Preparing for Easter
Dave Llewellyn looks at how the old testament book of Exodus and the book of Luke tell the easter story.
The Readings today are taken form Exodus 12 and Luke 22
Luke 22:1-7 (ANIV)
1 Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching,
2 and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people. 3 Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot, one of the Twelve. 4 And Judas went to the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard and discussed with them how he might betray Jesus.
5 They were delighted and agreed to give him money.
6 He consented, and watched for an opportunity to hand Jesus over to them when no crowd was present. 7 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.
In John 13:1 we read
1 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.
Exodus 12:1-7 (ANIV)
1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt,
2 “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year.
3 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.
4 If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbour, 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.
5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats.
6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.
7 Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the door-frames of the houses where they eat the lambs.
In Exodus 12:11- 13 we read
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.
[12] “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn—both men and animals—and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. [13] 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.
In 1 Cor. 5:7 Paul writes … Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
Exodus 12:12
“On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn—both men and animals—and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord.
Exodus 6:6 (ANIV)
“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.
Matthew 5:21-22 (ANIV)
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ [22] But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Matthew 12:36 (ANIV)
But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.
2 Cor. 5:10 (ANIV)
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due to him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
Exodus 12:12-13 (ANIV)
“On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn—both men and animals—and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. [13] 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.
Isaiah prophesised this 53:6-8 (ANIV)
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
[7] He was oppressed and afflicted yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
John the Baptist declared it
John 1:29-36 (ANIV)
The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
And Peter marvelled in it
1 Peter 1:18-19 (ANIV)
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, [19] but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect
The Lamb took the judgement
Romans 3:25-26 (NLT)
For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God’s anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. God was being entirely fair and just when he did not punish those who sinned in former times. [26] And he is entirely fair and just in this present time when he declares sinners to be right in his sight because they believe in Jesus.
The (NKJV) uses the actual language of the original
Romans 3:25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood,
John Stott writes
Through his atoning sacrifice on Calvary Christ set humankind free by taking the retribution of sin on himself. He suffered the agony & shame that we deserve to suffer because of our sin. He thereby satisfied the just requirements of the law of God & at the same time turned away the wrath of God from fallen humankind.
Exodus 12:11 (ANIV)
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.
Galatians 5:1 (ANIV)
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
1 John 1:7 (ANIV)
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.