BEHOLD THE LAMB

When the Lord comes by to strike down the Egyptians and sees the blood on the beam above the door and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over that door. He won’t let the destroyer enter your houses to strike you down. And when your children ask you, “What does this ritual mean to you?” you will say, “It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, for the Lord passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. Exodus 12:23-27

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God  who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29

This is a time of year when two religions often overlap their religious observances. Last week the Jewish observance of Passover began. Passover is a celebration of freedom for the Israelite slaves from bondage in Egypt. It did not come without sacrifice. We know that the pilgrimage to the Promised land came with many hardships and profound lessons. The seven days of Passover require Jews to observe a sacrificial diet and a time of prayer. The Seder (Passover supper which Jesus celebrated the night before he was arrested) teaches children all that their ancestors went through to obtain their reward in Canaan. This began with the last plague in Egypt, death to the son. The blood of the sacrificial lamb kept the angel of death from the Israelites, passing over their doors marked by the blood of that lamb. The question, “Why is this night different from all others?” could be the same for us as we approach the days leading to Easter.

When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming to be baptized in the Jordan, he hailed him as the “Lamb of God.” This title would have been easily recognized by his Jewish audience. They all knew the story of the lamb, sacrificed to allow the Jewish slaves to begin the journey to freedom. Moses constantly asked Pharoah to allow his people to go and sacrifice to the Lord.

We travelled through Lent, following the path of Jesus toward the sacrifice for our sin. Our journey has involved prayer and study, the sacrifice of praise to our God. A few weeks ago we reached the final destination, the joy of Resurrection Sunday. The stories we tell our children are stories of the journeys in the Bible, of faith, dedication and prayer, of freedom and new birth. These keep us close to our family, our human family and our church family. The real symbol of Easter is not a bunny; it’s a lamb. The empty cross is marked by the blood of the Lamb. The Lamb of God has come to save us, save us from our sins, bring us from death to life. Hallelujah!

God, our Refuge and Strength, we are so grateful for your saving power. You have saved us from all that would keep us from your plan for us. Jesus, the Lamb of God, has shed his blood to save us from our sins and seal the promise of eternity with You. You have our thanks and praise forever! Hallelujah! Amen!

                                                                          Sue Uzelmeier