In Exodus 12:26, God told the Israelites that one day their children would ask, “What mean ye by this service?” He was talking about the Passover. It was a night like no other, a night that changed everything.
The Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for 400 years. They cried out to God, and He sent Moses to lead them out. But Pharaoh wouldn’t let them go. Plague after plague came, yet his heart remained hard. Finally, God sent the last plague—the death of the firstborn.
But there was a way of escape. God told the Israelites to take a lamb, a lamb without blemish, and kill it. They were to take its blood and put it on the doorposts of their homes. That night, when the LORD came through Egypt, He would see the blood and pass over those houses. The blood of the lamb saved them from death.
Every year after that, God commanded them to keep the Passover, to remember that night. When the children saw the lamb, the unleavened bread, and the bitter herbs, they would ask, “What mean ye by this service?” And the fathers would tell them about the blood, the deliverance, and the faithfulness of God.
The Blood Still Speaks
The Passover was more than just a memorial—it pointed ahead to something greater. When John the Baptist saw Jesus, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Jesus was the perfect Lamb, without sin, who shed His blood for us. Just like the Israelites had to apply the blood to their doors, we must trust in His blood to be saved.
That’s why the Lord’s Supper is such an important reminder. Jesus said, “This do in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). Just as the Passover reminded Israel of their deliverance, the Lord’s Supper reminds us of the cross. Every time we take it, we remember the blood that was shed.
Our Children Are Watching
But here’s the question—do our children see something in our service that makes them ask, “What mean ye by this service?” Do they see us living in a way that shows them Jesus is real?
The next generation won’t ask if there’s nothing to ask about. If our Christianity is cold, lifeless, and routine, they won’t see a reason to care. But if they see us serving with joy, giving with love, and worshiping with passion, they will want to know why.
When they ask, we must be ready to tell them. The Bible says, “Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).
Let’s live in such a way that our young people are curious. Let’s serve with joy so that they ask, “Why do you do this?” And when they ask, let’s point them to the blood, the cross, and the Savior who changed everything.
