Maundy Thursday
Isaiah 53:7-8, Exodus 12:1-14, Luke 22:7-20
The Lamb’s in the Prime of His Life: Isaiah 53:7-8
Sin, all of it, is a horrible, horrible thing. But, we often underestimate just how horrible and horrifying it is, we fail to see its price. God wanted His people to see the price of their sins up right up close. So God established a sacrificial system for His Old Testament people including the Passover. For the people to be saved there must be a death. A death has to occur. Why? Because the wages of sin is death. That’s the price of sin. I deserve to die, you deserve to die, to burn in hell forever, because of our sinfulness. That’s the price of sin, that’s exactly what we deserve. And time and time again the Israelites saw a picture of it, as the lamb was cut down, in the prime of life. Sin is a horrible, horrible thing.
In amazing love, God allowed the full price for sin to be paid, but not by you, but by His very own Son. Just like time and again a lamb was killed, Jesus, THE Lamb, was cut down, in the prime of life. “For he was cut off from the land of the living” but why? “For the transgression of my people he was stricken.” The price of sin is horrific, but it’s been paid for in full for you by the Lamb of God. And now God gives you along with the bread and wine, the very body and blood of The Lamb who was cut down in the prime of life, for you to eat and to drink for the forgiveness of your sins.
The Lamb’s Part of the Family: Exodus 12:1-14
When God was about to break Egypt’s back in order to rescue the Israelites from their slavery He sent the final plague. In order that the firstborn in your family didn’t die you had to trust God’s Word and do this Passover. The Israelites were to choose the lamb- it was to be a year-old-male without defect- they were to choose it on the 10th day of the month, then take care of it until the 14th day of the month.
So what’s going to happen when you have a young animal, and it’s being taken care of carefully by the family? It becomes a pet, it becomes part of the family, doesn’t it? And then they were to take that lamb, slaughter it, and eat it.
And that was the way that God decided to carry out our salvation: He was going to become “part of the family.” He came into this world as you and I do- he was born of a woman, born under the law. He was a baby, a child, He grew up as you and I grow. He ate, He drank, He laughed, He cried. And then He became the perfect Lamb of God as He was sacrificed for our sins.
Why? Because He wants you to be part of His family. Even today He remains part of our family and loves to be with His family. So what did He do? He instituted a meal, which we get to enjoy with each other, our brothers and sisters in Christ, and with Him! He gave us His Supper where we receive His own body and blood enjoying wonderful family fellowship with Him and each other. Part of the family.
Saved by the Blood of the Lamb: Luke 22:7-20
Of course, the most important aspect of the Passover Lamb was what happened with the blood. The Israelites were to carefully drain the blood and take it and paint it on their doorframes. Then the whole family was to be gathered inside their homes behind the blood-stained doorways. That night when the angel of death passed through Egypt, the angel would see the blood and pass over that house. The people would be able to say that they were saved by the blood of the lamb.
The comparison is obvious, isn’t it? You and I are guilty of sin, we don’t deserve to live, our sins have rightly earned death, we deserve to die. But God has provided the way out. Just as those Israelites were saved through the blood of the lamb, so you and I are saved through the blood of THE Lamb, the blood of Jesus, the blood of His Son who purifies us from all sin.
So it also makes sense that, to continue to save His people, continue to feed His people, that Jesus would feed us with…Himself! With His true body and His true blood!
As you come to the Lord’s table, be reminded of the enormity of what’s happening – God is SAVING you! God is cleansing you from your sins, God is feeding your soul. He is giving you the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation! God is taking you from spiritual death, to spiritual life. Just as those Israelites were saved by the blood of the lamb, so you are saved by the blood of the Lamb, that was given and shed for you. And now, in amazing grace, it is given to you, to feed you for all eternity!