The Passover in Gods economy
I have heard it said – “it all started with Passover!”, and if like me you would respond initially by saying – hang on a minute, there’s a whole book called Genesis in the Tenach (first five books of the bible written by Moses), before God instituted the festival of Pesach (Passover) not to forget that God existed prior to His creation of this planet earth and the constellations and the galaxies….infinity (both past and future) is certainly a mystery to the human brain.
It is my belief that this moment in finite time – an annual memorial of the day that God instructed the people of Israel to prepare to leave Egypt, through sacrificing the lamb without blemish as described in Exodus 12, has deep significance in Gods plan of redemption.
The physical sacrifice of that spotless lamb is also inextricably intertwined with events of the past, and prophetic events of the future. Looking to the past we see Gods firstborn son, Adam who was of divine DNA, being expelled from the holy of holies, that which was the inner sanctum of the garden of Eden. Ever since sin entered Adam, there was death and there became a legal requirement for a blood sacrifice to redeem him. The ensuing race of people, ‘Adams helpless race’ consequently were and still are required to be redeemed by the blood of the sacrificial lamb that is without sin, spotless and blameless.
If we consider for a moment the heart-wrenching event that Moses described in the book of Genesis where Abraham was commanded by Elohim (God) to sacrifice son on Mount Moriyah as an offering to the Almighty. Abraham was found faithful and Y’itshaq (Isaac) was spared – with an alternative offering being provided by Elohim. There is a clear parallel with this event and the future passover, and ultimately the death of Jesus.
The Firstborn
In the culture of Gods ancient people there was a high value and significance attached to the first-born, and in particular the son to whom the blessings and majority inheritance was given. With Adam being God’s firstborn, and ever since his sin, God’s wrath had to be averted through the establishment of blood sacrifices and hence the ‘sacrificial system’ was set up. But none of these sacrifices would ever take away the sin of the firstborn and so the one who was equal in stature, in superiority and authority, had to come and be sacrificed on behalf of the firstborn son, Adam. This is our messiah, Jesus, who is the ‘second Adam’ – the second therefore has redeemed the first.
The Redemption
It could only be a divine being that could redeem the death of the first created divine being. The “second Adam” has redeemed the first. Through Adam’s sin and spiritual death, Jesus was given by the Father, YHWH, as His one and only son to become flesh and dwell here on the earth, so that He would be offered up as the sacrifice for all and for all time to redeem the entire race of people God has created. This amazing redemption can be seen in the memorial God instituted -the “Passover” and then re-enacted by Jesus Himself on the night before He was betrayed, and was led like a lamb to be slaughtered.
Jesus Himself is our ‘passover lamb’. His blood has been shed on the wooded frame of the cross – the top, the sides and the bottom – so that whosoever believes in Him, he shall be saved and Jesus will step over the doorposts of our heart and come and dine with him. This is such an amazing truth that goes beyond human logic, but one that was designed by God even before His creation, so that He, Almighty God can dwell with His people that he created; Jesus has provided for us the way to prevent the angel of death from destroying us and committing us to an eternal death. In accepting this gift, the sacrifice of Jesus, we have been given eternal life, a life to be spent with God. Hallelujah!