April 1 -- "He Passed Over"

 Today's Reading:  Exodus 12

"He Passed Over"

This verse is part of the instructions given by God to Moses for the first Passover, which commemorated the time when God saved the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The verse instructs the Israelites to declare that the Passover sacrifice is a reminder of how God “passed over” the houses of the Israelites and spared them from the final and most devastating plague, which struck down the firstborn sons of the Egyptians. The people of Israel are instructed to acknowledge God's mercy and grace towards them, and as they do, the begin to spontaneously worship Him in gratitude.

There is no record in the Gospels of Jesus specifically commenting on Exodus 12:27. However, Jesus is often referred to as the Passover Lamb who was sacrificed for the sins of humanity, and the New Testament writers draw connections between the Passover and the death and resurrection of Jesus.

In the Gospel of John, for example, Jesus is described as being crucified on the day of preparation for the Passover (John 19:14). The apostle Paul also refers to Jesus as "our Passover lamb" in 1 Corinthians 5:7, and in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus celebrates the Passover meal with his disciples, which is now known as the Last Supper (Matthew 26:17-30).

Through his death and resurrection, Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice for sin, which is why Christians no longer need to offer animal sacrifices as the Israelites did in the Old Testament. So while Jesus did not directly comment on Exodus 12:27, his life, teachings, and ultimate sacrifice are closely linked to the Passover and the theme of God's deliverance of his people.

Jesus, as the Passover Lamb, was sacrificed for the sins of humanity. His blood saves those who put their faith in him from eternal death. Jesus fulfilled the Passover through His sacrifice as the Lamb of God, His body as the unleavened bread, His establishment of the New Covenant, and His resurrection as the ultimate deliverance from sin and death.

Just as His judgment passed over the Israelites because of the blood, God can now "pass over" our sins because of the blood sacrifice of our great Passover Lamb.