The Passover lamb holds a significant place in the narrative of the Jewish exodus from Egypt. In this pivotal event, each household was commanded to select a blemish-free lamb, sacrifice it, and mark the doorposts with its blood. This act of obedience served as a protective sign for the angel of death, whose visit during the final plague spared the homes that followed God's instructions. This dramatic deliverance from bondage culminated in the Israelites' escape from slavery in Egypt.
This essential ritual is detailed in the Book of Exodus (Chapters 12-13), where God instructed the Israelites to select their lamb on the 10th day of the month and keep it until the 14th. The lamb was sacrificed at twilight, its blood smeared on the doorframes, ensuring the angel of death would “pass over” those homes, ultimately leading Pharaoh to release the Israelites. The ongoing commemoration of this event is central to Jewish tradition, as the Passover meal — consisting of the lamb, unleavened bread, and bitter herbs — recalls their hasty departure from Egypt.
In the New Testament, this rich symbolism is intricately connected to Jesus Christ. John the Baptist, in the Gospel of John 1:29, declares Jesus as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." This profound identification positions Jesus as the fulfillment of the sacrificial system established in the old covenant. Similarly, the Apostle Paul refers to Christ as our Passover lamb, emphasizing that His sacrificial death on the cross represents the ultimate act of deliverance and redemption.
Thus, the Passover lamb not only reflects a historical moment of liberation from physical bondage but also foreshadows the spiritual deliverance offered through Christ. Jesus emerges as both our sacrificial lamb and the source of atonement for sin, intertwining the themes of liberation and redemption that resonate through both Jewish and Christian traditions.