When John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).

Truly, the Lord Jesus was the Lamb of God who was sacrificed for the forgiveness of our sins. The Passover Lamb had to be sacrificed, and God the Father sent His Son to make atonement for our sins, just as the Apostle Paul said: “Jesus, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.”

According to the ordinances God gave through Moses, there could be no forgiveness of sins without the sacrifice of a blameless lamb. The Passover lamb was to be sacrificed in honor of the Lord, in the month of the firstfruits, and in remembrance of the deliverance of the Lord’s people from the bondage of Egypt. It was to be sacrificed at the place chosen by the Lord to establish His Name there.

Moses received specific instructions from God regarding what they were to do to protect themselves and their families from the dreadful plague He was about to send upon the Egyptians. On that night, the Feast of Passover was instituted. By divine command, each family, either alone or together with other families, was to slaughter a lamb or a kid “without blemish” and, using a bunch of hyssop, sprinkle its blood “on both doorposts and the lintel” of their homes as a sign, so that the destroying angel who was to pass through at midnight would not enter that dwelling. They were to eat the roasted meat, along with bitter herbs, that very night, with “their loins girded, their sandals on their feet, and their staff in hand… in haste, for it is the Lord’s Passover.” (Exodus 12). This name was given in remembrance of the angel who was to pass by their homes, and this feast was to be observed as a memorial by the people of Israel throughout all future generations. With the blood that had been shed, they were to anoint both the doorposts and the lintel of the houses where they would eat it. It was not enough simply to slaughter the lamb and sprinkle the doorposts of the house with its blood; the lamb had to be eaten.

The children of Israel were put to the test by being asked to perform an act that would demonstrate their faith in the great deliverance that God was about to bring about for them. To escape the terrible judgment that was to fall upon Egypt, the sign of the blood had to be visible on their houses. They were also required to keep themselves and their children separate from the Egyptians and to gather in their homes; for if any of the children of Israel had been found in the homes of the Egyptians, he would have fallen at the hand of the destroying angel.

In the same way, we too can be redeemed today from the judgment coming upon this earth. And judgment is rapidly approaching. We, too, are being tested, and for this we need faith. Through faith in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus and in His resurrection, and through repentance for our sins, we can find refuge in God from the judgment that is about to come upon this world. At the foot of the cross of the Lord Jesus, weeping over our sins and asking God for mercy, we have the promise of forgiveness of sins and the reception of the Holy Spirit for a new and pure life of faith. Safety is found where God’s fire has already struck and consumed the sacrifice. Not in our own works, so that no one may boast, but through God’s mercy and grace. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

What will your response be to God’s call? The Lord Jesus said that the kingdom of God is like “a man who gave a great banquet and invited many. At the hour of the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ But they all, as if they had conspired, began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a field and must go to see it; please forgive me.’ Another said, ‘I have bought five pairs of oxen and am going to test them; please forgive me.’ Another said, “I have just gotten married, and that is why I cannot come.” When the servant returned, he told his master these things. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, “Go quickly into the city’s markets and alleys and bring here the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.” Finally, the servant said, “Master, I have done as you commanded, and there is still room.” And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the roads and along the fences, and compel those you find to come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my supper.” (Luke 14:16–24).

Seek to enter the kingdom of God before it is too late, before the doors are shut and you are left outside, where the fire of God’s judgment will strike without mercy the world that has rebelled against God and lives in sin. “Then I will declare to them plainly: ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, all of you who practice lawlessness’” (Matthew 7:23).