Moses Week 11: Plague of Firstborns

Sermon in a Sentence: Salvation and freedom requires sacrifice, which Jesus paid.

The Word: Exodus 12

Summary: Last week we discussed the first nine plagues of Egypt. This week we finished with the plague of the firstborns. This is a very difficult plague to wrap our minds around because of the vast amount of death it caused.
This plague was saved until the very end because it was the last resort. Because Pharaoh's heart remained hardened through all the other plagues the plague of the firstborns was used.
In Exodus 12 we see that God gave clear instructions to avoid this plague. They had to:

1. Get a pure lamb
2. Take the lamb into your house for four days and make it a personal pet
3. After four days kill the lamb
4. Take the blood of the lamb and apply it to the door and door frames
5. Roast the land and completely devour it, and whatever is leftover burn it the next morning

This lamb was the substitute for their death. 

Moses' story mirrors Jesus story 1,400 years later.

Jesus is often referred to as the "lamb of God"

God's instructions to the Israelites with Moses stand true for the sacrifice made with Jesus:

1. Get a pure lamb - Jesus was without sin
2. Take the lamb into your house for four days and make it a personal pet - Jesus needs to be your personal saviour
3. After four days kill the lamb - Jesus was killed on the cross
4. Take the blood of the lamb and apply it to the door and door frames - We need to acknowledge Jesus' death
5. Roast the lamb and completely devour it, and whatever is leftover burn it the next morning - we need to completely accept Jesus' sacrifice and not just take forgiveness when we feel we need it

This story of salvation is something Christians have heard over and over, but the true turning point comes with true acceptance.

One way or another we are going to have to accept a death.

• We either accept Jesus' death for our sins, or...
• our death because of sin