What Does It Mean To Us?
Exodus 12:1-14
“I can hear you, the rest of the world can hear you and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.” (President George W. Bush September 14, 2001 Ground Zero) For the last six years we have paused, on a personal level and on a national level to remember the events of September 11, 2001. A time to reflect on the attacks, attackers, victims, and most importantly the sacrifices made. What does it mean to us?
“Yesterday, December seventh, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.” (President Franklin D. Roosevelt December 8, 1941 Congress) We pause every year on December 7th, Pearl Harbor Day, to remember the attacks, attackers, victims, and most importantly the sacrifices made. What does it mean to us?
September 11th is fresh in our minds, close to our hearts, alive in our reality. This event is fresh enough for us it will evoke strong emotions. December 7th 1941 is fading for some, lost in history, not forgotten, but not fresh and alive in our thoughts. These dates serve as a memorial for us, to never forget the sacrifice for our freedom. As we come to the communion table this morning we are to remember this sacrifice for our freedom. We need not allow Jesus’ death, its purpose, its methods, its achievements to fade from our minds. What does it mean to us?
I am preaching this morning from Exodus 12:1-14, the Passover instructions from God, through Moses, to the Israelites, what does it mean to us. Three main points I want to bring to your attention, the three ways the lamb is spoken of in the text. The three ways the Lamb relates to our lives.
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As we pick up in v.3 the first thing we see is a birth of a nation. God said this is the beginning of months. The Nation of Israel is formed in these passages, the people as a whole is being saved from the tyrannical rule of Pharaoh and separated from the pagan Egyptians. We can see here the start of our salvation, how we are set apart from the rest of the world as a special people for the Lord. The Passover is an Old Testament foreshadowing of the salvation through Jesus Christ. This salvation is for everyone through a lamb, the Lamb is a specific Lamb, and the Lamb is a personal Lamb.
A LAMB – v.3 Addressed to the nation of Israelites as a whole. Everyone needs a lamb, a sacrifice, every man a lamb. The sacrifice is mandated, protection is required from the penalty of disobedience. Hebrews (9:22) tells us without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin.
v.6-11 A Lamb is to be slaughtered and the blood is to be smeared on the door post. Any house that does not have the blood on the door will be subject to judgment. The meat is to be consumed completely, leaving nothing behind. And they are to eat this meal dressed ready to go on a moment’s notice.
Jesus is a Lamb. Slaughtered to cover our sin. Nothing of Jesus is to be wasted; we are to waste no time consuming all we can of Jesus Christ for the time of departure is growing near.
THE LAMB – v.4 Speaks of a specific lamb, addressed to the household. This lamb is for every man, every man is held accountable for receiving The Lamb. Rabbinical tradition said one Lamb for a house hold of at least 10-20 people. If your house hold was too small you could go in with a neighbor and share a lamb. The lamb was not meant to be wasted or abandoned. V.10 says you shall leave nothing of it for the morning. If there was lamb left over you could have shared it with someone nearby. Who missed out because The Lamb was not shared?
John the Baptist recognized who The Lamb was in Jn 1:29 “John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” Paul recognized who The Lamb was in II Cor 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Paul knew Jesus was the one substituted for our sin, the sin of each person.
Jesus is The Lamb for every man. All religions and all paths do not lead to God, only one is right, only The Lamb is right. Mat 7:13-14 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Pro 16:25 “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.”
Your Lamb – v.5 A personal Lamb. Each family had its own Lamb and it had to be special, without blemish, no disfiguring traits, of the first year, in the prime of its life. And v. 46 says none of its bones is to be broken. This Lamb was to be selected and kept in the house for four days. This lamb is humanized in that it no longer is a piece of live stock, for four days it is a part of the family. Every lamb is to be slain by the families at the same time and the blood is to be smeared on the door posts of the house. The lamb is to be roasted with fire and consumed by the family.
Jesus is Your Lamb. I Pe 1:19 “With the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” He was free of the blemish of sin, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Jesus was in the prime of His life, about 33 years old, not an old expendable sheep that is on its last leg, young and vibrant. Through His execution not a single bone was broken, Psa 34:20 “He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.” The fire used to roast Your Lamb is a picture of the judgment of God. Jesus was judged for our sins, punished for our iniquities.
The blood is to be smeared on the door posts of the house. Men as the head of your house hold go home and take some red paint, dip a brush in the can and smear paint on the two side posts and on the top post. What is going to happen, other than your wife coming unglued and you pointing back to me and saying “The preacher told me to.”? The paint on the top post is going to drip straight down and pool on the floor. As you step back and take in the whole picture you will see the four spots, blood poured out from the nail wounds and the place where Jesus’ head was covered by the thorns drawing large amounts of blood. You will see the cross. This is what the death angel would see as he passed over a house in Egypt, the sign of the crucifixion of Your Lamb. The blood on your house saved you from death. The blood of Jesus on the door of your heart saves you from eternal death.
You are to consume all of Your Lamb, leaving nothing of it behind. We cannot chose which parts of service and doctrine we like, we are to learn, consume, and take in all of Jesus. We must fill our lives with Him, and be ready to go on a moments notice, v.11. Ephesians 6 tells us part of the Armor of God is having your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace, to be ready to move swiftly and on a moments notice. We never know when an opportunity will arise to share our Lamb with our neighbor; we must be ready at all times to go.
This death angel is not the emissary of the enemy. The death Angel is a messenger of God to bring judgment on the ones that were not covered by the blood of Your Lamb.
Conclusion – v.14 says this is to be a memorial to be kept throughout your generations. You will often see on bumper stickers, shirts, posters and signs relating to 9/11 the phrase “We will never forget.” What keeps us from forgetting? We have to relive the events through memorials to remind us of the emotion, the commitment, the passion of day. This is true of the crucifixion of Jesus. We celebrate and remember the sacrifice He made for us each time we take the Lord’s Supper. We relive the emotion, the commitment, the passion of the day we received Our Lamb. If you have never accepted the reality of your sin and realized your need for a personal Lamb, today is the time to let the Holy Spirit smear the blood on the door posts of your heart covering your life. Accept the gift from Jesus, Your Lamb. What does it mean to You?
