Passover foreshadows Christ’s sacrifice as the ultimate fulfillment of its meaning and symbolism. The central elements of Passover: the lamb, the blood, and deliverance from judgment, all point directly to Jesus and His work on the cross.
In Exodus 12, God commanded each household to choose a lamb without blemish, kill it, and apply its blood to the doorposts. This sign would spare them from the judgment that would strike Egypt:
“When I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 12:13)
The lamb’s innocence and perfection symbolized the sinlessness of Christ. Just as the lamb died in place of the firstborn, Jesus died as our substitute, bearing the penalty of our sin. John the Baptist declared:
“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
The blood of the lamb on the doorposts foreshadowed the saving power of Christ’s blood. Those who trusted God and applied the blood were delivered from death, just as those who believe in Christ are saved from eternal judgment. 1 Peter 1:18–19 connects the two:
“Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things… but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”
Even the timing of Christ’s death during Passover underscores the connection. Paul writes:
“For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” (1 Corinthians 5:7)
Passover reminds us that salvation comes only through the blood of a perfect substitute. The deliverance of Israel from Egypt foreshadowed the greater redemption accomplished through Christ’s death, which liberates us from sin and brings us into the freedom of God’s covenant people.
