Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and procure lambs for your families, and slaughter the Passover victims. 22 Then take a bunch of hyssop, and dipping it in the blood that is in the basin, apply some of this blood to the lintel and the two doorposts. And none of you shall go outdoors until morning. 23 For when the Lord goes by to strike down the Egyptians, seeing the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over that door and not let the destroyer come into your houses to strike you down. 24 “You will keep this practice forever as a statute for yourselves and your descendants. 25 Thus, when you have entered the land which the Lord will give you as he promised, you must observe this rite. 26 When your children ask you, ‘What does this rite of yours mean?’ 27 you will reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice for the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt; when he struck down the Egyptians, he delivered our houses.’” Then the people knelt and bowed down, 28 and the Israelites went and did exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron.
In this passage, Moses instructs the elders of Israel to prepare for the first Passover by selecting lambs, slaughtering them, and marking their doorposts with the blood of the lamb to protect them from the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn. Moses emphasizes that this event is to be remembered and celebrated perpetually as a statute for all generations. The people’s reverent obedience—bowing down in worship and following the commands—underscores their trust in God’s promises and deliverance.
The ritual of the lamb's blood prefigures Jesus Christ, the "Lamb of God," who delivers humanity from the slavery of sin (John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7). The lamb was to be unblemished, symbolizing purity and perfection. This foreshadows Jesus, "a lamb without blemish or spot" (1 Peter 1:19). The lamb's death served as a substitute sacrifice, prefiguring the reconciliation of humanity with God through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. The barrier of sin, which separates humanity from God, is overcome, restoring the relationship broken by the Fall (Gen. 3). The blood applied to the doorposts was a visible sign of faith and obedience, ensuring protection from divine judgment, just as the blood of Christ cleanses and justifies believers (Rom. 5:9; 1 John 1:7).
The perpetual celebration of Passover was a means of teaching future generations about God’s saving acts which parallels the Last Supper where Jesus’ sacrificial death is to be remembered and made present (Luke 22:19–20; 1 Cor. 11:24–26). At the Last Supper, Jesus offered His body and blood as the true sacrifice (Mt. 26:26–28).
Jesus was crucified during the Passover feast (John 19:14), symbolizing that He is the true Paschal Lamb. While the blood of the lamb in the first Passover saved the Israelites from physical death, Jesus’ blood delivers humanity from sin and death (Rom. 6:6–7; Gal. 5:1). As the blood of the lamb established the Old Covenant, Jesus' blood establishes the New Covenant (Jer. 31:31–34; Heb. 8:6–13). Christ’s sacrifice is universal, offering salvation to all who believe (2 Cor. 5:15; Rev. 5:9–10). However, this universal offer of salvation requires a response of faith, love, and obedience. The "passing over" of the angel of death foreshadows the victory over death achieved through Christ’s resurrection (1 Cor. 15:54–57).
The Passover is a profound prefiguration of the redemption brought about by Jesus Christ. While the Exodus event freed Israel from physical bondage, the Passion and death of Christ deliver humanity from spiritual slavery. The ritual blood of the lamb in Exodus points to the effectiveness of the blood of Jesus, shed for the forgiveness of sins and the establishment of the New Covenant through which the faithful receive His body and blood as the source of eternal life (John 6:53–58).
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
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