In Genesis, God makes a promise to Abraham that he will become a great nation, have land of their own, and be a blessing to the world. When we open the first chapter of Exodus, only one of these promises is true.  Israel has become a great nation, probably two million in number, but they are slaves in a land not their own. So God comes to redeem them, to rescue them, to show his great power. He sends plagues on Egypt, he parts the Red Sea, he gives food from heaven, gives commandments on a mountain and so much more. He reveals his redeeming power.

Thankfully, the redemption narrative doesn’t stop in Exodus. As beloved as this story is by many, it is but a shadow of things to come. God’s ultimate redemptive work isn’t redeeming his people from slavery to a nation but redeeming us from slavery to death.  In the ultimate rescue mission, God sends his one and only son to earth to live a perfect life and die the death we should have died so we might receive the life only he deserves to have. As Jesus rises triumphantly from the grave, he casts off the chains of death and declares victory for all who believe in him.