Similarities Between the Exodus and the Cross

Did you ever notice something that others have missed? Maybe you saw a cloud formation in the distance that looked like a rabbit. Once you pointed it out, others were able to see it too.

This topic is one that I noticed years ago. I don’t think it was something I read or heard; it was a genuine discovery. I have taught it many times over the years in Sunday School and Bible studies.

You may know that there are many types and shadows in the Old Testament that point to Jesus. For example, He taught that just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days, the Son of Man would also be buried for three days and rise again. Types are select people, places, and things from the Old Testament that are similar to corresponding people, places, or things found in the New Testament. When the two are contrasted, there is an enhancement from the Old Testament to the New Testament. Christians can see these divine connections through regenerated eyes and a sanctified imagination.

Let me unpack what I have seen are obvious parallels between the exodus in the Old Testament and the cross in the New Testament. These two events both demonstrate major acts of God’s deliverance from bondage to slavery and sin. They share several things in common and the Old Testament event clearly foreshadows the cross. I think you will find it to be more than just interesting, but life-changing.

Both events were preceded by the Passover

The Exodus narrative is a powerful story. At the burning bush, Yahweh explains to Moses that He is well aware of the suffering of His people. He promises He will deliver them out of Egypt (Exo. 3:7-8). Due to the hardness of Pharoah’s heart, God brings ten plagues on them, to get Pharoah to change his mind. Just prior to executing the tenth one, the death of the firstborn, God commands Israel to prepare to celebrate the Passover, where the blood of the lamb on their doorposts would protect them. This festival will be required for future generations to remember God’s great deliverance (Exo 12:14).

All three Synoptic Gospel writers mention the celebrating of Passover before Good Friday. (See Matt. 26:17-19; Mark 14:12-16; Luke 22:7-20.) Jesus wanted to ensure that His disciples understood this divine connection between the first Passover and this one, which transformed into the Last Supper that Christians around the world continue to celebrate today. On the night before Jesus died on the cross where He would pay for the sins of the world, deliver them from sin, and lead them into the abundant life, He knew He was the Lamb of God, who would protect His followers from God’s wrath.

Both target audiences were in bondage

In Exodus, chapter 1, we see the suffering of the Jews, who for over 400 years were slaves in Egypt. Their masters were cruel and unreasonable. The working conditions were unbearable. They had no freedom to come and go as they pleased and could not worship collectively. God prepared Moses to lead the Israelites out of this situation by one miraculous act to set them free from this oppression.

As we reflect on the state of the Jewish people (and Gentiles as well) in Jesus’ day, and even now, every one of us for whom Jesus died were and are slaves to sin. Satan, the master of every unbeliever, is a liar. He came to seek those he can devour. The environment we live in is controlled by the flesh, the world, and the devil. Those outside of Christ are in bondage; only Jesus can set them free. It takes saving faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ to be set them free from this unbearable condition.

Both events brought God’s deliverance from bondage

You know the story. At the crossing of the Red Sea, using Moses as His coworker, God dramatically delivered the Israelites from slavery. Even though there was a tough road ahead for them that spanned forty years due to their stubbornness and lack of faith, God did set them free from Pharoah’s reign.

At the cross, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, God delivers His children from the penalty and power of sin. This deliverance happens immediately in justification (Rom. 3:23-24) and over time in sanctification (1 Cor. 1:2). This deliverance from sin (past, present, and future) is an irreversible transformation. The Christian’s progress in growth is also a promise we can depend on (Phil. 1:6).

Both events are a deliverance to something better

The exodus was not merely a deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. It was a deliverance to the Promised Land. All along their journey, God’s people had to continue to depend on Yahweh’s protection, providence, and deliverance for forty years as He led them through the wilderness.

Just like the Israelites were delivered from slavery and brought to the Promised Land, Christians were also delivered by the cross from slavery to sin to the abundant life that Jesus promises (John 10:10). Paul writes, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13-14). All along the way, Christians also need to depend on God’s deliverance and strength as they fight temptations.

God’s people looked back on these key events

God’s people were told to look back on the exodus event to recall His covenant lovingkindness and faithfulness. In Deut. 16:12, the Israelites were commanded to remember they were slaves in Egypt. This command could also apply to Christians, as we were once in a condition of slavery to sin. Jesus said that all who sinned were slaves to sin (John 8:34). Later, the Apostle Paul taught that we have been set free from slavery to sin and that we are now slaves to righteousness (Rom. 6:6, 17-18).

Like the Israelites, we cannot take this deliverance for granted. Recalling our identity before and after our deliverance also serves as an anchor for our faith. As we worship collectively as members of the Body of Christ, we have the opportunity to focus on God’s unchanging attributes and think about who we were before we met Christ as God’s enemies and who we are now, as His beloved children.

How can I apply this?

We can focus on our deliverance in our daily walk.

Even though Christians have been delivered from the penalty and the power of sin, in this life we will always deal with the presence of sin in our flesh. When we are tempted or find that we have sinned, we have to deal with it right away. When tempted, we can flee from it or ask for strength to fight it in the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome it. If we’ve yielded to it, we simply confess the sin we just committed to restore our fellowship with God, grateful for and resting in His forgiveness.

I trust that this lesson comparing God’s deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt and our deliverance from sin as Christians was more than just thought-provoking. My desire is that it causes readers to appreciate the continuity between the Old and New Testaments, knowing that God has always been a deliverer. More importantly, may you experience His deliverance on a daily basis as you fight temptations and press on in your faith.

About the author:

Russell E. Gehrlein (Master Sergeant, U.S. Army, Retired) is a Christian, husband of 42 years, father of three, grandfather of five, and author of the book, Immanuel Labor – God’s Presence in our Profession: A Biblical, Theological, and Practical Approach to the Doctrine of Work, published by WestBow Press in February 2018. He is passionate about helping people with ordinary jobs experience God’s presence at work. Russ received a B.S. in Mathematics from Colorado State University in 1980 and an M.A. in Biblical Studies from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in 2015. He is a former junior/senior high school math teacher and youth minister. He served for 20 years on active duty and has worked for over 15 years as a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Since 2015, he has written 210 articles on faith and work topics. One hundred twenty of these have been published or posted on several Christian organization’s websites, including the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, Coram Deo, Nashville Institute for Faith + Work, Made to Flourish, The Gospel Coalition, and Christian Grandfather Magazine. (See complete list of published articles on Linktree.)