What is the Passover Lamb? How is Jesus our Passover Lamb?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Passover lamb originates in the Old Testament, when a sacrificial animal was used by the Israelites to protect their households from God's final plague on Egypt. During this plague, the firstborn would be struck down. However, everyone who took a lamb, killed it, and applied its blood to the doorframes would be protected. This act of sacrifice was a clear demonstration that sin leads to death and that a blood sacrifice is needed to cover guilt. It also began the annual celebration of the Passover. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is revealed as the ultimate Passover Lamb, fulfilling the Old Testament foreshadowing. His sacrificial death, which occurred during Passover, provides atonement for humanity's sins. All who put their faith in Him have forgiveness and eternal salvation.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The final plague that God brought upon the Egyptians before Pharaoh released the Israelites from slavery was to strike down the firstborn son of every Egyptian household, including the livestock (Exodus 12:29). This ultimately led to the Israelites being released from slavery to the Egyptians (Exodus 11:1; 12:30–42). God gave the Israelite households protection from this plague in the form of a sacrificial lamb.
• The Israelites were instructed to take a blemish-free, year-old lamb into their homes on the tenth day of the month in which the plague was announced (Exodus 12:1–6). They were to kill that lamb on the fourteenth day of the month, apply its blood to the doorframe of the house, and then roast and eat the meat while wearing clothes ready to travel in (Exodus 12:7–12). This event became known as the Lord's Passover.
• God told the Israelites, "The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt" (Exodus 12:13).
• God's later instructions to the priests include the necessity of blood sacrifice to cover the guilt of sin. Leviticus 17:11 says, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life" (Leviticus 17:11). As we see with the first Passover, the sacrifice of a perfect lamb preserved the lives of the Israelite firstborns.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• John the Baptist called Jesus "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29).
• In the New Testament, Jesus Christ became the final Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). Perhaps more accurately, the Passover lamb of the Old Testament was a foreshadowing of Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf.
• Jesus was crucified during the season of Passover (Mark 14:12).
• Jesus was "a lamb without blemish or spot" for He lived a perfect life that was free from sin (1 Peter 1:19; Hebrews 4:15).
• In the book of Revelation, John has a vision of Jesus as "a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain" (Revelation 5:6).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Jesus is our Passover Lamb; He was slaughtered so that we may be saved. His blood is the sacrifice that covered the penalty for our sins once and for all, removing any need for further animal sacrifices (Hebrews 9:11—10:18). According to Jesus' own words, His blood gave us a new covenant for salvation: "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood" (Luke 22:20). His blood provides us with forgiveness: "this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:28). By symbolically applying the blood of Jesus to our lives when we trust in Christ for salvation, we are saved from eternal damnation and are granted everlasting life instead (Hebrews 9:12–14).

We have the right to be sons and daughters of God because the blood of His Son has purified us of our sins: "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). Praise be to God for sending us Jesus, the perfect Passover Lamb.

UNDERSTAND

• The Passover lamb in the Old Testament provided protection from the final plague on Egypt.
• The Passover lamb symbolized atonement through the sacrifice of a blemish-free lamb, illustrating the principle of blood covering sin and preserving life, as outlined in Leviticus 17:11.
• Jesus Christ is the ultimate Passover Lamb, whose crucifixion offered salvation and atonement for sin for all who trust in Him.

REFLECT

• What parallels do you see between the Passover lamb's role in the Old Testament and Jesus' sacrifice in the New Testament?
• How does the Passover story encourage us to rejoice in our salvation and what Jesus did for us?
• How does Jesus being the Passover Lamb impact your understanding of salvation and forgiveness?

ENGAGE

• What do we learn about God and His plan of redemption in the way He gave the Israelites the imagery of the Passover lamb and the way He fulfilled it?
• How does Jesus fulfill the symbolism of the Passover lamb in His crucifixion and resurrection?
• What does Jesus being our Passover Lamb mean for our relationship with God and our understanding of atonement, salvation, and grace?