Years ago, I was having lunch with Billy Graham and I asked him a question. I said, “Billy, if an older Billy could speak to a younger Billy, what advice would you give yourself?” And Billy’s response was, “I would preach more on the cross and the blood of Christ because that’s where the power is.” I took note of that and I’ve tried to practice it. I bring that up because in this message we’re going to talk about the cross and the blood in the Passover celebration.
Jesus was the fulfillment of the Passover lamb, so here are some takeaway points from the Passover that apply to you.
Practical Principles
- The Passover was to be a new beginning. God starts by making this a new beginning for the nation Israel right in the middle of the year. In the same way, it doesn’t matter if it’s June, October, or March; whenever you ask Christ to come into your life and ask for His forgiveness, you can have a fresh start as well.
- The lamb that they were to offer was to be the very best. We should bring our very best to God, not our leftovers.
- The Lamb had to be slain. They would grow fond of this animal, so there was a sense of personal loss when they would have to sacrifice it. It reminds us of how cruel our sin is.
- The blood had to be applied. It wasn’t enough just to slay the lamb. You had to put it in the shape of a cross on your doorposts. If you want to apply the blood in your life, you have to confess your sin.
- They were ready to be moving at a moment’s notice. We should live in a sense of expectancy of the imminent return of Jesus Christ.
Relevant Reminders
- Proverbs 3:9, “Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the firstfruits of your increase.” Firstfruits means you do it first before anything else. Put God first in all things and He will bless you in all things. Give Him your best because He gave His very best for you.
- William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania, among other things, wrote, “No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown.” You can’t have the cross without the crown. You can’t have the benefits without the sacrifice
- God will forgive your sin and forget your sin. You should not choose to remember what God has chosen to forget.
Applicable Actions
Passover was to be a new beginning for Israel. Today can be a new beginning for you. No matter what sin you’ve committed, no matter how egregious or horrible it is, you can have it forgiven by God, and it can be under the blood—but only you can confess your sin. He can make all things new. Do you need that? Would you like to hit the reset button in your life? It can happen if you call out to Him.
