143 - Passover - The Redemption of the Lamb's Blood#
143 - Passover - The Redemption of the Lamb's Blood
(JP Text Group - Chen Chen Compilation)
Brothers and sisters, peace in the Lord.
The topic we are sharing today is called Passover - The Redemption of the Lamb's Blood.
The scripture is from Exodus chapter 12, verses 18 to 24,
18 From the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month until the evening of the twenty-first day, you must eat unleavened bread. 19 For seven days, there must be no leaven in your houses, for whoever eats anything with leaven, whether a foreigner or a native-born, must be cut off from the community of Israel. 20 You must not eat anything with leaven; wherever you live, you must eat unleavened bread.”
21 Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning. 23 When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down. Amen!”
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for giving us this time to share Your words together here. As we share Your words, may the Holy Spirit guide each of our hearts, allowing us to stand strong in Your words, to know You more deeply through Your words, and grant us wisdom and eloquence, so that we can spread this gospel. Bless every brother and sister who seeks You today. We pray in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen!
Our message today is “Passover.” According to our lunar calendar, today is the last day of this year.
There is a question that many people have been struggling with these days: “Should Christians celebrate the New Year? Should Christians celebrate the New Year?”
Many people who are conflicted say, “Celebrating the New Year is a secular holiday; Christians should not celebrate it.” So many people are very conflicted about this.
So, brothers and sisters, should we celebrate the New Year? Does this holiday have anything to do with our faith? In fact, it is very related.
“Passover” has over ninety percent similarity with our Chinese “Spring Festival.” If you understand this, you can ask them during the New Year: “Do you know why we celebrate the New Year? Many people don’t know? No problem, let me tell you why we celebrate the New Year.”
This (celebrating the New Year) originally appeared in the Bible. Of course, many people might say, “I disagree with your statement.” But it doesn’t matter; the real “New Year” in China actually has a beginning. When we return to the Bible, we find that a holiday has long been mentioned in the Bible, called “Passover.” This is the first holiday that God commanded the Israelites to observe. This “Passover” is ostensibly to commemorate God saving the Israelites from Egypt, right? But if we only treat it as history, it loses its meaning. Because here God said a word, as we just read, “Now this day shall be a memorial for you, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations, you shall observe it as an everlasting ordinance.”
So today, as we celebrate this “Passover,” or say, as we celebrate the “New Year,” why do we celebrate the New Year? Why does China celebrate the New Year? Many times, we don’t know why we celebrate the New Year. We just keep celebrating. In the end, it has completely changed its flavor.
You know, if this holiday loses its original core meaning, it becomes meaningless, right? Why do people today feel that celebrating the New Year is meaningless? Because they don’t know why they celebrate, so it becomes meaningless. Today, I want to share with you that “celebrating the New Year” is actually to commemorate a person—Jesus.
“Passover,” to commemorate whom? According to our New Testament today, the Jews should indeed celebrate “Passover” to commemorate Jesus. But when the Israelites celebrated “Passover” for the first time, they were not commemorating anything; they were doing it to avoid death. Right?
So, brothers and sisters, think again, what was the reason that they did not die? That’s right, it was the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and lintels that spared them from death. Now, let’s think about this: when the Israelites were in Egypt, they were in great pain and wanted to escape Egypt. Was there any way? They had no way themselves.
So, when God wanted to save the Israelites from Egypt, did He send down nine plagues beforehand? Did Pharaoh let them go? No. In fact, there are many spiritual meanings here: Pharaoh represents the devil, or the “king of the world.”
Because Egypt at that time was the most powerful nation in the world, it was a huge empire, and Pharaoh was the highest-ranking figure in this empire. He was unwilling to let the Israelites go. Even though there were nine plagues, Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened. So, brothers and sisters, have you ever thought about why Pharaoh was unwilling to let them go?
Many people say, “The Bible says, ‘The Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart,’ so he wouldn’t let them go.” If we understand the Bible this way, our God would be unfair, wouldn’t He? So one day, when Pharaoh stands before God’s judgment seat, what will he say? “You are unfair; You hardened my heart; how can I believe in You?”
In the original Hebrew, this phrase means, “God allowed his heart to be hardened.”
Brothers and sisters, although our God has the power to save, He never forces anyone to accept His salvation. Amen. Our God can bless, but He also does not force anyone to accept His blessings. When we need to pray to God, He gives it to you. Amen! This is a very important matter.
So, you will find that every time God wants to send down a plague, does He notify Pharaoh? Yes. Does he believe it? He doesn’t believe it. He doesn’t take it seriously, right? So many disasters have passed, and Pharaoh’s heart is very hardened: “What if I don’t accept You? What if I don’t let Your people go?” So, what was the last plague? That’s right, “the plague of the firstborn.”
In fact, God used the method of “killing the firstborn” to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. On the night they were brought out of Egypt, God commanded them to celebrate “Passover,” so what does “Passover” mean? It means “to pass over,” that kind of holiday.
The Israelites, under the oppression of the Egyptians, had endured a long time as slaves. One day, they cried out to God. When they cried out, did God hear their cries and come to save them? So, why did God want to save the Israelites? Let’s look at a passage of scripture:
Exodus chapter 2, verses 23 to 24, let’s read together,
23 After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning and remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
When God heard the cries of the Israelites, He began to remember His covenant. This is particularly important for us, brothers and sisters.
The Bible does not say that the Israelites were desperately pleading with God, and God saw their pleading and remembered their cries to save them. It’s not like that, brothers and sisters! If it were like that, I would tell you: Prayer must be painful; the more miserable you cry, the more God remembers.
Is the Bible saying this? So you see, the Israelites indeed sighed and cried out, and their cries reached God, but God did not save them because their cries were miserable enough. Why did God save them? That’s right, God saved them because He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the “covenant.”
Brothers and sisters, remember, if there is no “covenant,” God will not hear your prayers. Amen?
Just like today, do we believers in Jesus have a “covenant” with God? There is a “covenant,” right? So when you sigh and cry, God will listen. What about non-believers? You can cry out at will, but it won’t work. Because God has never made a “covenant” with you.
Brothers and sisters, there is a very important core content here, which is, what exactly is the “covenant” that God made with Abraham?
In fact, 430 years ago, God made a “covenant” with Abraham. When you read Genesis, you will find that there was such a process: Abraham cut the sacrificial animals in half and sat between the pieces. Do you remember this? In the end, the bird was not torn apart, right? Abraham sat in the middle of the sacrifices and fell into a deep sleep. From that time on, God said to Abraham: “Abraham, you should know that your descendants will be strangers in a land not their own for four hundred years, and that land's people will oppress them, but I will rescue them.” Amen. Do you remember this?
This is the “covenant” that God made with Abraham. So what is a very important content here? When the covenant was made, what was Abraham doing? That’s right, he was asleep. You know, “making a covenant” is to bind the actions of two people, right? For example, if I make a covenant with you, it means: I will not violate it, and you should not violate it either.
If either party violates this “covenant,” it is called “breaking the covenant.” Do you know what the consequence is? Just like that animal. This is how people in the Middle East make covenants. Just like the cow, sheep, and dove, the animals are torn apart, and the person (who breaks the covenant) will also be torn apart.
So this “covenant” has a life significance. At that time, God made a covenant with Abraham. What about Abraham? Abraham was asleep. Thank the Lord, Abraham was asleep. Do you know how good this is? If he hadn’t been asleep, it would have been troublesome; our salvation would have to involve human effort and good behavior.
Unfortunately, at that time, Abraham was sound asleep. He was asleep; did this covenant take effect? Yes, it took effect! This is the benefit; this is called “good news”! Why? Because you were asleep, did God sleep? No. Because Abraham was asleep, God said: “I will uphold this covenant.” You were asleep, so you do not need to bear responsibility; do you understand?
Brothers and sisters? Because you were asleep, I (God) do not look at your behavior; I (God) will execute the covenant I (God) made with you. Even if you are asleep, I (God) will manifest this covenant to you. I (God) will take responsibility, but you do not need to bear responsibility because you did not hear. Amen!
This is too important for us. If Abraham had not been asleep, it would have been terrible. We would have to reach an agreement with God based on our behavior. Shouldn’t it be fair, and then God could bless us? This is the later “law covenant.” But in the “Abrahamic covenant,” Abraham was asleep.
So, God executed the covenant He made with Abraham: “I will bless you; I do not look at your behavior.” Right? You see, Abraham also made serious mistakes, didn’t he? Did God punish him? This is the covenant of grace.
Later, when Abraham’s descendants, the present-day Israelites, were working hard and suffering, I don’t know if they cried out or what, but now they cried out to God. Then God began to remember His covenant with Abraham. So, the current “covenant” between God and the Israelites is the “covenant of grace” of Abraham. Amen!
God does not look at their behavior to save them. Just think about it, if God looked at the behavior of the Israelites, how was their behavior? It was not just bad; it was terrible. You see, when Moses first went, didn’t he say, “God told me to bring you out of Egypt, the land of slavery. Aren’t you suffering? God has said to bring you out of here.” The Israelites were quite happy, right? Immediately, Pharaoh found out and said, “Oh, this group of people still has time to think nonsense? Increase their burdens! Let them make bricks and find straw themselves!” Do you remember this?
Then their hard labor became very heavy, right? Immediately, the Israelites began to complain: “Moses, you are just a ‘bad omen’; since you came, our burdens have become heavier. Why haven’t you saved us?”
You see, this is the behavior of the Israelites. Their behavior was so bad. Then, after they left Egypt, was there no threat? Shouldn’t their behavior have improved? What happened? They complained every few days. Several times they almost wanted to kill Moses. This is the kind of people they are, yet God made a covenant with such a group of people. That is the “Abrahamic covenant.”
So, God does not remember the behavior of these people; He remembers the “covenant” He made with Abraham! Amen!
It is precisely this “covenant” that God wants to save these people from suffering. This is called “the Exodus.”
When He saved them, the holiday was called “Passover.”
So, brothers and sisters, the tenth plague is the “plague of the firstborn,” right? If you do not put the lamb's blood on your door, your firstborn will surely die. Isn’t it? This is a very important point. So today we see that the reason the Israelites were able to preserve their lives was that they put the lamb's blood on their doorposts and lintels. If there was no blood, they would all die!
Suppose there was an Israelite who said, “I am very devout; I pray three times a day. I confess my sins every day; I think my behavior is good enough; I don’t need to put the lamb's blood on.” May I ask, will he die? He is the firstborn; as long as he does not put the lamb's blood on, he will definitely die. Because according to your behavior, it is too far off. But if you put the lamb's blood on your door, your life will be preserved. Amen! Because this is God's method of redemption.
Brothers and sisters, is there any other method besides this? No. So, who does the lamb refer to in the New Testament? That’s right, He is our Lord Jesus Christ. There is no salvation except through Jesus Christ. Amen! Apart from the blood of Jesus Christ, no other blood can atone for our sins. This is very important for us.
Let’s think about this: on that night, many homes had a special mark on their doors. What was it? Was it brushed on with hyssop? Brothers and sisters, do you know that our Chinese Spring Festival has a very similar aspect? Why do we “paste Spring Festival couplets”?
Some people say, “Oh, it probably has nothing to do with this.” But at first, it was indeed blood. Later, it was pasted with red paper. Chinese people are particularly “smart”; apart from the Jews, Chinese people are the smartest, with very strong cognitive abilities. Later, people found that pasting red paper didn’t look good, so they wrote with a brush. Later, it became more and more absurd. Now, you see, what do most Spring Festival couplets say? Most of them are about seeking wealth. So this has deviated a lot from the original intention that God wanted to give us.
Do you know that China was once called “the land of the gods”? In fact, China used to be a country that worshiped God. Later, the central meaning deviated more and more severely. The reason I say there is over ninety percent similarity is that today I will share some with you, and the rest, you need to ponder yourself.
For example, it mentions “the Feast of Unleavened Bread.” The Feast of Unleavened Bread must be completed before the Exodus. Today is “New Year’s Eve.” On “New Year’s Eve,” we Chinese have a characteristic: we must do a “big cleaning.” We clean our homes thoroughly. Why do we clean at this time? Some say it is to welcome the New Year. In fact, in the past, this was to sweep away all the filth from the past; this is the “Feast of Unleavened Bread.”
The Israelites had to do this before celebrating the Feast of Unleavened Bread. They had to remove all leaven from their homes. After cleaning, they would eat unleavened bread and celebrate this holiday. From the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month until the evening of the twenty-first day. Let’s think about this; I will share more similar things with you later.
Why do we eat dumplings tonight? Why do we eat dumplings? Okay, let me solve this mystery for you. Today is the twenty-ninth; sometimes it is the twenty-ninth, sometimes it is the thirtieth; anyway, it is “New Year’s Eve.” On “New Year’s Eve,” we have to make dumplings at home, right? How many families make vegetarian dumplings? Let’s start from the “Passover” in the Bible.
On the night of “Passover,” the Israelites painted the lamb's blood on the door, right? What were they doing inside the door? They were eating roasted lamb. What else were they eating? Unleavened bread. And what else? Bitter herbs. Right?
The scripture in 12:8-9 says, “That night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Do not eat it raw or boiled in water, but roast it over the fire, with the head, legs, and internal organs.”
It must be eaten roasted. Just think about this: on that night, in each Israelite home, there was one lamb roasting over the fire, with bitter herbs and unleavened bread, right? Unleavened bread is actually a large flatbread. Now you can imagine this scene: holding the unleavened bread, taking a bite, a bite of lamb, a bite of bitter herbs. I mentioned earlier that we Chinese are very “smart”; we can learn to “combine”: unleavened bread, vegetables, and meat, all together, and it becomes dumplings.
Why must we eat “meat dumplings” that day? In the past, no matter how poor the family was, on the last night of the year, they had to eat “meat dumplings.” Why? Many people don’t know why they must eat “meat dumplings.” They say, “I look forward to the New Year because I can eat meat.” Wrong! It’s not that the New Year allows you to eat meat, but that day, our heritage tells us we must eat meat. But no one knows why we must eat meat. The reason is here; the answer is here: because the meat of that lamb represents Jesus Christ, who gave His body to us to strengthen us. The Psalms tell us specifically: when they left Egypt, not one of them was weak. Because they ate the meat of the lamb.
Exodus 12:13 “The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.”
Is it safe inside the house? Safe, right? So when you eat the lamb’s meat inside the house, you are to be strengthened, to gain strength, to be restored. Because you are first in safety, Amen! If there is no lamb's blood outside the door, may I ask, can you be safe while eating lamb’s meat at home?
Think about what kind of day that night was?
Throughout Egypt, there were cries of wailing. If you were eating meat inside the house, could you feel, “Oh, I am so joyful; I have no feeling at all”? If you did not put the lamb's blood on, there would definitely be cries in your house, right? So this is too important for us.
This blood was the redemption of the Israelites at that time; without the blood, there would definitely be death in the house. But with this blood, their lives were preserved. Amen! So that night, God was going to pass through Egypt. You can metaphorically say that the “destroying angel” came to the door of this house. When the angel saw that the doorposts and lintels were already marked with the lamb's blood, at that moment, what would the “destroying angel” do? The angel would pass over.
Why pass over? Because He saw the blood.
In fact, what does this blood represent? In the eyes of the angel, in the eyes of God, is this blood the “blood of the lamb”? In the spiritual realm, it is like this: we see blood, right? But in the spiritual realm, when the “destroying angel” comes to this house and sees the lamb's blood, the angel sees that it has already been judged. Amen!
Because this lamb has already been judged, this family does not need to be judged again. When the angel goes to another house and finds nothing on the doorposts and lintels, the angel will go in to judge the firstborn. So who is this “lamb”? Jesus Christ.
Is Jesus Christ the firstborn? Yes, He is the firstborn! He died for our sins, so when the destroying angel sees that He has already been killed, we do not need to die; your firstborn does not need to die. Amen!
So, in this regard, is God fair? Is He just? God is very willing to give us His grace and His life, but because we carry sin, we are in the identity of sinners, we cannot bear God’s blessings. But God does not want us to die; what should He do? God uses this method; in fact, in God’s eyes, He has already judged everyone. Amen! Has He already judged?
God has already judged all of Egypt; it’s just that when He comes to the door with the lamb's blood, He says: “Oh, I have already judged this house.” Because Jesus Christ has already died for them. So He goes to the next house. Amen! In this way, is God’s justice equal? Even if Pharaoh is unconvinced, God says: “Did you see? My son has already died for them.” At this moment, doesn’t Pharaoh have nothing to say? For those who do not believe, if they do not accept Jesus, they will have to bear the consequences of being killed. Hallelujah! So the blood of the lamb is the redemption for all who believe in Jesus Christ! Is the blood of Jesus our redemption? If Jesus did not shed blood, we would have to shed blood and sacrifice, and we would have to bear our own sins.
So, at that dusk, did the Israelites have to kill the lamb? In fact, it was on the afternoon of “Passover” that Jesus Christ died. When all the Israelites were celebrating “Passover,” at nine o’clock in the morning, they offered a lamb, and at three o’clock in the afternoon, the last lamb was killed, and it was over.
Do you see the spiritual significance? In the Old Testament, they were slaughtering lambs from nine in the morning until three in the afternoon. After three o’clock in the afternoon, this matter was over. Jesus Christ was hung on the cross at nine in the morning, and at three o’clock in the afternoon, it was finished. And from that time on, they entered into the preparation for the celebration of “Passover.” They did not know that the true lamb was Jesus Christ, who had already been offered between heaven and earth. Amen! He is the Son of God, who has been offered for our sins. Hallelujah!
So today, if we celebrate the Spring Festival without knowing this significance, it is actually a bit regrettable. This is too important for us. So you can ask people around you during the New Year: “Do you know why we celebrate the New Year? Do you know why we do a big cleaning? Do you know why we paste Spring Festival couplets? Do you know why we eat dumplings?” If they don’t know, you can say, “Let me tell you.” Jesus will be spread out. Amen!
Let’s continue.
“Passover,” in fact, “the blood of the lamb” is the key. Right? If there is no “blood of the lamb,” it is no longer called “Passover.” Let’s look at a passage of scripture.
Exodus chapter 12, verse 2, “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year.”
This month is the “first month.” Why is the “first month” at this time? Sometimes it is in February, sometimes in March, and at the latest, sometimes in April. Why is the “first month” so unstable? In China, we need to know how the “first month” came about, right? Why isn’t the “first month” on January 1st? That would be great.
Why is it placed in the middle? Many people do not know what the “first month” is, so we can now ask them, “Do you know what ‘first month’ means, and why does it appear?” They still don’t know, and you say, “Okay, let me tell you.” There must be a topic for the New Year; otherwise, what are we doing together? Okay, let’s see, God said to them: “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year.”
Our lunar New Year, in the eyes of us Chinese, is the beginning of a new year, right? So spiritually, God wants to tell the Israelites: I do not remember your days in Egypt. I do not remember the history of Egypt. Today I want to rescue you from here, and this month, you are to replace the world’s calendar with a new calendar. Amen!
What does this mean? When you believe in Jesus, your days are different from the past. From the day you believe in Jesus, God begins to count your days. Amen! What does this mean for us? It is too important. God does not remember the past days; through the blood of the lamb, has everything passed? From that day on, God begins to count your days.
From the day you believe in Jesus, every little work you do for Jesus, God must record it for you. For example, today someone comes to our church, and someone serves him a cup of hot water; will God remember? God will definitely record this matter in detail and reward you. Because your days are no longer the same.
From the day you believe in Jesus, your days are no longer calculated according to the days of this world. Spiritually, God has given you a new beginning. Amen! Just like today, after today, tomorrow is the beginning of a new year. Everything starts to be counted anew. Amen! From the day you accept Jesus, through the blood of Jesus, everything about you has been renewed! Hallelujah! Everything has been renewed!
So, 2 Corinthians 5:17, “5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
Before the “Passover,” what was the identity of the Israelites? That’s right, they were slaves. After the “Passover”? They were free. Hallelujah! Just like us, before believing in Jesus, what was our identity? The identity of “sinners.” After believing in Jesus, after the blood of Jesus has covered you, you become the identity of “righteous.” Amen!
In the past, we were under the control of sin and death. After believing in Jesus, you become a “new person.” Everything about you is taken care of by God. Amen! Before they left Egypt, they had to take responsibility for their own lives every day. After leaving Egypt, God began to take responsibility for everything about them. Hallelujah!
So, when we understand this, all these changes happen because of the blood of the lamb. Just think about it: that night, if there was no “blood of the lamb,” would there also be death among the Israelites? But because they had the “blood of the lamb,” there was no death among them.
This means that our “redemption” actually starts with the “blood of the lamb.” When you accept Jesus, you say: “Lord, I believe that Jesus Christ shed His precious blood for me, He died, and on the third day He rose from the dead. I believe He has accomplished this work.” Then you are saved.
As a saved person, remember, outside your door, there is the “blood of the lamb.” Now let’s think about this: can the people inside the house see the “blood of the lamb”? They cannot see it. Because it is outside the door. Who is it for? It is for God to see. Amen!
So this is why many people do not understand this part and say: “You say the blood of Jesus has covered all my sins, washed away all my sins; how did it wash? Jesus died two thousand years ago, and I am believing now; how did it wash? Tell me.”
In fact, you cannot see this matter because it is not for you to see. If that night you were disobedient and the blood was painted outside the door, but you insisted on going out to see the blood, wondering why you wouldn’t die. Remember, the Bible says: “No one should go out.” What happens if you go out? You will die.
So, that blood is not for you to see. Who sees it? God sees it. So you say: “When I accepted Jesus, I said I was willing to accept Jesus, but I didn’t find any change.” But in God’s eyes, you are already different! This is the fact. This blood is not for us to see; this blood is for God to see. When He sees this blood, He passes over! Amen!
Why do we stay up on New Year’s Eve? Today I want to unlock many mysteries about why we stay up on New Year’s Eve. On this night, right? People do not sleep, staying up late. Staying up until dawn. Why do we stay up? What do we stay up for? Let’s look at a passage of scripture.
Exodus chapter 12, verse 11, “You must eat the lamb with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover.”
Well, the Israelites were all dressed and ready to eat, right? We do not know the reason, so what do we do? That night, we also stay up late; even if I am sleepy, I won’t sleep; I will stay up until dawn. You just don’t know why you are staying up. Many people say, “Let’s play cards. Let’s play mahjong together. Let’s chat. I won’t sleep; I will stay up until dawn.”
Why? Some say, “If I sleep until dawn, the New Year will not be good.” In fact, it is the same; even if you sleep until dawn, it is the same. Right? Because you don’t know its meaning.
Today, we see why the Israelites did not sleep that night. Because they were about to “leave Egypt”! So they did not sleep, right? So when we stay up on New Year’s Eve, you need to know one thing: you need to return to the source. That is to say, that night was not a night for sleeping; it was “New Year”—a change of identity; it was a new beginning, a day when everything would be renewed. It was a day for you to escape your past curses, death, and sin.
So you do not sleep because you are about to welcome freedom. Amen! That is why you do not sleep; otherwise, you say we do not know this matter; we stay up, wasting time; you might as well sleep.
Brothers and sisters, we must return to the Bible to unlock these things. After unlocking, we will find that celebrating the New Year is very meaningful, and the meaning here is very important for us.
All who believe in Jesus, after they left Egypt, were they not freed? Moreover, God began to supply them. Just as you believed in Jesus, from that moment on, you entered into Christ. Amen! Jesus said He is the “door.” He Himself is a “door.” Those who enter through this “door” will have eternal life. He is the “door.” Don’t forget, He is also the firstborn. He died for our sins, right? So we enter through this “door.” The blood of Jesus Christ has tightly protected us! Hallelujah!
So the devil cannot surpass the blood of Jesus. God’s judgment, also because of the blood of Jesus, has achieved His justice. Brothers and sisters, remember, no matter how powerful the devil is, in the face of the blood of the lamb, he has no power to resist. Amen. This is the reason. So for us, celebrating the New Year is very meaningful. Through this day, we can return to the presence of Jesus Christ.
Today, for those of us who are in Christ, for example, today, the blood of the lamb has already been applied to the door; how should the people inside the door live? Should they live in pain? Or should they live joyfully? That’s right; this is the two kinds of lives of Christians. But do you know why many Christians live in fear and anxiety every day? Because they are uncertain about the blood of the lamb.
Let’s think about this question: suppose you are one of the firstborns, and you have already applied the blood of the lamb, but you hear the cries throughout Egypt, so you are also afraid and say, “Does that thing really work?” If you think this way, may I ask, can you eat the lamb’s meat with peace of mind? Are you afraid and worried? You might say, “If the ‘destroying angel’ comes in, then I will die, right?” Brothers and sisters, today I give you two reasons; no matter what the result is, don’t struggle or worry, because it is of no use.
First, let’s look at the first situation:
Suppose this person’s door does not have the lamb's blood on it; he is the firstborn, and he is worried inside the house. May I ask, when the “destroying angel” comes in, can he use his own strength to fight the angel? Can he? Absolutely impossible; in an instant, he would die, right? You have no power to resist! So why worry? Isn’t worrying useless? So don’t worry.
The second situation: if you have already applied the blood of the lamb, if you are still worried, it is actually unnecessary. Have you noticed? Because the angel cannot come in at all. Even if the angel comes in, you cannot stop it; so why worry? Just believe in God’s word; if God says to apply the blood of the lamb, I will pass over, then after you apply it, just believe in the power of that blood; the efficacy of the blood is absolutely great. Amen!
Today we are all protected by the precious blood of Jesus Christ. Why do you worry? Why do you fear? So you should enjoy the lamb’s meat with peace of mind. Amen! This is what we should do. You say, “But I heard such miserable cries outside.” What does that have to do with you? Doesn’t it have anything to do with you? You cannot let your heart be “twisted” just because you see the environment like this; what are you “twisting” for? That has nothing to do with you, right? Whoever believes will be saved.
If you have such certainty about the precious blood of Jesus Christ, then you will not worry. Amen! Does the blood of Jesus have efficacy today? Yes! You should be at ease! God will supply you with everything. Hallelujah! So don’t worry, brothers and sisters. God will supply everything. Jesus is still alive today; as long as He is alive, remember, today our “covenant” is effective. In the past, the covenant God made with the Israelites was this “blood covenant.” It means that when you apply the lamb's blood as a sign on the door, I will not go in to kill you.
So today, what do we, the “New Covenant,” rely on for God to remember us? Didn’t we just read the scripture? You see, Exodus chapter 2, verses 23-24 says, when the Israelites prayed to God, God remembered His covenant with Abraham. (“After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”)
So today, why are you sure that God will surely listen to your prayers? Many people are not sure and say, “Lord, I have sinned again these days; I feel that You will not listen to my prayers.” On what basis do you have such a conclusion? Or today you say, “I believe that as long as I pray, God will surely listen.” What is your basis? In fact, it is the “covenant” made with the blood of the lamb, with the blood of Jesus Christ.
Since we just said that the blood of the lamb on the door has such great certainty, then the true lamb is Jesus Christ. When the blood of Jesus Christ was shed for us, God made a “New Covenant” with us. Right? Do you remember the night of “Passover”? Jesus took the cup and said, “This is my blood, which is poured out for you. I will establish a ‘New Covenant’ with you.” (“Luke 22:20 In the same way, after the supper, he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.’”) Amen!
The blood of Jesus is still effective to this day. Amen! So when you pray to God, please remember: no matter what you pray for, whether you sigh to God, plead, or pray, remember, God will fulfill your prayers! He does not remember your cries; He does not remember your fasting; He does not remember how much you suffer; He remembers the “covenant” He made with Jesus Christ.
In this way, do you have certainty? Because this “covenant” is still effective today! Because Jesus is still alive. Amen! As long as He is alive, this “covenant” is eternally effective. Hallelujah!
So we should not worry anymore. When you pray, God does not remember how painfully you pray; God remembers the “covenant” He made with Jesus Christ.
Jesus is our “peace offering” between us and God; Jesus is our “mediator” between us and God; Jesus is our “atoning sacrifice” between us and God. Why does the Bible emphasize this? It is to tell you: when you pray, God will surely listen. He wants to tell you not to worry, not to worry blindly; just rejoice and praise at home, and go eat the lamb’s meat. Amen! Don’t be fearful; what’s the point of that? You are about to leave Egypt; how should you be? You should be joyful. It is time to break free from the control of sin! It is time to be free from the bondage of the devil! Amen!
So when we understand the “covenant” of the “blood of the lamb,” when each of us has this certainty in our hearts, your life will be different. Amen! Here, God tells the Israelites to prepare the lamb: “You must prepare a lamb for each household.” Each household prepares one. Why not one for each person? Because God’s salvation is that He wants your whole family to be saved. Amen! God does not want to see you leave Egypt while your son is still stuck in Egypt. This is not the result God wants to see. Amen!
God wants to see that one day in heaven, your whole family is there. Amen! So God says, “One lamb for each household.” So if there is one believer in your family, that lamb has already been brought in, Amen! What do you need to do? Use your method to pray for them.
Let them come and eat the lamb’s meat with you! Amen! Isn’t this interesting? This is called “spreading the gospel.” You let them come and enjoy the lamb’s meat with you. Hallelujah! God wants us to be saved as families because if the whole family is saved, your home will often be filled with the joy of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!
That “Passover lamb” was killed. Then, at the end, God said: “Do not eat it raw; you must eat it roasted.” Have you ever thought about why it cannot be eaten “boiled,” but must be eaten “roasted”? Why? That’s right; it is about to depart. But why can’t it be boiled? I used to ask others, and they said, “Roasted lamb is delicious.”
In fact, that’s not the case at all. Where do we need to go to see this? You need to look at Leviticus. In Leviticus, during the “sin offering” and “burnt offering,” it is written very clearly: if you have sinned, you bring a lamb to the priest, and then you lay your hands on the head of the lamb, saying, “All my sins are laid on this lamb.” Then the priest hands you a knife, and you cut the lamb’s throat, letting its blood flow out, and the priest collects the blood in a basin.
Isn’t this lamb filled with your sins? It is now the representative of your sins, right? Where did this lamb go? That’s right; this lamb was placed on the bronze altar, where it was burned to ashes. So, the meaning of “roasted” represents “God’s fiery judgment.” Amen!
When it is “Passover,” God says, “You must not eat it boiled; you must eat it roasted.” When Jesus Christ was on the cross, He accepted God’s “fiery judgment.” Amen! After accepting the “fiery judgment,” He died for us.
So, do you remember what He said on the cross? “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” Do you remember? Why couldn’t He call “Heavenly Father” at that time? Do you remember? That was the only time Jesus referred to our “Heavenly Father” as “My God.” At other times, He always called Him “Father, Heavenly Father.”
Why couldn’t He call Him “Heavenly Father” at that time? Because it is simple; He is the “sin offering lamb.” Amen! At that moment, He was being roasted over the fire; God’s fiery wrath was being poured out on Him. He was bearing the sins of all humanity. Amen!
So at that moment, sinners had no right to call the Creator of the universe “Abba, Father.” They had no right to call Him that. So Jesus could only say, “My God, my God.” After He fully bore the wrath of our Heavenly Father, He said one word: “It is finished.” Right? What is finished? He absorbed all the punishment onto Himself. Amen! In other words, at that moment, He shed all His blood, forgiving all our sins. So, after God forsook Him, today we have the right to call our Heavenly Father “Abba, Father.”
This is an “exchange,” brothers and sisters. If there were no “cross lamb,” which is our Jesus Christ bearing our sins, we would have no right to call Him “Heavenly Father.” Amen! So this is the meaning of “roasted.” This is too important for us.
So today, the complete lamb, Jesus Christ, on the cross, He offered His entire body for us, accepting the “fiery punishment” of the Heavenly Father. Finally, He died. After He died, our sins were forgiven. Amen! This is the true form during “Passover.” So you need to see Jesus in the festival.
If you only celebrate the festival, it is meaningless. But if you see what Jesus has done for you during the festival, then this festival is effective. It has very significant meaning.
Finally, I want to tell you that in the Old Testament, God strictly forbade, saying: “Do not eat the blood of any animal.” Why can’t you eat it? The Bible tells us that blood represents life because life is in the blood. So you should not eat it; you should pour out the blood, right? In the “New Testament,” the only blood that God allows us to eat, do you know what it is? The blood of Jesus Christ.
God does not want you to eat the blood of animals, but He wants you to eat the blood of Jesus Christ. This entity is the “Holy Communion.” Amen! This is too important, brothers and sisters. Why did Jesus give the “Holy Communion” to the disciples in the New Testament? Wasn’t it on the night of “Passover”? That’s right! Jesus took the bread and said, “This is my body, given for you.” It brings us healing. Amen!
Then after the meal, He took the cup and said, “This is my blood, poured out for you. Drink from it, all of you!” Hallelujah! You should not eat the blood of animals; you should eat the blood of Jesus Christ. This blood can give you life. The blood of animals cannot give you life. So God wants us to eat things that have life. Hallelujah!
“Passover” is to commemorate our Jesus Christ. I hope our brothers and sisters can remember our Jesus Christ through this day during the Spring Festival. Amen! The blood of the lamb is not only the basis for salvation but also the guarantee of your salvation! The blood of Jesus is still effective today, so your salvation should be secure.
Since God has already judged His firstborn, He cannot judge those who are in Christ anymore. Just like the destroying angel, when he sees the lamb's blood on the door, he cannot go in to kill the firstborn. Because his sins have already been forgiven. Today, God sees you the same way. In God’s eyes, you are His beloved child. Because His Son has died for your sins, God no longer remembers your sins. Amen!
In this festival, we want to remember everything our Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross. Hallelujah!
As for the rest, brothers and sisters can ponder it themselves. There are still many things here, especially during the New Year, there are many rituals that can actually be found in “Passover.” For example, why do we set off firecrackers? Why do we bless each other during the New Year?
When the Israelites met that night, how did they say, “Oh! Thank God, you are still alive!” If they didn’t see each other, wouldn’t they be dead? Right? So that was a joyful day. When we celebrate the New Year, on the first day of the New Year, what do we say? “Happy New Year!” In fact, going back to the beginning, we are saying: “Oh, it’s so good to be alive!” Isn’t it? Because that dangerous day has passed. Because that dangerous day has passed, we call it “celebrating the New Year.” Amen!
In the past, didn’t we Chinese say that “Nian” is a very fierce “beast”? So that night, if we passed, we would be joyful and praise together! “It has passed.”
If you do not return to the Bible, do you know what that “beast” is? In fact, it is the “destroying angel.” Amen! So I just want to point out a little bit of this beginning; you can ponder it specifically. There are many rituals that are completely the same as our current New Year celebrations. Hallelujah!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Today, as we celebrate the “Spring Festival,” we want to look at “Passover.” Because “Passover” is “the redemption of the lamb's blood.” We also want to think about the redemption of Jesus Christ on this day, during this festival.
Because of Your blood, we are in Christ today. Because of Your blood, all my sins have been forgiven. Because of Your precious blood, God has completely accepted me today. So I can call my God “Heavenly Father,” and I can believe that when I pray, God will surely listen.
Because God remembers not my actions, but remembers the “covenant” You made with us, Jesus Christ. You are our “mediator,” You are our “atoning sacrifice,” You are our “intercessor.” So I believe that when I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, God will surely listen. Because there is a “covenant” between me and the Heavenly Father. This is the “covenant” made with the blood of Jesus Christ.
I also believe that the blood of Jesus is the guarantee of my salvation. Because this blood is still effective to this day, I believe that I am also secure in Christ. Even if the world is turbulent, I will still have peace in Christ. Even if the world is filled with cries, I will still have supply and life in Christ. Because I am in You, You are my supplier of everything, and I thank You for this.
Lord Jesus, grant us wisdom and eloquence, so that we can share You with those around us. Let them truly understand the meaning of “celebrating the New Year.” Let them remember and know Jesus Christ during this festival. Thank and praise You. All glory be to You. We pray in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen!