The Blood of the Lamb

This week’s Come, Follow Me lesson highlights the fact that the symbols of Passover point to Jesus Christ. It says, “The tenth plague threatened the death of all firstborn children and animals in Egypt. However, the Lord provided a way for the Israelites to escape this plague. He instructed them to participate in a special meal as the plague passed over them—the Passover meal. The Lord’s instructions included many important symbols that point to Him.” Perhaps the most clear symbol is that of the lamb’s blood which was to be put around their door: “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it” (Exodus 12:4-7). A perfect lamb was to be slain and its blood spread upon the posts of the doors of the Israelites so that the destroying angel would pass by them and they would be protected.   

We know that we too are saved by the blood of the Lamb, and many scriptures use this imagery. Peter taught, “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God” (1 Peter 1:19-21). John also described how we are strengthened by the blood of the Lamb against the powers of Satan: “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death”(Revelation 12:11). John also recorded this description of the faithful: “These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14). Nephi had a similar vision to John and the angel described a time of righteousness among Nephi’s posterity: “These are made white in the blood of the Lamb, because of their faith in him” (1 Nephi 12:11). Alma gave a similar description of the righteous: “Therefore they were called after this holy order, and were sanctified, and their garments were washed white through the blood of the Lamb” (Alma 13:11). Moroni described a future day when the righteous would gather to Jerusalem again using the same language: “And then also cometh the Jerusalem of old; and the inhabitants thereof, blessed are they, for they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who were scattered and gathered in from the four quarters of the earth, and from the north countries, and are partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant which God made with their father, Abraham” (Ether 13:11). And Mormon invited us with these words, “O then ye unbelieving, turn ye unto the Lord; cry mightily unto the Father in the name of Jesus, that perhaps ye may be found spotless, pure, fair, and white, having been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, at that great and last day” (Mormon 9:6). Though we may not put blood on our door today, we all need the blood of the Lamb to cleanse us from sin and bring us to salvation.

Perhaps there is also symbolism in the fact that the blood was put on their doors. It was not hidden inside their houses, but it was made visible to see for any who came by. In the same manner, we must not be afraid to claim Christ; we should not hide our commitment to Him from others or be afraid to confess Him before the world. The Savior said this to His disciples, “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33). We should be willing to put on our figurative doors—that which people can see—things which will indicate our commitment to the Lamb of God. It is also interesting the Jesus used the door to represent Himself in His teachings: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture” (John 10:7-9). So perhaps a second reason the door was used for the lamb’s blood was to remind the Israelites and us that the Lamb of God is the door by which we can enter into the fold of God. We must go in through Him and in no other way.