Jesus Is Our Passover Lamb

JESUS IS OUR PASSOVER LAMB

1 Cor. 5:7

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR: THE REAL MOTHER-IN-LAW

1. 2 Young Jewish men were traveling by train to meet their prospective brides for the very first time. One man said, “I can’t do this. I’m not ready to get married!” And he got off the train at the next stop.

2. The other young man traveled on to his destination. There he met the 2 young ladies who were waiting with their mothers. He explained the situation, where upon the two mothers began arguing; “Well, he’s going to marry MY daughter!” “Absolutely not – he’s marrying MY daughter!”

3. The man suggested they go to the Rabbi for help. “Here’s what we will do,” said the Rabbi. “We will cut this young man in two and each bride can have half of him.” The first mother was horrified; You can’t do that, I’ll not allow it. That’s horrible!” The second mother said, “Yes, go ahead, cut him in two!”

4. “Ahhh!” said the Rabbi. “He shall marry the bride who’s mother wants to cut him in two.” “Why?” “For she is the real mother-in-law!”

B. THE KINDNESS OF JESUS TO LAMBS - US

1. Every summer a boy named Isaac went to see his grandparents in New Jersey. Above the bed where he stayed was a picture of Jesus as a Shepherd. In the picture, Jesus held a shepherd’s staff in one hand, and in the other -- close to his heart -- a lamb.

2. The little boy took great comfort in gazing at this picture; it helped him feel safe and secure, because Jesus, the Good Shepherd, was watching over him as he slept. He always thought of himself as the little sheep Jesus was holding. [Isaac Butterworth]

C. LAMBS IN THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL

1. What do you think of when you think of Easter? (Bunnies, egg hunts, chocolate, new clothes, Jesus). AT EASTER, THE CENTRAL FIGURE IS NOT THE EASTER BUNNY BUT THE EASTER LAMB -- the LAMB OF GOD -- which takes away the sins of the world!

2. When Jesus lived, lambs were a central part of the spiritual life of Israel. For centuries, Lambs died for the sins of the nation, especially at Passover -- the Jewish holiday where they remembered how God brought them out Egyptian slavery.

3. There was a very personal connection between people of Israel and the lambs that were sacrificed for their sins.

4. The father of each family went to the sale barn and bargained for a lamb, and purchased it. The family took it home, and you can imagine what an impact it had on that home. Families had to house the lamb for a few days. Children would pet it. Mothers would feed it. Everyone would hear it and smell it.

5. But everyone understood that this lamb would have to die when the hour came. "This lamb," a child would quickly understand, "will die because of my sin."

6. There must have been a nationwide flood of tears when those lambs died. It was a powerful object lesson about someone else paying for their sins; substitutionary sacrifice. God had said the Messiah would be wounded and die for the world’s sins (Isa. 53).

7. John the Baptist, when he saw Jesus, said, "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!" John 1:29. Many times in the N.T. Jesus is called the “Lamb of God.”

D. FROM SUFFERING TO TRIUMPHANT

1. Jesus, the Suffering Lamb, became the Triumphant Lamb in the Book of Revelations. What made the difference? What transformed Him from the silent, defenseless, lamb dying for the sins of the world, to the all-powerful, unstoppable, worthy-of-worship Lamb of God in heaven?

2. The resurrection made the difference. Easter made the difference! I want to point out 3 Bible truths about this Lamb of God.

I. JESUS’ DEATH IN YOUR PLACE SHOWS THE LOVE OF GOD

A. SYMBOL OF TRANSFERAL OF SINS

1. What’s the message of this story? That God loved us. He loved us so much, that He gave His only Son to die … and whoever believes that message shall have eternal life.

2. On the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:21; 1:4; 4:15; Ex. 29:10; Num. 8:12), the Israelites laid their hands on a bull, a goat, and a ram (a daddy lamb) and they confessed their sins. When they did that in front of God, telling what they had done wrong, God allowed their sins TO BE TRANSFERRED to the animal.

3. They were told to take the life of the animal, since it deserved to die because of the sins it now carried. “The one who sins is the one who will die” Ezek. 18:4, 20.

B. SIN MUST BE PUT TO DEATH