Gospel BC – Passover

Day 1: God Provides a Way to Escape Judgment

Summary:

God is just—and in His justice, He must judge sin. Yet in His mercy, He provides a way of escape. The first Passover reveals this truth: judgment would fall on Egypt, but a lamb’s blood would shield the Israelites. This is not only historical—it’s profoundly theological. It’s a preview of the gospel.

Read:

• Exodus 12:12–13

• Romans 3:23–26

• Isaiah 53:5–6

Background:

In Egypt, God planned to strike down the firstborn, the final act of judgment. But He told Israel to mark their doorframes with the blood of a lamb. When God saw the blood, He passed over the household. Judgment fell, but only on those not under the blood.

Key Words:

• Judgment: God’s holy response to sin.

• Distinction: God made a visible separation between His people and Egypt.

• Provision: A substitute was offered to satisfy divine justice.

Theological Truths:

• “God’s mercy does not eliminate His justice, but His justice is satisfied through a substitute.” – R.C. Sproul

• “The blood of the lamb was not a symbol of Israel’s worth, but of God’s grace.” – John Owen

Questions for Reflection:

1. Why do you think God’s justice and mercy must both be upheld?(MULTILINE)

2. What do you think the blood on the doorposts represented to the Israelites?(MULTILINE)

3. In what ways do you see God’s provision in your own life?(MULTILINE)

Gospel Connection:

Christ is our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). Just as the blood of the lamb shielded the Israelites, Jesus’ blood shields us from judgment. The law exposes our sin; the gospel covers it. We are saved not by our heritage or goodness, but by grace through faith in the blood of Jesus (Ephesians 2:8–9).

Application:

Pause and thank God for providing Jesus as your substitute. Pray for a deeper gratitude and awareness of what He has done to save you.

Day 2: The Blood Must Be Personally Applied

Summary:

It wasn’t enough for the lamb to be slain. Each family had to apply the blood personally. Likewise, salvation is not inherited or assumed. It is received by faith, personally.

Read:

• Exodus 12:7, 23

• John 1:12–13

• Hebrews 9:22

Background:

Every Israelite had the same instruction: take the blood and apply it to the doorframe. No one was exempt from the need. Without the blood, there was death. With it, there was life. The action of faith made all the difference.

Key Words:

• Apply: To actively receive and respond to God’s provision.

• Personal: Not general or communal—faith must be individual.

• Faith: Trust in God’s promise, expressed through obedience.

Theological Truths:

• “Faith is the hand that receives the gift of Christ’s righteousness.” – John Calvin

• “It is not the knowledge of the blood, but the application of it, that saves the soul.” – Charles Spurgeon

Questions for Reflection:

1. Have you personally received Jesus, or are you relying on someone else’s faith?(MULTILINE)

2. Why is it important to move from knowing about Jesus to trusting in Him?(MULTILINE)

3. How does your life reflect applied faith?(MULTILINE)

Gospel Connection:

The Old Covenant foreshadowed the New: under the law, blood was shed repeatedly; under the gospel, Christ’s blood was shed once for all (Hebrews 10:10). Faith in His finished work applies that once-for-all atonement to us.

Application:

Ask God to search your heart. If you’ve never personally trusted Jesus, today is the day. Don’t let the blood remain on the altar—apply it to the doorpost of your heart.

Day 3: God Makes a Distinction

Summary:

God draws a clear line between those who belong to Him and those who do not. In Egypt, this was marked by obedience and the blood. Today, it is marked by faith in Christ. God’s distinction is not arbitrary—it is covenantal.

Read:

• Exodus 11:7

• 1 Peter 2:9–10

• Galatians 3:26–29

Background:

While Egypt was plunged into grief, not even a dog barked in Israel. Why? God made a distinction. The difference wasn’t ethnicity or goodness—it was obedience to God’s provision.

Key Words:

• Distinction: A separation based on covenant faithfulness.

• Identity: God’s people are set apart by Him.

• Covenant: God’s binding relationship with His chosen people.

Theological Truths:

• “The church is distinguished from the world by the blood of Christ, not by their own merit.” – B.B. Warfield

• “Election is not favoritism, but grace shown to the undeserving.” – Herman Bavinck

Questions for Reflection:

1. What sets God’s people apart in today’s world?(MULTILINE)

2. How does your life show that you belong to Christ?(MULTILINE)

3. What does it mean to live as one who is “set apart”?(MULTILINE)

Gospel Connection:

The law condemned all; the gospel redeems those under the blood. God’s covenant people are no longer marked by ethnicity or ritual, but by faith in Jesus. He is the true Israel (Isaiah 49:3), and we are in Him.

Application:

Consider one way you can live out your identity as one of God’s set-apart people this week—in your speech, your relationships, or your time.

Day 4: Memorial and Proclamation

Summary:

God commanded His people to remember the Passover. Every year, they rehearsed their rescue story. In the same way, the Lord’s Supper is our regular reminder and proclamation: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

Read:

• Exodus 12:14

• Luke 22:19–20

• 1 Corinthians 11:23–26

Background:

The first Passover became an annual feast. Jesus, during the Passover meal, instituted the Lord’s Supper—connecting the old with the new, the shadow with the fulfillment.

Key Words:

• Memorial: A sacred act of remembering.

• Proclaim: To announce publicly and personally.

• Sacrifice: A substitute offered for sin.

Theological Truths:

• “The Lord’s Supper is the visible gospel, reminding us of the Lamb who was slain.” – John Frame

• “In the Supper, Christ is spiritually present to nourish believers through faith.” – Louis Berkhof

Questions for Reflection:

1. How does taking the Lord’s Supper help you remember the gospel?(MULTILINE)

2. Why do you think God wants His people to regularly remember and proclaim?(MULTILINE)

3. How does remembering Christ’s death impact your daily decisions?(MULTILINE)

Gospel Connection:

The law gave feasts as shadows. The gospel gives us the substance: Christ (Colossians 2:17). When we partake in communion, we remember that judgment has passed us by, not because we’re worthy, but because the Lamb has died in our place.

Application:

Next time you take the Lord’s Supper, approach it with fresh eyes—remember the blood, proclaim the gospel, rejoice in your rescue.

Day 5: Covered and Free

Summary:

The Passover set Israel free from Egypt. The gospel sets us free from sin. The blood didn’t just protect—it liberated. We are covered and called to walk in freedom.

Read:

• Exodus 12:30–32

• Romans 6:6–11

• Galatians 5:1

Background:

After the death of the firstborn, Pharaoh relented. Israel was freed. No more bondage, no more chains. This historical moment mirrors the spiritual freedom found in Christ.

Key Words:

• Freedom: Release from bondage.

• Redemption: A price paid to free a slave.

• Covered: Protected and forgiven by grace.

Theological Truths:

• “Freedom in Christ is not license to sin but power to live unto God.” – Martyn Lloyd-Jones

• “Redemption means God has bought us back at the cost of His Son.” – J.I. Packer

Questions for Reflection:

1. What kind of “slavery” has Jesus freed you from?(MULTILINE)

2. Are you living like someone who is truly free?(MULTILINE)

3. How does being covered by Christ’s blood change the way you view yourself?(MULTILINE)

Gospel Connection:

Law shows us our bondage; gospel shows us our deliverance. Jesus is our greater Moses—leading us out of slavery, through His blood and resurrection, into freedom and new life (John 8:36).

Application:

Live like you’re free. Today, choose to walk in obedience not out of obligation, but out of joyful gratitude to the One who redeemed you.