Dr. Robin H. Kimbrough
The celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection does not end with pretty dresses, clean suits, and a big family meal, but it is an everlasting truth–Jesus rose from the dead with all power in his hands. This power comforts us in difficult situations, overcome obstacles, and to receive forgiveness.
Many of us can witness that the shedding of Jesus’ blood on Calvary has made a difference in our lives. When God called Moses to free the people from Israel, God let Moses know that Pharaoh would not be cooperative.
In fact, over nine plagues, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go. A hardened heart is the same as having a hard head. Although the nine plagues had utterly destroyed Egypt, Pharaoh would not comply with the demand to let the people go.
There are plenty of Pharaoh’s in today’s society. There are people who control other people, and refuse to let them go. They refused to release resources to people who need them.
They hold the reigns to someone else’s needs with the use of violence and abuse.
But they will soon learn that the blood makes the difference. Ironically, the last plague, to put to death every firstborn male in the Egyptian household, was similar to the edict that the Pharaoh issued when we met Moses as a baby—to have males killed at birth born to the Hebrew women.
Before God sent the tenth plague, God gave Moses specific instructions to the Israelites so that they could avoid the consequences of the plague. He told Moses to have the Israelites to sacrifice a lamb, and smear its blood on their door posts. If they failed to do this, they would become victims of the plague.
Every Israelite seems to have followed this instruction. While the Egyptians, including Pharaoh, had firstborn males, from the youngest to the oldest dropping dead in their homes, the Israelites were spared. The next day, Pharaoh released the Israelites, and they were able to leave with their lives and the wealth of the Israelites without any retaliation. The blood makes the difference.
This Passover can happen in our lives, if we are willing to believe in the power of Jesus’ blood shed for us on Calvary, because it can make a difference in our lives.
There are still plagues going around in our world. Like Pharaoh, there are many people who think they are immune to the plagues of life, they think they are protected with their worldly power, wealth, or a false sense of pride. They believe that they can live any kind of way, and sin will not get the best of them. Even when they are faced with a problem or suffering, or the consequences of their sinfulness, they are still unwilling to change and submit to God’s will. Those who think like Pharaoh expose themselves and others to the tenth plague. They don’t believe fat meat is greasy.
For us who know the truth, and have desire divine protection from suffering and the consequences of our sins, we know that we no longer, like the Israelites, have to use the blood of a lamb to provide us with this protection.
We know that Jesus is our Passover. Jesus’ blood makes the difference in our lives. Jesus blood cleanses. Jesus blood forgives. Jesus blood protects. Jesus blood strengthens. Jesus blood makes the difference.
Like the songwriter said, “It reaches to the highest mountain, and it flows to the lowest valley, it is the blood that gives me strength from day to day, and it will never lose its power.” The blood makes the difference.
