出エジプト記12:1-13　Exodus 12:1-13

Moses, who was called by God, was sent to Egypt with his brother Aaron. They asked Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to free the Israelites who were suffering as slaves in Egypt.

However, Pharaoh was stubborn and would not allow the Israelites to be set free. So God sent various plagues upon the people of Egypt. The first plague was that the waters of the Nile would turn to blood; the second plague was that frogs would spread throughout the land; the third plague was gnats infestation; the fourth plague was an outbreak of flies; the fifth plague was that cattle would fall ill; the sixth plague was that people would become sick with boils; and the seventh plague was that a great block of ice, hail, would come from heaven. The eighth plague was that locusts would devour all the crops of the land, and the ninth plague was that darkness would cover the whole land of Egypt. Finally, the tenth plague, the greatest plague of all, was sent down. It was the plague of the death of the firstborn child in the house of the Egyptians.

Before God sent the terrible plague of striking and killing the Egyptian’s firstborn, he commanded the Israelites to kill a lamb and to smear its blood on the lintel and the doorposts of their houses. Why? Verse 13 of today’s passages says: “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.” This means that the angel of God, who sends the plague, saw the blood of the lamb, and knew that this was the house of the Israelites, so that the angel would pass over the house of the Israelites and the plague would not come upon them. It may seem cruel that the Egyptian’s firstborn should die and the Israelite’s firstborn should be spared. However, in this way, God brought judgement on the Egyptian king and the people of Egypt, who had been tormenting the Israelites. And because of this great plague, Pharaoh set the Israelites free and allowed them to leave the land of Egypt. This event is called the Passover. As a memorial to the Israelites’ freedom and salvation from slavery in the land of Egypt, God commanded them to eat the flesh of the lamb they had slain, along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. This is the Passover meal.

In the New Testament, salvation was given to those who believed in Jesus’ dying for many. In other words, Jesus’ death on the cross in the place of many people provided forgiveness of sins to those who believed in him. In other words, by dying on the cross, Jesus rescued and set free those who believed from the slavery of sin and death. And just as the Israelites ate the Passover meal to commemorate their freedom from slavery in the land of Egypt, so believers in Jesus eat a meal of bread and drink grape juice in worship to commemorate the salvation of the cross of Jesus. This is the holy communion that is celebrated in a church service. If you believe in Jesus and are baptised, you will be able to participate in this sacrament. Also, if you were baptised when you were infants, you can participate in the sacrament if you believe in Jesus and confirmed.