Israel was enslaved to Egypt. Plague after plague had been handed down, only to further harden the heart of Pharaoh. Moses was given strict instructions (Exodus 12) on what was to be done next by the people of Israel before the final plague. The Day of Preparation for the Passover, when the Israelites were instructed to sacrifice a lamb at twilight and eat. An unblemished lamb, clean and free of all impurities. And the blood from that lamb was to be painted on the doorposts and lintels of their homes and they would be passed over that night when God went through the land to kill the first born of every living thing.
God was going to make good on his promise to save his people. He left nothing to question and in His great providence even provided the lambs.
Scan through history and we see the biggest event to ever unfold and the most significant thing to ever take place. In God’s great providence he provided another lamb. All four gospels agree that Christ was crucified on the Day of Preparation. Another spotless lamb sacrificed for God’s people. And there are many similarities between the two.
Charles Spurgeon,when speaking of the two lambs wrote
“What tortures the sheepish race have received from us! how are they, though innocent, continually slaughtered for our food! Their skin is dragged from their backs, their wool is shorn to give us a garment. And so the Lord Jesus Christ, our glorious Master, doth give us his garments that we may be clothed with them; he is rent in sunder for us; his very blood is poured out for our sins; harmless and holy, a glorious sacrifice for the sins of all his children.”
The lamb was to be a male of the first year. A perfect depiction of Christ who was neither a child or an old man.
And in the slaughtering of the lamb, Israel was instructed not to break any bones in the lamb’s body. All the punishment and torture Christ endured, not one single bone was broken in His body. Psalm 34:20 “He keepers all His bones; not one of them broken”
John 19:36 “For these things took place that the scripture might be fulfilled; not one of His bones will be broken”.
And just as the case for the Israelites in Egypt, who placed the blood on the doorposts and was passed over, believers have the blood of Christ applied to us to redeem us. Jesus Christ, not just a lamb but our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7).
No King but Christ 