The Passover
On that very first Passover, while the Jews were still in Egypt and God was executing His judgments upon Pharaoh and his people, God decided to strike down the firstborn male child of every Egyptian household. In order for the Israelites to keep their household safe, they had to kill a lamb and put some of its blood on the doors and door posts of their home.
Moses wrote in the Law, "Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, 'On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers' households, a lamb for each household.
'Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons in them; according to what each man should eat, you are to divide the lamb. 'Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 'You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight.
'Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 'They shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. '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. 'And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall burn with fire.
'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 LORD'S Passover. 'For 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 the LORD. 'The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; 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.
'Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance." (Exo 12:3-14)
This was so important that the Lord had the Israelites rehearse it every year.
"And when your children say to you, 'What does this rite mean to you?' you shall say, 'It is a Passover sacrifice to the LORD who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but spared our homes.'" And the people bowed low and worshiped." (Exo 12:26-27)
Jesus Christ the Lamb of God
John the Baptist as the forerunner of Christ identified Him as the Lamb of God just before the Passover. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (Jn 1:29, NIV). Jesus has become our Passover Lamb, which he demonstrated when He gave his life on the cross for us. In fact, He was crucified during the Passover Feast.
When we put our faith in Jesus, His precious blood is applied to our hearts and our sins are washed away. Since He was the spotless Lamb of God, His blood applied to the hearts of those who put their trust in Him saves them just as the blood of the Passover lamb saved the Israelites in Egypt.
The apostle Peter wrote: "...knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ." (1Pe 1:18-19)
The apostle Paul wrote to the Hebrews, "For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" (Heb 9:13-14) "Therefore, brethren...we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus..." (Heb 10:19)
The apostle John wrote: "But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin." (1Jo 1:7)
The Types Explained
Let's go back and look at seven aspects of the Passover from Exodus 12:3-14, so that we may fully understand their significance to us.
1. A Lamb for Each Household
"They are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers' households, a lamb for each household."
This is a very personal matter. Each one must do this, which signifies that we must each make our own personal decision to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
2. An Unblemished Male Lamb a Year Old
'Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old..."
Jesus Christ was a young male around thirty-three years old. He was sinless and perfect, completely obedient to God His heavenly Father. For more on this see The Sinlessness of Christ.
3. Kill it at Twilight
"...kill it at twilight..."
Just as the lamb had to be killed, Jesus Christ was put to death on the cross of Calvary.
4. Put Some of the Blood on the Doorposts and Lintels
"...take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses..."
Just as the Jews had to apply the blood of the lamb to the entrances to their homes, the blood of Christ must be applied to each of our hearts. We must personally take that action by faith in Him.
For the apostle says, "Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water."
5. Eat the Flesh of the Lamb
"They shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs."
Each individual must eat Christ's flesh and drink His blood. He who does so has eternal life.
Jesus said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him." (Joh 6:53-56).
At the last supper on the night He was betrayed, at the meal with His disciples, He said of the bread that He broke, "Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you." Likewise, as He gave the cup to them and told them all to drink from it, He said, "This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins."
When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, "You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion." (Mat 26:1-2). On the night he was betrayed, He celebrated the Passover with His disciples. "While they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body.' And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.'" (Mat 26:26-28)
"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.' 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.'" (Luk 22:19-20)
6. No Leftovers
"you shall not leave any of it over until morning..."
They took Jesus' body down from the cross after He died and buried Him. They did not leave Him there until morning.
7. When God Sees the Blood, He Will Pass Over You
"...The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you..."
When God sees the blood of Jesus His Lamb on your heart, He will pass over you and will not destroy you with the wicked. You will not perish but have eternal life (Jn 3:16). The blood of Jesus also protects you from any plague that God sends upon the wicked.
God Sacrificed His Lamb
While God required the Jews to sacrifice a lamb on the Passover and every year as a memorial, it was all pointing to the day when He would once for all sacrifice His own perfect, sinless Lamb on the cross without defect for our sins. He sacrificed for us what was most precious to Him, His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. As the apostle said, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom 5:8, NIV).
Like a Lamb to the Slaughter
The Holy Spirit spoke through the prophet Isaiah, predicting the sufferings of Christ that would happen some seven hundred years later in the 53rd chapter of that book. It is clearly referring to Christ, as that detailed description could not match anyone else but Jesus. The entire chapter is about His sufferings, but I will just quote a few key verses, the first of which declared that He would be led like a lamb to the slaughter. It says, "He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter..." (Is 53:7a, NIV).
His life was an offering for sin: "Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin." (Is 53:10a, NIV).
He bore the sin of man: "...He poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." (Is 53:12b, NIV).
If you have never read that chapter, you really must read it to appreciate the full significance of it. I suggest you begin at Isaiah 52:13 and continue through the end of chapter 53.
The Glorified Lamb
In the book of Revelation, the glorified Lamb of God is revealed up in heaven, where the Lord took the apostle John to show him these things. He saw the Lamb that was slain standing between the throne and the elders (Rev 5:6), and they all worshiped the Lamb there (Rev 5:8), including the angelic choir (Rev 5:11-12), every created thing (Rev 5:13), and a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation, tribe, peoples and language (Rev 7:9-10).
He saw a countless multitude before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, who were washed in the blood of the Lamb, which is the very reason why they were before God's throne (Rev 7:14-15). Throughout eternity the Lamb will be their shepherd, and will guide them to the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes (Rev 7:17). They overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony (Rev 12:11).
John also saw one hundred and forty-four thousand standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion, who follow the Lamb wherever He goes (Rev 14:4). John also saw those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, holding harps of God. And they sang the song of Moses, and the song of the Lamb (Rev 15:2-3). With the Lamb were the called and chosen and faithful (Rev 17:14).
John heard them say in heaven that there would be a marriage of the Lamb, for which the Bride must make herself ready, which would be accompanied by a marriage supper attended only by those who were invited (Rev 19:6-7).
John was shown the wife of the Lamb, the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God (Rev 21:9-10). Only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life would enter the holy city (Rev 21:27). John saw a river flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Rev 22:1), which will be in the holy city (Rev 22:3).
I go into much more detail about this in my follow up to this article called The Glorified Lamb of God.
Closing Words
In our study of the Passover Feast, we have seen that the lamb is a type of Christ. Almost every aspect of the Passover Feast is symbolic, pointing us to Him. We examined the lamb itself, which was required to be a year-old male without any blemish or defect. We also examined how they ate the lamb, and how each household had to put some of its blood on the entrance to their home. Each aspect of the Passover teaches us about Christ as the only One who can save us from being struck down by the wrath of God, and our need to accept Him as our own Lord and Savior, applying His blood to our hearts by faith. I trust this has helped to accomplish that very goal in your life as you have read this article. I hope you will come back again later to enjoy more articles on the types in the Bible.
Author's note: Also see The Glorified Lamb of God, The Typology of the Tabernacle, Moses as a Type of Christ, Isaac as a Type of Christ, Noah's Ark a Type of Christ, and The Temple as a Type of Christ. You can access the Main Directory for Biblical Typology, or my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master. Now I'd like to ask a very important question.
Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?
“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.
Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International. He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.
Thank you brother Len
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