The Lamb of God: John 12 and Exodus 12

There is an amazing parallel between the story of the first Passover in Egypt (Exodus 12) and the final week of Jesus’ life (John 12). Exodus 12 begins with instructions regarding a lamb:

Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, “On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a lamb for each household”  (Exodus 12:3).

The Perfect Sacrifice

So, the instruction is for each household to take a lamb on the tenth day of the first month, which is the Hebrew month of Nisan. The lamb was to be unblemished, meaning no imperfections whatsoever. To confirm the lamb’s flawlessness, the fathers—the heads of those little communities—had to diligently care for them (Exod 12:5–6). They had to be sure the lamb was the perfect sacrifice to save them from death, the last plague (Exod 12:21-24). Imagine how hard it would be for children (and adults) to care for this animal, treat it like a pet, watch it die, and then eat it. But this is exactly what would happen. The whole congregation of Israel would kill the lambs all at the same time, at twilight, as though all the lambs were killed as one (Exod 12:6). Then the lamb’s blood would be placed on the doorposts and lintels of each house as a signal to God to prevent the destroying angel from killing those within the home.

The Passover Lamb

John 12 is in many ways a parallel to Exodus 12. It begins with this description: “Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead” (John 12:1). Jesus went to Bethany to the house of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, His friends. At sunset, the eighth of Nisan would have begun and since Nisan 14 began on Thursday evening, this would have been a Sabbath meal He would have shared with the family.

Sunset the next night to sunset Sunday night was the ninth day of Nisan, very likely the day the lamb was selected and brought into the community. This was the day Jesus entered Jerusalem, presenting Himself as King Messiah and ultimately as the Lamb of God. Just as the first Passover lamb was brought into each household on the tenth of Nisan perfect and without blemish, so also Jesus came into the house of Israel. He would be examined over the next four days to see if He indeed was who He claimed to be. Four days later, after celebrating the Passover supper with His disciples, Jesus was brought before the religious authorities and handed over to the Romans for execution.

Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). He is the fulfillment of Passover. Like the first Passover lamb who redeemed Israel from slavery in Egypt, Jesus’ death on the cross has redeemed us from slavery to sin. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 5:7, “Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed,” and just like the first Passover, it was very personal. Just as the Israelites at the first Passover had to personally apply the blood of the lamb to the doorposts of their houses, so also each individual now needs to personally apply the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God, to the doorposts of their hearts. Have you made Passover personal by trusting in Jesus the Messiah? If not, I pray you will today.