How does Numbers 28:16 connect to Jesus as our Passover Lamb? Locating the Command in Israel’s Worship Calendar “ ‘The fourteenth day of the first month is the LORD’s Passover.’ ” (Numbers 28:16) • God places Passover at the very center of Israel’s yearly worship cycle. • The date—fourteenth of the first month (Nisan)—never changes, underscoring its fixed, non-negotiable importance. • The verse sits inside priestly instructions about daily, weekly, and monthly offerings, highlighting Passover as the climactic sacrifice that sets the pattern for every other offering. Why the Fourteenth Day Matters • In Exodus 12 the lambs were killed “at twilight” on this exact date. • By fixing the day, God anchored redemption to a historical moment; salvation is not an idea but an event. • The strict timing prefigures another precisely timed act of redemption—Jesus’ crucifixion. Echoes of the First Passover • Exodus 12:5–7, 13—an unblemished lamb, blood applied, judgment passes over. • No bone of the lamb broken (Exodus 12:46), a detail fulfilled at the cross (John 19:33-36). • Deliverance from Egypt foreshadows deliverance from sin’s bondage. Jesus Steps into the Pattern • John 1:29—“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” • Luke 22:7—on “the day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed,” Jesus sets the stage for the Last Supper. • Matthew 26:2—He identifies His impending death with Passover: “The Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” • Mark 15:34-37—Jesus breathes His last during the afternoon Passover sacrifices, aligning His death with the slaughter of the lambs. • 1 Corinthians 5:7—“For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” The apostle sees Numbers 28:16 and all Passover legislation culminating in the cross. Confirmed by New Testament Witnesses • 1 Peter 1:18-19—believers are redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.” • Revelation 5:6—John beholds “a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain,” the eternal reminder of Passover fulfilled. • Hebrews 9:12—Jesus enters the heavenly sanctuary “once for all,” securing eternal redemption, just as the Passover secured Israel’s release. Practical Takeaways for Today • Salvation rests on a finished, dated work: the cross, the ultimate fourteenth-day Passover. • Just as Israel trusted in shed blood on doorposts, believers trust in Jesus’ blood applied to their hearts (Romans 3:25). • Remembering the timeline of Numbers 28:16 invites worship rooted in history, not in myth or sentiment. • Because the Passover lamb had to be unblemished, believers pursue holiness, reflecting the purity of the Lamb who redeemed them (1 Peter 1:15-16). • Every Communion celebration echoes Numbers 28:16—“the Lord’s Passover”—proclaiming “the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). |
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