The Passover That Pointed to Jesus
Month 10: The Upper Room · Why We Believe
Today's Scripture
Read together: Luke 22:14-16 & Exodus 12:21-23
14 When the hour had come, Jesus reclined at the table with His apostles. 15 And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before My suffering. 16 For I tell you that I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” — Luke 22:14-16
21 Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and told them, “Go at once and select for yourselves a lamb for each family, and slaughter the Passover lamb. 22 Take a cluster of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin, and brush the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out the door of his house until morning. 23 When the LORD passes through to strike down the Egyptians, He will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway; so He will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down. — Exodus 12:21-23
Memory Verse
“A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.””— John 13:34-35 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: Amos 8-9; Obadiah 1; Jonah 1
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 273 of 365 — judgment, a coming restoration, and a runaway prophet.)The Heart of It
When Jesus sat down with His disciples, He said, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before My suffering." Passover was not just any meal. It was the oldest, most important supper in Israel's life. Every family had kept it for over a thousand years. Tonight we read where it came from. Back in Egypt, God's people were slaves. And God sent the final plague. Every firstborn son would die. But He gave a way of rescue. Each family was to kill a spotless lamb and brush its blood on the doorposts. When the destroyer passed through, he would pass over every house marked by the blood. The lamb died so the family could live. That is why it is called Passover.
Here is the breathtaking part. For over a thousand years, God had His people act out a picture of the rescue He was planning all along. A lamb with no spot or flaw. Blood that keeps away death. A meal that frees a captive people. Every Passover was a finger pointing forward. And now the finger was pointing at the Man at the table. Jesus is "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (). In a few hours, His own blood would be poured out. Then death would pass over everyone sheltered under it. When you see how perfectly the old story fits the cross, you realize that one Author has been writing the whole Bible. That is one big reason we believe. The gospel was promised in pictures long before it ever came true.
Around the Table
Long ago, God's people put lamb's blood on their doors so they would be safe. Jesus is our Lamb who keeps us safe forever!
Let's do it: "Paint" a doorpost with your hand. Then say, "Safe because of the Lamb!"
Passover was a picture. God gave it a thousand years early to point to Jesus, the perfect Lamb.
Let's talk: What parts of the Passover story match what Jesus did on the cross?
Jesus chose, on purpose, to give new meaning to the oldest feast in Israel. He is the One the lamb always pointed to.
Let's go deeper: One Author planned these connections across 1,400 years. What does that tell you about how much we can trust the Bible?
💬 Conversation Starter
Have you ever found out that something from long ago was secretly getting you ready for today? How does it feel when the pieces finally fit together?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says, "The Bible is just a bunch of unrelated old books stuck together" — you can gently answer this way. Then how do we explain the Passover? Moses wrote it about 1,400 years before Jesus, and it matches the cross so closely. A spotless lamb. Blood that turns away death. A rescued people. A meal they remembered every year. Jesus stepped into that feast and said, in effect, "This was always about Me." Dozens of patterns and prophecies like this come true all through Scripture. That is far more than coincidence could explain. It points to one divine Mind, writing one unfolding story. Say it kindly, and do not argue. You might say, "I could be wrong, but here is why this convinces me." First Peter 3:15 tells us to give our reason "with gentleness and respect." Let the evidence and your gentleness do the work together.
For Dad · Go Deeper
There is a word for the way Old Testament people, events, and ceremonies point ahead to Christ. The word is typology. It is one of the richest tools you can hand your children for reading the whole Bible. It guards them from two errors. One is thinking the Old Testament does not matter. The other is thinking the Bible is just a random pile of writings. Jesus Himself read Scripture this way (). The Passover lamb, the bronze serpent, the temple, and the sacrifices all lean forward toward Christ. When you show your kids that, you are teaching them that God is a faithful Promise-Keeper. He plans rescue centuries in advance. That builds a sturdy faith that has looked at the evidence. It does not panic when a skeptic scoffs, because it has seen the design of the whole story.
Draws on: Edmund Clowney, The Unfolding Mystery.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that You planned our rescue long before we were born. Jesus is our true Lamb. His blood keeps us safe forever. Help us trust Your Word, every page of it. In Jesus' name, amen."
The Lamb in Egypt was always pointing to the Lamb on the cross. One Author, one rescue, one story we can trust.