Introduction:
Last Sunday we learnt that under the present times of crisis in the world, we Christians have a hope to cling on. The Almighty God is our refuge, strength and ever-present help. We can cling on to His promises of protection and provision in the uncertain times.
We are still in the season of lent and today we are going to focus on another sure way of protection against the deadly deceases and viruses. In the scripture passage, we see how the Lord set up a freedom for Israelites from the bondage of Egyptians under the leadership of Moses.
1. Feast of the Passover in OT:
The Lord gave specific instructions on the release from the bondage. We will consider following points:
a. King Pharaoh hardened his heart after several plagues. It wasn’t him that hardened his heart but Romans 9:17-18 says, For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.” The sovereign God hardened Pharaoh’s heart to His power in him. The more he hardened, the more God demonstrated His power of destruction.
b. The Israelites were at the breaking point of suffering, but God calls their darkest day as their first month of their year (Ex. 12:1), a time of celebration of the Passover lamb.
c. God instructed that each household must select a lamb of sacrifice that animals must be year-old males without defect, they may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight (12:6).
d. On 14th day, they were to slaughter the lamb, eat the meat and take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses. They had to eat the meat of the lamb.
e. Verses 12-13: “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB WAS GOD’S GUARANTEE OF PROTECTION AGAINST THE DESTRUCTIVE PLAGUE.
f. God did exactly what He promised in verses 29-30. The firstborns of Egyptians were killed by the Lord on that night and the Lord passed over the houses of Israelites while killing the firstborns.
2. Jesus- Our Passover Lamb in NT:
John 1:29, 36- The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
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I Cor. 5:7- Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. ??? ???? ?????? ???? ????, ???? ??? ??? ?????? ??, ??? ??? ??? ???????? ?? ???. ??? ?? ???? ?????????? ?????????? ?????? ?? [???? ???] ??????? ?????? ??.
I Peter 1:18-19- For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. ??? ?? ??? ???? ?? ?? ????? ????????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?????? ???, ???? ???? ???? ???? ??? ???, ?? ??????? ??, ???????? ??? ??????? ????? ???? ??, ????? ???????? ??????, ????? ?????? ??????? ????? ??.
In the book of Revelation, about 30 times John calls Jesus “LAMB”.
Rev. 5:12- In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” ???? ???? ????? ???????? ??????, “?? ??????? ???? ???????? ?????? ???? ?? ???????, ???????, ?????, ????????, ???, ????? ???? ?????? ??????? ????? ??.”
As our Passover lamb Jesus was sacrificed on the cross on our behalf and His blood was shed for our redemption.
There are similarities between the OT lamb and NT lamb- Jesus Christ:
a. Both were perfect (without any defect/ sin)
b. Both were to be killed and sacrificed. The reason is that breaking of God’s commandment brings spiritual death. Even the first commandment (don’t eat the fruit of knowledge) had the same consequence- death. In the OT, the animals would die in man’s place and in NT Jesus died in our place.
c. Both lambs were sacrificed for atonement of our sins.
Heb. 9:22- The law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. ???????????? ??????? ???? ????? ???? ?????? ?????? ????? ??????? ??? ??, ?? ???? ?????????? ??? ????? ???? ???? ???.
Lev. 17:11- For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life. ??? ?? ?????? ??? ??????? ??; ??? ???? ?? [?????? ????] ?? ????? ??????? ???? ???????????? ???, ? ???? ??? ???? ?? ?????? ??; ??? ?? ?????? ? ???????????? ??? ??, ???? ?? ????? ??? ??.
Rom. 3:25- God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. ?????? ????? ????? ???? ???? ????????? ?????????? ??? ???? ???????, ???? ??????? ?????????? ???? ?????? ????? ?????? ?? ?? ???? [?????] ??????? ????????? ?????.
d. Both lambs were to be eaten:
Exodus 12:8- ??? ??? ?? ? ?????? ?? ???? ???????? ?????? ?????? ????? ???? ???; ??? ?? ???? ???? ???? ???.
John 6:54- 56- Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. ?? ??? ????? ???? ??? ?? ??? ????? ???? ??? ??, ???? ???????? ??. ??? ?????? ????? ??? ???? ???? ??????. 55??? ?? ????? ???? ??????? ??????? ??, ??? ????? ???? ??????? ??????? ??. 56?? ????? ???? ??? ?? ??? ????? ???? ??? ??, ?? ??????? ??? ?? ??? ??? ??????? ???? ???
Two major differences between OT and NT Lambs:
a. The OT sacrifices needed to be done repeatedly. Christ’s sacrifice was once and for all
Heb. 10:11-12- Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, ??? ???? ???? ????? ???? ????? ??? ? ?? ? ??????? ??? ??? ????? ??? ??? ??, ????? ? ??????? ?????? ??? ?????? ??? ?? ????? ???. 12?? ? ?? ?????? ???? ?? ?????? ???????? ???? ?????, ??????? ???? ??? ???????? ??.
b. The NT lamb Jesus rose from the death
c. The blood of OT lamb can’t take away sins
Heb 10:4- It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. ??? ?? ???????? ??? ???????? ???? ???? ??? ?????? ????? ???.
The blood of Jesus cleanses us from every sin
I John 1:7- the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
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d. We can enter boldly into the holiest of holies…and live
Hebrews 10:19-22 “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” [????] ????, ????? ???? ???? ??????? ????, ???? ?????? ??????? ????, ?? ??? ??? ????? ????? ?????? ??. 20?? ???????? ???? ????? ?????????? ????????????????? ?????? ?????? ????? ????? ??. 21??? ??? ??????? ?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ??. 22 ???? ????? ???:????? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ??????, ??? ?????? ?????? ?????? ?????, ???? ????? ??????? ??? ???????? ???????? ??????? ?????? [???????] ??????? ???.
3. Blood of Christ Saves and Protects:
In OT, the Lord spared Israelites who had applied blood on their sides and top of the doorframes. The sign of blood allowed the Lord to “Passover” from death.
Similarly, the blood of Jesus Christ is the only way we can be saved from upcoming eternal destruction. When we trust Jesus as our Lord and Savior by believing that He died and rose for us, the blood of Christ is applied on our hearts and that will save us from God’s wrath
Romans 5:9 “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. “ ?????? ????? ????? ????? ?????? ??????? ????????? ????? ??, ???? ????? ?????? [???????] ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ???? ??????????? ??!
John 6:54- Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life. ?? ??? ????? ???? ??? ?? ??? ????? ???? ??? ??, ???? ???????? ??.
There is power in the blood. There is healing in the blood of Christ. The blood of the Lamb is inexhaustible and never-ending. It is an unlimited supply. When we apply the blood of Jesus to the doorposts of our lives in faith—we access the power to defeat every part of the curse that tries to take residence. When you speak the Name of Jesus in the face of sickness, disease or danger, the blood of the Lamb is behind it, and you are protected!
We have the power to overcome the enemy.
Revelation 12:11 “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death.” ???? ??????? ?????? ??? ?????? ???????? ????? ???? ?????? ??; ??? ??? ????? ???? ???? ?????? ????? ????? ????? ???.
Today as we are going through the COVID-19 pandemic all over the world, what is our best defence? The Blood of Christ is the answer. We can ask the Lord Jesus to cover us under His blood.
Before we learn how to pray for the protection, I would like to stress that two conditions must be fulfilled:
a. We must be saved through the blood of Christ
b. We must surrender to the Lord completely.
We can plead the Lord to apply Blood of Jesus for protection of our body, family, children, house, work, vehicle, finances. I believe, we can’t apply the blood of Jesus ourselves (like an oil or water), we can ask God the Father to cover us under the blood of Jesus. We don’t apply the blood of Jesus as a magical medicine but ask the Lord to cover us under His protection.
Prayer:
Father, in the name of Jesus, We now plead the Blood of Jesus over every inch of our physical body, over every inch our soul, and over ever inch of our spirit. We now plead the Blood of Jesus against any demons who may try and come against us. We now plead the Blood of Jesus against any natural accidents or catastrophes that may come against us. We now plead the Blood of Jesus against any diseases, viruses, or illnesses that could possibly come against us.
Father, in the name of Jesus, we now have full faith and belief that the you and Blood of Jesus will now fully protect us against all of the things that we have just Pled His Blood on. Thank you Father. Thank you Jesus.”
In Jesus name we pray, Amen.
