12.2 – Devotion

Does your family have any traditions, especially on big holidays, like Thanksgiving or Christmas? Many families have traditional meals, games, and activities that they all do together. Family members who live far away might travel long distances to be with each other during a holiday. Traditions are something people look forward to, and many of them get passed down through generations. Many families who came to America from other places still celebrate traditions from their native countries. These traditions are important because they remind the families of their history and pass that history down to the next generation.

While many traditions developed over time, there are some traditions in the Bible established by God Himself. One of these was the Passover festival. This festival celebrated God saving the Israelites from death and from the Egyptians. God commanded the Israelites to celebrate the Passover every year! The Israelites celebrated the Passover in the desert and in the Promised Land. Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples before He died. Jewish people today continue to celebrate the Passover meal, although some traditions have been added through the years.

While Christians don’t celebrate the Passover festival anymore, we can still find importance in its elements. The sacrifice of an innocent lamb was a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God. Jesus gave His life to forgive all our sins and save us from death. Because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we will have eternal life with Him in heaven!

  1. What special traditions does your family have?
  2. Why did the Israelites celebrate the Passover?
  3. How does Passover remind us of Jesus? Can you think of any similar Christian celebrations or practices?

Let’s pray:

Jesus, thank You for forgiving us of our sins by dying for us. You are the Lamb of God, and we praise You for the wonderful things You have done for us. Help us to remember what You have taught us, and keep us out of sin. In Your name we pray. Amen.