The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, so that when I see the blood I will pass over you, and this plague will not fall on you to destroy you when I attack the land of Egypt.
Exodus 12:13 NET
Israel spent 400 years in Egypt, first as honored guests and eventually as slaves. The early chapters of Exodus recount their oppression, God’s commissioning of Moses to lead them out of Egypt, and the plagues that God unleashed on Egypt. The last of these plagues was the death of all the firstborn in Egypt–with one exception.
Passover
God instructed each Israelite family to kill a perfect, year-old lamb. They would eat the lamb, but more important was the blood of the lamb. Blood that they were to put on the doorframes of their houses. That night, God would be sending the death angel through Egypt, killing the firstborn of each family. But he would “pass over” those homes that had the lamb’s blood on their doorframe.
This was the final plague. With the death of Pharaoh’s firstborn son, he ordered the expulsion of Israel from Egypt–they were freed from their slavery. Pharoah made one last attempt to stop them at the Red Sea crossing but was defeated. He was no longer a threat to Israel.
Easter – A Second Passover
Israel looks back at their deliverance from Egypt when they celebrate the Passover each year. But this first Passover also looked forward to a much greater Passover. Nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus, our Passover Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7), was sacrificed, and his blood was applied to the cross.
The power of Pharoah and Egypt was broken at that first Passover. Those under the blood of the Passover lamb were shielded from the wrath of God that was poured out on their oppressors. And Israel was delivered from their slavery.
At the second Passover, what we now call Easter, the power of Satan and his forces was broken (Col. 2:15). Those who come to the cross are covered by the blood of Jesus and protected from the coming wrath of God. And we are set free from our bondage to sin.
