God's Story: Passover.
So part of God's story is about Passover and it goes like this.
It all started when the Israelites were stuck as slaves in Egypt.
They were forced to work in fields and make bricks and mortar.
Worse, the ruler of Egypt, Pharaoh, and the other people in charge didn't care if God's
family was hot, or tired, or hungry, or sad, or hurt, or just plain miserable, and they were!
But even in the middle of all that God's family grew.
In fact, they got so big that Pharaoh was scared they might attack and overpower him.
He made them work even harder to show them he was boss.
Soon the Israelites were even more miserable.
They begged God for help.
Well guess what?
God saw what Pharaoh was doing to His family and He didn't like it one bit, so He planned
a rescue.
He sent a man named Moses to lead God's family out of Egypt and into a brand new, beautiful
home called the "Promised Land."
But when Moses told Pharaoh to let God's family leave Pharaoh said no.
Remember, Pharaoh though he was the boss; the thing is, God is really in control and
even rulers of countries should obey him.
So 9 different times God sent plagues to show Pharaoh His power.
The plagues were like punishments to Egypt for keeping God's family as slaves.
After each one Moses asked Pharaoh to let God's family go, but Pharaoh kept saying no.
Then Moses told Pharaoh that God loves His family so much that He will rescue them no
matter how many times Pharaoh refused to obey.
So there would be one more plague; one that would wipe out the oldest son in every house
in Egypt, but of course, God had a special plan for His family.
He told them to take their best lamb or young goat, kill it, and paint the blood on the
doorframe.
Then they should eat the meat with bitter herbs and flatbread made without yeast called
unleavened bread, which is cheap and can be made quickly.
In fact, God asked His family to eat the whole meal as if they were ready to run right out
the door with their shoes on and their walking sticks in hand.
They obeyed.
Good thing too, because that very night the angel of death came, but just like God promised
he passed over the houses with blood on the door.
Finally Pharaoh realized God was in charge and that God loved His family and the Pharaoh
couldn't stop God's rescue plan.
He said God's family should get far away from Egypt.
They left in a hurry.
For hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of years after that God's family celebrated the
night God rescued them by eating unleavened bread, bitter herbs, and lamb.
But that rescue was just a preview to the big rescue God had planned for the whole world.
Remember, the ruler of this world,
the devil, wants us to work for him and live bitter, sad lives separated from God, and
we all do wrong things sometimes and deserve to die as punishment.
So God sent His very own son to Earth.
He lived the perfect life we should've lived, and died the awful death we should've died.
But three days after He died Jesus came back to life!
That means He got rid of death and it can't separate us from God anymore.
And you know what?
Right before Jesus died He celebrated passover one last time, but without the lamb.
See Jesus showed us that He is our lamb, and just like the lambs died so that the sons
could stay with their families, Jesus died so that we can be part of God's family.
One day He'll recreate a perfect home for us and it'll be even better than the Promised
Land, and that's the story of Passover.
So in case you missed it, here's the quick version: God's family was miserable.
They begged God for help.
God planned a rescue.
Pharaoh said no.
God showed His power.
The oldest sons had to die.
Lambs took their place.
God rescued His family.
They celebrated Passover.
Death was our punishment too.
God sent His son.
He took our place.
God rescued us!
And that's a part of God's story!