The Greatest Sacrifice

By Hannah Bolden

“The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, ‘This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month, each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs and internal organs. Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover. On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.”—Exodus 12:1–14 (NIV)

“Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”—1 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)

The night of the first Passover was unlike any other. The Israelites were still in Egypt, waiting for God to fulfill His promise of freedom. Every instruction He gave through Moses mattered; every detail had a purpose. Each family was to choose a spotless lamb, prepare it in a specific way, and mark their doorposts with its blood. It might have seemed like an ordinary meal, but it became the moment that changed everything.

As the angel of death passed through Egypt, the blood of the lamb marked each home as protected and set apart. God’s people were spared, not because of anything they had done, but because they trusted and obeyed His Word. The next morning, they stepped out of slavery and into freedom.

Hundreds of years later, Jesus would become the fulfillment of that first Passover. He was the spotless Lamb of God, without sin or defect, who gave His life so we could be freed from the power of sin and death. Just as the Israelites were saved through the lamb’s blood, we’re saved through His sacrifice.

What began as a simple meal in a dark night became a sign of extraordinary love and redemption that points directly to the cross. Every detail of the Passover, the lamb, the blood, the unleavened bread, tells the story of Jesus. And because of Him, we live in the light of a new beginning.

Put It To Practice: Serve

Another important part of following God is obeying His command to serve! Making service a daily habit can look like finding ways to love people around you simply, practically, and consistently. When you serve others, you’re also serving God! Today, practice service by sacrificing something to be generous with someone else. For example, pay for someone’s coffee or meal, take time to talk to someone you don’t know well, or serve someone in your house.

For the Family

Today’s Main Idea: God’s plan to save His people through the Passover lamb points to Jesus, our perfect Lamb, who gives us new life.

Ask Together:

1. Why did God tell the Israelites to mark their doors with the lamb’s blood?
2. How does Jesus save us like the lamb saved the people in Egypt?

Prayer

Heavenly Father, words will never come close to expressing how blessed we are to have received the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus. Thank You for loving us so much that You gave us a way to experience a relationship with You forever and always. Amen.