92-The Blood of the Passover Lamb#
92-The Blood of the Passover Lamb
(JP Text Group - Clear as Water Compilation)
Exodus Chapter 12:1-14
1The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt: 2"This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. 3Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. 4If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. 5The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect. You may take them from the sheep or the goats. 6Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.
7Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. 8That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. 9Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over the fire, with the head, legs, and internal organs. 10Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. 11This is how you are to eat it: 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. 12On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn—both people and animals—and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.
13The 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. 14"This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD—a lasting ordinance.
Let us begin with a prayer:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise you for your grace. Through the Passover, we reflect once again on the grace that Jesus Christ has given us. Because the Passover is closely related to our Spring Festival, we wish to understand the Passover; you are the Passover Lamb, prepared by God for us. Here today, we reflect on what Jesus Christ has done for us, so that we may gain strength and power once again. Bless every brother and sister who seeks you. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen!
The topic of the sharing is:The Blood of the Passover Lamb
The Spring Festival is coming soon. Do you know the origin of the Spring Festival? Why do we celebrate the Spring Festival? When I was in college, one time during the New Year, an Australian friend asked me if I could tell him why you celebrate the New Year. At that moment, my mind was racing, and I finally remembered a legend: during the New Year, there was a very terrifying monster called "Nian," also known as the "Year Beast." On this day, this beast would enter the village to eat people and harm livestock. To protect their children or family from death, everyone would hide in their homes on that day, because going outside could lead to being killed or eaten. Is this the version you have heard? What does it refer to?
In fact, there are quite a few connections between the Passover and the Spring Festival. Let me take a moment to share with you how the blood of the Passover Lamb relates to us. The Bible records that during the Passover, God told the people of Israel not to leave their houses but to stay inside. What would happen if they went out into the streets? They would die. So, do not let your firstborn go out, and do not let your livestock run outside; stay at home. Were we also staying at home during that time? Actually, before the Passover, there was another festival called the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which represents sin in the Bible.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread occurs before the Passover. The people of Israel, including today, do one thing: they take out all the pots and pans from their homes and wash them clean by the river. Then they start cleaning the house, removing all leavened items, which is called the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Before the New Year, I believe you have started doing this: cleaning the house.
It is not just a simple cleaning as in the past; during this time, many people start to clean everything thoroughly to have a clean New Year. In fact, they do not know that this practice comes from the Bible, from God. Thank the Lord!
During the New Year, we hang couplets. Why do we hang couplets? Christians, although we cannot claim to know everything or possess wisdom like Solomon, who knows the heavens and the earth, we should at least be able to explain to others why we celebrate the New Year.
Today's sermon is in the form of a story, which is a rare occurrence throughout the year. You can listen to it like a story. Why am I sharing it this way? Because during the New Year, I hope you can share this message like a story with your friends and family. You can also ask them, do you know why we celebrate the New Year? They might say they don't know; they just follow what others do.
This comes from the Bible. You can ask them, do you know why we hang couplets? They might say they don't know; everyone else does it, so we do it too. You can say this comes from our Bible, because at that time, the people of Israel were slaves in Egypt for 430 years. God said, I will save you from Egypt, I will rescue you, and you will no longer be slaves; you will become free people under my grace.
At that time, when Moses was sent to rescue the people of Israel, Pharaoh of Egypt was unwilling. Pharaoh represents the king of the world because Egypt was the most powerful nation at that time. He was unwilling to let this group of God's people go, so God sent down the ten plagues recorded in Exodus.
Did Pharaoh fear the first nine plagues? Yes, he was afraid, but he still would not let the people go. What was the last plague? The death of the firstborn. Brothers and sisters, this has very important spiritual significance, which tells us that many disasters in this world cannot make Satan compromise. But what does the devil fear the most? The blood of Jesus Christ. Before the blood of Jesus Christ, the devil has no power to resist. When he saw his firstborn die, he said: "You can go! Go as far as you want!" We were also saved in this way; God used the blood of His only Son to rescue us from the hands of the devil.
That night, God told the people of Israel in advance: Each household must take a male goat or male sheep, a year-old male without defect. What is the purpose of taking this lamb? To kill the lamb and take its blood and put it on the doorframe and the doorposts. Amen!
Where does our couplet come from? It comes from here. Some say hanging a couplet is festive! Why not use green? Some say hanging a couplet looks nice; why not just hang one? You can say it perfectly aligns with our Bible, Amen! Because God wants to see if the blood is on the doorframe. If it is on the doorframe, when the angel of death comes, he will pass over that house, and the firstborn and livestock will be saved because of that blood. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, it is precisely for this reason that one very important thing during the Spring Festival is to hang couplets on New Year's Eve, and then celebrate the New Year at home, and also stay up late. Why stay up late? That night, God said to the people of Israel: You will eat lamb tonight, but do not sleep; you must have your belt fastened, your shoes on your feet, and eat quickly, because after you finish eating, you will leave here. You will no longer be slaves; you will become my glorious people.
That night, we also stayed up late, but many people do not understand why they stay up. Is it just to watch the Spring Festival Gala? Many people do not feel it is worthwhile. However, people still try to stay awake, stay awake... They do not know that this is to reflect on God's mighty salvation. Many people do not realize that during this Spring Festival, they can tell others the true reason.
At twilight, the whole community of Israel slaughtered the lamb. This lamb refers to Jesus Christ in the New Testament. Who killed Jesus Christ? It was the Jews. Pontius Pilate said, we found no basis for a charge against this man. But the people of Israel said, crucify him, crucify him; he must be crucified. Therefore, it was this group of people who crucified the lamb, which is the true lamb, Jesus Christ.
In the Old Testament, we have talked about many things that are just foreshadows, like shadows, like pictures. In the New Testament, there will always be a real entity. The Passover lamb in the Old Testament refers to our Jesus Christ in the New Testament. For our sake, Jesus Christ was rejected by this group of people and was slaughtered by them.
Each household must take some blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. When Jesus Christ was crucified, it was for our sins to be forgiven. When Jesus Christ was crucified, because of the blood He shed, God no longer judges us. Just like in this text, when God sees the blood, He will pass over that house; it is not about how good the behavior of the family is; God does not look at them but at the blood. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, this is the Passover. The meaning of Passover is to pass over, to skip over, which means God no longer judges you, no longer punishes you; He passes over you, skips over you, because of the blood. Hallelujah!
The first point to share: The blood on the door is the only way to be saved.
Brothers and sisters, God told the people of Israel: you must take some of the lamb's blood and put it on the doorframe and the doorposts. God is very clear; if an Egyptian sees the Israelites doing this and asks, why are you doing this? What are you doing? Why put blood on the door?
The Israelites would say, because our God is going to kill all the firstborn tonight; if there is no blood on the door, his firstborn and the firstborn of the livestock will die. If that Egyptian hears this and does the same thing, will the firstborn in that Egyptian's house die? No, Amen! What does God care about? He does not say, you are a Jew, and he is an Egyptian, a detestable Egyptian, so he has no right to be saved. I see you are a Jew, and he is an Egyptian; God does not distinguish based on this. The only reason God distinguishes is to see if there is blood on your door.
He does not look at the behavior of the person inside the house. If there is a firstborn in an Israelite family who is very afraid of dying, and his brothers provoke him, saying, you are going to die tonight, what happens? This firstborn gets very angry and beats his brothers. Will he die? Will God say, do not think that because the door is covered with blood, I will spare you; you dared to hit your brother, so I will kill you first? Will this happen? No, are you sure? You must know that God does not look at the behavior of the person inside the house; God looks at whether there is blood on the door.
Look at an important word in this text, Exodus 12:13, When I see the blood, I will pass over you.
Let me ask, is the blood of the cattle and sheep for the firstborn to see?
Brothers and sisters, you must remember that this truth is very important; this blood is not for the firstborn to see; it is for God to see! At that time, where was the firstborn? The firstborn was inside the house, and the blood was outside the door. So the firstborn could not see the blood; it is not for the firstborn to see; it is for God to see. Whether God judges this family depends on whether there is blood. Amen!
This blood is for God to see, not for the firstborn to see. The blood is on the outside, on the doorframe or doorposts; the firstborn cannot see it, but God will see this blood. When He sees the blood, the firstborn will be saved, and he will not perish. This firstborn may not know how powerful this blood is, but God knows. Just like us, the blood of Jesus Christ is not for you to see; it is for God to see.
When you believe in the Lord Jesus, believing that His precious blood has forgiven your sins, God says, When I see the blood of my Son, I will forgive you. This is a very important truth. You may not understand how powerful this precious blood is, but God knows. God knows that the power of this precious blood lasts forever, just like that night when the blood was on the door; how long does it take to dry? Does it dry quickly? But did God say, if the blood in this house dries up, it does not count? That would not happen! The power of the blood remains.
Does the power of the blood of Jesus Christ last forever? So, you may not see this precious blood, but its power is always there. If you do not understand this truth, you might think, Jesus Christ died two thousand years ago; how can that save me? How did this blood come out?
Why does it still have power today? It is because this blood is not for you to see; it is for God to see. Two thousand years ago, God saw you today. When He saw His Son shed precious blood on the cross, that power is effective in your life. You are in Jesus Christ; you may not see this blood, but God sees it. Hallelujah!
God says when He sees this blood, He will pass over. This family will no longer die! Amen! You must remember, this is good news about Jesus Christ. If there is no blood, what would happen to this family? That night, almost all the Egyptians were crying out! From the king to the servant, as long as there was no blood on the door, they were struck down!
No firstborn was spared. Because of the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the blood of the lamb, you have the guarantee of eternal salvation. Hallelujah! This blood is what we should focus on; we should focus on this blood because God looks at this blood, not at us. The blood of the lamb is the key. Amen! You may say you are the best person in the world, but if you do not rely on the precious blood of Jesus Christ, you still cannot be saved.
If a self-righteous Jew says, "I perform well! I have always loved God; I do not need to put blood on the doorframe or doorposts like others. I have a better way for God." He kills many sheep, and the blood of the lamb is put in the bathtub, and he soaks himself in it. Will he die? Will he die? Yes!
You must remember, it is not about how much blood you have to be saved; it is not about how little blood he has to be saved because it has nothing to do with that. God's method is that you only need to put blood on the doorframe or doorposts. If you think of various other methods, God will not accept them. Even if you soak your whole family in blood, you will still die. Because God does not use that method of salvation. Amen!
Speaking of salvation, in Acts 4, it is very clear: Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. This means that apart from believing in Jesus Christ and believing that His precious blood has saved you, you cannot find any other way to be saved! This is the only method God has established for us to be saved, and this method of salvation has nothing to do with behavior, just like when God told the Israelites to put blood on the doorframe and doorposts; He does not care about the behavior of the person inside the house.
Let us look at a passage of scripture, Ephesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.
Do you see? Is this lamb's blood not prepared by God for the people of Israel? God said, with this method, you can be saved. When it comes to the New Testament, God personally gave His Son, allowing His Son to shed precious blood. This was accomplished two thousand years ago! What does God want us to do today? The only thing we need to do is to believe that His Son has done this! Because this is God's grace, and through our faith, we receive it!
God has already prepared everything; you just need to be willing to receive it! It is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. It does not depend on how you behave. Perhaps in the past, you often scolded others because they were once slaves? Your mouth was not clean. That night, God did not remember his sins because God does not look at that person; God looks at the blood. Amen!
Brothers and sisters, are you sure you are under the precious blood of Jesus Christ, and that God no longer judges you? Are you sure? Thank the Lord! You must believe and not let others' words shake your certainty of salvation. You see, today, many people always say, "Isn't it too easy to be saved? Besides believing in Jesus Christ, you must also have good behavior. If you do not have good behavior, even if you are saved now, because your behavior does not change, you will always be insulting God, so God will throw you into hell. If you sincerely repent, God will bring you back." Will such a situation occur?
Brothers and sisters, the Bible never says this (if it is not in the Bible, we do not need to guess or add to it). God did not say, "This firstborn in the house is more obedient, so the blood on the door is effective. This son is disobedient, so the blood does not work; I must kill him." Will this happen? No, because it has nothing to do with our behavior; this is the grace of Jesus Christ! It is His blood that cleanses us from all sin. Hallelujah!
God does not want you to look at yourself; He wants you to believe in what Jesus did for you on the cross. So, let you solely look up to the Lord Jesus, and your heart will have joy and peace. You do not know what God is doing outside, but you must believe because God's word has already said it! So, I believe I am under the protection of Jesus Christ; I am in His peace. Amen!
Perhaps you say you are not holy enough; God says I give you holiness. You say you have no righteousness; God says I give you my righteousness. Why? Because the blood of my Son has already been shed for you. Earlier, we talked about hanging couplets and staying up late. Why do we eat dumplings during the New Year?
Verse 8, That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast.
Look at the front; our fresh brothers and sisters may often eat like this. Shandong pancakes are also eaten this way. One hand holds an unleavened bread. What is unleavened bread? It is bread made from dead dough, just that simple. After taking a piece of bread, on one side is bitter herbs, and on the other side is lamb meat. Tear off a piece of lamb meat, then take this bitter herb, put it in the bread, roll it up, and eat it crunchily.
When we came to China, perhaps we started eating like this at first, but later we became smarter; this way of eating is too troublesome, so we directly wrapped it up and boiled it. Isn’t that more convenient? Thus, dumplings appeared. Isn’t that interesting?
In the past, during the New Year, no matter how poor the family was, they always tried every means to make some meat dumplings, right? I have unraveled this truth for you; in fact, you will find that many things in the world praise our God. Let me tell you a little more. God told the people of Israel not to boil the lamb but to roast it. However, we have changed it; we all boil it. In fact, God told the people of Israel, do not eat it raw or boiled; you must eat it roasted.
Have you ever thought about why it must be roasted?
Do not tell me that roasted lamb tastes better. In the Old Testament, including in the New Testament, God has two attributes: the first attribute is that He is full of grace, full of love, and slow to anger. Amen! At the same time, He is also a consuming fire and the Lord of judgment.
Do not think that just because He is full of love and grace today, He has lost the ability to judge. He is still a consuming fire and still the Lord of judgment; the sovereign of life is still in the hands of our God. When God deals with these evil things, He must execute judgment. This fire represents God's fierce judgment. What does this fire roast inside the house? It roasts the lamb, not the firstborn.
I have been mentioning that the lamb represents our Jesus Christ. God personally judged Jesus Christ when He was on the cross; God's angry fire and righteous judgment all fell upon His Son. It is precisely for this reason that the firstborn no longer has to die.
Every household of Israel was doing this, roasting the lamb, but they did not know that in the future, this entity would be Jesus. For our sake, so that we would not be killed, He died; He was judged by God! And it was a righteous judgment. There are many important scriptures in this, and it says,
Verse 10 says; Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it.
What does this represent? When Jesus Christ was on the cross, did He pay the full price for your sins? He has already paid it. If He had not paid it, Jesus could not have resurrected. This verse says, if you cannot eat it, do not leave it; you must burn it all. God's righteous anger has completely burned Jesus Christ. That is to say, all our sins have been paid in full! Hallelujah!!!
The Passover is so important. We Chinese have been celebrating the Spring Festival without knowing this important truth! This gospel must be spread through you! Amen! Like telling a story, isn’t it something they have never heard before? They do not know why they eat dumplings, why they hang couplets, or why they stay up late. They do not know. But now you know, because it is the blood of Jesus Christ; His flesh is always supplying us and protecting us.
It is precisely because this lamb has been roasted, and His blood has been applied to the outside of the door, that you are safe and at peace inside this house. You do not need to worry, even if you hear fear outside, why? The Egyptians are already crying.
The message you hear in church is different from the message you hear in the world. What is the message you hear in the world? It is the same Spring Festival; what are you chatting about with your relatives and friends? It is all about death, all negative information. When you see a brother, you might say, "Old Wang, are you still with your wife? It’s time to change, right? So-and-so has changed several times already..."
What good does this information bring to people? It is a message of death, a message of division. Or you might say, "Jin Jie, how much do you earn a month?" "Not much, only five thousand." Then someone says, "You only earn five thousand? My partner easily makes ten thousand a month." Another person says, "My husband does nothing; I don’t know what he is busy with every month, but he brings back several tens of thousands, at least twenty or thirty thousand." What will happen to these two people after hearing this? They will feel low.
They are comparing with each other. This information does not bring joy; it brings what? Jealousy, anger. Isn’t that right, brothers and sisters? This is often the case during the Spring Festival. Because there is really nothing else to talk about, they talk about this worldly information.
Just like today, when you are inside this house, you hear outside is a message of death. Others tell you that business is hard, that marital relationships are very difficult, that children are very disobedient, all kinds of negative information, messages of death are surrounding you. Just like the Egyptians are crying at home now. But do not believe all this, do not be afraid, do not worry, because these things will not come upon you. Because you have the supply of Jesus Christ; God is your guarantee. Hallelujah!
During the Spring Festival, bring some messages of life to others. God says; No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt, which means when I strike down the firstborn of the Egyptians, you do not need to worry. Do not see someone next to you fall, and then see another person next to you fall; do not worry.
Marriage, career, family, interpersonal relationships, all follow this principle. Your neighbor's family has fallen apart; they have mistresses and so on. Do not worry. Because Jesus Christ will guarantee your marriage. This is the message we need to believe because God is your constant supply and guarantee. You can also tell others that although they hate these people, they cannot change them. You tell them that Jesus Christ can change people's marriages, can change your career, can change your family, and can give you wisdom. What you need to do now is to come under the protection of Jesus Christ, just like us, and let Him supply you. Thank the Lord!
Now let me share the second point: The blood of the lamb spared them from being struck down, and they should rejoice and praise.
Let me share this in the form of a story; it is very interesting. Today we will meditate on how to meditate on God's grace and how we should live in God's supply. We are now only talking about salvation, specifically those Jews who have applied the blood of the lamb. There are two attitudes towards life, two feelings, two ways of living.
Just like us, we are all believers, all saved Christians, but our lives are completely different. One is under the law, and the other is under grace. First, let’s talk about the one under the law. Some people say, why do you always bring the law and grace together? Because it is closely related to our lives. As mentioned earlier, as long as there is blood on the door, the firstborn of that household will be spared from death, right?
As long as you believe that Jesus Christ has shed His precious blood for you, you are saved! All Christians believe this, but the way they live can be very different. One is under the law. We enter the first Israelite household as a reporter or visitor.
When entering the first household, I see that the blood of the lamb has been applied to the door. This family is singing a song like this: "If you, Lord, keep a record of sins, who can stand? If you, Lord, kept a record of wrongs, who could stand?"
I am not here to criticize this song, but I want to use the lyrics here. Listen carefully: "If you, Lord, keep a record of sins, who can stand? If you, Lord, kept a record of wrongs, who could stand?" I enter this family and find that the firstborn is trembling while eating the lamb's meat. I ask, why are you like this?
His father says, do you not know how pitiful the Egyptians are crying outside? He is also my firstborn! I ask him, have you forgotten? The blood has already been applied to your door! Do not worry; do not be afraid; you are saved; God will not kill you. Yes, I have done according to God's way, and I believe, but the key is that my son knows his past behavior is not good.
What if God keeps track of his past mistakes and sins? If he comes in, won’t my son die? When the firstborn hears his father's words, he becomes even more afraid, and while eating the meat, he is also terrified. I encourage him, do not worry; you are saved, not because of your behavior, but because of the blood applied to your door. What does this firstborn say? How can it be that simple? God is a consuming fire! How can God possibly overlook my sins?
I must confess all my sins; perhaps that way I might not be killed by God. Brothers and sisters, I do not know how many Christians still live in such fear. They do not dare to pray to God because they are afraid of asking wrongly. If they ask wrongly, God might punish them. They must attend meetings every week because if they do not come, something might go wrong at home next week. As they believe more, they become more fearful, just like this firstborn, because he does not understand how much God loves him.
God has already established a way of salvation for him, which is to slaughter the lamb, to ensure his peace. Amen! When sharing the gospel with others, I say, you are in the peace of Jesus Christ; you are in His rest. The prophets in the Old Testament once preached such false messages, saying peace, peace, but in reality, disaster was coming.
Brothers and sisters, are we the same as back then? We are not the same! You are like the Passover lamb that has already been killed; the blood has already been applied to the doorframe and doorposts. You are inside the house; why should you be so afraid? Because God does not look at you; God looks at the blood. Amen! So we try our best to encourage this person, do not be anxious, do not cry, because of the blood of the lamb, you are already living in peace, Hallelujah!
If you laugh at this person for being foolish, do not be such a Christian. Because your salvation has nothing to do with your behavior. Our salvation is because of the blood of Christ. Brothers and sisters, are you righteous or a sinner? Are you sure? Righteous! Do you know there is a saying in the world?
A very spiritual predecessor invented a term called "a sinner saved by grace." I am a sinner saved by grace. I want to ask, is a sinner saved by grace a sinner or a righteous person? It is still a sinner! How can this happen? After you believe, the Bible never says you are a "sinner saved by grace." You are a detestable sinner. Is there such a distinction? After you believe, you have changed from the identity of a sinner to the name of a righteous person. You are justified by His precious blood; God is no longer angry with you. Is there a biblical basis for this?
Let us look together at Romans 5:9-10
Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! For if, while we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
It is very clear. I will not use Hebrews 10 to tell you that I will not remember their sins; I will not remember their transgressions. Paul has clearly told us in Romans that we are justified by His blood. You are not a sinner saved by grace; you are a righteous person saved by grace. Hallelujah!
You must believe that through Jesus Christ, you have been spared from God's wrath! God is no longer angry with you, just like during the Passover. Today, because you have applied the blood of the lamb, God has turned His wrath away from you to the next house. God wants to see if there is blood in that next house. If there is, God will not be angry with them either. This is an important truth.
You have entered into God's peace; you are saved and will not perish. The angel of death will not pass over the blood and come in to kill you. God will not do this. Hallelujah! We should not cry; we should rejoice and be glad. Because of Jesus Christ.
Let us read together John 3:17-18
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
Even if you are an Israelite who does not want to apply this blood on the door, you will still die. Even if you are an Egyptian, if you believe that this blood can save you, you will be saved. Because the method of salvation God has established for us is to believe in Jesus Christ and not be condemned. They are condemned for only one reason: because they do not believe in the name of God's Son. If they believe, they will not be condemned. Thank and praise the Lord!
You believe, so you are saved; you are blessed by God. If you have already believed that the Lord Jesus died on the cross for your sins, there is no reason or right to be afraid that God will kill you, to be afraid that God will suddenly come in and kill your firstborn because you are already saved. You should rejoice and be glad. Is the first household not living in misery?
Today, many Christians still live under the bondage of the law, living in fear every day. In fact, they should not live like this because God does not want them to live like this. What grace does God want to give them? To let you enjoy the great blessings of God inside the house, to enjoy the protection He has established for you. Amen!
Let us enter another household. Come with me and see that the blood of the lamb has been applied to the door. The doorframe and doorposts are all smeared with blood. Inside this house, there is a different sound; they are singing, "The river of life, the river of joy..."
When we hear it, it is completely different. Why are we talking about this? I have been to many churches. In some churches, when you enter, you can tell from their praise that their lives are very bitter, lifeless. But in some churches, it is different. When you enter, you feel a joyful atmosphere, a praising atmosphere, just like our church. Hallelujah!
You see, when we praise here, I never set any restrictions for you. If you want to jump, jump! If you want to sing loudly, sing loudly! There is nothing wrong with that. But I have been to some churches, and when I am on stage, because I like to move around while preaching, when I come down, the pastor tells me, "You are disrespecting God. Why are you walking around on stage?"
He thinks the pastor should be like this, with no smile on his face, because that is what preaching is supposed to be like. In that kind of atmosphere, it is a law-based atmosphere. But when you enter the second household, they are singing praise songs and enjoying the lamb's meat. Isn’t that a kind of enjoyment?
Because God has established a protective circle for you; you are under His protection. You should be grateful; you do not need to be afraid of anything. This family is joyfully praising, eating with great delight. We ask them, why are you so happy? They say, it is not because of my behavior; God has established the only way of salvation for us, which is the blood of the lamb on my doorframe and doorposts. I know that God's word will never be abolished.
I have done according to what God said; I believe His word is true. I have applied the blood of the lamb, so I should come and thank and praise. God has prepared this abundant lamb meat for you. After eating, God will give me strength. I am no longer a slave; I will become a free person! I will enter into the abundant land of God!
God has told us that He will bring us into a land flowing with milk and honey. When you hear this message, you will be moved, right? This shows that the church you are in and the message you hear are crucial to your life. Hearing this family sing joyfully while eating, you will rejoice. This God is truly wonderful! Amen! This is the joy that Jesus Christ brings to them; this is the rest that Jesus Christ gives them.
Brothers and sisters, this is exactly what we need. In the world, many things do not have guarantees, but in Jesus Christ, God gives you eternal guarantees. God says He will supply, so He will definitely supply you. When God says He is willing to heal you, He will definitely heal you. When God looks at the blood outside, He supplies the lamb's meat to the Israelites inside.
Brothers and sisters, this is completely the same as our form today and what we believe. Because we cannot eat this blood; after the blood is shed, God established it as a sign, a sign of our eternal salvation, a sign of our blessing. If you are not killed, you will be blessed by God. So through the blood of the lamb, we cannot eat the blood; God looks at the blood. Through this blood, He blesses us. This is the blood of Jesus Christ.
God gives us what we can eat, which is the meat of the lamb. God told the people of Israel, "You may eat!" Because the road you are about to walk is far, the Israelites roasted the edible lamb meat at home. After eating, they gained strength. The Psalms particularly tell us that when God led the Israelites out of Egypt, not one of them was weak. Do you know what this means?
Among two million people, since God said not one of them was weak, what changed their physical condition? It was the lamb's meat they ate inside the house. Perhaps some of them were physically disabled, and those people walked slowly. You must know that there would be the Egyptian army chasing them behind; this group would be doomed. As a result, a miracle might occur. While they were eating the lamb's meat and reflecting on God's works, that disabled leg grew back, and he was no longer weak.
Perhaps among them, there were those who were sick and had been lying in bed. Their family said, "You should eat this lamb's meat!" After eating, they found they had been healed! Because God wanted everyone to leave Egypt that night, just like us. God does not want us to live in the past, in that kind of sinking, that kind of depression, that kind of fear. He does not want us to live in bondage; God wants to bring us into that land of freedom.
That night, the only thing they ate was the lamb's meat, bitter herbs, and unleavened bread. It was this holy meal that allowed them to leave Egypt, and among two million people, not one was weak. I want to tell you this in two aspects. How do we eat the meat of this lamb?
First, you can understand it as God's word. I do not know if you feel empowered when you hear this word because God's word is meant to give you strength. Perhaps you have heard too much negative information. When you come to church, you regain strength. This is the effect that God's word is supposed to have. Then, you will find rest in Jesus Christ. Thank the Lord!
Similarly, you can receive healing through the real body of Jesus Christ, which refers to the Holy Communion. You can receive strength through the Holy Communion; you can also receive healing through the Holy Communion. But no matter what you do, you must always think of what Jesus Christ has done for you on the cross and the effects it brings you.
Because of His blood, God does not remember your sins; God does not remember your transgressions; God is no longer angry with you. On the contrary, God's healing is always upon you; God's power is always upon you; God's supply is always upon you. When you hear these things and understand how much God loves you, He wants to save you from bondage.
If you are bound by various alcohol and drunkenness, this is a bondage. When you hear this message, God wants to set you free from this bondage. If you are entangled by various addictions and problems, God wants to set you free. Remember, the Israelites could never escape from the hand of Pharaoh by themselves, but God saved them.
I wish that during this Spring Festival, you see friends and family around you still in bondage, such as insomnia, many worries, and many problems that trouble them. They are like Pharaoh in Egypt, always bound. What you need to do is introduce the Lord Jesus to them and let them escape from such bondage.
God has the power to save them, not by their own efforts or struggles, but they still cannot escape. God wants to save them; the method is very simple: through the blood of Jesus Christ, they can easily be rescued from all kinds of bondage! Many people have been released from smoking addiction, drug addiction, and many problems by simply making a declaration: "Because of the precious blood of Jesus, I am righteous before God; I am holy." This kind of declaration has enabled many people to escape from various bondages. Because this is God's power; the devil fears nothing more than the precious blood of Jesus Christ. No matter how loud your voice is, it does not scare him, but if you use the name of Jesus Christ, he will flee from you. Hallelujah! Thank and praise the Lord!
Brothers and sisters, you should rejoice and praise our God like the Jews in the second household! Because you are already saved; you are now eating the meat of the lamb; you are now receiving His abundant supply. You are empowered; this is God's power. You should take this power and this gospel to help those around you.
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father, we especially thank and praise your grace! You have saved us in this way. We were originally like the people of Israel, under the control of the king of the world, Satan. By ourselves, we could not escape from various bondages, but Jesus Christ came and exchanged His life for my life. Your precious blood has forgiven all my sins; you have freed me from oppression and brought me from death into life.
I am a person loved by God, not under death but in your grace. I face your great salvation with joy, and I want to praise you. I will not live in fear, as if God has not saved me. I believe your words will come to pass in my life. Hallelujah! All glory be to you! We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! Amen!