Jesus, the Passover Lamb: The Blood That Sets You Free

Introduction

There are moments in life when everything tips over. A death, an accident, news that freezes you in place. It's often in those moments that the question of eternity becomes real: where will I go after this life? Is someone holding me in his hands when everything falls apart?

In this message preached on April 26, 2026, Pastor Ono returns to an ancient text from Exodus (chapter 12) to show that the answer is already written. The blood of the Passover lamb, placed on the doorframes of the Hebrew homes in Egypt, was already announcing the cross. That same protection is offered to you today. Here's what to take away from his sermon.

Sermon Outline

1. Jesus Is the Lamb of God, Sacrificed for You

In Exodus 12:21-23, Moses commands the people to slaughter the Passover lamb and smear the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts. Wherever the blood would be seen, the plague would pass over without striking.

Pastor Ono insists: this isn't a poetic image. It's a precise foreshadowing of the cross. Jesus died the day before Passover, at the exact hour when, in the temple, the lambs were being slaughtered for the feast. The blood he shed is the very same blood that shelters you from judgment.

The whole Bible, he says, hangs on this thread: "the Old Testament announces Jesus, the New Testament tells his story." Reading Scripture without this center opens the door to distortions and sects. Reading Scripture with Jesus at the center is how you find the key.

2. Believing Means Placing Yourself Under the Lord's Protection

"The blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). Pastor Ono tells the story of Ishii Tokichi, a Japanese death row inmate from the early twentieth century. This man had killed. He was awaiting his execution with hatred and contempt when two foreign missionary women, unable to get anywhere with him, left him a New Testament.

Ishii eventually opened it, out of boredom. He read all the way to Luke 23, to that statement Jesus makes on the cross: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." That's where he broke down. A man tortured by his executioners, praying for his executioners? Ishii became a Christian. According to the testimony of the guard who carried out the execution, he climbed the gallows with a peaceful face, thanking those around him.

What that man did, you can do too: put your life behind the blood of the Lamb. Nothing more, nothing less.

3. Keep This Faith as an Eternal Inheritance

"You shall keep this as a statute for you and for your sons forever" (Exodus 12:24). Pastor Ono highlights the word forever. Faith isn't a passing Sunday morning emotion. It's a place you choose to stay, week after week, with your family, in your work, in your ordinary days.

When you keep that faith alive, the Lord is at work in your everyday life. He doesn't just give you eternity, he also gives you strength, joy, and gratitude for today.

Key Takeaways

• The blood of the lamb on the doors in Egypt announced the cross. Jesus is the Passover Lamb fulfilled.
• You are saved by faith, not by your efforts. What Jesus did is enough.
• All of Scripture speaks of Christ. Read it with him at the center.
• Even the worst of criminals can be transformed (Ishii Tokichi, Paul, Peter).
• Faith is kept like an inheritance: for you and those who come after you.

Personal Application

1. Where do you stand on your certainty about eternity? Are you living with that assurance, or is the question still open?
2. Is there a sin or a failure you think disqualifies you? How does the blood of Jesus answer that accusation?
3. Do you read the Bible looking for Jesus at the center, or looking first for rules to follow?
4. What can you practically pass on this week to a loved one, a child, a friend, so that this faith doesn't stop with you?
5. Take a moment to tell the Lord, in your own words: "I believe. Use me as you will."

Verses Cited

• Exodus 12:21-28 · The Passover lamb and the blood on the doorframes
• Exodus 12:24 · "You shall keep this as a statute forever"
• John 3:16 · God's love for the world
• 1 John 1:7 · The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin
• Matthew 25:31-40 · The judgment of the nations
• 2 Corinthians 5:1 · The eternal dwelling
• Luke 23 · "Father, forgive them"
• Isaiah 53 · The Suffering Servant

FAQ

Are people who have never heard of Jesus automatically condemned?

Pastor Ono answers carefully: it isn't up to a pastor, or any man, to hand out labels. Matthew 25 shows a Lord who "hides" in the least of these and keeps a kind eye on everyone. What's certain is that God wants everyone to be saved (John 3:16). The rest belongs to him.

Why blood? Why such a violent image?

Because sin isn't a small slip you can wave away. It costs a life. In the Old Testament, it's the life of a lamb. At the cross, it's the life of the Son of God himself. Blood isn't an image of cruelty, it's the price of your freedom.

What do I need to do, practically, to be saved?

Believe. Simply believe that Jesus died for you and that he rose again. No prior merit is required. John 3:16 doesn't say God loved "the righteous" or "the serious people." He loved the world. You included.