Correction - One Firstborn, Too Many!

So from time to time, even pastors make mistakes and confuse a detail; much to my chagrin, such is true also of me! In our Sermon Circle discussion after service on Sunday, one person sincerely asked where the text specifies that the Passover lambs were to be firstborn male lambs, since I had said that was the case. Every person should pay that sort of attention to detail when listening to a sermon. This is also a great example of why Sermon Circle is so valuable – it gives opportunity to dig in deeper, offer clarification, and in this case discover a need for correction.

As you look at Exodus 11-13:16, you’ll find mention of firstborns left and right, but you will not find that to be a requirement of the Passover lambs. In reflecting on how I could have confused that detail, I think I must have mistakenly read back the details of Exodus 13 (regarding the sacrifice of firstborn clean animals and the redemption of firstborn sons) into the Passover section of chapter 12 as I tried to draw out the full significance of all of these things in relation to Christ. In practice, we can imagine why it would have been impractical to require the Passover lambs to be firstborn males as there may have not been a sufficient supply for the entire population. So to be clear, the standard was simply that the Passover lamb needed to be a year-old male, sheep/goat, that was without blemish.

Does the absence of this correlation negate the significance of Christ in relation to Passover? Not at all! While the fact that Christ was the firstborn of Mary does not hold any particular significance in connection with the Passover lamb itself, it remains the case that Jesus is of course male and that he lived a sinless life without blemish. This along with his death following Passover is more than sufficient to draw the connection. In fact, this has led me to further consider another related point of significance.

First, consider that the Passover lambs were slaughtered to cover the firstborn of Israel,

[Exo 4:22-23 NIV] 22 Then say to Pharaoh, 'This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I told you, "Let my son go, so he may worship me." But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.' "

[Exo 12:23 NIV] 23 When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.

Now, consider that Jesus laid down the life for the sake of the Church. I referenced this passage in the sermon, but I think its meaning stands out even more now:

[Heb 12:22-24 NIV] 22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

This passage seems to draw a parallel between the firstborn of Israel (and the nation as a whole, per Exodus 4:22) redeemed under the blood of their Passover lambs and the Church as God’s firstborn, redeemed under the blood of Christ, our Passover Lamb.

In closing, I do want to affirm that the fact of Christ being a firstborn remains significant. As as we think about his consecration following his birth (see Luke 2:22-24), we see how that parallels Exodus 13:2 and that he greatly surpasses the priestly service of the Levites (Numbers 8:14-18) who stood as substitutes for all the firstborn of Israel in their service to God. Christ gives himself completely to God – he needs no redemption as a firstborn, he is our redeemer!

Scripture quotations are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®
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Rev. Tom Loghry

Tom Loghry is the senior pastor of Rockland Community Church in North, Scituate, RI. He is a graduate of the Berkshire Institute for Christian Studies, Toccoa Falls College (B.S. Pastoral Ministry), and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (M.A. Theology). He is continuing his graduate studies in the area of “Ethics & Society” at GCTS.