Introduction

If you've spent any time around Christian teaching, you've probably heard Jesus called "the Lamb of God." You've heard that His blood covers our sins, that He was sacrificed for us, that His death purchased our redemption. But if you didn't grow up steeped in biblical imagery, this language can feel strange—even off-putting. Why does the Bible use such visceral, ancient imagery to explain what Jesus accomplished on the cross?

The answer lies in an event that happened roughly 1,500 years before Jesus was born: the first Passover in Egypt. That night, God established a pattern of redemption—a template that would echo through Scripture until it found its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Understanding Passover isn't just helpful for understanding Jesus' death; it's essential. The cross doesn't make sense without it.

This essay will explore that connection in three parts. First, we'll examine the original Passover event in Egypt—what happened, why it happened, and what pattern God established. Second, we'll look at two different ways of reading that event: the traditional Jewish interpretation and the Christian interpretation. Finally, we'll see how Jesus fulfills the Passover pattern down to astonishing prophetic detail.

By the end, the language of lamb and blood won't seem strange at all. It will seem inevitable.