INTRODUCTION
• As we approach Easter its worth looking at Passover.
• This is the greatest event in the Old Testament. It is how God relates to the church.
• The last two weeks we have talked about getting free and staying free, changing your thinking and believing in the blood of the Lamb.
John 1:29, “Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.”
• Verse 35 says it again! Behold! Or look the Lamb of God. Kind of funny. He didn’t call Him the camel of God or the donkey of God, or the goat of God.
• But the Lamb of God! He did this for us!
Hebrews 9:12, “He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but He entered the most holy place once for all by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.”
• Passover was a time to remember and rejoice.
• They did this every year. Jesus, Himself celebrated it. It was what He was doing the last night of His life, when they received communion.
• It was about remembering and rejoicing. These are part of the principles that get us free and keep us free.
• When we start to lose our way, we all need to remember and rejoice!
• We touched the issue of justice. How could God do that to the first born? There is judgment for us all.
• Pharaoh’s character = Exodus Chapters 7-14 mentions Pharaoh’s hardened heart 10 to 20 times.
• Chapter 3:19 God says, “I know Pharaoh’s heart, it is hard.”
• He has held two million people in bondage.
• Then he asks, “Who is the Lord?”
• Pharaoh had over nine chances to turn back and wouldn’t.
• Firstborn isn’t necessarily babies. Older people who were the eldest were there.
• Now it is important to note that up to this time God had done all the work!
• He had done the miracles, but now he tells the people they have to participate. That is how life works.
God will do His part; often miraculously, but then He will ask you to move, to engage, to participate.
Exodus 12:7-10, “They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the animal. 8That same night they must roast the meat over a fire and eat it along with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast. 9Do not eat any of the meat raw or boiled in water. The whole animal…must be roasted over a fire.”
I. IT IS A NEW DAY AND A NEW WAY
• Eat it with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. Bitter herbs are a reminder; this place stinks and don’t forget it! Unleavened bread; yeast like sin does its work out of sight, subtly and deadly.
• So beware that all I am doing isn’t lost.
Exodus 12:2, “This month will be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you."
• Passover represents a fresh start and we all need one of those!
• New hope, new life.
• Isn’t that what Easter speaks to so many?
II Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature (creation); the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”
• This is a beginning time, a new era; new relationship with people.
• New thinking and new freedom.
• This is the time of the law. Values that would change thinking and would keep people free.
• Love people, honor people (treat them with value), love God and honor Him, take a day off, honor other people’s stuff.
• It is a picture of us in the New Testament. This is New Year’s day.
• God is telling them the Egyptian calendar is no longer how they tell time.
• Egyptians calendar ran off the time of floods of the Nile, off of solstice.
• But God is saying now I am not under the time pattern of the world, but off a calendar marked by the blood of the Lamb.
• God is saying you are leaving a system that kills and I am taking you to one that gives life.
• God is saying His timing works, trust Him!
II. LIVING IN A FAITH RELATIONSHIP
• A new way of living; believing God will provide. It is not about “be good,” but be-lieve.
• This is about provision in your home.
• Read verses 3-8 - each household. The people had to participate.
• You didn’t have to be smart to do this just obey – participate.
• But there was a cost. The first born was the cost. The unblemished, the best they had.
• A value change, to get them out of a slave mentality.
Exodus 12:1-13 - God’s first directive or rule for Israel.
• Vs. 3 - Prepare a lamb for dinner! This is the first time they are acting as free people and God says “let’s eat.” I like that, eating to get free!
• Vs. 7 - the next thing was…take the blood and put on the doors
• Vs. 8-11 - Eat the lamb! What if you didn’t like lamb? Eat the lamb. This was as important as blood on the doorpost.
• John 6:54,56 Jesus said, “You must eat my flesh and drink my blood…”Jesus knew it was prohibited for them to eat flesh and drink blood – Leviticus 17
• He was saying just as you eat and drink to build your body, you have to must receive me deep inside to grow spiritually. “Your innermost being flows rivers of living water.
• We must choose to live in Him and out of Him.
• John 6:26-36, 48-58 - Hard words, but key words.
John 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life…the flesh profits nothing…the words I have spoken are spirit and life…”
• Vs. 12-14 - Do this and remember it. I am not your law giver. I am your Savior, deliverer.
• All I need you to do is trust me, put the blood on the doorpost. It is weird, but do it as evidence that you trust me.
• Men you were called to lead in your homes by serving others.
• My father did this by taking his place daily and praying for his home, changed my life!
• He didn’t lead a bible study or pray with me, but he prayed for me! And for our family.
• Take a lamb without blemish – Jesus. Priest would examine the lamb.
Jesus is that lamb. He spent four days in Jerusalem being questioned by everyone that week.
Luke 23:4,14 NKJV, “So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, ‘I find no fault in this man.’ …indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this man concerning those things of which you accuse him.”
• Who did Pilate examine? Jesus? No the Lamb of God, the Passover sacrifice!
• Verse 11 - (this is faith) Get ready to leave. Seriously, we have been here in bondage 400 years and you want us to get ready to leave to where?
• You may have waited a long time, but know this when God says it is time it is quick.
III. DEEPING THE RELATIONSHIP
• 1400 years later Jesus talked about this dinner His last night on earth.
Luke 22:7-13 - Secure the house. (You will meet a man with water)
• Passover - Jesus is pouring wine and He stops and says, “Hey I am changing the whole deal.”
Luke 22:14-23 - Passover to communion
• This wine no longer represents the blood of that Lamb on the doorpost, and the bread no longer represents the unleavened bread they ate that night before they were delivered.
• From now on it represents me and my love for you, not only for Israel but now for the whole world.
• God will never move people long term with guilt. If you see transformed people it is because of love and gratitude not guilt.
• All will have their own Exodus story.
• Being a slave and God coming and rescuing them, not because they earned it but in spite of what they were doing as a slave.
CLOSE
• I want to be your God, but you must do as Israel did. Trust me, place your faith in the blood of my Son.
• That night God said to be protected by the blood and not a single Hebrew perished. Unless you are protected by His blood, when death does come you will be completely unprepared.
• And none of us know when death comes.
• Have you done that? “Well I’ve been working on it.” No you don’t need to work on it, He did.
• Pray with me right now, that is all you have to do.
