American culture is rooted in the idea that “freedom comes at a high cost”. We often refer to the many men and women in the military who have made sacrifices, especially those who have payed the highest cost in shedding their blood. And, while the idea that someone would shed their blood to protect me is cherished and esteemed, the idea that someone would need to shed their blood to atone for me–this is greeted with much less enthusiasm. From the modern point of view, the doctrine of sacrificial atonement is seen as offensive, immoral, and illogical. However, the more we come to understand the cost of sin from God’s perspective, the more we grasp the significance of sacrifice. As God institutes the Passover, Israel comes to see that they need delivered from more than Egypt.