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b'Have you ever heard of hyssop? Hyssop is a plant with long, hairy leaves that grew in ancient Israel. And it shows up several times in the Bible.\\nFirst, in Exodus 12:21-22, God tells the Israelites to dip hyssop branches in lamb\\u2019sblood and spread it on their doorframes during the first Passover. This happened while the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, and God sent ten plagues to convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. The final plague would kill every firstborn son, but the son would be spared if his house\\u2019s doorframe was painted with lamb\\u2019s blood.\\nLater, in Exodus 24:6-8, Moses and the Israelites make a covenant with God, promising to obey His commands and follow Him. As a sign of this covenant, Moses took a hyssop branch (see Hebrews 9:19), dipped it in the blood of young bulls, and used the hyssop branch to sprinkle the blood on the Israelites around him. This blood signified that the people belonged to God. Then, we see in Leviticus 14 that priests used hyssop branches to sprinkle people with water or a bird\\u2019s blood to make them ceremonially clean (so they could enter God\\u2019s holy temple).\\nAnd finally, we come to John 19:29. After centuries of animal sacrifices that brought God\\u2019s people temporary holiness, Jesus\\u2014the final and perfect sacrifice\\u2014 was on the cross. Beaten, bloody, and exhausted, He asked for a drink. A Roman soldier took the dried stalk of a hyssop plant, attached a sponge soaked in wine vinegar to the stalk, and lifted it up to Jesus.\\nAnd as the Roman guard stretched up to lift the hyssop stem toward Jesus\\u2019s bloody lips, I have to wonder if he looked like an Israelite father reaching up to paint the top of his doorframe with a bloody hyssop branch, trusting God to be merciful. I wonder if he felt Jesus\\u2014God in flesh\\u2014fulfilling centuries of prophecies and purity laws as He took every ounce of brokenness and uncleanness onto Himself. I wonder if he knew that God\\u2019s people would never need a hyssop branch again.\\nHe probably didn\\u2019t. But we do. \\u2022 Taylor Eising\\n\\u2022 Because Jesus took our sins on Himself, died, and rose back to life, we can be free from sin and death. Have you put your trust in Jesus? What questions do you have? (See our \\u201cKnow Jesus\\u201d page.)\\n\\u2022 Have you ever felt sinful or unclean? Jesus can cleanse any sin. You can talk to Him today. \\nCleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7 (NIV)\\n\\xa0\\nRead Verses:\\nMark.15.24-Mark.15.34|John.19.13-John.19.30|Gal.3.13|Matt.27.35-Matt.27.48'