Behold the Lamb

Behold the Lamb
Exodus 12:1-13
April 5, 2026

Today we are celebrating the glorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  The resurrection is the reason we have eternal hope.

We know that Jesus was crucified over the Passover feast. John the Baptist made it clear what Jesus was a type of in the Old Testament relating to the Passover.

John 1:29, The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 

In the famous Messianic prophecy passage, we read that the Messiah would be compared with a sacrificial lamb.

Isaiah 53:7, He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers.

The whole prophetic picture of the crucifixion of Christ as the Passover lamb is rooted in Exodus 12, where God was delivering Israel out of the bondage and oppression of Egypt. This Physical history becomes a spiritual type, or a picture for us of our redemption from the world (Egypt) into freedom.

It is good for us to be reminded of what God told them to do in Exodus and what God did for them, as it strengthens our faith when applied to our lives.

Many today are lost and in bondage to sin. Egypt defined the Israelites identities. They were their slaves. They had no hope. Any whisp of hope would be crushed by doubling their workload and oppression. In the same way, many today have gotten so used to their situation and lifestyle, that it seems hopeless. Many  people’s identities are grounded in their experiences, or lies that the worldly system tells them. Abuse, rejection, social pressure; things that define them.

Illus – I recently heard a disturbing thought-provoking podcast concerning this young generation. Girls are caught up in trying to live up to the social media pressures for acceptance, yet feeling like frauds, because no one can live up to perfection. So they are isolated in their make belief world, trying to impress and find acceptance and love on Tik-Tok and Instagram posts and likes. Young men, on the other hand, try to live up to their perceived perception that girls only want the guy with the 6-figure salary , looking like an action movie star. They cannot live up to that. So a disturbingly big percentage of young men get hooked on games where they are always the hero, and many also get hooked on pornography where that girl will never reject them. Both these mindsets keep fueling the problem, as expectations of themselves and the opposite sex become more and more unrealistic. This puts guys and girls on the polar opposites of society as they become more isolated and alone. Some then, in their confusion, hopelessness, being tired of trying to live up to the “expectations” of the opposite sex, get duped into thinking that it would be easier to find love from the same sex, where there is less pressure. They confuse friendship love with sexual love driven by our hyper-sexualized society. This opens up the door to a whole world of deep confusion and heartache, from gender confusion, gender affirmation, to gender change and total loss of identity as a person can “”choose” whatever identify they want from one hour to the next.

This is just one example of the destructive world system Satan has designed to lead down a path to destruction. It is important to note that he doesn’t have the power to directly destroy. He plants the seeds of lies which destroy when people take hold of it, agree with it, and start to live according to it.

But there is freedom available. Hope has come. God shows Himself strong, and if you take hold of the truth and life  in faith, He wants to bring change in your life as well. When Jesus tells us that those who love Him and are His disciples will follow his commands, it is not oppressive commands, but an invitation to  a pathway of life.

I. Get ready for a new Beginning

• Verse 1. God declared a new start for the nation of Israel. “This will be the first month of the year for you.” A new season was coming, and it was all signified by the sacrifice of the Passover lamb. This, as we know was a picture of the Messiah who would come, Jesus.
• Giving your life to Jesus and putting your trust in Him as Lord and Savior is not just an insignificant ritual which changes nothing. Many think that they just say a little prayer, but then they just go on with their lives, because they don’t feel anything significant happened.
• This cannot be further from the truth. The moment you give your life to Jesus, everything changes, even though you might not FEEL it.

A. Take hold in faith

• God is Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship in Spirit and truth. What we confess here on earth, has enormous impact in the Spiritual realm. Although we cannot see in the Spirit, God does wonderful, amazing things in the Spiritual realm.
• The Israelites were instructed to slaughter a lamb and apply the blood. A physical act, that would have a definite spiritual effect. It is important to note that this was a faith action. God told them what would happen, but they had to take God at His word, and then act upon His instruction by faith. If one chose not to do it, there would be no protection from death.

B. Choose to apply the blood

• Next, they had to apply the blood of the sacrificial lamb to the doorposts of their house. The blood was the only substance that would protect against death and destruction, as the destroyer would pass by where the blood was applied. Again, a physical action with a supernatural spiritual effect.
• Now we know that the blood of bulls and goats have no power in itself. It was a forward-looking representation of the real blood of the Messiah, Jesus, the lamb of God, that would be able to wash away their sins.
• The greatest eternal destroyer that the blood of Jesus sets us free from is eternal death, being separated from God.
• The destroyer didn’t peak in through the window saying, I see the blood on the doorpost, but I just want to check, do you have any sin or iniquity in the house? Any fear?
• The destroyer had no right to enter because those inside were sealed and covered by the blood of the lamb. You are also sealed and protected by the blood if it is applied to your life.
• How do we apply the blood to our lives today? It is applied by placing your trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Then you are cleansed from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:7,9, but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

• Next, and you must see this with your spiritual eyes, taking hold of it in faith, He rescued you and relocated you.

Colossians 1:13, For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

• In the Spiritual realm, you are, or were, locked up in the domain of darkness without Christ. Satan has a legal right over your life because of sin. But Jesus came to set the captives free, and in an instant, you’re transferred to His Kingdom of light and the charge against you was cancelled.

Colossians 2:14, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 

• You might say, but I don’t feel it. It happens in a realm we cannot see. It is not about feeling, but about trusting what God says He did for you.

Illus – It is like when a child is adopted from a third world country and relocated to America. When he arrives, he still feels the same, the truth of all the wonderful opportunities and privileges has not sunk in yet, but legally everything has changed.

• That’s not all…

Ephesians 2:5-6, …even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

• Where is Jesus seated? He is seated at the right hand of the Father. Your spot is safe and secure in Christ. In fact, God already sees you seated with Him, even if you cannot see it. Time just has to catch up to the reality.
• Even more amazing than this, your identity is now changed from whatever you thought you were; useless, worthless, weak, an accident, unimportant, broken, ignored, to the most precious identity you could ever imagine.

John 1:12-13, But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

• God willed this. God loves you. God made a way to redeem you from the lies and destruction of the enemy, so you can be seated with Him in heavenly places FOREVER, never to be forgotten again.

II. Expect Change

Exodus 12: 11- Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste—it is the Lord’s Passover.

• When the blood of the Lamb is applied to your life, God wants you to be expectant that something is going to change. They did not eat the lamb, go to sleep, and report for slave-duty the next morning. Everything was going to change.

Galatians 5:1, It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

• When we come to Jesus, we should not expect everything to stay the same. We should be expectant that change is going to come.

A. Change in your family

• Verse 3 – Lamb for each household. The household was blessed by the sacrifice of the lamb. There wasn’t a lamb for each person, but for each household.
• If you come to Jesus, your whole household is blessed because of it.

1 Corinthians 7:14, For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

• Everyone must still make a personal choice to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, but your following Jesus has a radical impact in your household. God’s Spirit will impact your spouse and your children, because you are a carrier of the Spirit of God, and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom.
• You can pray for and trust God for their salvation, because they are being set apart (made holy) for God.

B. Change in your relationships

• Verse 7- Blood applied to the doorposts and the lintel. Vertical and horizontal. Remember, the cross was also vertical and horizontal. It represents sanctification of relationship vertical, and horizontal, towards God, and man.
• God restores His great purpose: Love the Lord your God…and your neighbor…
• Declare in faith the blood of Jesus applied to your relationships. That relationship with your spouse, your child, your brother, your family member, your business partner, your boss, your subordinates, or whatever relationship is strained.
• Thank Jesus for the blood applied and trust Him to bring healing and sanctification to those relationships. Ask God to pour out His supernatural love for them in your heart and trust Him for a miracle.

C. Expect change in your circumstances

Exodus 12: 35 – Now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, for they had requested from the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their request. Thus, they plundered the Egyptians.

• For long enough the enemy has stolen from you. Whatever that may be. This verse said that they plundered the Egyptians.
• There is a principle in the Bible on what must happen if a thief is caught.

Proverbs 6:31, But if he (a thief) is caught, he must pay sevenfold; he must give all the riches of his house.

• Jesus has in the heavenly realm made a public display of the enemy and his powers. Satan has been caught out.

Colossians 2:15, When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.

Illus – When a king overcame his enemies in battle, he would bind them in a train, stripped of all their power and wealth, many times even led into the city naked to be ridiculed. The Spoils of war would go to the conquering nation.

• The enemy of your soul has been stripped of his power and authority over you. And to the victor, goes the spoils of war.

Romans 8:31,What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? 

• You might be going through difficult times, peril, sword, but it is not the end. Trust God to turn it around. Trust God to restore what the enemy has stolen in your life. Did you lose that job? Trust God for a better one. Did divorce destroy your life? Trust God for beauty to come from it. Did the enemy steal your childhood, trust God to redeem it and find your identity in His love.
• Expect God to bring beauty out of ashes. Expect God to turn your mourning into dancing.

III. Remember….

• Exodus 12:24 – Keep reminding yourself of what God has done. Israel greatest defeat was when they forgot what God has done. When they started murmuring. When they had selective amnesia.
• Be reminded of all Jesus has done for you. That is why we partake of communion. Do not be lied to by the enemy, telling you to stay in the ashes, telling you not to expect change, telling you that you are too far gone to be helped.
• Apply the blood of the lamb. Be ready, be expectant, stand in faith, walk in victory.