Day 31

Exodus 11–12 | Mark 14:43–65 | Psalm 14

“When I see the blood, I will pass over you…” (Exodus 12:13)

The final plague was coming. Death itself would pass through Egypt, and there was only one way to escape it: the blood of the lamb. God’s instruction was clear—each household was to sacrifice a spotless lamb, paint its blood on the doorposts, and take refuge inside. The firstborn in every home without the blood would die.

No one was exempt based on status. It didn’t matter if you were rich or poor, Egyptian or Israelite, moral or immoral—your only hope was the blood.

And yet, how often do we convince ourselves otherwise?

When good isn’t good enough

I work with high-powered financial services executives who walk the streets of midtown Manhattan and downtown San Diego. They are brilliant builders—of companies, of wealth, of legacies. Many of them are good people. In fact, many of them I am proud to call friends. They donate to charities, take care of their employees, and lead with integrity. And deep down, some believe that because they’ve done good, they are good. That they’ve checked the right boxes and are set—not just in this life, but in the next.

But when death came for the firstborn in Egypt, no amount of power, influence, or good deeds could stop it. The only thing that mattered was whether the blood was applied.

Mark 14 paints another picture of men convinced of their own righteousness—the religious leaders who arrested Jesus. They knew the law better than anyone, yet when the Lamb of God stood before them, they rejected Him. The very men who should have recognized the fulfillment of the Passover were blind to it.

And today? The same deception lingers. People trust in their achievements, their moral efforts, their generosity—but none of it will make them right before a holy God. When judgment comes, it won’t matter how much money you gave, how well you treated people, or what kind of reputation you built.

The only question that matters

The only question that will matter is the same one that mattered in Exodus 12: Is the blood applied? Because unless it is, He will not pass over your sins—no matter how much good you’ve done.

Lord, remind me that nothing I bring to the table can save me. Only the blood of Jesus is enough. Let me never trust in my own righteousness, but in the Lamb who was slain for me. Amen.