The History of The Passover Lamb

Christians don’t believe rituals or ceremonies save us. The apostle Paul wrote: “For by grace you have been saved through faith…not as a result of works” (Ephesians 2:8–9). Yet we practice something regularly called Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper. During this special moment while believers are gathered, everyone eats some bread and drinks some wine or grape juice to commemorate Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.

Why do we do this? We must look back to the time of the ancient Hebrews in Egypt to understand. On the night when God judged Egypt, a final plague killed the firstborn of every Egyptian family. But God told the Jews to put lamb’s blood on the doorposts of their houses. Then He promised: “When I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:13). The Hebrews were also told to prepare a special meal of roasted lamb, unleavened bread, bitter herbs, and wine on that fateful night.

This meal came to be known among Jews as the Passover because God “passed over” the houses that were smeared with the lamb’s blood. Anyone who had the blood on his doorpost was spared from death. After the Hebrews escaped Egypt they were told to celebrate this Passover meal annually as a way to thank God for His protection.

The Passover was a beautiful preview of what Jesus would do for us when He died on the cross. Jesus was the perfect “Lamb of God” (John 1:29), and when we apply His blood by faith to our hearts, God’s judgment “passes over” us and we escape His wrath. People in old covenant times didn’t understand this. But now that the Lamb of God has been sacrificed for us, we have a clearer understanding of His mercy.

Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me.

—Psalm 66:20