“If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of ambition needed in accordance with what each person will eat.” (Exodus 12: 4 NIV)
I’ve been submerging myself in the Passover story for the last few days. It’s a strange story to read as a plague rages outside our front door and Easter week begins without it’s usual Palm Sunday pomp and circumstance. Our youth ministry has spent 2020 wading through the Old Testament looking for the stories that point to the Messiah. Exodus 11 & 12 happen to be our landing strip this week.
This particular verse has snagged my attention a couple times now: the one where families had to decide how much lamb they could consume. I’ve fed people for a long time, this assigned portion business is harder than you’d think. I have made too little or too much more times than I can count; just enough is hard to achieve.
I was wondering about the inclusion of this instruction in the Passover narrative until I widened my sight to include the Last Supper. Remember, Passover is a precursor: a tradition established to annually admit our need of rescue and position our hearts to search for a Savior. While we may struggle to assign portions and make just enough, Christ’s sacrifice was all-sufficient. Perfectly proportioned. His sinless life and blameless death provide the precise amount of grace I need and the grace you need and the grand total of grace for all who will receive Him. He has supernaturally provided our portion before we confessed Him as Lord or even took our first breath. His sacrifice is just enough for each of us and sufficient for all of us.
“But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, My power is made perfect in weakness.”” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV)
“For by one sacrifice He has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” (Hebrews 10:14 NIV)
O Lord, You know exactly how much grace we require. We could not even begin to guess, but You know and show up each day with just enough for each of us. May we not waste it, but receive grace as the priceless treasure it is. We are so grateful to You, our Passover Lamb, who takes away the sins of the world. Amen.