Friday in the First Week of Lent

Friday

Exodus 12:21-42

The Foreshadowing of the Cross in the Passover

Here is yet another example of how the Old Testament preaches the glorious gospel of our Lord and Savior.  Read rightly, this passage has more to do with foreshadowing the cross and the deliverance of God’s people from sin and death under the new covenant of grace than it does with the plain, historical facts recorded.  Yes, Israel was redeemed and brought out of Egypt by the strong arm of the Lord.  But the historical event serves as a type, a copy, a shadow, of the heavenly things which were to come (Hebrews 8:5).

Revelation 5:1-14 paints the awe-inspiring picture of the all-powerful, conquering Lamb who was slain.  Before him the twenty-four elders fall down and cry, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”  At a point in time, our Savior came down and assumed our nature that he might be our sacrifice and become our merciful and faithful high priest.  But the Scripture indicates that even before that specific moment in history when he was born and later crucified and risen, he was already our sacrifice, our Redeemer, our Savior, for he was “foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was made manifest in these last times” for our sake (1 Peter 1:20; Revelation 13:8).  Everything in the Old Testament points forward to this; everything in the Old Testament preaches Christ.  And the Passover is the event that foreshadows the passion of our Lord.

And so the ancient Israelites sacrificed a lamb, took its blood and put some on the lintel and doorposts, and were delivered.  They were spared when “the destroyer” passed over their homes and struck the wicked instead.  They came out of the land of slavery and began their trek across the wilderness.  They were “baptized” in the Red Sea (1 Corinthians 10:1-3), the same baptismal waters which were merciless to those who would thrust their way through without faith and with wicked intent (Exodus 14:21-29).  Who can miss the parallels?  By the blood of the Lamb, we are saved from death and hell.  By the blood of the Lamb, we are freed from the slavery of sin.  By the blood of the Lamb, the wicked are overthrown and drowned.  By the blood of the Lamb, we begin our pilgrimage in this life through baptism, walking with our Lord until we reach the Promised Land.  You see, God makes even the whole world to preach Christ (Philippians 2:9-11).

Author: The Reformed Baptist

My name is Stephen Taylor, ordained Baptist minister of eighteen years pastoral experience with a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. Better than that, I am married to a godly woman, Karla, who has been very patient with me since 1989. I have two daughters, both of whom I homeschooled for extended periods of time, who became godly young women, and who ran off and married godly young men, all of which is very proper. The oldest daughter has even seen fit to bless me with a grandson and a granddaughter, and my youngest daughter with a grandson, all three of whom are bundles of exceeding joy. As you can see, I am quite blessed. This website is dedicated to helping people grow in the wisdom and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ through the gift of writing that the Lord has given to me. It is specifically about helping His people grow in godliness, the theme you see repeated above. I write devotions with this aim and hope that they might be of some help to God’s people. Full disclosure: I am of a Reformed bent, meaning that my understanding of Scripture is primarily informed by the Reformers and their successors of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. However, as a student of church history and theology, I strive to remain true to that teaching handed down once for all unto the saints through every age of the Church. I like to think of myself as a “catholic” Christian, as the Reformers thought of themselves. At any rate, feel free to read, pray, and contact me if you wish, or correct me if need be. As you can see, I tend to follow the church year. Of course, I make no special claims about these devotions. I know very well that others have written better and plumbed the depths of God’s word with greater insight. But if my musings help someone draw closer to the Lord, well then, I have my reward. Blessings to you and may the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ speak to you that word which He knows you especially need to hear. Grace & peace, Stephen Taylor View all posts by The Reformed Baptist