The Passover Lamb

Just as the blood of the Passover lamb protected the Israelites from death, the blood of Jesus saves us from death. God did not just spare us. The Father gave up His first-born Son to make us children of God.

From an Africa Study Bible touch point:

In most of our African traditions, the blood of animals was believed to have power. We poured the blood of a goat or a chicken to seal reconciliation between two parties that were previously in conflict. We used blood for atonement of sins. And we used blood to implore ancestors to calm their anger and stop our misfortunes. This helps us understand what happened in Exodus 12. 

God had displayed His judgement against Egypt through nine plagues. The tenth one, which would cause Pharaoh to release Israel, was the slaughter of the first-born males of the Egyptians and their animals. But before the tenth plague visited Egypt, God established the Jewish Passover, which consisted of two major activities: (1) each family had to smear above and on the sides of its door the blood of a lamb or goat with no defects; (2) each family had to eat the meat of the slaughtered animal with unleavened bread and bitter salad greens. 

Seeing the blood of the animal on the doorposts of a home, the death angel would spare the first-born son of that household (Exodus 12:23). The perfect lamb that was slain was a shadow of the innocent Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. His blood washes away the sins of the world. When we face doubt, guilt, or temptation, let us claim the blood of Jesus as our shield and protection.

Today: 

Celebrate Christ as the Passover Lamb by singing a hymn or song that speaks about Christ’s blood. Meditate on this precious gift. You may want to sing in your heart language to give fuller expression to your celebration.