My family has loved doing advent devotionals for years, so I decided to write my own. I pray it blesses your family as much as it’s blessed mine.

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Day 8: The Passover

Picture / Ornament: A Door with Blood

Scripture: Exodus 1:1-14; Exodus 3:1-12; Exodus 12:1-14, 21-28

Song: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Joseph’s brothers stayed in Egypt and raised their families there. The descendants of Jacob came to be known as the Israelites. The Egyptians made the Israelites their slaves and would not allow them to worship God. The Israelites cried out to God to save them and He did!

God called Moses to deliver them. Moses had actually grown up in the Egyptian pharaoh’s house but had fled to the desert as a young man. While Moses was out taking care of his sheep, God spoke to him out of a burning bush. God told Moses that He was going to use Moses to lead His people out of Egypt.

God told Moses and his brother Aaron to tell Pharaoh, “Let my people go that they may worship me.”  Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go, even when God sent a series of plagues on his land. First, the water was turned to blood, then the land was covered with frogs, then gnats, and then flies! Then, God struck the livestock with a deadly plague, then the people and animals broke out in boils! Then, the land was struck by hail and then by locusts and finally darkness fell over the land. But every time, Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites to go worship God. God wants and deserves worship, and His people should be free to worship Him.

The final plague was on the firstborn son of every family, yet God had a plan to rescue the Israelites from this plague. God commanded each family to kill a lamb and put the lamb’s blood on the doorposts of their home. In any home without the blood, the firstborn would die, but in any home with the blood, the firstborn would be safe for that home would be “passed over.”

God was teaching a lesson to this land that He separates those who trust and obey Him, rescuing them from his just judgment by their faith.

God was faithful to keep His promises, both to the Egyptians and to the Israelites. God saved His people that night and God told the Israelites to celebrate a Passover feast every year to remember when God delivered them. The story of Passover also teaches us about Jesus. Jesus is that perfect, spotless Lamb of God whose blood saves us when it is applied to our hearts. When we trust and obey Jesus, we become His special people and are given eternal life as a gift. God will pass over us for judgment because Jesus was judged in our place.

Today is a perfect day to thank God for His saving grace through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Remember … Christmas is all about Jesus.