The Blood of the Passover Lamb — David Yoder

We're going to read in the book of Exodus in chapter 12. This is a well-known story, but hopefully tonight, with the help of God, we can pull out a few things from it as we seek to proclaim the message of the Gospel.

Exodus chapter 12, and we'll begin reading at verse number 1. It says,. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be unto you the beginning of month. It shall be the first month of the year to you.

Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of the month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their father, a lamb for a house. And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next unto him.

Take it according to the number of souls. And every man according to his eating shall take your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish. A male of the first year, you shall take it out from the sheep or from the goats.

And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the month. And the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And ye shall take the blood and strike it upon the two side posts and upon the upper door posts of the house wherein they shall eat it.

Drop down to verse 12, it says,. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment.

I am the Lord, and the blood shall be to you a token unto the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt.

Drop down to verse 21,. Then Moses called for the elders of the house and said to them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families and kill the Passover. And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin and strike the lintel and the two side posts in the blood that is in the basin.

And none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. And the Lord will pass through and smite the Egyptians. And when he seeth the blood upon the lintel and the two side posts, he will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your house to smite you.

Drop down to verse 28,. And the children of Israel went away and did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, and so did they. And it came to pass that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat upon his throne to the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle.

And Pharaoh rose up in the night, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead. Turn with me to our New Testament now towards the end of our Bible, and we go to Hebrews chapter 9.

Hebrews chapter 9 and verse number 22. Hebrews 9 and verse number 22 says this, it says, Almost all things are by the law purged with blood. And without the shedding of blood there is no remission, or the word there, really the meaning is there is no forgiveness of sin.

One more reading, 1st John, just a little further back in your Bible, 1st John in chapter 1. 1st John 1 and verse 7, and I'm just going to read the last two lines of this verse. It's kind of the second half of this verse, 1st John 1 and 7.

And the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, or God's son, cleanses us from all sin. And that's all we'll read tonight. We read a well-known Bible story, and if you grew up in Sunday school at all, if I asked you tell me the story of the 10th plague that was carried out or executed against the land of Egypt, you would tell me about the angel of death.

You would tell me the Passover story. And no doubt you know it fairly well, but hopefully with the help of God tonight I can simply pull out a few things that will help explain the message of the gospel.

The first thing we notice is that no doubt when this first was announced, that this was happening, that the angel of death was going to pass through the land, it would have struck terror into the souls of the people.

And you can almost picture it, if you will, that Moses stands before Pharaoh and he says, unless you let my people go, the firstborn will die. All the firstborn throughout the land. And the word spreading and the word coming back even to the children of Israel.

And here comes a messenger and he says, the angel of death is coming and all the firstborn will die. And it sounds terrifying. And that doesn't sound like something that you would get excited about. But then comes another message and we find out that God has spoke to Moses and to Aaron and he says, but there's a way of escape for this.

And there is a lamb that you must take. But there was requirements for this lamb. It was not that you could just take any ordinary lamb. It was not, humanly speaking, we would probably say, well, if I have to offer a lamb as a sacrifice, there's one over here in the corner that's just been a little off, a little sickly.

This is one that isn't going to do well at market. We will take this lamb for the offering. But no, God had requirements when it came to this lamb that had to be taken. It says the lamb that you will use is to have no broken bones.

It was to be an innocent lamb, a perfect lamb without blemish. In fact, you were supposed to set it aside and watch it to make sure there was no blemish found in it. And then there was one more requirement.

It had to be or two more requirements. It had to be a male and it had to be firstborn. So why was that important? Those last two are important because the firstborn son was to die. See, in order for someone to take someone's place, you have to be able to step completely into that person's place in order to be a perfect sacrifice.

And when it comes to our Savior, we know he was the perfect sacrifice because he became flesh, he became man. The Bible would tell us that he was firstborn. He was born of virgin birth. He was without spot and without blemish.

And so that all Scripture might be fulfilled. The Bible tells us when it came to the end of his time upon the cross, seeing he was already dead, they broke not his legs, but they rammed a spear into his side and forthwith there came out blood and water and not a bone of him was broken.

So he's meeting all the requirements. And then it had to be a firstborn. A firstborn was the one who was going to die. And so a firstborn was what was required to take the place. And so you no doubt you see the message go out and Moses has a message for us.

And it tells us that Moses called all the elders of Israel together and told them, you tell your families that this is what is required. You must take this land. Everyone one for his own house. And if there's more than what you need for your house, you share with someone else.

And that's what we're doing tonight, because when it comes to the message of the cross, when it comes to the saving power of our Lord Jesus Christ, the power of the cross is more than enough to not only save me, but to save the world.

And this is the proclamation of the gospel that we are to go all into all the world and preach the gospel, because the one who came as a lamb, as a sacrifice for sin, the one that John the Baptist could say, behold, the lamb of God, which taken away the sins of the world.

This is the one that he is more than enough, not only for you tonight, but for all the world, not only enough for your family, but for your neighbor and for your friends and for all the world. And if tonight you sit here and you wonder, is the lamb of God enough to take away my sin?

I can tell you, based on the authority of the word of God, he is more than enough to take away your sin. He is all you need more than enough. And so the call goes out and you can see the people paying attention to detail.

This is what is required and this is what we must do. And so they begin the process and they take this lamb and they set it aside and they pay attention to make sure it meets all the requirements. And then the night comes the night before the angel of death is announced, he's coming.

Death is imminent. The Bible tells us and we were reminded even today in ministry, it is appointed on the man wants to die. And after this, the judgment death is imminent. You might not know it. They had a set date when that day was going to be.

And you might say, well, you know what? If I knew a set date, I would get saved the night before, too. But can I remind you of two thieves that were hanging on a cross, the exact same situation they knew when they were going to die?

But only one got saved. You can know the moment of your death and still miss it. And the night before comes and here they are, they're doing everything that is required, they're checking the list. Then comes a moment, the lamb has been slain and they would take that hyssop and they dipped it into the blood and they would strike it on the two side posts and all across the top of the door, just as it had been required.

And then it says you are to enter into it, enter into the house and you don't come out until morning and you can almost just see it as the blood is being applied house after house, row after row. The children of Israel are out and they are obeying the commands of God.

Blood is being applied. But, you know, sometimes we just think it's a Bible story. And since it's a Bible story, we have this picture in our mind that everybody in the Bible was just so, so wise, so trusting, so faithful, but they were humans and you can almost see maybe two fathers standing side by side after they had taken the lamb and they had they had done what was required and they had.

The blood had been shed and they had taken the meat and they had taken it inside, prepared to eat, and the blood had been applied and they're standing outside. And just for sake of of being able to follow this story, I picked two names, Mr. Smith and Mr. Brown, I know remarkably Jewish names, but you'll have to bear with me.

Mr. Smith and Mr. Brown are standing outside their homes and Mr. Smith says, you know what? I don't know about this. I'm really nervous. Mr. Brown, he's what the Lord told us, if we did it, the firstborn will live.

They're nothing to worry about. Mr. Smith is over here and Mr. Smith goes, well, that's easy for you to say. You have four sons. I have one. I love my little Timmy, another Jewish name, I know. And here they stand and you can almost see him thinking back and forth and speaking.

One is Mr. Smith isn't sure, but he's done what is required. Mr. Brown over here has done what is required and he's sure he was confident in what had been done because the promises of God, he would say, oh, yay.

And all men, Mr. Smith says, but I've never experienced anything like this. And I ask you the question, as both of those men had done, what was required? Mr. Smith walks into his house. Mr. Brown walks into his house.

The doors are shut. They stay inside. They don't come out until morning. Which one was more secure? Which one was safer? Where's the children's meeting? I pick on someone, but I won't. Here's what I would say.

They were equally secure, see, because when the angel of death came through, the angel of death did not check to see who inside the house, if they were worthy or unworthy. They checked for the blood. The blood is what secured the life.

And so God did not come through the land that night and to check to see who inside the houses were worthy, but he checked for the blood upon the doorposts and upon the lintel. He looked for the blood.

And here's the message of the gospel, that there is not one here tonight that is worthy. There is not one here that is worthy of salvation. There is not one here that is worthy of the least of his tender mercies.

And yet the message of the gospel is this. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's son, cleanses from all sin. It's not that you are worthy to be saved, it is because you are unworthy that you are able to be saved.

He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. This is the glorious message of the gospel. The first part sounded terrible. Angel of death is coming. It is appointed on the man who wants to die.

Sounds terrible. But then you can almost hear the herald come running through the streets. But good news, there is a way of escape. There's blood and when blood is applied. Life is saved. And here they are, Mr. Smith and Mr. Brown walked in.

And both were secure. Why, how is this possible? How is possible is simply this death did not pass over them on the grounds or the intensity of their faith, but on the grounds that the blood of the lamb had been applied.

It is the blood of the lamb that silences the accuser. It is the blood that atoned for sin. And Hebrews tells us that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin. And if tonight we were here telling you that there is a way to heaven, but there was no bloodshed, we would have no grounds on which to proclaim the message of the gospel.

But the glorious news of the gospel is this, that God sent his for sent forth his son and the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin. And he sent his son as a propitiation for our sin, a sacrifice for our sin.

Oh, but not only for our sin, but for the sins of the world. And he sent forth his son and every requirement of the law that needed to be met was met. He came not to do away with the law, but to fulfill every jot in every title of it.

And he completed everything that was required. And Corinthians would tell us these things were done, why that scripture might be fulfilled. Why was he there? Why did he go to the cross and die? That scripture might be fulfilled.

Why was he buried and why did he rise again? That scripture might be fulfilled. And tonight it is not based on the authority of David Yoder. It is based on the authority of almighty God, the word of God that tells us that when blood is applied to the life of a sinner, that God sees the blood and he passes over.

I'm thankful that the message of the gospel isn't dependent upon us. See, there's been many men throughout history that wanted to be God. But tonight we tell you about one God who became man. One man who died for sin and one who rose again, there's many men who claim to be God and every one of them died, but they didn't die for sin and not a one of them arose.

There is none of them that came back from the dead, but the one that we proclaim the man, Christ Jesus, he came and he died. He was God and became man so that he might bear the sins of the world. And he went to the cross and he died.

Why did he have to die? You know, the Bible oftentimes refers to Satan as a serpent who refers to him as a serpent who comes in and deceives. And with a serpent, there comes poison. And the poison that was associated with Satan would have been sin and sin entered into the world and death by sin.

And no different than today. If you are bitten by a serpent that is poisonous, there's only one cure and it's antivenom. How is antivenom made? I looked into it and it's kind of interesting. Antivenom is made this way.

They will take venom from a serpent and they will inject the venom over and over again into an innocent subject. A lot of times it's a cow and then they will take what that cow does with that antivenom, which it begins to build antibodies and they will take the antibodies and will take it out of that cow.

And because of that innocent victim that was bitten over and over again, they can take then the blood of that innocent victim. And when you get bitten, they can give it to you as an antivenom. Here's what I found interesting in looking at it.

Most of the times cows are used, but the best match for humanity, for humans with the least ill side effects is the blood of a lamb. Isn't this a picture of Calvary, that we were all in sin because of the bite of the victim, because of one man's disobedience, all were made sinners, but by the obedience of one, many were made righteous.

This is the message of the gospel, that he came and he was made sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God and him. So the way to be healed from the strike of the serpent was to take the blood of an innocent subject, the blood of an innocent lamb.

And there was only one who met that requirement. There was no one else who could say they were innocent. There was no one else who not only did not sin, but could not sin. And neither was any deceit or guile found in him.

And there was only one who was willing to take such a stew, to leave the splendors of glory about, to leave a throne. And a crown. And to step into this world, a world of sin and debauchery. A world that he knew that he would be despised and rejected of men, that he was to be made a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

And that we would hide, as it were, our faces from him, that he was to be despised and we would esteem him not. But I'm so thankful for the words that surely he has borne our griefs and he has carried our sorrows.

And the people that put him away says we esteemed him stricken and smitten of God. We thought God is punishing him because he blasphemes and makes himself as God. We esteemed him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted.

Oh, but the message of the gospel is, but he was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquity, the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes. We are healed, blood was shed without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin, and I'm thankful tonight that I can tell you blood was shed, blood was shed upon the cross of Calvary.

Christ hath for sin atonement made what a wonderful savior. And the Bible tells us in 1st John chapter one and verse number seven, the blood of Jesus Christ, God's son, cleanses us from all sin. Can you imagine if it said the blood of Jesus Christ, God's son, cleanses us from 99 percent of sin?

No hope. Not good news. Can you imagine if they said the angel of death is coming through and the blood that is applied when the angel attacks you, he'll only attack at 10 percent strength? You know how many one angel put to death in our Bible, one angel that God sent slew an army of one hundred and eighty five thousand at 10 percent strength.

We still say no chance. But when I see the blood, I'll pass over you. This is the message of the gospel. It is not on the basis of your faith or the greatness of your faith, but it is because of the shed blood of the cross that there is forgiveness.

There is remission of sin and all who come to him can be saved. Sometimes we sing that hymn. That we can come just as we are right, just as I am without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me and that thou bidst me come to the Lamb of God, I come.

But sometimes at a hymn sing. Sometimes young people want to sing an additional chorus that goes with it, and these are the words and they're powerful words, it says, I come, you can come just as you are.

I come broken to be mended. I come wounded to be healed. I come desperate to be rescued and I come empty to be filled. I come guilty to be pardoned by the blood of Christ, the Lamb, and I'm welcomed with open arms.

Thank God. Just as I am. They had to do nothing to be deserving of the blood. They simply had to apply the blood and enter into the home. And that is what they did. See, tonight, my friend, you can pass by the cross and many of you have heard the message of the gospel your whole life, and Christ has come through many times and Jesus is passing this way and he has come by and you've been by the cross time after time and you can pass by the cross and not be changed.

But my friend, you cannot pass through the cross and not be cleansed of sin. And you say, how can I pass through the cross? Because the one who hung on that center cross said, I am the door. And by me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved.

He is the door and he applied to the door the blood of the Lamb. Salvation fallen free to all who come believing. I'm so thankful that tonight's salvation is full and free. I'm thankful it's for the whosoever.

And I'm thankful it is based on the basis of faith, not the greatness of faith, but where your faith is placed. If your faith is placed in the one who has power on earth to forgive sin, you will be saved tonight.

You can be cleansed and you can have peace with God and you can have a home in heaven. Maybe tonight you ask, why do you preach so passionately? And with this, I'll close because there is a warning given no different than the warning that was given to these people that when he comes and there is coming a day when he will come.

He will come. There is coming a day he will come. They had maybe you would say an advantage because they knew when he was coming. But you know, he's coming and there is coming a day. He will come. You know, tonight he's coming.

And here's why we preach passionately is simply this, that God's grace in this day of grace that we live in is not an infinite day. Our God is infinite and our God is gracious. And we experience in the day of grace, the grace of an infinite God.

But grace is not infinite. God sets his limits to his patience and there is coming a day when that door that stands open tonight will be shut. The story that went out, it said the last verse I read in Exodus said that night throughout all the land of Egypt, even in Pharaoh's house, to those who were in the dungeon, to the firstborn of the animals.

Every house there was weeping. Because there was not a house that was not one day, my prayer and desire is. That there's not a single family circle that is here tonight that is left unbroken. I hope there's never a moment in time that you pass into eternity.

And your family has to weep, not because you died, but because you died in your sin. See, if you die and you're saved, the Bible says we sorrow not as others that sorrow. But if you die in your sin, no hope and they didn't respond to the message that was given.

And there was great weeping. The Bible tells us there's a coming another day when those who reject him, there will be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth. Oh, that you would not weep. But that tonight heaven rejoice because you've been washed in the blood of the Lamb.