the earth was able to open the book. No one could even look upon it. Then John wept, for no one was found worthy to open and read the book, neither to look upon it. One of the elders before the throne said unto John, “Weep not! Look, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book.” As John turned to see this lion, he saw standing in the center of the Throne. A Lamb as it had been slain. The Greek word John chose to refer to this lamb is arnios. It means a little, “pet lamb.” Just like back in Egypt.