In Celebration of God’s Paschal Lamb
Passover or Pesach reminds us of the Paschal Lamb spoken of in Scripture.
It is also appropriate to consider the “Zeroah”, the mighty arm of the Lord spoken of in Isaiah 53. Isaiah prophesied the Zeroah would come as the Suffering Servant to be wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities.
The Paschal Lamb commemorates God’s redemption of Israel from Egypt when the Angel of Death passed through the land.
But the Pascal Lamb whose blood was sacrificed at Passover foreshadowed the sacrifice of the Paschal Lamb, of whom John the Baptizer announced, “Behold the Lamb of God…” (John 1:29).
A Blood Sacrifice
The harmony of God’s Word is wonderful. From the Garden of Eden a blood sacrifice has been required to atone for sin.
In Egypt, God had Israel sacrifice a yearling without spot or blemish and apply the blood to the lintels of the doors of their homes to protect them from the Angel of Death.
A yearly Passover was celebrated in memory of their redemption. Aaron, the high priest entered the Most Holy place with a blood offering for himself and his people. With the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD, blood sacrifices ended. Yet, Jews still celebrate their redemption from bondage and look forward in anticipation to the Messiah who will redeem them.
God Will Provide a Lamb
God gives symbols, types, and pictures to help us understand. God provided a blood sacrifice for Adam and Eve.
When He asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham told his son, “God, Himself will provide a lamb for the burnt offering.”
When Abraham cut covenant with the Lord, God walked through the pieces – signifying if man broke the covenant, God would be cut. The only way God could keep this promise was for Him to become a man and die.
Are you still waiting for the Messiah to appear?
What if Jesus is the Messiah? God become flesh, birthed of a virgin (Isaiah 7:4). Jesus was without spot or blemish and fulfilled each prophecy of Isaiah 53 as the Paschal Lamb.
The Paradox of the Lamb, Who Is the Zeroah
The Zeroah created the splendors of the Universe. By His mighty arm, He defeated each Egyptian god and revealed Israel was the apple of His eye. “I AM the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.” He worked through a process to help Israel remember His arm (zerorah) had delivered them from slavery.
God the Father, sent His Son Jesus to earth to be His divine outstretched arm, the Zeroah who would provide redemption for mankind.
At Passover, Jesus would be cut and die as the Paschal Lamb. The Zeroah prophesied by Isaiah is the Paschal Lamb who died and arose from the grave to deliver His people from the bondage of sin.
High Priest
Yearly, the high priest took blood of a lamb (that only provides temporary covering) for himself and his people into the Holy of Holies in the earthly temple. When the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD, blood sacrifices ended.
How then can we be forgiven?
As the Zeroah and the Paschal Lamb, Jesus carried His precious blood into the Most Holy place in the temple of Heaven. He is the great and final High Priest, for His blood met the righteous requirements of the Law and God’s justice was satisfied. This is a great mystery.
There is no more sacrifice for sins. A shank bone of a lamb on the Seder plate reminds us of the Zeroah who was despised and rejected, a Man of sorrows, acquainted with our griefs; the Zeroah we did not esteem, the Zeroah who in great love, bore our griefs and carried our sorrow.
The Messiah is the Paschal Lamb, stricken, smitten of God and afflicted, pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins.
Shedding of Blood
Israel needed a blood sacrifice to be delivered from Egypt. You and I also need a blood covering for our sins.
Why? Because without the shedding of blood, there is no remission for sin and no protection from the Angel of Death.
The Zeroah took your punishment to bring you shalom with God. Through His stripes that bruised and tore His flesh, in a mysterious way, you may be joined to Him and may find true redemption.
Has the shed blood of Jesus been applied to the lintels of your heart, cleansing you and redeeming you from sin?
Jesus died for you. But it is your choice if He becomes your Paschal Lamb enabling you to be born again by the Spirit of God, making you a child of God!
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (John 3:5).
Celebration
God made Jesus to be sin for you. (2 Cor 5:21). Made (G4160 poieō) is a creative work and means to form, to fashion; it has the connotation of fulfillment or the keeping of a promise. With fulfillment of promise, there is celebration.
The way God would keep His promise was foreshadowed in the dawn of civilization as He covered Adam and Eve’s sin and nakedness and also foreshadowed as He provided a ram to take Isaac’s place.
Think about it.
Each time Jesus celebrated Passover, God also celebrated the offering of His own Son as the Paschal Lamb. God’s love is incredibly wonderful as He was in Christ Jesus reconciling the world to Himself.
Passover is the fulfillment of the covenant cut with Abraham in Genesis 15, when the LORD passed through the pieces signifying if man broke the covenant, He would be pierced.
Jesus, the Man, was pierced at Calvary for us; together Father, Son, and Holy Spirit looked forward to the resurrection of Christ.
Israel needed a blood sacrifice to be delivered from Egypt. You also need a Deliverer. The blood of the Paschal Lamb must be placed over the lintels of your heart for you to find peace with God.
Dear Heart.
Has the shed blood of Jesus been applied to the lintels of your heart? Have you been redeemed from sin?
Jesus died as your Paschal Lamb so you too may be born again by the Spirit of God and become a child of God!
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (John 3:5).
It’s such a paradox: the mighty Zeroah and the Passover Lamb. How could a perfectly holy and good God cut a covenant in which He Himself would be pierced if we, sinful humans, broke it? And then He celebrated each year during Passover as He looked ahead to the offering of His own Son? I can’t wrap my head around it, and I suspect that is exactly the point. His love is beyond my understanding and imagination.
A wonderful paradox, Joy. And as we contemplate these truths, we are able to move forward in holy awe at the wonder of love that is beyond our greatest imagination. Blessings!
Thank you, thank you, Father God! He is all we need.
Amen! Robin, you are so right. Father God is indeed all we need for He fills our deepest longings with Himself. I am so grateful for His healing of my father wound so I can appreciate relationship with Him. Blessings, my friend.