The Hope Of The Cross
The Passover Lamb and the Promise of Eternity
Every time we travel to Wales, we see sheep. I don’t mean one or two sheep, but mountainsides filled with sheep. On our last trip, we saw a field filled with lambs. They were precious and made the cutest sounds, especially when running to their moms.
When I read through the Old Testament and read the sacrifices, I wonder if I could have ever sacrificed one of these babies if I lived during that time. However, as I read the New Testament, I find my sins did cause One to be sacrificed, and that is Jesus who became our Passover lamb.
The Passover
This week in our Bible Study, I taught about all the symbolism in Passover that points us to Jesus. Studying for this lesson put me more in awe of Jesus than ever before. Preparing most lessons brings me closer to Jesus, but this one really opened my eyes and brought me to the foot of the cross. I do not often share the videos from my classes, but I feel this is one that needs to be shared. As we approach Easter, there is no better time than to watch it. You can find the video at the bottom.
Now I want you to go back 3500 years with me and imagine yourself in Jerusalem. You have just witnessed nine of the plagues and God has now threatened Egypt with the loss of all firstborn children and animals if Pharoah does not let God’s people go.
The Passover Of Exodus
One mother stood for a moment at the entrance to her door, listening to the sound of lambs innocently awaiting their time. She and all her neighbors anxiously awaited the tenth and final plague. She pondered if they would actually find freedom? We they be free of the Egyptian slave drivers? How would God get all two million of them out of Egypt? The worries and excitement rolled around in her mind.
The smell of roasted lamb replaced their innocent sounds from hours before as families and neighbors gathered around tables. The flickering candles cast shadows dancing on the walls. In the stillness of that sacred night, the Israelites ate in haste, as the Lord had commanded Moses. They ate prepared with sandals on their feet, staffs in hand, ready for the moment of deliverance. This was the first Passover.
This mother watched as her husband had painted the blood on the doorposts of their home. He dipped hyssop into the blood to make what looked like crosses over the door’s frame, a crimson mark that meant the difference between life and death. The Lord would pass over every house marked by the blood of the lamb, sparing those inside. For God’s people, this was not just a meal, but a promise. A promise that deliverance was coming. A promise that death would not have the final say.
The Last Supper
Fifteen hundred years later, on another sacred night, Jesus gathered with His disciples to celebrate what we know of as the supper. But this time, He lifted the cup and broke the bread, speaking words that would change everything:
“This is my body, broken for you… This is my blood, poured out for the forgiveness of sins.”
Luke 22:19-20
The disciples didn’t fully understand these words, but we do. Jesus would soon become the final sacrifice, our Passover Lamb.
The Blood That Saves Us
Just as the lamb’s blood on the doorposts spared the Israelites from death, Jesus’ blood on the cross spares us from eternal separation from God.
Death was defeated when Jesus took the beating, stretched out His arms on the cross to be nailed upon it, and breathed His last. Sin has a price, and Jesus paid it in full. He paid our ransom. The spotless Lamb sacrificed for the world. And because of His sacrifice, we have hope! Not just hope for this life, but for eternity.
The Cross: Our Unshakable Hope
Hope is a word we often throw around. But the hope we have in Jesus is different. It’s not a fragile wish, it’s an unshakable anchor for our souls (Hebrews 6:19). It’s the certainty that because of the cross, we are forgiven, redeemed, and never left alone.
At the moment of Jesus’ final breath, our sins were erased. Just as Jesus delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, Jesus delivered us from the bondage of sin. Jesus became our Passover Lamb. He did not just die, but He rose victoriously from the grave. Now His Spirit is with us always here on earth, while He prepares our eternal home in Heaven.
Living in the Hope of the Cross
Because of Jesus, death no longer has the final word. The grave could not hold Him, and it will not hold us. Just as the Israelites walked into freedom when they crossed the Red Sea, we too walk in the freedom and hope of the cross.
There is power in all Jesus did for us. The blood of the Lamb has been applied to the doorposts of our hearts, and when God looks at us, He sees us covered in grace.
So when life feels uncertain, when fear creeps in, or sin feels overwhelming, remember the cross. Remember the blood of the Lamb. Hope is not lost. It was secured long ago on a hill called Calvary. And because of that, we are forever free in the Hope of Jesus!
Jesus In The Passover
If you find this interesting, I invite you to join us as we study the other six feasts and see Jesus in each of them. Register here for Leviticus, to get further information.
I invite you to go deeper this Lent with “The Perfect Love Story.”
