The Passover lamb was the animal God directed the Israelites to use as a sacrifice in Egypt on the night God struck down the firstborn sons of every household. The prophet John the Baptist recognized Jesus as “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29), and the apostle Peter links the lamb without defect (Exodus 12:5) with Christ, whom he calls a “lamb without blemish or defect”. Just as the Passover lamb’s applied blood caused the “destroyer” to pass over each household, Christ’s applied blood causes God’s judgment to pass over sinners and gives life to believers (Romans 6:23).
The Passover lamb was sacrificed, its blood painted on the doorposts of the Israelite houses, so that God would pass over those homes and spare their firstborn children. The act of the lamb’s sacrifice and the blood covering the household was directly tied to the salvation of the people. It is within this context that we find Jesus’ work on earth