Colored Easter eggs, chocolate Easter Bunnies, white Easter lilies; it all started with slaves in Africa praying for freedom. God heard, and sent to them Moses. He led them to liberty.
Moses said to Pharaoh, "Set my people free" or else God would send plagues on Egypt. Pharaoh had big plans for his "work force' and laughed Moses out of his palace.
God sent plagues. Nine different annoying, bothersome, painful plagues to convince Pharaoh that he should listen to Him. Foolishly, Pharaoh chose instead to suffer: frogs in his cereal, flies in his ears and gnats in his eyes.
Then the tenth and final plague came. God will not be ignored. Every firstborn child would be touched by an angel of death. Pharaoh chose to wait and see if God wold do as predicted.
Everyone, rich and poor, Egyptian and Israli, was offered the means to avoid the deadly touch. Each family was to kill a "Passover Lamb" and mark the doors of their homes with its blood. The death angel did not cross the blood but passed over the Israelites' home.
The Egyptian homes would have been passed over as well, if they had chosen to kill a lamb. They made the devastating c hoice to reject the Passover Lamb. The Israelis were able to go rejoicing into freedom because of their savior, the one who commanded the slaying of the little lamb. Egypt wnt into mourning for her slain children. They had refused the little lamb that would have saved them. God loved the Egyptians; He offered them salvation. Ignoring God is painful.
Centuries later, John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"
God Himself gave a Passover Lamb for all the world. It is written in the book of Hebrews, without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Jesus was killed on Passover Eve--Passover became Easter when Jesus became the Passover lamb.
As a young child I realized I could not save myself from Judgment. I knew I needed a savior to make god happy with me. It is a terrible thing to know that God is angry with your sin. The author of Hebrews writes: It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
I wanted freedom from the slavery of fear. I needed a Passover Lamb; the one God provided. I asked God to forgive me and take away my sins because of the blood of His Lamb. I knew then, and I know today, forgiveness. Just as surely as the Israelis knew they wee free as they walked out of Egypt, I knew God was satisfied.
You may choose to think only about colored eggs or cholcolate bunnies. Or, you can choose to have the blood of the Lamb put on the door of our life. You can chose to be free from judgment, or like Pharaoh, choose to reject what God said and wait to see if He really means it. God loves you. He gave His Passover lamb, Jesus, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. d!:
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