When I See the Blood - Exodus 12:12-14

Welcome to Eat This Bread Drink This Cup

The communion meditation today is based on a passage of Scripture from the Old Testament, Exodus 12:12-14. In this passage of Scripture, we read about the tenth and final plague, the death of the firstborn, and how the Israelites were saved by applying the blood of the Passover lamb to the top and sides of the door to the house where they ate the lamb. This event foreshadows how all who put their faith in Jesus are saved by His blood, the Lamb of God. As we partake of the bread and drink the fruit of the vine from the cup, we remember Jesus and His sacrifice for us. All Scripture quotations are from the New International Version (NIV) and are used with permission

As you listen to the episode today, my hope is that you will be encouraged from the time spent meditating on what Jesus has done for you. You are a special person; the one Jesus died to save!

Transcript

Welcome to Eat This Bread Drink This Cup. The title of my communion meditation today is "When I See the Blood." I read from Exodus 12:12-14 (NIV). All Scripture quotations are from the New International Version (NIV) and are used with permission.

12 “On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.

14 “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD—a lasting ordinance.

The LORD announced to Moses that He would bring the tenth and final plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. The LORD tells Moses (Exodus 11:4-5), "About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the female slave, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well." Continuing in Exodus 12, the LORD gives instructions to Moses and Aaron about how the community of Israel could escape the consequences of the final plague, and how this event would be commemorated for generations to come. The previous plagues made the lives of Pharaoh and his Egyptian subjects miserable; however, this last plague was serious; it was a matter of life and death! The only protection for anyone in the land of Egypt from the judgement of God was the blood of the lamb on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lamb. As the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, and hence to all Israel, "...when I see the blood, I was pass over you. No destructive plagues will touch you when I strike Egypt." The saved households of Israel all shared the same characteristics: they listened to and believed God's message spoken by Moses and Aaron; they obeyed God by applying the blood of the Lamb to the lintel and doorposts of the door to the house; and they were saved from God's judgement and its penalty, death. To say it another way, the faithful were saved from death by the blood of the lamb. I sense your excitement over hearing this story because you see the connection between what happened that night in Egypt and your own salvation story! It is no surprise that John the Baptist called Jesus (John 1:29) "...the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." And Jesus Himself tells us (Matthew 26:28), "this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many." The blood is there, but it has no effect unless it is applied so God can see it—we repent of our sins; we confess that Jesus is the Son of God before the assembly; and we are immersed in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We are saved from death by the blood of the Lamb! That is why we assemble this Lord's Day to remember Jesus, the Lamb of God, who offered His life to forgive our sins and save us from death. Let us pray.

Abba, Father. Today we bless and set aside this bread and the fruit of the vine in this cup to remember Your Son, Jesus. We know that the bread represents His body that was nailed to the cross, and the fruit of the vine represents His blood that He shed for us. As we pour out the wine from the cup, we are reminded of how Jesus poured out His own blood that our sins might be forgiven. Abba, Father, how amazing it is that we are saved when You see the blood of the Lamb applied to our hearts. This truth so affirms the message of the gospel that we are not saved by our good works but by the good work of Jesus. He offered His life that we might be cleansed of our sins and saved from death by His blood. As we partake of the bread and drink the fruit of the wine from the cup, we remember Jesus, His love, His suffering, and what He accomplished for all who put their faith in Him. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Today, Jesus invites you to partake of His supper. I read from Matthew 26:26-28 (NLT).

26 As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take this and eat it, for this is my body.” Let us partake of the bread.

27 And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, “Each of you drink from it, 28 for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many." Let us partake of the cup.

And the assembly of believers said, "Amen!"

Until next time, from Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV), “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

Artist's Note: If you have questions about the Lord's Supper, I invite you to visit my website, https://eatthisbreaddrinkthiscup.com, for a brief overview. The Eat This Bread Drink This Cup podcast is listed in most podcast directories, and I invite you to add my podcast to your favorites and be notified of new posts. There is a written transcript that accompanies each podcast, and you are free to use the transcript in accordance with US copyright law. My prayer is that you will benefit personally from this time with Jesus and encourage others to observe the Lord's Supper. In these trying times, we need to keep our eyes on Jesus!