The Lamb of God

Holiday meals are usually a festive occasion. This is certainly true of holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, and other holidays are also often celebrated by feasting and gathering with loved ones. But the atmosphere of the first Passover was somber rather than festive. It was probably terrifying to those who originally participated in the meal. As they ate, God’s people recited a liturgy that described how they would be spared while others died (see Ex. 12:26–27). At midnight “a great cry” went up throughout the land. This was a wail of grief from every Egyptian home where the firstborn perished.

The message of the first Passover meal was one of judgment as well as protection. Those who shared in the meal were protected by the blood of the lamb applied to the lintel (i.e., the top) and door posts of the home’s entrance. Those shielded by the blood were protected from the destroying angel who executed God’s promised judgment on the rest of the Egyptian households.

The first Christians saw a parallel between this event and the suffering of Christ. Like the blood of the Passover lamb, Christ’s blood shields believers from the punishment that their sins merit. Using this analogy, the apostle Paul urged the Corinthian church to address the sinful practices of some in the congregation. Just as the Israelites were required to remove leaven (the agent that makes bread rise) from their homes prior to observing Passover, Paul told the church to remove one member who was involved in an illicit sexual relationship (see 1 Cor. 5:1–5). This may seem harsh to some today. But Paul offered a very practical reason for the command: “a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough” (1 Cor. 5:7).

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BY Dr. John Koessler

John Koessler is Professor Emeritus of Applied Theology and Church Ministries at Moody Bible Institute. John authors the “Practical Theology” column for Today in the Word of which he is also a contributing writer and theological editor. An award-winning author, John’s newest title is When God is Silent: Let the Bible Teach You to Pray (Kirkdale). Prior to joining the Moody faculty, he served as a pastor of Valley Chapel in Green Valley, Illinois, for nine years. He and his wife, Jane, now enjoy living in a lakeside town in Michigan.