Exodus 12: “Saved by the Blood of the Lamb”
1. God Begins by Reordering Time
“This month shall be for you the beginning of months.” (Ex 12:2)
Before God frees Israel from slavery, He changes how they measure time.
This teaches a profound Catholic truth:
Salvation changes everything — even how life is ordered.
For Israel, history now begins with redemption.
For Christians, time is reordered around Christ’s death and resurrection.
St Augustine of Hippo writes:
“The true beginning of life is when the soul is set free by God.”
(Sermons)
2. The Lamb Is Chosen
“Every man shall take a lamb… a lamb without blemish.” (vv. 3–5)
The lamb must be:
Male
Without defect
Chosen carefully
Known to the household
This is not random food — it is a sacrificial victim.
The Fathers unanimously see here Christ Himself.
St John Chrysostom says:
“The lamb is Christ: innocent, spotless, and chosen for sacrifice.”
(Homilies)
3. The Lamb Is Kept for Days
“You shall keep it until the fourteenth day.” (v. 6)
The lamb lives among the family before being killed.
This teaches:
Sacrifice is personal
Salvation is costly
Christ lived among His people before He was offered.
St Gregory of Nyssa explains:
“The lamb dwells with those it will save, so that love precedes sacrifice.”
(Life of Moses)
4. The Blood Is Shed
“The whole assembly… shall kill their lambs at twilight.” (v. 6)
This is a communal act.
Salvation is not private.
The whole people are involved.
This points forward to:
Christ dying publicly
The Church gathered at the Cross
5. The Blood Is Applied to the Doorposts
“They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel.” (v. 7)
This is crucial.
The blood is not symbolic only — it must be applied.
Catholic teaching is clear:
Salvation is offered freely, but it must be received.
St Augustine of Hippo teaches:
“The blood saves not by being shed alone, but by being marked upon the house.”
(Questions on Exodus)
The door is the place of entrance — the blood guards the household.
The Fathers saw here:
The Cross (vertical and horizontal)
The Christian marked by Christ
Baptism and faith applied personally
6. The Lamb Is Eaten
“They shall eat the flesh that night.” (v. 8)
This is not optional.
The lamb must be:
Sacrificed
And eaten
This is decisive for Catholic faith.
Salvation is not only about death —
it is about communion.
St Cyril of Jerusalem says:
“The blood protected them outside, the flesh strengthened them within.”
(Catechetical Lectures)
This directly prepares for the Eucharist:
Christ must not only die for us — He must be received by us.
7. Roasted with Fire
“Roasted with fire.” (v. 8)
Fire represents:
Judgment
Holiness
Divine action
The lamb is not boiled or broken apart.
St Justin Martyr explains:
“The lamb roasted whole prefigures the Cross, where Christ suffered in His entirety.”
(Dialogue with Trypho)
8. Unleavened Bread and Bitter Herbs
“With unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.” (v. 8)
Unleavened bread means:
No corruption
No delay
Bitter herbs recall:
The pain of slavery
The cost of sin
Catholic faith never forgets what we were saved from.
9. Eat in Readiness
“Your loins girded, sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand.” (v. 11)
This is a meal for travellers, not for comfort.
Salvation prepares us for a journey.
The Christian life is:
Movement
Pilgrimage
Hope
St Bede the Venerable comments:
“We eat standing, because the redeemed do not settle in slavery.”
(Commentary on Exodus)
10. “It Is the Lord’s Passover”
(v. 11)
The word “Passover” means passing over in judgment.
God does not destroy randomly —
He passes over those marked by blood.
11. Judgment Comes at Midnight
“At midnight the Lord struck all the firstborn.” (v. 29)
Judgment arrives suddenly.
But Israel is safe — not because they are better,
but because they are covered by blood.
St Gregory the Great writes:
“The destroyer sees the blood and passes by; judgment cannot touch what God has sealed.”
(Moralia)
12. A Great Cry — and Immediate Release
“There was a great cry in Egypt.” (v. 30)
What Pharaoh refused freely, he now surrenders in fear.
The people are urged to leave at once.
Salvation does not linger in slavery.
13. Israel Leaves Rich
“They plundered the Egyptians.” (v. 36)
God restores what was stolen.
The Church Fathers also saw this spiritually:
Taking truth and goodness from the world
Using it for God’s glory
14. The Feast Is to Be Remembered Forever
“This day shall be for you a memorial day.” (v. 14)
This is not only history — it is liturgy.
God commands Israel to celebrate salvation regularly.
Catholics immediately recognise this:
The Mass is not repetition — it is memorial.
St Augustine explains:
“What God commands to be remembered is made present by worship.”
(Sermons)
15. No Bone Is Broken
“You shall not break any of its bones.” (v. 46)
This detail is extraordinary.
The Gospel of John explicitly applies this to Christ on the Cross.
The Church has always seen this as:
Proof of fulfilment
Unity of Scripture
16. Salvation Is Communal
“If a stranger sojourns with you… let him be circumcised.” (v. 48)
Salvation is open — but it requires commitment.
This prepares for:
Baptism
Entry into the Church
Grace is free, but not casual.
Key Catholic Themes in Exodus 12
| Theme | Catholic Meaning |
| The Lamb | Christ |
| Blood | Salvation |
| Eating | Communion |
| Readiness | Christian vigilance |
| Memorial | Liturgy |
| Separation | Belonging to God |
Christ at the Centre of Exodus 12
The Fathers are unanimous:
The Lamb → Christ
The Blood → the Cross
The Meal → the Eucharist
The Rescue → Salvation
The Journey → Christian life
St Augustine summarises:
“The Passover is Christ; the lamb is slain, the blood is shed, the people are freed.”
(Sermons)
Spiritual Application
Be marked by the Blood of Christ.
Receive, not just believe.
Do not remain in slavery once freed.
Live as pilgrims, not settlers.
Return often to the saving meal.
Closing Prayer
Lord God of our salvation,
You saved Your people by the blood of the lamb
and fulfilled this mystery in Jesus Christ.
Mark us with His saving Blood,
feed us with His Body,
and lead us out of every slavery
into the freedom of Your Kingdom.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
St. Mary's, St. John Bosco and St. Edward's 