Behold your Lamb
“Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. It is the LORD’s Passover.” Exodus12:5, 11
I want to talk a little about why we celebrate and observe this spring holiday. We call it Easter, but what we are really celebrating is Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Most of us know that Passover was fulfilled when Jesus was crucified to pay the debt of our sin so we could receive freedom. Then three days later He rose up from the dead and walked out of the grave and defeated His enemy and ours for all eternity.
I want to take just a few minutes today to focus on “Passover”. It was a holiday the Jewish people celebrated to remember how God brought them out of bondage and slavery in Egypt under the leadership of God’s servant, Moses. It was a prophetic holy day they kept each year to remind them that someday the Messiah would come to free them out from the bondage of sin. The Passover that was celebrated the year Jesus was crucified was the fulfillment of the Passover prophecy.
Today’s key verse in Exodus 12 is talking about the sacrificial lamb that was to be sacrificed for the sin of the people each year. It had to be a male without blemish. The lamb was examined by the high priest before it could be accepted as the sin offering. I want to make a note here that when the people were on their way to Jerusalem for the Passover feast each year, they were not thinking about the sin they were offering up their sacrifice for. They were not concerned about the extent of their sin and if it could be atoned for. Their thoughts were on the hope that their lamb would pass inspection. They were interested in bringing a lamb without blemish so it would be accepted by the priest and pass the examination of the high priest to qualify as the sin offering to atone for their sins of the previous year. The were only thinking about their lamb, not their sin.
Now, to bring this into our relationship with God today. He has given us a spotless Lamb that was examined and sacrificed for our sin, no blemishes, pure, and clean. The spotless Lamb of God! This sacrifice did not atone (cover up) but He completely eradicated (restored God’s original intent for the world) the sin of the world. We don’t have to worry if we have blown it too many times to be forgiven because we have the perfect Lamb of God that paid the price for all sin for all eternity. Our part now is simply receive that sacrificial gift. God no longer looks at our sin to correct or cover it, He looks at the sacrifice, the spotless Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world. He has examined and accepted the payment of His perfect Son. This is God’s complete expression of His love for us, He spared no expense! He gave us His very own Lamb without spot or blemish. “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
So today, as we celebrate this resurrection season, I want to encourage you to keep your eyes on the perfect Lamb of God that paid the price for all sin, for all people, for all eternity! Take some time this week to be thankful for Jesus and His sacrifice that bridges the gap between mankind and God. If you have never received this wonderful gift of God’s love and freedom from sin, do it today.
Pray: God in heaven, I know I’m a sinner and I need a Savior. I want to turn away from my sinful life to the life You have planned for me. Please forgive me for my sins, cleanse me from my past, and make me new. I know you Son, Jesus died for me. I believe in my heart that You raised Him form the dead. At this very moment, I accept, confess, and proclaim Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior . . . to be Lord of my life from this day forward. I now have a right relationship with God my Father. I also ask for Your Holy Spirit to guide me and to empower me to do the things that You have planned for my life in Jesus name, Amen
Today’s scripture reading: Luke 23:13-25
13 Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people,
14 said to them, “You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him;
15 no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him.
16 I will therefore chastise Him and release Him”
17 (for it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).
18 And they all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”—
19 who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.
20 Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. 21But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”
22 Then he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.”
23 But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and of the chief priests prevailed.
24 So Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested.
25 And he released to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.
The Daily Dose 