Christ our Passover - Resurrection Sunday 2025

Good morning, CHURCH!

Welcome to FFM where we love God, and we love people.

Are you ready to be equipped today?

Let me see your Bibles. (QR code to get my notes)

Let’s pray.

Through your word may we find:

(Safe, secure, loved, wanted, successful, good-enough and have purpose)

Everyone says it’s Easter Sunday.

What’s the big deal about Easter Sunday? (Candy for kids, new fits etc.)

Pastor J, what do you have to say about Easter?

The first thing I want to say about it, is that calling this day Easter Sunday is probably offensive to the Lord our God.

Why is it offensive to call this day Easter.

The word Easter is from an Anglo-Saxon goddess of Spring and fertility.

(Spring brings life. Things start to grow.)

And that is why the bunny rabbit is associated with Easter because of their fertility.

So, why is it offensive?

The early Jewish and Christian followers referred to this time in the same way the Israelites did.

They referred to it as Passover.

And it was at this time that the crucifixion took place. (This was a weekend to remember.)

The Israelites were commanded by God through Moses to celebrate the Passover.

Today we’re going to look at what really makes Resurrection Sunday such a big deal.

We’re going to see how Jesus is the fulfillment of the Passover; the Lamb whose blood delivers us from death and whose resurrection guarantees our eternal life.

Today’s Message Title is:

“Christ Our Passover”

First we have:

The Original Passover

The Passover was a shadow of Redemption that was to come. (Exodus 12:1–30)

The Israelites had been in slavery in Egypt for 400 years as was prophesied. (430)

While in Egypt, Israel was in bondage to the Pharaoh of that time. (Exodus chapters 1–11.)

Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery.

He ends up in Egypt and ultimately 2nd in command to Pharoah.

That Pharoah dies and the new Pharoah ends up enslaving Israel for fear of their growth.

And after 400 plus years, God sends Moses to redeem and free his people.

Through Moses, God sent 10 plagues to Egypt and Pharaoh causing him to let the Israelites go.

Water turning to blood – The Nile River and all water sources turned to blood.

Frogs – That swarmed the land and entered homes of the Egyptians.

Gnats – Small biting insects, like gnats or lice covered them and their livestock

Flies – Swarms of flies tormented them.

A Plague on their Livestock.

Boils – Painful boils on their skin and animals.

Hail – A severe hailstorm destroying crops and damaging land and property.

Locusts – Swarming and devouring their remaining crops.

Darkness – Thick darkness that lasted for three days.

And the death of the firstborn – God struck down the firstborn son of every Egyptian household, but the Israelites were spared as they marked their doors with the blood of a lamb.

Highlight the Blood of the Lamb.

Each household had to sacrifice a lamb and use the blood. (The Blood representing life.)

Exodus 12:5 ESV

our lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats,

Without Blemish. (Blemish representing sin.)

I hope some of you are your seeing where this is going.

The blood on the doorpost was the sign for the destroyer/death Angel to pass-over the homes of the Israelites and only kill the firstborn of the Egyptians and their animals.

Exodus 12:12-13 ESV

For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord.

13 The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.

In case you didn’t know, this is where the name Passover came from.

*Their deliverance came through was called Substitutionary Atonement. (A lamb for a life.)

*A spotless lamb had to die so that their firstborn could live. (Substitution)

*This was God’s way of rescue and freedom for his chosen people.

How should we Connect these dots?

The lamb that was slain, was a foreshadowing of something/someone greater to come – (Jesus).

2nd let’s look at:

Jesus: The True Passover Lamb

(1 Cor. 5:7, Luke 22:14–20)

Look at how the scriptures refer to Jesus in the New Testament.

In John 1:29, look at what John the Baptist's says about him.

John 1:29 ESV

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

Knowing the back story of what we just talked about makes John’s statement here hit different.

(We’ve been celebrating passover as a people every year for 1,500 years.)

My wife and I recently watched The Chosen, The Last Supper and Jesus' Final Passover Meal with the twelve.

And during this time right before his crucifixion, Jesus redefines Passover as he will be the fulfillment of this great yearly celebration.

Luke 22:19–20 ESV

And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

(With this understanding I think this would be a great time to take communion.)

In Exodus the Israelites had to sacrifice a perfect lamb and use the blood of that lamb to cover them from death.

Jesus is now the perfect Lamb saying my body is the new and final sacrifice of a perfect lamb to cover you from sin and eternal death.

Do this in remembrance of me.

So, the ultimate fulfillment of all this was in His Death on the cross.

He prophesied this in Matthew 26:2.

Matthew 26:2 ESV

“You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”

At that same time, they were doing business as usual sacrificing lambs which was the tradition.

Not knowing that Jesus was going to be dying on the cross as the once and for all sacrificial lamb.

How should we connect these dots every Resurrection Sunday/Passover?

Remember that just as the blood of the lamb saved Israel from death, the blood that Jesus shed saves us from eternal death.

Finally

The Resurrection Offers: Freedom and New Life

Matthew 28:1–6 ESV

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.

Now let’s remember, the Passover led to freedom from slavery for the Israelites.

After Passover, Israel left Egypt and began their journey to where? (Promised Land.)

The Passover marked the beginning of Israel’s Exodus.

The Crucifixion and Resurrection that we just read about in Matthew 28 is our Exodus.

Jesus’ resurrection marked the defeat of death, just as Israel’s exodus marked the defeat of slavery to Pharaoh.

Now we are to walk in newness of life towards our Promised Land.

Romans 6:4 ESV

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

We should be walking in a newness of life right now. (Not some future event in Heaven.)

*Jesus’ resurrection assures us of eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

Since Passover was about freedom from slavery.

Resurrection Sunday should be about freedom from sin and death.

The cross is the doorpost, the blood is our covering, and the resurrection is our deliverance.

Let’s Close with This:

How Should I Respond to What I’ve Heard Today?

1. Trust in the Blood of the Lamb

Salvation comes only through Christ’s sacrifice (John 14:6 I am the way, truth and life.)

2. Celebrate Our Freedom

Passover was a celebration of deliverance—we should live with joy and gratitude for our salvation.

3. Live as People of the Resurrection

Walk in newness of life.

Romans 6:4 ESV

We were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Leave behind the "Egypt" of sin and live in the freedom Christ provides.

Gospel Invitation

Jesus did his part but there is some action that you must take.

Just as the Israelites had to act by applying the blood of the lamb to their doors, each of us must personally apply the blood of Jesus to our hearts.

Have you trusted in Christ, our Passover Lamb?

Romans 10:9-10 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

I want to give you that opportunity today.

What is Holy Spirit saying to you?

Thank you for tuning in and we’ll see you next week.