A Different Take on Passover
Exodus 12:12-13 Tonight I will go through Egypt and kill every firstborn man and animal in Egypt. In this way I will judge all the gods of Egypt and show that I am the LORD. But the blood on your houses will be a special sign. When I see the blood, I will pass over your house. I will cause bad things to happen to the people of Egypt. But none of these bad diseases will hurt you.
Down through the millennia, human history has taken many unexpected twists and turns. We’re going to chat about one of those oddities, if I can call it that, today.
If you’re not aware, today is Chinese New Year’s Eve. We’ve all heard of it, I guess, but one of its traditions bears a remarkable resemblance to Jewish Passover. Strange, but true.
Back when God saved the nation of Israel from the clutches of Pharaoh, He said to His people …
Exodus 12:12-13 Tonight I will go through Egypt and kill every firstborn man and animal in Egypt. In this way I will judge all the gods of Egypt and show that I am the LORD. But the blood on your houses will be a special sign. When I see the blood, I will pass over your house. I will cause bad things to happen to the people of Egypt. But none of these bad diseases will hurt you.
What’s with the blood? Well, the Israelites were commanded to kill a lamb and paint its blood on their doorposts and lintels so that the angel of death would pass them over … hence the name – Passover.
And tonight, as Chinese families gather to celebrate New Year’s Eve, every household will display auspicious poems in – wait for it – red strips of paper on their door frames.
Whenever and however you happen to celebrate New Year, God always meant those red streaks to symbolise the blood of Jesus (often called the Lamb of God) to take away the sins of the world as He died on that Cross for you and me.
And when we put our faith in Him, God in effect sees His blood so that His punishment will pass us over. Jesus.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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