Long before the birth of Christ, the prophet Isaiah told of His coming. Isaiah shared:

“The Son of God came to earth to carry man’s sorrows, but was misunderstood and rejected. Yet despite man’s wayward nature, He took the beating and the nails that should have been ours; He gave His life that mankind might have peace and healing.”

It is not uncommon to read these words and think that they only apply to people in Bible times. After all, we know who Jesus is today: there is no end of studies or services about Him. But even today, when we know so much about Christ, He is still rejected or misunderstood by many and still, like sheep, we have a tendency to wander off and do our own thing. But knowing this, knowing that 2,000 years later we would still need significant teaching and transformation to be who He calls us to be, knowing that some would pervert His truth or bend it to glorify themselves or ignore sections of it to try to create a new truth, knowing all this He still gave His life as the price to cover all of our sins.

Looking upon the life of Christ, there is no greater love that this world has ever known or will ever know! The Father sent the Son to save us all and despite our poor reception of Him, He loved us so much that He died as the perfect Passover Lamb so that the sting of eternal death would not fall on us just as the death of the firstborn did not fall upon those houses with doors painted in lamb’s blood in Egypt. The Bible tells us that that morning in Egypt there was a great wailing as people awoke to find their oldest children dead and tells us also that not all of them were Egyptian slaveholders’ children; anyone who did not accept the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb and paint the door experienced death in their home.

Sweet Friends, the love and blood of Christ, our Passover Lamb, are freely given to all, just as God’s directions for avoiding the final plague were available to all, but like the people of that time, to receive them we must accept them and paint the door. Today though, we do not paint a physical door. Instead, we paint the door to our hearts by believing in Christ as our Lord and Savior, repenting of our wandering ways, and choosing to obey Him. Like sheep, if we wish to be safe and at peace, we must choose to follow the shepherd instead of the crowd, we must lock our eyes on Him instead of looking for greener pastures on our own.

Each morning there is a great wailing in our country as people awake to death and depression and despair. This sorrow does not have to be for the mercies of the Lord are new each day. Just as Moses shared God’s directions for avoiding the final plague with anyone would listen, we too must share the good news of the Gospel with all who will listen. We must tell of the Lamb who was slain for us; we must live a life that radiates with the love of God so much so that others stop us and ask where our joy comes from; we must be prepared to give an answer for that joy.

Are you tired of waking up to death each day? Today is fresh with new mercies. Choose the Lamb of God and experience freedom from the bondage of death.

Are you free already this morning from the bondage of sin and death?
Lock your eyes on the Shepherd, live in love, and be prepared to give an answer for the joy you have found!