The Tenth Day of the First Month
God accomplishes His plans and promises perfectly, precisely, and without compromise.
As we follow the steps of Jesus to His cross, things become more violent, and the flesh responds with increasing anger. It may feel like things are out of control, but we can have confidence that God is in control. He does not need a plan B, C, or D. He has never met in a war room to assess risk factors or figure out His next plan of attack. Sin’s chaos does not hurry God, though we may wish it did at times. It does not make Him second guess His will concerning who, what, when, where, why, or how. This was true of Jesus’s last days, and it is true of our day today. But the question is, do we believe that it’s true?
Before we say amen to this truth, we must examine our hearts and responses to life events. Do we genuinely believe that God is in control? To help us understand this truth more tangibly, let’s look at the triumphal entry in more detail.
Do you know what day and month the triumphal entry occurred? It was the tenth day of the first month. This date is significant because it aligns with a critical event from 1,500 years prior when the Israelites were held captive in Egypt. God appointed Moses to bring Israel out of their captivity. As He displayed His power through a series of plagues, he also hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he would not let His people go. But there was a reason for this: the tenth plague was coming.
God instructed Israel to take an unblemished-year-old male lamb on the tenth day of the first month. They were to keep it until the 14th day of the first month when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel would kill their lambs at twilight. They were to put some of the blood on the two doorposts and the lintel of their houses. That night, on the 14th day of the first month, the Lord would pass over every home. If He saw the lamb’s blood on the doorpost, He would pass over, and the firstborn would live. But if they were disobedient and did not put the blood on the doorpost, the firstborn would die. The Lord declared, “This is your Passover,” and commanded them to celebrate it yearly for all generations.
Fast forward 1,500 years to the triumphal entry. On the exact day of the tenth day of the first month, God presented Jesus as His lamb for the salvation for the whosoevers of this world who would believe. From day 10 to day 14 of the first month, Jesus was kept for inspection by the highest religious authorities. The world did not recognize Him as the Lamb of God, just as the Israelites did not fully understand the significance of the Passover lamb. But just as the Israelites were saved by the blood of the lamb on their doorposts, we are saved by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, on the cross.
This is just one example of how God’s redemptive plan is perfect, fulfilling itself on the exact day 1,500 years later. God’s plans and promises are always accomplished perfectly, precisely, and without compromise. We can trust in His sovereignty, even amid chaos and uncertainty. As we approach the cross of Christ, let us remember this truth and hold fast to it.
