At Mercy Hill Church, we’re continuing our Let My People Go series, walking through the book of Exodus and seeing how God calls His people out of slavery and into His light. This week, we arrived at one of the most monumental moments in Scripture: the Passover (Exodus 12). More than just a historic event, this story paints one of the clearest pictures of the gospel in the entire Bible. The big idea is this: God saves through sacrifice.
From the beginning, Scripture teaches us that life requires sacrifice. Even in the physical sense, for us to live, something must die. Whether you’re a meat-loving member of the Mercy Hill security team—the beards, boots, and tattoos crew that’s never missed a leg day—or a vegetarian, something must die for you to live. Spiritually, the same is true. Eternal life only comes through sacrifice. Jesus said it plainly when He called Himself “the Bread of Life” and told His disciples, “Eat of my flesh and drink of my blood” (John 6:53). His point? For us to live, He had to die.
Who Will Hear the Gospel Through You?
Exodus 12:21-23 recounts how Moses gathered the elders of Israel and delivered God’s instructions for the Passover: selecting and sacrificing a lamb, marking their doorposts with its blood, and staying inside as the angel of death passed through Egypt. This is the first time the people are hearing about God’s plan for salvation. God hadn’t told the people how to be saved when the angel of death passed over—He told Moses to tell the people how to be saved. Imagine if Moses had kept it to himself!
Let’s apply this. What if we keep the message of salvation to ourselves?
2 Corinthians 5:20 reminds us, “We are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us.” God has chosen us to proclaim His salvation to a world in need. I spoke with one of our sent ones this week, who serves in one of the hardest, most unreached areas of the world. One of the pastors he works with rode all day on the back of a fish truck just to attend a bible-storying training—he risked his life and had to stay vigilant of wild animals as he walked through the night. Since that training a couple years ago, 20 of the 30 believers have experienced severe physical persecution. Why do they endure this? Because God is making His appeal through us.
So, here’s my challenge: Who will hear the gospel through you? Easter is just around the corner, and it’s a super strategic time for the church to be inviting. One of the best ways we have the chance to “be a Moses” is this time of year. Our culture is open to a gospel witness during the Easter season. Churches will swell, and we want to take advantage of that. So, will you go all in? If you’re a member of Mercy Hill Church, we have a super easy way for you to remember how to engage this Easter: PIGS.
- Pray – Cover Easter in prayer. Pray for boldness to share and for people to come.
- Invite – Bring someone with you. Who in your life needs to hear the gospel? Would you be faithful to invite them to come with you this Easter?
- Give – Over 1,200 families have given this year—we’d love to see 200 new givers by the end of April!
- Serve – Jump in with us! Easter is a massive opportunity for gospel impact.
Sign up here to pray, invite, give, and serve. If you were with us this past weekend, you had the rare opportunity to see me preach in my best Sunday garb: a Piggly Wiggly t-shirt! Now you see why I chose this specific attire. PIGS—don’t forget it! And if you drive by a Piggly Wiggly, grab a shirt. This church is so weird sometimes, and I love it!
The Passover Is Both Judgment and Salvation
As H.B. Charles Jr. said, “the Passover was both judgment and salvation.” This passage in Exodus 12 reveals God’s redemptive pattern—when the angel of death comes, salvation happens through sacrifice. The Israelites were not passed over because they were righteous. They were idolaters and forgetful of God. In fact, they were no better than the Egyptians. The only reason the destroyer spared them was because something else had died in their place.
This is the same pattern we see from Genesis to Revelation. When Adam and Eve sinned, God covered them with animal skins—implying a sacrifice had to be made. Sacrifice is the only way sin can be atoned for. And this points to the ultimate fulfillment in Christ. 1 Corinthians 5:7 tells us: “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”
Jesus didn’t just die for us; He died instead of us. The lamb in Exodus was a sign, but Jesus was the real sacrifice, the true Lamb that took away the sin of the world.
Forgiveness Absorbs Debt
So often people question why Jesus had to die. The answer is that forgiveness absorbs debt.
Let’s say you wreck my van (It was time for Anna to get a new car, so now I’m driving the family minivan around town. Before you panic—yes, I still have my truck. It’s important to me that you know that!). I tell my boys all the time, “It takes a man to drive a van.” They don’t believe it any more than I do, but here we are.
Now, if you totaled my van and had no insurance, I could either demand repayment or forgive you and take on the debt myself. That’s exactly what Jesus did for us on the cross—He absorbed our debt, paying the price we owed. He is our ultimate Passover Lamb.
How Are You Marking Your Home?
In Exodus 12:24-27, God commands the Israelites to observe the Passover from generation to generation. This was more than a one-time event—it was meant to be passed down.
Parents, how are you marking your home? Is it marked with the blood of the Lamb?
- Are we passing down the gospel to the next generation?
- Are we making disciples in our homes?
- Are we shaping our families around Jesus, or around money, success, and sports?
This isn’t just for parents—college students, young professionals, what will your home be marked by one day? Every home will be marked by something. Is it going to be marked by destruction or the blood of the Lamb?
Jesus Is the Lamb of God
The progression of God’s redemptive plan is seen throughout Scripture:
- In Genesis 22, we see one lamb for one person (Isaac).
- In Exodus 12, we see one lamb for one household (Passover).
- In Leviticus, we see one lamb for the nation (Yom Kippur).
- In John 1:29, we see one Lamb for the world—Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Either we pay for our sin, or the Lamb does.
Application: Be Grateful for God’s Sacrifice in the Gospel
We don’t like to think about what sacrifice really means. Our culture disconnects from the reality—our food comes in prepackaged nuggets shaped like dinosaurs. But if you hunt, you understand that something had to die for you to eat.
The sacrificial system was gruesome on purpose. The smell of burning flesh, the blood, the sounds of animals—it was meant to show how serious sin is. The cross is no different. The gospel isn’t just a feel-good story; it’s a bloody sacrifice.
But our God loves us enough to send Jesus to die for us. His blood covers our sin and gives us eternal life. The application is simple today: let your heart swell with gratitude for what God has done for us in the gospel.
-Andrew Hopper, Lead Pastor
Watch the full sermon from week seven of the “Let My People Go” series below:
