How does Exodus 12:5 foreshadow Christ's sacrifice as the "spotless lamb"? The Verse at the Center “Your lamb must be an unblemished year-old male, and you may take it from the sheep or the goats.” (Exodus 12:5) Essential Qualities of the Passover Lamb • Unblemished – free from every defect or spot • Male – the strength and representative head of the flock • Year-old – at the prime of life • Set apart four days before sacrifice (Exodus 12:3,6) – publicly inspected and proven flawless • Slain at twilight – its blood applied to rescue households from judgment (Exodus 12:7,13) Christ Perfectly Matches the Pattern • Sinless purity – “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.” (1 Peter 2:22) – “with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.” (1 Peter 1:18-19) • Representative head – “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22) • Prime of life – Jesus laid down His life around age thirty-three, willingly and at full strength (John 10:18). • Public inspection – From Palm Sunday to the cross, He taught openly in the temple; even His enemies found no fault (Luke 23:4; John 18:38). • Slain at Passover – “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” (1 Corinthians 5:7) – The Gospels record His death precisely as the Passover lambs were being slaughtered (Mark 15:25,33-37). The Power of the Blood • Blood on the lintel meant death had already visited the house; the firstborn inside was safe (Exodus 12:13). • At Calvary, Christ’s blood marks all who believe, declaring that judgment has fallen on the Substitute (Romans 5:9). • “how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences…” (Hebrews 9:14). Passover Shadows Become Substance at the Cross – The exodus delivered Israel from physical bondage; the cross delivers believers from sin’s slavery (John 8:34-36). – Passover birthed a nation; the cross births a people “from every tribe and tongue” (Revelation 5:9). – The feast’s perpetual memorial (Exodus 12:14) finds fulfillment in the Lord’s Supper, proclaiming His death “until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). Living in the Light of the Spotless Lamb • Confidence: Salvation rests on a perfect sacrifice already accepted by God. • Purity: Those covered by spotless blood are called to live unleavened lives (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). • Worship: Eternity centers on “the Lamb who was slain” (Revelation 5:12), so present praise rightly does the same. |
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