Moses and Jesus: The Easter Connection

Growing up, The Ten Commandments was front and center on our TV every Easter evening. As a kid, I didn’t understand why we were watching Moses when Easter was supposed to be about Jesus. But as I’ve grown in years and in my relationship with Jesus, I’ve come to appreciate and even look forward to revisiting the connections between Jesus and Moses at Easter.

While Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, Jesus leads us out of the slavery of sin. Their lives and ministries share similarities, showing how God was preparing His people for the ultimate deliverance through Jesus.

40 Days of Testing

Both Moses and Jesus experienced significant 40-day periods—times of testing, preparation, and encounter with God.

• Moses spent 40 days and nights on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24). When he returned, he carried the Ten Commandments, which would shape Israel’s relationship with God.

  
  

• Jesus spent 40 days and nights in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11), fasting and facing temptation. Unlike Israel, who failed during their time in the wilderness (Exodus 32), Jesus remained faithful, demonstrating that He was the one and only obedient Son of God.

  
  

Jesus didn’t come to replace the Law that Moses delivered—He came to fulfill it. He said in Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” His obedience in the wilderness was just the beginning. It pointed to the greater victory He would achieve on the cross, where He would fulfill God’s plan for redemption.

The Passover Lamb and Jesus’ Sacrifice

The Passover provides one of the clearest connections between Moses and Jesus, pointing to the ultimate sacrifice.

• In Exodus 12, God tells the Israelites to sacrifice a spotless lamb and apply its blood to their doorposts. When the angel of death passed through Egypt, those covered by the lamb’s blood were saved. This moment led to their freedom from slavery.

  
  

• In the New Testament, Jesus is called the Lamb of God (John 1:29), pointing to His role as the ultimate sacrifice. Just as the blood of the lamb saved the Israelites from death during the first Passover, Jesus' blood, shed on the cross, brings salvation to those who are covered by it—those who put their faith in Him. The night before His crucifixion, Jesus shared the Passover meal with His disciples—what we now call the Last Supper (Matthew 26:17-30). There, He revealed that He was the true Passover Lamb, whose sacrifice would provide redemption for all who believe.

  
  

Paul makes this connection: “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Just as the blood of the lamb saved the Israelites from death, the blood of Jesus saves us from spiritual death, eternal separation from God.

Leading God’s People to the Promised Land

Moses led the Israelites through the wilderness to the edge of the Promised Land, but he wasn’t the one to bring them in (Deuteronomy 34:4).  Joshua—whose name in Hebrew (Yeshua) means 'The Lord Saves,' the same name as Jesus—led them across the Jordan (Joshua 3).

Jesus, the great Deliverer, leads us into an even greater Promised Land—eternal life with God. Through His death and resurrection, He opened the way for all who trust in Him to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Mediators of a New Covenant

Both Moses and Jesus served as mediators between God and His people.

• Moses received the Law on Mount Sinai and established the old covenant, which required obedience to God’s commands.

  
  

• Jesus established the new covenant through His death and resurrection, fulfilling the Law and offering salvation through grace (Hebrews 9:15).

  
  

Hebrews 3:3-6 sums it up: “Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses, just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. ‘Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,’ bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.”

Preparing Our Hearts for Easter

As Easter approaches, I find myself coming back to The Ten Commandments and the story of Moses—it reminds me of how God’s plan has been unfolding from the very beginning. From 40 days of testing, to the Passover sacrifice, to leading God’s people into the Promised Land, Moses’ life gives us a preview of what Jesus would accomplish on the cross.

While Moses freed Israel from physical slavery, Jesus frees us from the slavery of sin. Moses brought the Law, but Jesus fulfilled it. Moses pointed the way, but Jesus is the way. Every step in Moses’ journey prepared the way for Christ, the true Deliverer."

This Easter, remember that Jesus is our Passover Lamb, our Deliverer, and our risen Savior. His blood covers us, His sacrifice saves us, and His resurrection gives us new life.

“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” – John 1:17