Grace Lutheran Church Weekly Devotion - Exodus 13:1–3a, 11–15
Exodus 13:1–3a, 11–15
1The Lord said to Moses, 2“Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.”
3Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place. . . .
11“When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, 12you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord’s. 13Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it, you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 15For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore, I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’”
Most of the world has moved on from Christmas, but for the Church of God in Christ Jesus, it is still Christmas. It would not be a terrible thing if we thought about Christmas everyday of the year because we should never forget God coming to redeem His people in the flesh. Remembering the birth of the Christ Child resets our hearts and minds to know what the birth of Jesus is all about. No, His birth is not about some ideal of “peace on earth” the world likes to pretend will happen. This Baby is given in exchange for the life of the firstborn child. A family has a son, and a lamb must die. Jesus was the lamb who came to die. His life, death, resurrection, and ascension continues to uplift you, forgive you, and guide you into the fulfillment of His promises.
God had just brought the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt by killing all the firstborn of the land, but sparing their sons by the blood of the Passover lamb spread on the door posts. A day or two later, they passed through the Red Sea and celebrated their final escape from Pharaoh’s army. They were ringing in a new year. So, God teaches His people a lesson they were never to forget: Each time you have a firstborn, bring a lamb, kill it, and save the child.
God wants us to remember that the death of His firstborn sets us free from slavery to sin. That is what redemption is, it is the price paid to get something back. On the night of the Passover, all the first born in the Land of Egypt would die unless they were redeemed by a lamb slaughtered and its blood smeared on the door posts. In the present, it is not just the firstborn, it is all sinners that face the prospect of death. So, God Himself sent His firstborn to be the sacrificial Lamb. Do not let the cozy manger scene fool you. This Baby, the firstborn Son of Mary, who is the only begotten Son of God was born to redeem all people from their sins, born to take your place, slaughtered at the cross so you will not be, and killed so you are set free.
Christmas is a reminder that Jesus came into this world for the purpose to redeem, to buy back, to ransom, to take the place of and save not just the firstborn kids, but everyone. He came to save you. Sure, it is easy to get caught up in the world’s celebration of Christmas with its music and lights and “holiday cheer.” But in the Church, we are reminded that this Child was given, this Son was born for a much greater reason than to give us an excuse to party and exchange gifts. Jesus came into this world to be the Lamb who is given in our place. Christ, the One born on Christmas, was born to be the Lamb of your redemption from slavery to sin and to rescue you from death which means everlasting life for us.
