God's plan for the deliverance of Israel from Pharaoh came with a sacrifice - the Passover. This ritual would call for faith in the Lord's promise to save His people. If the people believed the word from the Lord, each family would kill an animal and apply its blood to the doorway of the house. Of course as we remember, the blood of the sacrifice protected them from the plague of death - redeeming the firstborn. This ritual would become a communal meal with the people awaiting the deliverance from the Lord. At this early time the Passover was instituted as a meal in the homes, a meal that was both joyous and meaningful. Later it would be celebrated in part in the temple with great ritual and praise. It was a ritual of worship based on faith in the Redeemer and never lost that meaning. This feast was one of the richest celebrations of worship in history. Explaining what it all meant to the children was a proclamation of the wonders of the Lord's redemption from age to age.
This ritual centered on a blood sacrifice and was a celebration of redemption and life. Its connection to the Exodus made it the celebration of victory over the world that worshippers ultimately would experience. Important parallels between the Passover and its fulfillment in the Lord's Supper exist. Prophetically it was typological of the Messiah, the Lamb of God, whose blood was shed so that people everywhere might escape the judgment on the world. Paul said to the Corinthians that "Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us." (I Cor. 5:7) Today's believers celebrate the fulfillment of the Passover in the rite of the Lord's Supper and the fulfillment of Unleavened Bread, in holy living. As we see, our own observance and celebration of the Lord's Supper was foreshadowed by the Passover, giving greater meaning and understanding of our worship around the table. mjm
