The Beginning, the End, and Everything In-BetweenНамуна

Have you ever heard of a storytelling concept called foreshadowing? It’s when events happen, or words are spoken, hinting at what will be revealed. We find it in books, shows, and movies, and yes - God’s big story. God’s big story is full of moments and events that all point to Jesus - the coming Messiah spoken of in the Old Testament and the Lamb of God, as referenced by John the Baptist.

In the Isaiah 53 passage we explored yesterday, the author used the phrase “led like a lamb to the slaughter.” The Israelites knew that passage aligned with an event the Jews celebrate yearly called Passover. Today we understand this event was a foreshadowing (an indication of something to come) of Jesus.

When the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, God was about to bring judgment and death upon those who ignored and rebelled against him. But God commanded that anyone who would sacrifice a lamb and smear the blood on the doorposts would be saved from the judgment and death that would “pass over” their household.

Continuing in the text, we see that those who obeyed God’s word and smeared the blood on their doorposts did not suffer judgment and death like those who disobeyed.

Fast forward to John 1:29, which records that John the Baptist saw Jesus coming and declared, “Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.” A few years later, Jesus would be crucified on Passover, fulfilling what was foreshadowed in Egypt.

As the true Passover Lamb, Jesus’ blood saves us from judgment, sin, and death. His blood was shed for forgiving our sins - so that judgment and death, like all those years ago in Egypt, would “pass over” us.

Jesus was slain on Passover but is now alive. He defeated death, hell, and the grave forever- a foreshadowing of the promise that we also can have eternal life with God; making his home with us forever.

Consider and Reflect: Take a look at Isaiah 53:7, Exodus 12:21-23, and John 10:1-11 and note how these passages relate to Jesus and his sacrifice on the cross. How do these passages impact your view of Jesus’ love and what he accomplished on the cross?