The Passover Lamb
The image that most powerfully captures the substitutionary work of Christ on the cross is that of the Lamb of God. When John the Baptist saw Jesus walking by, he said in John 1:29,
"Look, the Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world."
Christ's death on the cross was God Himself paying the penalty for our sin. Paul writes in 2 Corinthans 5:21,
"God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God."
Passover Origin
When the Israelites were in captivity in Egypt, the last of the plagues sent upon the Egyptians was the death of the firstborn. God told Pharaoh that He would send the angel of death throughout the land. The Israelites were instructed to sacrifice a one-year-old lamb without blemish and smear the blood on the doorframes of their houses.
That night, when the Lord came to strike down the firstborn, He passed over the homes that were under the protection of the blood. In Exodus 12, the blood was a symbol of sacrificial death and substitution.
Passover Preservation Through Discipleship
Christ's death on the cross satified God's justice and purchased mercy because justice demands that sin be paid for. Dying on our behalf, Jesus died the death we deserve so that we could have mercy that we do not deserve. He bore the brunt of God's fury toward sin and faced abandonment, isolation, and separation from his Father while on the cross. He loves us at our worst, our best, and everything in between.
At the moment when Jesus cried out from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34), the Father turned away from the Son who bore our sin. Payment had been made. When we acknowledge our need for forgiveness through repentance and believe in Christ's sufficient sacrifice, we are given the gift of mercy. We have literally been "bought back" or redeemed to become who God created us to be.
In Matthew 28:18-20 we are commissioned to be disciples who make disciples, sharing the good news, the gospel, with others. The central symbol of our faith is the empty cross.
"Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, as you go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Jesus obeyed God. Our commission is to do the same. After the death of Jesus Christ on the cross as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, He rose from the dead! That reality is our hope to carry the message of His love and forgiveness, building a personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe.
Easter Approaching
There is a connection with the timing of Passover and the redemption by the sacrifice of Jesus.
The month of Nissan (also spelled Nisan) is the first month of the Hebrew religious calendar and the seventh month of the civil calendar. It typically falls in March or April on the Gregorian calendar. Nissan is significant in Jewish tradition as it includes Passover (Pesach), which commemorates the Israelites' exodus from Egypt.
In biblical times, Nissan was called Aviv, meaning "spring," as it marks the beginning of the agricultural year in Israel. The month is considered a time of renewal and redemption, aligning with the theme of Passover.
Look to the Lamb of God!
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Greg Ogden
Make Disciples Who Make Disciples a Few at a Time
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