Exodus 12:22Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

What does Moses declare? He states, “Sacrifice a spotless lamb and smear its blood on the doorposts.” What is your interpretation of this? Did he understand that the blood of an unreasoning creature could save rational beings? “Indeed,” he responds. “However, not due to the blood itself, but because it symbolizes the blood of the Lord. Just as the statues of the emperor, devoid of life and sensation, protect those who are living and aware when they seek refuge, not because they are made of metal, but because they represent the emperor, likewise, this blood, being lifeless and insensate, redeemed souls not because of the blood itself, but because it was a representation of that sacred blood.”

During the period when those observing the Passover in the dim light were commanded to smear the doorposts with the blood of the lamb, they did so using hyssop. This plant is humble and gentle, yet possesses strong and deep roots. Therefore, we, rooted and grounded in love, can comprehend with all the faithful the vastness and extent of the Lord’s cross—its breadth, length, height, and depth (cf. Eph. 3:17-18).

There will be those who state, “Let all these truths apply to individuals preparing for baptism. But what of infants who have not yet experienced either harm or grace? Should we not baptize them as well?” The response is clear: indeed, we ought to baptize them if there is a risk involved. It is preferable for them to be unconsciously cleansed than to perish without the mark of salvation. This is illustrated by the practice of circumcision on the eighth day, which served as a specific seal for those who were not yet discerning. Additionally, the anointing of doorways, which safeguards the firstborn through the use of inanimate objects, further supports this understanding.

One who is baptized is adorned in both the Law and the Gospel, as Moses once sprinkled the blood of the lamb using a bundle of hyssop. In the Gospel, Christ's garments radiated purity, being as white as snow, when He revealed the splendor of His Resurrection. (cf. Matt. 28:3; 17:2)

It was commanded to take a branch of hyssop and, after dipping it in the blood of the sacrificed lamb, to mark the doorposts and lintels, so that when the Destroyer came to strike down the firstborn of Egypt, he would see the blood and pass over the homes of the Israelites. This instruction was not given because the spiritual realm required such tokens, but rather to ensure that the Israelites would recognize God's providential care through this sign. For us, who offer the Unblemished Lamb, it serves as a reminder of the established symbol.

It is a unique fragrant plant that now thrives in the deserts adjacent to Egypt and Sinai. The command to stay within homes that have been consecrated and marked with the blood of the lamb carries profound symbolic meaning. For the early Church of Christ, this served as a reminder that only through the protection of this Church, purified by the blood of our supreme Lamb, can humanity find refuge from destruction.