The Passover Lamb

Happy Palm Sunday. Okay, I am a day late. But to be fair Sundays are incredibly busy in my life right now. This past weekend we had a lock-in Friday night into Saturday Morning and then Youth Group on Sunday night.

I was thinking about Palm Sunday as "Spazz" and his puppet friends explain the meaning of Easter through a parody of "Thriller" but the late great MJ.

And as I was thinking a random thought invaded my mind. I thought, "How much more would we love Jesus if we knew the Old Testament?"

Now, to be fair, knowing the Old Testament or the New Testament or any creed or belief is meaningless without leaning into a personal relationship with Jesus. I think of many Jews in the first Century, or even today. They knew about the prophecies about the coming Messiah but didn't recognize Him when he didn't fit into their understanding of who God was.

I wonder how many times this is the case? We miss what God is doing because He doesn't fit into our box of what God should look like.

God sure does some strange things. At least from my understanding of life. For example, If I were God I would have never thought about giving up my only Son to be murdered on a cross and by his death buy back his sons and daughters (us!). But that is why it is good that God is God and that you or me is not God.

God is always in the business of rescuing. He is close to the brokenhearted. I believe that when He looks at the hurting his heart breaks. But it is in those moments of heartbreak and sadness that we open ourselves to hear and receive from God.

He knew we had a sin problem. Saint Paul later, reflecting on his conversion, viewed sin as death. He said, "The wages of sin are death but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

And when there is a problem God is on the move.

God started with a man. He started with Abram. A old man. And through that man he developed a covenant to bring redemption to the world.

Many years later God's people (The Isralities later called the Jews) were in Egypt. They were in slavery and were very oppressed. So the Lord sent a man named Moses to speak to Pharaoh to request for their freedom. The Pharaoh continued to deny Moses his request. As a result God chose to send Plagues to try and soften Pharaoh's heart. The final of these plagues lead to what is now known as the "Passover."

The Lord wanted to show Pharaoh he was serious and gave His People instructions on how to avoid this plague. He told the Jews to take a lamb, an innocent and pure and best lamb, and kill it. They were to take the blood of the Lamb and place it on their doors that night. When the Lord went through Egypt He would know to pass over their houses instead of killing their first born.

There are some amazing connections between that Jewish holiday of Passover and what Jesus did for us.

1) The Lamb Connection

Jesus, who was perfect. 100% man and 100% God did not contain sin. He was completely pure and without sin. He, being like the Lamb, in the Old Testament shed his blood for us on the cross so that when the Lord looks at us He no longer sees our sin.

If you are a Christian you celebrate the Jewish holiday of Passover without even knowing it. God has given us the chance to take the blood of the Lamb and apply it to our lives. The Question for us is to we apply it to the "door" of our lives?

2) The Week connection

In the Old Testament there is another connection that relates more directly to Palm Sunday. The Jews were taught to bring their best lamb to the temple to be killed for their disobedience. They needed to bring that lamb one week in advance. They needed to do this in order to prove that this lamb was without defect. It would be looked at and made sure it didn't die in that time period. And at the conclusion of the few days. The lamb was killed and they were freed to go.

In the same way Jesus entered in to Jersualem as their King. People waved palm branches and cried, "Hosanna to the son of David. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven."

The word Hosanna means, "Save us!"

The first century Jewish population viewed Jesus as their earthy king. They thought he was there to save them from the evil Roman empire. They didn't realize that Jesus actually knew that Rome was going to destroy the temple a few years later (See Matthew 24).

Jesus had a bigger plan. He was going to save people from their sins and begin to build his kingdom. And as we know from reading the rest of the story, "Jesus is coming back!"

This is good for those who have the "blood of Jesus" on their doors but bad for those who have harden their hearts to the message of the Gospel.

Jesus is our passover Lamb. The one who has come to bring you and I life. As we enter into this holy week may each one of us reflect on our relationship with God. Have we allowed the work of Jesus to transform our life?