Jesus Of Nazareth And Paul Of Tarsus On The Passover Lamb: An Exposition Of Exodus 12:1-23 -- By: S. Lewis Johnson, Jr.

Journal: Emmaus Journal
Volume: EMJ 19:2 (Summer 2010)
Article: Jesus Of Nazareth And Paul Of Tarsus On The Passover Lamb: An Exposition Of Exodus 12:1-23
Author: S. Lewis Johnson, Jr.


Jesus Of Nazareth And Paul Of Tarsus On The Passover Lamb: An Exposition Of Exodus 12:1-231

S. Lewis Johnson, Jr.

Lewis Johnson served as a teaching elder and regularly ministered the Word at Believers Chapel in Dallas, Texas for more than thirty years. At the time of his death in 2004 he was Professor Emeritus of New Testament Literature and Exegesis at Dallas Theological Seminary. Both MP3 files and printed notes of Dr. Johnson’s sermons and theological lectures may be downloaded from the web site of the SLJ Institute «www.sljinstitute.net».

Introduction

We have been studying the Old Testament and some of its many passages that anticipate the person and work of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. We have considered the fundamental messianic promise of the seed of the woman who would crush the serpent’s head (cf. Gen. 3:14–19). We have studied the sacrifice of Isaac by Abraham (Gen. 22:1–19). We have recently pondered Jacob’s vision of the ladder at Bethel, a symbol referred finally by our Lord to himself (Gen. 28:1-22; John 1:43-51), and we have recently looked at Jacob’s blessing of Judah, seeing that it ultimately referred to the coming of the real Lion of Judah, David’s Greater Son (Gen. 49:8–12).

These passages are all remarkable—and instructive—but not one of them is more instructive than the one we shall look at now. The Passover celebrated Israel’s deliverance from the bondage of Egypt, and the Lord commanded that it be observed as a permanent ordinance. That the lambs sacrificed on the annual observance of the feast pointed forward to

the coming of the Lamb of God whose sacrifice would deliver from the spiritual bondage of sin becomes plain as the Word of God progressively reveals. Isaiah speaks of the Servant of Jehovah going to his death for sin as “a lamb that is led to the slaughter” (53:7). John the Baptist celebrates the beginning of the fulfillment by crying out as the Lord Jesus approaches, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Other passages make the connection (cf. 1 Peter 1:18-19; Rev. 5:6), but it is Paul who settles the matter with his statement: “For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed” (cf. You must have a subscription and be logged in to read the entire article.
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