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Psalm 33:5
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The Passover Lamb
The Passover Lamb
“And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Hebrews 9:22
In his Bible study Experiencing the Passion of Christ John MacArthur writes, “Historical records of Jesus’ time indicate that as many as a quarter-million [250,000] lambs were slain in a typical Passover season, requiring hundreds of priests to carry out the task.” 250,000 lambs. Think about that. Now, consider that number in light of Exodus 12:6, “You shall keep it [the lamb] until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight.” MacArthur also writes, “…the process was spread out over two evenings.” During the Passover, 250,000 lambs were slain, for the brutal price of sin, in a matter of two days.
Now consider this gruesome description MacArthur records about what occurred. after the sacrifices had taken place, “The amount of blood resulting from all those sacrifices was enormous. The blood permitted to flow off the steep eastern slope of the temple mount into the Kidron Valley, where it turned the brook bright crimson for a period of several days.”
Read this final sentence carefully, “It was a graphic reminder of the awful price of sin.” Lying. Theft. Pornography and lust. Hate. Pride. Blasphemy. The blood of those 250,000 lambs was a horrific reminder to the people of the seriousness of their sin in the eyes of Almighty God.
In the Old Testament the lamb to be sacrificed had to be an unblemished male (Exodus 12:5), perfect and have no defect (Leviticus 22:21), and be without blemish or anything detestable (Deuteronomy 17:1). The New Testament describes Christ in identical fashion. Christ had “precious blood” that was unblemished and spotless (1 Peter 1:19; Hebrews 9:14). Second Corinthians 5:21 says, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
The descriptions of Christ’s perfection and his spotless and unblemished sacrifice are identical to the OT qualifications for a lamb that was to be slain for sin on the Passover. How appropriate is it that Paul says in 1 Corinthians 5:7, “Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.”? Jesus Christ is the scarlet thread that is woven throughout all of scripture and history. On that horrific, yet glorious day 2000 years ago, blood flowed from the son of God, the ultimate Passover lamb, for the sins of men. And his horrific torture and death upon the cross, like the blood of the 250,000 lambs, is a graphic reminder of the seriousness of our sin. His sinless, unblemished, spotless blood was spilt for sin. May we never forget the punishment we deserved, and the price He paid.