The Passover Lamb and the Eternal Change that Took Place in Jesus

by Barbara Latta

God had to show us choosing the lamb was personal.

Something so precious had to die so something so ugly could live.

Before the first Passover, the Hebrews were commanded to choose an unblemished lamb on the tenth of the month (Exodus 12). They were to take it home, nourish it, cherish it, feed it and let it live with them until the fourteenth of that month. By that time, the animal would have bonded with the family and become a pet.

Now it was time to kill it.

Kill the precious playmate of the children. Kill the soft head that laid upon your lap. Kill your friend.

Can you imagine how difficult this was for a family? Especially for the father who had to kill the thing while children were begging him not to take their pet. Then to see it laid upon the table to eat.

I think God did it this way to paint a picture of the pain it was going to cost Him to send His Lamb to earth. He chose His spotless Lamb and sent Him to live with a family. He became their cherished Son, the friend of sinners, the healer of the sick, the teacher in the synagogue. God let Him play with the children, fish with the fishermen, eat with the disciples, and feed the multitudes. God had to show us it was personal. The worst pain the Father would ever feel was coming.

God had to kill His Son.

He didn’t drive the nails into the wood, but He had to turn away while withholding the power of heaven that could stop the suffering. He had to turn His back while His Son was brutalized and be willing to not lift a finger to judge those who did it. Instead, He poured out wrath onto the perfect Lamb. The sinless one was punished instead of those who did the wrong. The fellowship of the Trinity was broken for the first time ever (Matthew 27:46).

Jesus existed in eternity past as the Word of God (John 1:1). He was willing to lay aside the benefits of deity to become a human. While he was 100% God, He became 100% human as well. (John 1:14).

At the cross the fellowship of the Trinity
was broken for the first time ever.

The Son of God submitted Himself to exist in a different form for the rest of eternity. Have you ever thought about that?

When Jesus subjected Himself to come to earth as a baby, He was now living in a human body—a form He never had before. After the resurrection, He was given a glorified body like we will have in heaven. But His body now bears the scars of crucifixion and He will have them forever and forever and forever. Never ending battle scars of the price to pay for sin. The reminder that sin is gone. Conquered. Satan defeated.

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:10 NKJV).

Yes, something so precious had to die so something so ugly could live. Because without Jesus, we were ugly, rotten, sinful, decaying flesh. Only God could think that was worth dying for.

When you partake of your Easter dinner, envision the Hebrews eating that Lamb. What is the cost of your freedom from sin, condemnation and guilt today?

Celebrate Resurrection Day – remembering the Lamb. What love is this?

The Passover Lamb and the Eternal Change that Took Place in Jesus (click to Tweet)

At the crossthe fellowship of the Trinity was broken for the first time ever (click to Tweet)