Moses & the Grace of God: The Passover Lamb
Pastor Tan Thai · Apr 5, 2019
This sermon explores the meaning of the Passover in Exodus 12:1–13, tracing the theme of 'the Lamb' from Abraham through Isaiah to Jesus Christ. It argues that salvation comes solely through the blood of God's Lamb, not through ancestry, culture, or human merit.
The sermon opens by situating the Passover within the broader narrative of Moses' life and Israel's slavery in Egypt. The preacher establishes that Exodus 12 is not merely a historical record but a foreshadowing of the cosmic liberation accomplished by Jesus — the greater Moses. Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians that Old Testament events were written for our encouragement grounds this typological reading.
The central section traces the 'history of the Lamb' through three episodes. First, the story of Abraham and Isaac (Genesis 22) surfaces the core theological problem: how can God be both just and merciful? Abraham receives a revelation that 'God will provide himself a Lamb,' anticipating a far greater sacrifice. Second, the Passover clarifies that salvation is not based on Jewish ethnicity or personal morality but solely on the blood of the Lamb — even unfaithful Israelites who stayed under the blood were spared. Third, Isaiah 53 prophesies that the true Lamb is a human being of infinite worth whose death pays for all.
The sermon reaches its climax in John the Baptist's declaration: 'Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.' The preacher highlights that at the Last Supper — held on Passover night — Jesus identified his own body and blood with the Passover lamb, confirming himself as the fulfillment of the entire sacrificial sequence. The historical anecdote of a carpenter converted after hearing Spurgeon practice this proclamation illustrates the transformative power of beholding the Lamb.
Three practical implications are drawn. First, only by beholding the Lamb of God can one understand how God can be simultaneously just and merciful, since the Lamb demonstrates both his uncompromising justice and his extraordinary love. Second, beholding the Lamb transforms the believer's heart into the heart of a lamb — resolving the spiritual restlessness that comes from viewing God as either purely demanding or purely permissive. Third, beholding the Lamb also produces lion-hearted courage, providing an objective moral foundation for resisting oppression, which mere skepticism — as illustrated by a G.K. Chesterton quotation — cannot supply.
The sermon closes with a prayer of adoration drawn from Revelation 5, celebrating the Lamb who was slain and who redeemed people from every tongue, tribe, people, and nation. This closing prayer anticipates the day when all creation joins in singing, 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.'