Every now and again something happens in our lives that can be described as a 'defining moment'. Something that happens that changes everything. An event that changes how we see ourselves; changes how others view us. Changes how we view the world. Maybe a series illness or accident leaves us unable to do some of the things we once took for granted. Maybe after years of being told we're no good we gain a diploma or a degree - and we start to believe in ourselves for the first time. Maybe we get married or have our first child.
For the people of Israel in the Old Testament a key defining moment in their history was the Exodus - the day that God brought them out of Egypt, out of slavery. God and Pharaoh had been in a battle over these people, and finally God had won, and Pharaoh let the people go, in order that they might go into the desert to worship God.
The story of the rescue is told in Exodus 12, and the people are instructed in Leviticus 23:4-8 to remember the story every year. The Israelites were to kill a lamb at twilight on a specific day, and paint the blood on the door frame of their houses. Then when God passed through the land he would pass-over any house where the blood was on the door post - but any house where there was no blood the first born in that house would die - people and animals. This final act of judgement was too much for Pharaoh and he allowed the people to leave.
In the previous nine plagues God had no trouble distinguishing between Israelite and Egyptian - so why the need for the blood on the door frames now?
In 1 Corinthians 5:7 Paul refers to Jesus as our Passover lamb who has been sacrificed. Only the blood of this sacrifice is able to save us from the judgement of God. Nothing else will do it.
But the Passover and the Exodus was not simply about being saved from something - it was about being saved from slavery in order to worship God. And for the Christian we are saved to worship God. To do what God wants us to be doing. To be serving God.
Just as Israel looked back to the Passover every year, to remember where they'd come from and who had rescued them; so as Christians we look back to the cross where Jesus died and we understand ourselves, we define ourselves in the light of the events of the cross. Everything changes when a person decides to follow Jesus.
