COLERAINE EVANGELICAL CHURCH
SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 28 DECEMBER 2025 pm - MR RYAN MALONE
Exodus 12 verses 1 to 14
You may have heard this passage preached on before. Typology is something I have got into a while ago. The Old Testament points forward to Christ. We see it first in Genesis 22 when a son is sacrificed. Other passages include Exodus 16 when the manna shows us how Jesus is the Bread of Life, Isaiah 53 refers to Jesus as the Suffering Servant and Isaiah 7 is about the virgin birth. We see Christ in it all. The theme of this passage is a Passover, the lamb pointing to Christ. The lamb without blemish. Through his blood we have new life as believers. Are you a believer tonight?
This book written by Moses comes to a very significant chapter. Israel's break from slavery in Egypt after all the plagues. Pharoah had Israel in slavery. The plagues showed God's power over Egypt, Pharoah and false gods. Chapter 12 is all about the Passover. Israel was in bondage for 430 years in Egypt. The centenary of our own country was celebrated a few years ago and that was only for 100 years. Passover was not just a ritual but proof of God's salvation. God did not wait until they came out of Egypt but met them in the place of oppression, idolatry and bondage. The instruction was to start with worship. People know the truth of the gospel before they act on it. Israel's calendar would have been full of Egyptian festivals and seasons connected to Egyptian gods. Now at the point of delivery only a lamb could be slain. They had to be specific in their method. God came down in salvation for us in a specific certain way - through the Lord Jesus Christ. To show his identity and purpose. The specific Christmas passage is Matthew 1 verse 21 "thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins." That is his purpose. People might ask what is my purpose in life? To serve God and glorify him for ever. God did things his way. I want us to note 3 points ...
Firstly, the lamb without blemish, spotless. It pointed forward to Christ. There was no guilt found in him. Secondly, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world, without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins. Third, we are born again through the shedding of blood.
The lamb without blemish - verse 5. God commanded Israel to select a lamb for each household. It had to be a perfect lamb. This lamb would bear the judgment of God in their place. The sacrifices needed to be without blemish. It pointed forward to Christ. John 1 verse 29 and 1 Peter 1 verse 19. How much greater than a lamb is Jesus. Hebrews 9 verse 12 "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." Acts 4 verse 12 - only Christ could fulfil this. No human effort can substitute because salvation rests on us. A sinful man could not save another sinful man. Take courage in this. Christ is perfect. He is the blameless, spotless Lamb.
The Lamb's blood - verse 7. You need to understand blood is the essential element here. It is essential that it is applied. Israelites are subject to judgment. If the blood is applied. "The sages of sin is death." Wrath is there. Unless we apply the blood. An example of substitutionary atonement. God's judgment passed over those. Covered by the blood. That is God's mercy demonstrated. Romans 5 verse 9. The lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. Ephesians 1 verse 7. 1 Corinthians 5 verse 7 "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us." Those 3 texts are to the church at Rome, Ephesus and Corinth. All believers. The blood saves them from eternal judgment, guilt, fear and sin. We are covered by the blood. There is power in the blood.
Born again through the lamb - verse 12. At this point God will pass through Egypt in judgment but not the people of Israel that night. It was a means of escaping death. As the wages of sin is death but it was a moment more special than that. God marked them as his. They were delivered at this point. The word in the original language means saved, healed and delivered. For 430 years these people lived under Egyptian domination. They were changed, redeemed. Even for the believer tonight do we speak like our old nature, like we have never left Egypt? Do we think that way? Do we act that way some times? We should have that new identity once saved. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 17 "if any man be in Christ he is a new creature." "The dog will not return to its vomit." For believers in Christ the truth shall set you free. If we are in Christ we have stepped out of spiritual Egypt into eternal life. We have a new identity. Joint heirs with Christ. Sometimes we see people whose lives are in danger and at risk. People had to step in to move them from the area to another. We have a new identity in Christ. Once saved from sin we will want to do things God's way. It seems foolish to go back to the old ways. If you are backslidden tonight get back to God, to the cross of Christ and go back to God. We shouldn't walk back to Egypt but walk in newness of life. A new name. A new identity. A new homeland. A new spirit. A new faith. A new eternal destination. Translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son. Not of this world. We shouldn't go on like this world. We have seen in Exodus 12 is more than a story of Israel but points to Christ. The blood applied invites us into salvation with him. We should celebrate the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. We should look forward to seeing Christ face to face one day. Everyone has sin, everyone has messed up.
Some times we hear the many excuses why people cannot come to Christ. On the other side we hear "I do many good things, I am in church every week, I pay into my church." It is not about religiosity or keeping the 10 commandments. Ephesians 2 verses 8 and 9. You must be born again. Grace is God's undeserved mercy. Putting our faith and trust in Christ and his finished work on the cross. It is finished, done. We cannot add to something already done. No more payment for sins. Jesus paid it all. There is no more you can pay. It is fully paid. God does not want to hammer you down. He speaks his will in scriptures. He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. He wants you to put your faith in him and his finished work. "He that believeth on the son hath everlasting life but he that believeth not." it is heaven or hell, no in between. No waiting period. There is no coming back to try a second time. There is only one mediator between God and man. In Genesis 3 God put an enmity him and man. Only God could bridge that gap. Come to Christ. The lamb without blemish. The one who shed his blood on Calvary. Only one way you can be born again - through Jesus.
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