The blood that Jesus shed for us is a remarkable thing. It is the ultimate shield and a protective vest greater than anything that we could possibly imagine. Yet many believers are failing to utilize this wonderful provision of Christ, mostly because they have never been taught about it or how to apply it to their lives.
So today we will be studying what the blood of Jesus actually is and how to apply this marvelous security to our lives; thereby making full use of the provision that Jesus Christ has paid for us to have.
The first scripture verse which we are going to be examining today is in Exodus 12:21-24, let’s read it first and then we will study it to draw out the details:
“Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said to them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover.
And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.
For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood on the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in to your houses to smite you.
And you shall observe this thing for an ordinance to you and to your sons for ever.”
Here we see Moses gathering together all of the elders, these were the leaders of every household (usually fathers). Moses instructs them to select a lamb according to the size of their family and kill it.
This lamb is a picture of Jesus Christ, whose blood is the only saving grace for people to escape destruction.
Another thing to note here is the responsibility of the fathers. Moses called the fathers to a gathering, and told them what they needed to do to avoid the coming destruction. The lambs were all provided for them to use, but it was up to the fathers as the leaders of the households to actually carry out the instructions. Had the fathers been negligent in their duties and unfaithful to God, they and their household would be destroyed along with the enemies of Israel.
One thing that we can learn from this right here is the importance of fathers. The media projects an image of fathers today that they are buffoons and almost obsolete and worthless, but we can see here that in the eyes of God, fathers are not only necessary, but they have a divine obligation to take care of the household – and the first area that fathers should be faithful to is to God. By this action of applying the blood as directed these fathers protected themselves , their family and their entire house from the destroyer. And we can see the effects of the destroyer in many homes across the world because of the failure of fathers to care for their household in this same manner today. There are really no derelict children, only derelict fathers.
In verse 22, we see the precise order and instruction on how the fathers were to apply the blood, keeping in mind that these are types and shadows for us today.
When the lamb was killed, its blood was caught in a basin (a large bowl) being sure not to let any of it spill on the ground because the blood is very precious. The fathers were then told to take a hyssop branch, dip it in the blood that was in the basin, and then to strike it onto the lintel (overhead beam of the entry-way) and the two side-posts of the entrance as well.
Now hyssop is a medicinal plant, an antiseptic, and it is brightly colored. They were not allowed to touch the blood directly but had to handle it through a “disinfecting agent”, because the blood was pure and they themselves were not. Also notice that they applied the blood to the overhead beam and the two side posts of the door, but never on the thresh-hold or the ground. No-one was ever to walk over the blood. Lastly we see here that once the blood was applied, no-one was to leave the house. The moment they stepped outside of the blood, they were vulnerable.
Next we see what will happen. The LORD pass through the land and when He sees the blood, He will pass over the house which has the blood applied to the lintel and side posts. That is where the term Passover comes from.
It is interesting to note here that it is only when God sees the blood of the sacrifice that the destruction is spared. It is not when He sees the people, or their works, nor when He sees any other thing, but the blood alone. There are people today who still think that their own efforts or works will save them; that they are somehow righteous by their own performance or deserving of it. This is not the case however, only when God sees the blood of the lamb is the protection actually there.
Verse 24 then proceeds to make it clear that this ordinance is forever. It has not ended, nor has it changed at all. We are still expected to cover our household with the blood today, just that the sacrificial lamb is different. Today instead of an actual lamb (which has no power to save) we have the true Lamb, Jesus Christ. Let’s read 1st Corinthians 5:7-8:
“Purge out therefore the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth”
First we see an instruction to purge the old leaven. Now in the Bible, leaven is a type representing pride, being puffed-up with an inflated ego. We are told here to purge, get rid-of our old pride, and to recognize that Jesus Christ is the only sacrifice that can truly save and protect us. Christ is our Passover lamb, sacrificed for us as verse 7 states.
This brings us to our main point… Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed, His blood is in the basin for us to apply, but how do we actually get the blood out of the basin and onto the lintel and door posts? Verse 8 tells us: Let us keep the feast, not with old leaven (pride) neither with the pride that accompanies malice or wickedness, but with the unleavened bread (humble worship) of sincerity and truth.
In other words, the way in which we apply the blood of Jesus into our lives is to eliminate our pride and self-reliance and to worship and confess with sincerity and truth, what Jesus Christ has done for us.
For example, when you proclaim the truth that Jesus Christ has redeemed you from sickness and death, and actually believe and live it, you have just applied the blood of Jesus to your health, and kept the feast with sincerity and truth.
Now here is where some people miss it. Some people proclaim the truth of Jesus, but still secretly trust in their own efforts to save them. They claim health in Christ, but in their heart they are really believing that it is their own efforts (diet, medicine, etc.) that saves them. I am not saying diet or medicine is evil, because the Bible doesn’t say that. But what I am saying is that we need to recognize that those things are not our savior, only Jesus is our savior. We need to keep the feast with sincerity and truth.
My friends, once we start actually applying the blood of Jesus in our lives, suddenly the enemy will have no avenue of attack. The blood of Jesus will forever stop the destroyer, as long as we apply it and stay under its covering we are totally and completely safe. This is one of the many benefits of Christ for us.
Fathers, cover your household every day in the blood of Jesus, not relying on yourselves or your own efforts.
Children, even if you have an unbelieving father who does not bless and does not respect God, today in Christ you are not doomed. There is one final verse of scripture for us to look at today, Ezekiel 18:20:
“The soul that sins, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him.”
God here is assuring us that each one will ultimately bear the responsibility for himself. If you, beloved son or daughter, have unbelieving parents, pray for them, oh pray for them diligently. Yet also be assured that God sees your faithfulness, and no-one can pluck you out of His hand, not even your own family.
You are covered, by the precious blood of Jesus Christ, our true Passover Lamb!