Moses part 8 The Meaning of the Passover Celebration
Luke 22: 14 And when the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. 15 And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 For I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” 20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.
If you have not been with us over the last few weeks, we have been studying the ten plagues God sent against Egypt in the book of Exodus. And more than just studying them so we could understand what happened, we ‘ve been looking at their meaning. In particular we wanted to know what they had to say about suffering. Because in this narrative it is obvious that God is the One who is causing the suffering, but it is also obvious that He has a purpose in mind for that suffering. In general, the suffering of the plagues came to teach that God is the Only God, to call the unrighteous to repentance, to judge those who refused to obey and worship God, and to refine the children of Israel into a nation to be called after God’s own name. There are multiple reasons for suffering. But last time we arrived at the 10th plague. And just like the others the tenth plague tells us God’s purpose behind suffering.
But it does so with God instituting a very meaningful event; the Passover celebration.
Setting: Egypt, 15th century BC — the night of the first Passover
Imagine a Hebrew father in ancient Egypt, standing at the doorway of his small brick home in Goshen. It is twilight, and in his arms he holds a trembling lamb—flawless, spotless, just a year old. His children watch silently, their wide eyes filled with questions.
This lamb had been part of their household for four days. It had become almost like a pet—its bleating familiar, its presence comforting. And yet, tonight, the father lifts the knife, and the lamb dies. The children gasp, but the father works quickly, catching the blood in a bowl.
Then, he takes a branch of hyssop and does something strange. He dips it in the blood and smears it across the top and sides of the doorframe. The blood drips down, staining the threshold. It looks like a crude cross.
The father gathers his family inside and says with trembling faith, “Tonight, the Lord will pass through Egypt. Death will visit every home. But God has given us this sign: when He sees the blood, He will pass over us. We are not safe because we are Israelites. We are safe because a lamb has died in our place.”
That night, as cries of mourning rise from Egyptian homes, the Hebrew family sits in hushed awe. They are not better than their neighbors. They are not braver or more moral. They are simply covered. The judgment of God has passed over them—not because they were innocent, but because a substitute died.
Centuries later, John the Baptist sees Jesus walking by and declares, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). At His final Passover meal, Jesus lifts the bread and wine and says, “This is my body... this is my blood.” He is the true Passover Lamb.
And so today, we too will be sharing in the remembrance of the Passover meal Jesus had with His disciples, and the remembrance of the spotless lamb in that first Passover celebration.
Just like that ancient Hebrew family, we are not saved because of our heritage, our knowledge, or our good deeds. We are saved because Jesus’ blood covers us. When judgment comes, it sees the blood—and it passes over.
Prayer
Here is how Scripture describes the 10th plague in Exodus 12.
Exodus 12: 29 Now it happened at midnight that Yahweh struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the [aa]dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle. 30 Then Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead.
That is the description of the plague.
Now let’s go back and look at the preparation and meaning of the 10th plague. Before that night ever came God gave the Israelites instructions about how they were to prepare.
Exodus 12: Now Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron in the land of [a]Egypt, 2 “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you. 3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a [b]lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a [c]lamb for [d]each household.
5 Your [i]lamb shall be a male, without blemish, a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 [j]And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall slaughter it [k]at twilight. 7 Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel [l]of the houses in which they eat it. 8 And they shall eat the flesh that night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread [m]and bitter herbs.
11 Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste—it is the Passover of Yahweh. 12 And I will go through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am Yahweh. 13 And the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and I will see the blood, and I will pass over you, and there shall be no plague among you [n]to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
14 ‘Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to Yahweh; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as [o]a perpetual statute.
This passage continues for 14 more verses describing the seven-day feast that God was instituting as an annual memorial of this event. The event for the ages.
This plague would have a meaning that was to be passed on to generations to follow and was to be filled up in the death of Jesus on the cross.
And I want you to try and keep something in mind as we go through the study of Exodus 12 and 13. I want you to think of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, and specifically that last Passover meal that He shared with His disciples. He suffered on the cross for us, and at that meal He gave Passover its full meaning. So, as we look at the meaning that God gave the Passover when He originally instituted it, we are also remembering that these meanings apply to the Lord’s Passover before He went to the cross. There are several points of connection between the Passover celebration and the celebration of the Lord’s table; death of our Lord on the cross.
Both were to be a New Beginning Marked by God’s Timing, Both required individual participation but the building of a community, Both required a spotless Lamb be Chosen, Both required that the Blood of the Lamb be applied, Both had a Meal symbolizing Readiness, Both were a Memorial for Generations, Both required Obedience That Preceded Deliverance
Sermon Point 1: A New Beginning Marked by God’s Timing
Text: Exodus 12:1–2 | Luke 22:14–20
Exodus 12:1-2 Now Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron in the land of [a]Egypt, 2 “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.
We considered this last time. That first verse in chapter 12 has God telling Moses and Aaron that date of this plague of death that passed over the children of Israel was to be their new New Year’s celebration. The new first month of their year was now going to be this month, the month Abib, rather than their normal new year which had already happened 6 months’ prior. It was to be a new reckoning for their year. This Passover event was to now be of first importance for remembrance in their calendar year. A week of remembering the lambs that were sacrificed to save their lives, and their children’s lives was to be how each new year began.
Oh, what a wonderful truth we find here! Because about 1500 years later, Jesus reoriented the disciples lives at the Last Supper. He presented Himself to be the New Passover lamb!
At the Last Supper He said,
Luke 22:15-20 15 And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;
20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.
And every believer, when they come to faith in Christ, has a calendar change as well.
Before coming to faith in Christ, Sundays were often just the end of the weekend—a day for sleeping in, catching up on errands, or getting ready for the week ahead. The calendar revolved around work, school, holidays, and personal plans, with little thought given to spiritual rhythms. But when someone comes to Christ, a dramatic shift happens: the calendar is reoriented around Him. Sunday becomes the most meaningful day of the week—a resurrection celebration, a gathering of the redeemed, a time to worship, rest, and be renewed. The events of the church calendar—Advent, Christmas, Lent, Good Friday, Easter, Pentecost—are no longer obscure or optional traditions; they become spiritual milestones that mark the life, death, resurrection, and ongoing work of Jesus. Life is no longer measured only in months or appointments but in sacred seasons. For the believer, time itself begins to revolve around the risen Christ.
That was our first point last week. Both the Passover and the Last Supper were to be a New Beginning Marked by God’s Timing,
Let’s look at a second point.
Both the Passover and the Lord’s table required individual participation but the building of a community,
Sermon Point 2: required individual participation but the building of a community,
Text: Exodus 12:3–4 | Matthew 26:26–29
Exodus 12:3–4 3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a [b]lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a [c]lamb for [d]each household. 4 Now if the household is too small for a [e]lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the [f]number of persons in them; according to [g]what each man should eat, you are to [h]apportion the lamb.
I want to break down this passage.
3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a [b]lamb for themselves,
“They are each one to take a lamb.” This sets this plague apart from all of the previous ones. In most of the previous plagues, God spared the children of Israel as a collective group. When the flies, livestock death, hail, and darkness came, the land of Goshen, where Israel resided was protected. The plague didn’t come to that whole region. But this was different. They wouldn’t be saved from this death plague simply because their house was in a certain district. They each had to get a lamb for slaughter and follow the instructions concerning that lamb. If they did not, their household would experience the same death of the firstborn that the Egyptians did. Let’s read on.
‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a [b]lamb for themselves,
according to their fathers’ households, a [c]lamb for [d]each household.
Here we have the first indication that this sacrifice is not only individually appropriated; but it will also build a community of faith. Consider what was to happen here. The father of each household would take on himself the responsibility of finding the perfect lamb, slaughtering it, and sprinkling the blood as prescribed. But you know that that was not the end of his responsibility. The children of Israel were told that death would Passover whoever was in the protected house at midnight on that night. You know that this father and mother would have carefully instructed all their children about why they were sprinkling the blood. And they would have passionately and fearfully stressed to their family that they must all be in the house at midnight. And you know that no one likely rested that night. They probably sat up. And as minutes before midnight approached, they made sure that everyone of their family was in the home, even in the same room. And I think it is also significant that the death was to come to the firstborn. You know that the family would be especially keen to watch over the firstborn children and animals. Whether they were infants or old men, compassion, love, and care would have especially gone out to firstborn infants, women, men, and animals. They were passionate and fearful about saving their families. Let’s read further.
4 Now if the household is too small for a [e]lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the [f]number of persons in them; according to [g]what each man should eat, you are to [h]apportion the lamb.
This is the second thing that tells you that this night was not just about individual salvation, it was about a community of faith. For a rich and large family, one lamb was not difficult to acquire. But for smaller and poorer families, finding a spotless lamb among their few sheep may have been a frightful prospect. So, provision was made for neighbor to reach out to neighbor. That means that families came together under one roof on that night. Next door neighbors reached out to each other to ensure that each had what was necessary for the salvation of their household. Single mothers, widows and orphans were drawn in to be a part of a neighbor's household.
I think it is significant that there is no record that any Israelite lost their life on that Passover night. This is what the passage says.
Exodus 12: 29 Now it happened at midnight that Yahweh struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the [aa]dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle. 30 Then Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead.
That means that the Israelites not only believed God and obeyed individually, but they also made sure no one was left stranded in the street on that night.
This is such a beautiful picture when it is placed alongside the Passover Jesus celebrated with His disciples.
New Testament Parallel:
Jesus shares the bread and cup with His disciples, saying,
“Take, eat; this is my body... Drink of it, all of you...” (Matt. 26:26–27)
At the Last Supper, Jesus wasn’t merely preparing individuals for private salvation—He was forming a new covenant community. Surrounded by His disciples, He broke bread and passed the cup, saying, “This is my body... this is my blood of the covenant.” But notice: He didn’t do this in isolation. He didn’t retreat to a mountain to meditate or quietly perform a ritual alone. Instead, He gathered His closest followers, shared a meal, and redefined their identity—not just as believers, but as members of a new spiritual family. In doing so, Jesus was fulfilling the pattern of Passover, which was never celebrated alone, but always in a household. Just as the blood of the lamb marked out a family in Egypt, the blood of Jesus now marked out a people—a redeemed community bound together by grace.
This moment was not merely about remembering His sacrifice, but about sharing a common life. He washed their feet to model mutual service. He taught them to love one another as He had loved them. He prayed for their unity. The Lord’s Supper, then, became the centerpiece of Christian worship—not as a personal ritual only, but as a communal act that declared, “We are one body in Christ.” From that night forward, the Church would be known not just as individuals saved by grace, but as a fellowship of the forgiven, a people gathered at the table, shaped by love, and sent into the world together.
And so, we too are a community of faith. We are fathers and mothers who have passionately and fearfully persuaded and drew our children to come to salvation and into the household of faith. We are neighbors who reached out to those next to us, to single parents, widows, and orphans to ensure that none suffered the judgment of the angel of death.
So, here are two truths; We must all personally receive Christ’s sacrifice. But when we do so we come into the body of Christ—the Church. And our Salvation is lived out together, and with an ever-watchful eye for those who are still wandering in the street in the darkness.
Both were to be a New Beginning Marked by God’s Timing, Both required individual participation but the building of a community, Both required a spotless Lamb be Chosen,
Sermon Point 3: The Lamb Must Be Without Blemish and Chosen Carefully
Text: Exodus 12:5–6 | 1 Peter 1:18–19; John 1:29
Exodus 12:5–6 5 Your [i]lamb shall be a male, without blemish, a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 [j]And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall slaughter it [k]at twilight.
8 And they shall eat the flesh that night, roasted with fire,
9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather roasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with its entrails. 10 And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall burn with fire.
46 you shall not break any bone of it.
Let’s break this down.
5 Your [i]lamb shall be a male, without blemish, a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats.
The lamb or goat had to be chosen very carefully. As much as it was important to get the blood on the doorposts, and the family into the house, it was equally important that the right blood be on the doorposts. If the firstborn was to be saved, it would not do to have the blood of an ox or chicken, or even a female lamb. They would not dare pick a five-year-old male sheep. And if they didn’t have such an animal, they acquired it, or joined with another family who had it.
What did all these qualifications for the lamb or goat mean? A lamb without spot or blemish was chosen because it represented The lamb represented purity, wholeness, and perfection. According to Exodus 12:5, it meant a lamb with no blindness or lameness, no injuries, sores, or skin disease, no broken bones or misshapen limbs, no deformities, even if internal, and no matted wool, signs of sickness, or parasites.
A one-year-old male lamb without spot or blemish was a lamb at the prime of life, strong and full of vitality.
6 [j]And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall slaughter it [k]at twilight.
They were to remove this lamb from the fold and bring it into the house for four days. This meant feeding it, protecting it from harm, and possibly even keeping it inside the home or in the courtyard where the family lived and interacted with it daily. As much care as they were giving the family to save them from death, the same care would have been given this lamb, because he was the means by which the family is saved.
For four days, the lamb became part of the household’s daily rhythm. Children may have played near it. The family likely began to feel a connection, especially in homes where animals were highly valued. This emotional bond would make the lamb's death more impactful.
Imagine a child asking, “Why do we have this lamb?” and then four days later asking, “Why do we have to kill it?”
8 And they shall eat the flesh that night, roasted with fire,
9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather roasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with its entrails. 10 And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall burn with fire.
46 you shall not break any bone of it.
The lamb was to be slaughtered, its blood drained, and then the lamb roasted. The roasting of the lamb signified a couple of things. First, they stressed that it was to be roasted, not boiled. The roasting may have been first so that there was no breaking of bones in the preparation. Breaking no bones signified that the death of this lamb came with no struggle, and the perfection and completeness of the lamb remained, even in death.
But the roasting is also stressed as symbolic of the judgment of fire.
Deuteronomy 4:24 “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”
Isaiah 66:15–16 “See, the Lord is coming with fire... with fire and with His sword the Lord will execute judgment on all people, and many will be those slain by the Lord.”
And what a wonderful parallel there is in this Passover celebration to the Passover at the Lord’s table.
At the Last Supper, Jesus revealed Himself as the true Passover Lamb, fulfilling every element of the ancient ceremony with stunning precision and divine intent. Just as the Passover lamb had to be chosen and brought into the home on the 10th of Nisan, Jesus entered Jerusalem on that very day, presenting Himself to the people. For four days, He was examined by religious leaders and Roman officials, found without fault or blemish—perfect, pure, and sinless. He shared those final days intimately with His disciples, much like the lamb brought into the household, allowing them to draw near to the Lamb who would be slain. As the lamb’s blood was spilled to shield God’s people from judgment, so too would Jesus pour out His blood to save all who believe. Not one of His bones was broken, even in death, fulfilling Scripture’s command for the lamb’s integrity to remain whole. And like the lamb that was roasted with fire—symbolizing judgment—Jesus endured the full fire of God’s wrath on the cross. At the table that night, Jesus was not merely teaching theology; He was preparing His disciples to witness the once-for-all sacrifice that would forever free them from sin and form them into a redeemed, covenant-bound people.
Both were to be a New Beginning Marked by God’s Timing, Both required individual participation but the building of a community, Both required a spotless Lamb be Chosen, Both required that the Blood of the Lamb be applied,
Sermon Point 4: The Blood Must Be Applied to the Doorposts
Text: Exodus 12:7, 13, 22–23 | Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:22
Exodus 12:7, 13, 22–23 Exodus 12:7, 13, 22–23 7 Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel [l]of the houses in which they eat it.
13 And the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and I will see the blood, and I will pass over you, and there shall be no plague among you [n]to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
22 And you shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and [w]touch some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts; and none of you shall go outside the doorway of his house until morning. 23 And Yahweh will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and He will see the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, and Yahweh will pass over the doorway and will not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to smite you.
Let’s look at this
The application of the blood to the doorposts, as described in Exodus 12, was a solemn and deliberate act of faith. After slaughtering the spotless lamb, the Israelites were instructed to collect its blood in a basin and apply it to the doorframe of their homes—specifically on the two side posts and the top lintel. This was done using a bunch of hyssop, a small, brush-like plant often associated with cleansing rituals in Scripture. The blood marked the house as protected by the death of a substitute, signaling to the Lord that judgment had already fallen there. It was not enough that the lamb had died; its blood had to be personally and visibly applied. Each marked doorway became a testimony of faith in God’s promise—that where the blood covered, death would pass over. This physical act became a spiritual statement: salvation comes not by lineage or good intentions, but by trusting in the blood of the lamb.
At the Last Supper, Jesus infused the ancient symbols of Passover with their full and final meaning, revealing Himself as the true Passover Lamb. Just as the Israelites applied the blood of the lamb to their doorposts as a visible act of faith and obedience, Jesus offered His own blood as the new covenant, saying, “This is My blood… poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). In the original Passover, the lamb’s blood shielded God’s people from death; now, through the cup and the breaking of bread, Jesus signaled that His own body and blood would be the means by which His followers would be saved from eternal judgment. The hyssop used to apply the lamb’s blood appears again at the cross, where sour wine is lifted to Jesus’ lips, connecting His death directly to the cleansing of the Passover. Just as the lamb’s bones were not to be broken, neither were Jesus’—a detail the Gospel writers highlight to show He perfectly fulfilled the requirements. In that upper room, Jesus wasn’t merely instituting a ritual—He was declaring that His sacrifice would establish a new covenant people, marked not by blood on a doorframe but by a shared table, a shared Savior, and a shared deliverance through the Lamb of God.
So, we come today to a time where we celebrate the full meaning of the Passover. As Israel marked their doorposts, we mark our lives with Christ’s death and live as a redeemed people.
Take a moment to silently reflect on Christ as the Lamb who took your place. Are you trusting in His blood alone for your salvation? Ask God to renew your gratitude and reverence as you prepare to receive.
Servers pass both elements: bread and cup, together
Luke 22:19–20 19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”
John 1:29 – “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”
As you are ready, eat the bread quietly thanking Jesus for His sacrifice.
Luke 22: 20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.
Romans 3:24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a [l]propitiation [m]in His blood through faith, for a demonstration of His righteousness, [n]because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;
Hymn
Closing Prayer
We thank you Lord God for your mercy and provision in Jesus, the true Passover Lamb. We pray that our lives will reflect the cleansing, unity, and mission of those redeemed by His blood. That we be a family, a community, a rescue mission of faith, even as you called the Israelites and your disciples to be.