As the angel of death prepared to pass over the land of Egypt, every firstborn of Egypt and Israel, both people and animals, would be destroyed. This was the penalty of sin. There was only one way to escape. If a lamb without blemish would be sacrificed and its blood smeared on the door posts of the house, the angel of death would pass over. This was true for Jew and Gentile alike - there was no other way to be saved. This was a blood covenant and as in all blood covenants, two are involved; God and the head of the household. Two elements were also needed - the blood of an innocent lamb and obedience of the household head.

It was not enough to just sacrifice the lamb, it's blood had to be applied to the door posts of the house. They had to act in faith that God would honor His word and passover when He saw the blood. About midnight, by candle light, the family was inside the house, eating the entire roasted lamb because God had commanded to leave nothing until the morning. They also ate  unleavened bread. No doubt the children were asking what was happening as they heard the screams of those who had not prepared. The fathers began teaching them, so the story would not forgotten from generation to generation.

There are many lessons to be learned here: 1) There is only one way of escape, 2) the sacrifice blood must be applied, 3) obedience is required, 4) faith kept them inside their house - their ark of safety while the destroyer passed over, 5) by faith and obedience and telling his children the head of the house hold can give them a place of safety, 6) they had to eat all of the lamb, nothing was to be left until the morning, 7) they had to be ready and willing to go out of Egypt when the signal sounded.

Christians today have forgotten many of these lessons. It is 'politically incorrect' to say there is only one way to be saved, and it can even be equated with religious 'hate speech'. But the only truth that will deliver you from the coming Day of Jacobs trouble is "the blood must be applied to the door post of your house" to be saved. It is not enough to mentally claim to believe, you must act and actually apply the blood! All of the lamb must be eaten. As the writer of Hebrews declares, "Let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, ..." - Hebrews 6:1. Many are unable to rightly understand Scriptures that were given for our protection in the end days, because they are still on milk.

Passover was kept with the Feast of Unleavened Bread because we must search our lives, judging ourselves, and put away worldly things that will just weaken us. We must eat unleavened bread, untainted with sin.

 Yeshua is the Jewish Messiah. He is the Passover Lamb. It's the original institution of the Passover given to the Jewish People from God. When God sees the blood applied to the doorposts of our heart the Angel of Death will pass over. This is the declaration of Passover: the grace and power of God unto salvation!

Isaiah 53 describes this 'suffering servant' as a lamb -

"he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." - Isaiah 53:7

As God instructed Moses, he was unblemished - without sin. This was Jesus, our Messiah. The Apostle Paul, an orthodox Jewish rabbi, wrote -

"Messiah our Passover Lamb was sacrificed for us." - 1 Cor. 5:17

The Apostle Peter wrote that we are redeemed with the precious blood of the Messiah as a "lamb without spot or blemish." - 1 Pet. 1:19. Why did He do this? Because -

"He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." - 2 Cor. 5:21

This is what is being celebrated at Passover. Some will say, this is just a Jewish feast, but, God says differently.

"These are MY appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you are top proclaim as sacred assemblies." - Leviticus 23:2

 These feasts are for anyone who has been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Paul writes specifically to Gentile believers that before Christ Jesus we were -

"excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of promise ... But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ." - Ephesians 2:12-13

Now we are no longer foreigners and aliens but fellow citizens with God's people. What a promise! Who better to celebrate Passover than those who have been delivered by the blood of the Lamb!

"During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested. ... The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country." - Exodus 12:31-33

It was not a time to worry about the garlic and leaks of Egypt, they went out into the night - to freedom!

We are not told this, but I think the trumpets must have been blowing to alert the people. They took even the bones of righteous Joseph with them.

Was this a picture of that future Feast of Trumpets, when the five wise virgins are called to go out into the night to meet the bridegroom? Passover speaks of trouble, of persecution, of enslavement at the hands of the worldly Egyptians. But, it also speaks of heavenly deliverance, lighting our lamps and facing the darkness in victory!

Remember, though Passover represents great deliverance, it also represents a coming time of great testing, as they faced the wilderness. They had to face enemies who wanted to destroy  them, not the least of which was themselves! In those desert trials to come, they learned to be overcomers.

We also will hear the trumpets call and have to go out into a "day of darkness and gloom" as Zephaniah describes it. But in the midst of those days of awe, we will learn to shine! As Isaiah predicts -

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you." - Isaiah 60:1-2.