Exodus 7–13: Lesson 42

Exodus 12–13, Part 1

The Lord’s Passover

To free the Israelites, Jehovah (Jesus Christ) sent one final plague—death to all the firstborn children in Egypt. He then gave instructions so the plague would “pass over” anyone who obediently put their trust in Him (see Exodus 12:13). Jesus Christ instituted the Passover meal as a symbolic reminder of the saving power of His Atonement. This lesson can help students feel the importance of the Savior and His Atonement in their lives.

Student preparation: Invite students to ponder the symbols of Jesus Christ that they have studied in the past. Ask them to consider what those symbols teach about Him. Then invite them to choose one symbol and explain to someone what it teaches about Jesus Christ.

Possible Learning Activities

The need to be rescued

Consider beginning class by reading or summarizing an account about someone who was trapped and could not free themselves. The following account is one way to do this. (For more details, see “Timeline: Thai cave rescue that transfixed the world for 17 days,” June 24, 2019, reuters.com.)

On June 23, 2018, 12 members of a youth soccer team, ages 11 to 16, and their 25-year-old assistant coach decided to explore an elaborate cave system in northern Thailand following a practice. Shortly after they entered, heavy rains flooded the caves, trapping them four kilometers (2.5 miles) within the caves and cutting off contact with the outside world for more than a week.

• How might you feel if you were in their situation?

On July 2, experienced divers finally located the young group. But floodwaters and additional rain made immediate rescue nearly impossible. While the boys and their coach received life-sustaining assistance, experts debated options. They could try bringing out the boys with diving equipment, but the path was treacherous and required expert skill. They could also attempt to drill through the rock, look for another escape route, or wait months for the water to subside. With more monsoon rains coming, the soccer team’s deliverance from the caves remained uncertain.

• In a spiritual sense, how might we feel trapped, stuck, or hopeless?

Students might point out that we all need the Savior’s help to deliver us from sin, death, and other difficulties in our lives.

To help students assess their reliance on the Savior and His Atonement, you could invite them to answer the following questions in their study journals.

Take a moment to ponder any sins or difficulties you are struggling with right now. Consider how you feel about these sins or difficulties. Then answer the following questions:

• What do I believe about the Lord’s ability to deliver me from my sins and other difficulties I might face?

• How do I feel about what He has done and is willing to do for me?

In this lesson, you will learn how the Savior delivered the Israelites from bondage in Egypt. As you study, invite the Holy Ghost to help you understand that the Savior is also your Deliverer.

The symbolism of the Passover

You might ask students to recount how the Lord used nine plagues to convince the Israelites and Egyptians that He is God.

Read Exodus 11:4–6, looking for the tenth and final plague.

• What did you discover?

The Lord promised the Israelites that if they would faithfully obey His instructions, He would cause the plague to “pass over” them, and their firstborn children would not die (see Exodus 12:13, 23). For this reason, the Lord referred to this event as the Passover (see Exodus 12:43). The Lord’s instructions involved a meal, including what to prepare and how to eat it. The Savior used symbols in the Passover meal to teach the Israelites about Himself.

Provide an activity to help students identify the instructions the Lord gave the Israelites for the Passover meal. Also help students discover what these instructions might teach about the Lord and the deliverance He offers. You might create a chart on the board with the following headings. Students could duplicate the chart in their study journals and complete it in small groups. Possible answers are included here for your reference. Complete one item as a class to model how students can complete the chart in their groups.

Study Exodus 12:3–8, 15, 21–23 and fill out the following chart in your study journal.

What instructions did the Lord give the Israelites?	What might this instruction symbolize?
What instructions did the Lord give the Israelites? Kill a male lamb, without blemish, to eat (3–6, 21).	What might this instruction symbolize? Jesus Christ, “the Lamb of God” (John 1:36), was perfect and gave His life for us.
What instructions did the Lord give the Israelites? Place the blood of the lamb on the door posts of the entrance to the house (7, 22).	What might this instruction symbolize? The Atonement of Jesus Christ can protect us as we apply the conditions of repentance in our lives.
What instructions did the Lord give the Israelites? Eat lamb with bitter herbs and unleavened bread, remove leaven (yeast) from the house (8, 15).	What might this instruction symbolize? Bitter herbs were a reminder of the Israelites’ bitter bondage in Egypt and is like the bitterness of sin. Leaven, or yeast, can make bread moldy. As part of repentance, we can rid our lives of anything that can corrupt our spirits.

When students finish, give them an opportunity to share what they learned. You might show the picture at the beginning of the lesson. Students could point out the different Passover items shown in the picture and discuss what they might symbolize.

Jesus Christ delivers us from spiritual and physical death

Read Exodus 12:50–51; 13:3 to see what happened as the children of Israel kept the Passover.

Write the following truth on the board: The Savior delivers His people from spiritual and physical death.

Explain that the Passover symbolizes this truth. As part of Heavenly Father’s plan, all people need to be saved from physical death (separation of body and spirit; see 2 Nephi 9:6, 11) and spiritual death (separation from God because of sin; see Helaman 14:16–19). To help students understand the saving power of Jesus Christ, you may want to have students read some of these verses in the Book of Mormon. You might also read or summarize the remainder of the account of the Thai soccer team.

Recall the story of the trapped soccer players from earlier. After several intense days, experts from around the world determined a method for rescuing them. Experienced divers entered the dangerous waters of the elaborate cave system and, one by one, delivered the boys and their coach from the flooded caves.

• How might the experienced divers’ actions symbolize what the Savior can do for us?

Jesus Christ’s Atonement matters to me

The following activity can help students understand and feel the importance of the Savior’s power to deliver us. Divide the class into pairs. Invite each pair to role-play the following scenario. If you feel your students might struggle to imagine that they were ancient Israelites, skip that portion of the activity, and have both partners discuss the questions for a modern-day teen.

In pairs, imagine one of you is an Israelite teen who just participated in the first Passover in Egypt and the other is a modern-day teen. Use the following questions to interview each other.

Questions for the Israelite teen

• How would you describe your experience in bondage before the Passover?

• What did you learn from your experience the night of the Passover? How did Jehovah change your life?

• What would you share about Jehovah with people who may be reluctant to follow Him?

Questions for the modern-day teen

• How is sin similar to bondage? How are trials similar to bondage?

• How has Jesus Christ changed your life?

• What would you want others to know about the saving power of Jesus Christ?

Invite students to review their answers to the self-assessment questions from the beginning of the lesson. Ask them to consider what impressions they’ve felt from the Spirit about the Savior and His power to deliver them. Students could add their insights to what they wrote earlier. You might invite a few students to share their thoughts about Jesus Christ and His atoning power to deliver.

Additional Resources

How does Jesus Christ deliver us from physical and spiritual death?

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained:

We see the role of death in our Heavenly Father’s plan, but that plan would become void without some way to overcome death in the end, both physical and spiritual. Thus, a Redeemer, the Only Begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, suffered and died to atone for Adam and Eve’s transgression, thereby providing resurrection and immortality for all. And since none of us will have been perfectly and consistently obedient to the gospel law, His Atonement also redeems us from our own sins on condition of repentance. With the Savior’s atoning grace providing forgiveness of sins and sanctification of the soul, we can spiritually be born again and reconciled to God. Our spiritual death—our separation from God—will end. (“Why Marriage, Why Family,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2015, 51)

How does Jesus Christ deliver us from the pain of sin?

President Russell M. Nelson taught:

In the Garden of Gethsemane, our Savior took upon Himself every pain, every sin, and all of the anguish and suffering ever experienced by you and me and by everyone who has ever lived or will ever live. Under the weight of that excruciating burden, He bled from every pore. All of this suffering was intensified as He was cruelly crucified on Calvary’s cross.

Through these excruciating experiences and His subsequent Resurrection—His infinite Atonement—He granted immortality to all and ransomed each one of us from the effects of sin on condition of our repentance. (“The Correct Name of the Church,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2018, 88)

Where can I learn more about the symbolism of the Passover?

For more information about the symbolism of the Passover, see “The Passover Supper” (New Era, Apr. 2019, 8–9).

Supplemental Learning Activities

Experiencing the elements of the Passover

To help students appreciate some of the symbolism of the Passover meal, you could provide some of the food items. You could use crackers or tortillas for unleavened bread; parsley, horseradish, or romaine lettuce for the bitter herbs; and meat such as beef or chicken in place of lamb.

You could allow students to eat portions of the Passover meal as you discuss the meanings of the various items. Any portions of the Passover meal should be presented and eaten with reverence and dignity.

Videos about the Passover and Christ’s Atonement

To help students visualize the events of the Passover, you could invite them to follow along in Exodus 12:3–13 as they watch one of the following videos:

“The Passover” (3:07): a live-action account

“The Passover” (2:55): an animated account

You might also consider showing the video “Atonement—Not a One-Time Thing” (3:00). This video can help students understand the importance of turning to Jesus Christ to access His saving power throughout their lives.