LOOK | WHAT DOES IT SAY?
THINK | WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
(A) The Passover and Jesus. In today's reading we are given instructions for, as well as a description of, the first Passover. All of Israel was instructed to take a lamb and slaughter it, putting its blood on the door frame of their home so that "the destroyer" who came upon the people of Egypt would see the blood covering the entrance to the home and "pass over" them (Exodus 12, see especially 12:21-23). In the New Testament, we are told that this ceremony is a foreshadowing of Christ. The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 5:7, "Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed." The book of Revelation along with John's Gospel also gives Jesus the title "the Lamb of God" (Revelation 5:6, 7:17, 14:10, 15:3, 19:9, 21:23, 22:1, 22:3; cf. John 1:29, 36), referring to Jesus as the true Passover Lamb.* Writing for The Gospel Coalition, Justin Dillehay brings out how the figure of the Passover lamb was fulfilled in Jesus:
"If you wonder how an animal could substitute for a human, the answer is that ultimately it couldn’t (Heb. 10:4). How God could pass over human sin because an animal died was a problem still demanding resolution (Rom. 3:25). Good Friday is when God finally resolved it. Just as even Israel stood exposed to God’s wrath in that 10th plague for their idolatry, so we all stand exposed to God’s righteous wrath for our idolatry... But in his infinite love, God devised a way to be just and merciful at the same time. Salvation through substitution. The Passover was meant to paint a picture of that, but it wasn’t the real thing. But when we get to the Gospels, the true substitute is here. Jesus corresponded to the Old Testament type in many ways. Like the Passover lamb, he was a mature male (Luke 3:23), none of his bones was broken (Ex. 12:46; John 19:36), he was thoroughly examined and found spotless (1 Pet. 2:22), and he was slain for our sins (1 Cor. 15:3; Rev. 1:5). We boast that we’ve been redeemed, 'not with perishable things like silver and gold—but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot' (1 Pet. 1:18–19). That’s what Paul means when he says that 'Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.' Our salvation comes through his substitution. That’s why God can say to us, 'When I see his blood, I will pass over you.'"
(B) The Pillar of Cloud and Fire, the Angel of the LORD, and God. The last time that we saw The Angel of the LORD show up, and immediately start speaking in the first person as God, was all the way back in Exodus 3 when Moses encountered the burning bush. (See the entry for that day, #30.) Now we have another occurrence here in Exodus 13-14. First, Exodus 13:21-22 says "And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way..." and then Exodus 14:19 says "Then the angel of God, who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them." As we will see throughout the following books, this is going to be a pattern: strange things begin to happen with how the Bible is describing events when The Angel of the LORD shows up in the Old Testament; the biblical writers will often just describe the reality of this one who is with God, and yet is God, and is differentiated from God (God will at one point refer to him in the third person) while being identified as God--and this will often be placed before us without the writers even trying to describe how all of that is supposed to work. The New Testament writers then write about Jesus in the same way. Along with specific Messianic prophecies, and the structure of the Old Testament narratives/books, and foreshadowings in the Old Testament laws and customs, the presence of The Angel of the LORD is yet a fourth way that the Old Testament books point forward to Jesus.
(C) Pointing Little Ones to Jesus. As a dad, I love how a major point of the Passover observance is supposed to be pointing little ones to the story of what God has done. Regarding the celebration, Exodus 13:8 says "You shall tell your son on that day, 'It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt" and then in Exodus 13:14-15, "And when in time to come your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' you shall say to him, 'By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.'" Some of the churches that Kendra and I have attended with our family, usually in the evenings or mid-week where I am not on staff, have had weekly communion. I really enjoy this practice as a dad. It gives me a moment every week where I can pause and turn to Cadence and ask, "Do you know what this cup represents?... Do you know what the bread means?... Do you know what Jesus did?... Do you believe that He died for your sins?... Are you willing to follow Him?" and then we partake of each element as a family ("to Jesus" - taken from a church plant we served with in Saskatoon). I am grateful for this moment when the gospel story is reenacted through the communion elements, and I take seriously the responsibility to guide my family through the practice each time. This is what Moses implored the people of Israel to do through the celebration of Passover.
RESPOND | WHAT IS OUR PART?
As always, there is not just one way to apply today's readings in terms of our attitudes, actions, and worship. For me, seeing how thoroughly Jesus is present in the Old Testament always brings me to worship--"wait, that's in there? God was making it that clear the entire time?" As a husband, father, and eventually grandfather one day, this passage shows me an action application of devoting time to guide my family, without assuming that they will just automatically understand the Gospel. And knowing that I need to be covered by the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God, because I too am a person in need of redemption and saving, produces an attitude of humility and gratefulness, and joy.
PRAY | HOW DOES THIS BRING US CLOSER TO GOD?
Here is a suggested prayer prompt: "God, thank You for providing the blood of the covenant that covers -and washes away!- all of my sin. You have given Your Son in my place. You have exchanged His righteousness for my sin. You have passed over all of my guilt and shame, and have placed Jesus' blood over the door frame of my life. Help me never to feel like that is old news. Help me to run to Jesus, over and over again, just as amazed at the grace of God as I was when I first understood this message. And help me to share this message with others: my family, first, and then my friends, and my community as you provide opportunities. Help me to feel compassion for those who have not experience Your grace in my life as I have. You are my only hope, my peace, my joy, my righteousness, and my strength. Amen."
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