Easter Symbolism

I know that one of our favorite hobbies is trying to connect everything on Lost. We are amazed as the characters weave in and out of each others lives. We love the symbolism that we can see...how things that happened years earlier had pointed toward this island. Well in that spirit I'm doing this weeks blog. The symbolism of Easter makes Lost look like a children's book. I'll admit up front that I don't understand everything that happened, but if you enjoy making connections and want to do some deep thinking keep reading. For everyone else...check back next week.

First the flash back:
The Jewish people are special to God (to find out why read Genesis chapter 12). They are living as slaves in Egypt. God decides to rescue them and free them from their bondage which will eventually lead to their death. In Exodus chapter 12 God gives the Jewish people some instructions. They are to select a perfect lamb (no faults, no broken bones...). They are to take care of the lamb for 4 days and then they are to kill the lamb. They are to take some of the lambs blood and put it on the doorway of their house. At midnight God would send angels to kill the firstborn child of everyone in Egypt (to convince the king of Egypt to release the Jews from slavery). There was a catch though. The angels would not kill anyone who had the blood of the lamb on their doorway. The next day the king was convinced and the Jewish people were free.

Every year since the Jewish people have celebrated Passover as a way to remember this event. Several thousand years later Jesus goes to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. This is what happened:

What Easter means: (flashbacks)
We are all special to God (to find out why read Psalm 139).
(the Jews were special to God too)

But we are living as slaves to sin. Eventually this sin will lead to our death.
(the Jews were slaves and would die)

So God decided to set us free.
(God decided to set the Jews free)

Thus comes Palm Sunday (read John chapter 12).

Jesus (often refered to as the Lamb...also lived a perfect life) enters Jerusalem and the people are praising him and proclaiming him king.
This was probably the same day that Jewish families would be selecting their perfect lamb for passover.

Jesus stayed in Jerusalem for a few days.
These were the same days that the Jewish families were taking care of their lambs.

After a few days Jesus was arrested, and killed on a cross. His blood would have made marks on the wooden cross.
Meanwhile the Jewish people would have been killing their lambs.

The sacrifce that Jesus made (symbolized by blood on the cross) has made a way for us to escape from the sin that will lead to our death. How do we escape- believe in Jesus and change our heart deciding to follow him instead of our sin.
(When the king changed his heart and decided to listen to God, the Jewish people were freed from their slavery)

Wow! Congratulations if you made it through all that!

Why does this matter? It gives me a renewed appreciation for the creativity and authority of God. Every detail matters. Also it has greatly changed my view of Palm Sunday. Jesus must have been so sad as he realized that while the people were cheering him, they were unknowingly selecting Him as their passover lamb.

What do you think? Any questions?