What moment in history defines our nation? Perhaps it’s the day we signed the Declaration of Independence and claimed freedom from England’s control. (Let’s not feel too special though; we’re one of 65 countries that celebrate freedom from England!) That’s the day on which we decide to commemorate the birth of our beloved country, because it’s essentially the core of our origin story.
But our national origin story pales in comparison to that of Israel! The people of Israel have a special privilege in that they get to say they were born not out of warfare but out of grace. They got to witness the day God’s power was made manifest and he demonstrated his perfect justice and destroyed evildoers, and nonetheless he showed how much steadfast love he had for this little people group. By grace he spared them and rescued them. By grace, not because they deserved it but simply because they were covered by the blood of a spotless lamb, God’s wrath passed over them. That’s why the world’s most incredible national origin holiday, with the most incredible backstory, is easily the Passover.
Given all that, it should come as a shock that Israel so rarely bothered to celebrate it! As the nation ebbed and flowed and forgot God and returned to God and rinsed and repeated, they almost forgot how important the Passover story was. During Hezekiah’s time, there weren’t even enough consecrated priests to celebrate it properly. they had forgotten in that time that they had thriving life solely by the grace of God. They had forgotten that they were covered by the blood of a spotless lamb.
But we have not forgotten that since! We the church, though we are not Israel, are still covered by the blood of a spotless lamb—a lamb whose salvation power is eternal—and by amazing grace, God calls us his own. We still celebrate the Passover, though now it is a greater origin holiday than anything before, because by the blood of this spotless lamb, Christ the Son of God, our eternal life is secure. This is why Scripture puts so much stress on the Passover, even before Jesus comes. Both then and now, it commemorates when God’s great power, justice, and mercy are shown gloriously, and his wrath passes over those whom he calls his own. So don’t forget to celebrate. We are covered by the blood of Christ!
