Exodus 13

Exo 13:11 "The LORD will bring you into the land of the Canaanites, which he solemnly promised to you and your ancestors. When he gives it to you,
Exo 13:12 you must offer every first-born male to the LORD. Every first-born male of your animals belongs to the LORD,
Exo 13:13 but you must buy back from him every first-born male donkey by offering a lamb in its place. If you do not want to buy back the donkey, break its neck. You must buy back every first-born male child of yours.
Exo 13:14 In the future, when your son asks what this observance means, you will answer him, 'By using great power the LORD brought us out of Egypt, the place where we were slaves.
Exo 13:15 When the king of Egypt was stubborn and refused to let us go, the LORD killed every first-born male in the land of Egypt, both human and animal. That is why we sacrifice every first-born male animal to the LORD, but buy back our first-born sons.
Exo 13:16 This observance will be a reminder, like something tied on our hands or on our foreheads; it will remind us that the LORD brought us out of Egypt by his great power.' "

I remember doing an oral report on Filipino Literature. I was explaining the Filipino pagan moon dance that symbolizes sacrifices to the native Filipino deity, Bathala. I was explaining sacrifices when the instructor, of all the people in the classroom, asked me why the need for sacrifices. I told the instructor that every religion has an idea of sacrifice, of redemption. Then not satisfied with my answer she asked the difference between Christian sacrifice, the death of Jesus, and the pagan sacrifices. I was stumped for a while, but I told her that the Christian sacrifice is the perfection of sacrifice, of one sacrificing for the redemption of all. I don’t know if the instructor was convinced but in reality that what Christ had done; he sacrificed himself for all humanity.

Col 1:13 He rescued us from the power of darkness and brought us safe into the kingdom of his dear Son,
Col 1:14 by whom we are set free, that is, our sins are forgiven.
Col 1:15 Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God. He is the first-born Son, superior to all created things.
Col 1:16 For through him God created everything in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and authorities. God created the whole universe through him and for him.
Col 1:17 Christ existed before all things, and in union with him all things have their proper place.
Col 1:18 He is the head of his body, the church; he is the source of the body's life. He is the first-born Son, who was raised from death, in order that he alone might have the first place in all things.

Even the Lord God sacrificed his first born for our redemption. I should be reminded of this like a sign on my hand and my forehead.

Sometimes I forget this.