We are looking at pictures of our atonement in our theme for this year. In our first lesson we considered the pictures that show Jesus as the one who will bear our sins, carrying them away far from us. Our sins have been cast into the depths of the seas and have been removed from us, as far as the east is from the west because Jesus gave his perfect life for us and then rose from the dead three days later. I want to turn our attention to another picture that is given to us about Jesus so that we can see another facet regarding what Jesus’ death is to mean for us. The apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:7 proclaimed that Christ is our Passover. “For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7 NASB). Some translations read that Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. The word “lamb” appears to be implied. But the apostle Paul says “Passover” because the totality of the Passover events, including the sacrificing of the lamb, are to be in our hearts and minds when we look at the sacrifice of Jesus. But what was the Passover event and what was the significance of the Passover lamb? Open your copies of God’s word to the book of Exodus and we are going to see the context for the Passover and the directions regarding the Passover. Then we will see what all of these things are to mean to us.
The Passover Event
The setting of Exodus 12 is important to understand. The people of Israel have been enslaved in Egypt for hundreds of years. The first chapter of Exodus tells us that their lives were oppressed and bitter because of the Pharaoh who ruled over Egypt. The oppression was so great that the Pharaoh had instructed that all the boys born to the Hebrew people were to be killed (cf. Exodus 1:16). But God had come to rescue his people from their enslavement and oppression. God began to work miracles through Moses, what we call the ten plagues, to cause Pharaoh to let his people go. However, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he refused to set the people free. This sets the context for what God proclaimed would happen next. The final plague that was to break the stubborn heart of Pharaoh was proclaimed by Moses. Every firstborn in the land of Egypt was going to die (cf. Exodus 11:4-5). God was going to strike down the nation of Egypt in judgment and everyone who lived in the land of Egypt was going to experience this plague. It does not appear that anyone is going to be excluded from this coming judgment.
But in Exodus 12 there are directions given to the people of Israel. They were to take a lamb without blemish from among their flock (cf. Exodus 12:5). Further, the lamb was not allowed to have its bones broken (cf. Exodus 12:46). The lamb need to be whole and without spot or blemish. After a few days that lamb was to be sacrificed at twilight and the blood of the lamb was to be put on the doorposts and the lintel of the house where they are eating (cf. Exodus 12:6-7). The people were then to eat the lamb with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. But this was not to be a casual meal. You will notice in Exodus 12:11 that they were eat the meal with their sandals on their feet, their belts fastened, and their staffs in hand. Further, they were to eat the meal quickly because they were about to leave the land. This Passover meal was to be their last meal of their slavery. This was the last meal they would eat in oppression. This very night God was going to execute his judgment, striking down the nation, which would set the people free.
The Passover Meaning
God also explained what all of this was to mean to the people of Israel. You will notice in Exodus 12:13 that the blood was to be a sign for the people. Remember that God instructed that the blood of the lamb be placed on the two doorposts and the lintel of the house where they were quickly eating. Why was this so important? Look further at verse 13. God proclaimed that when he saw the blood of the lamb on the house, he would pass over them so that no plague would come on them when God brought his judgment. Further, the people were to have removed all the leaven from their houses because this was not going to be a one time event. Rather, this was going to be a memorial day for all future generations to remember (cf. Exodus 12:14). Just as we have our independence day in which we annually remember as a country when we proclaimed our independence so the people of Israel marked the Passover as a memorial day to be kept for all generations.
Now I want us to think about what is happening here in this Passover event. Did God not know who was an Egyptian and who was not an Egyptian? Did God need the blood on the doorposts? No, you will notice that the blood was a sign for the people (cf. Exodus 12:13). The people of God had to listen to what God said and believe in the blood of the lamb. The people showed that they believed in the work of the blood of the lamb by putting on the posts of the house, trusting that God would pass over them just as he said he would. The Passover became a marker of their freedom. Once this plague passed over the land of Egypt, Pharaoh sent Moses and the people out of the land (cf. Exodus 12:29-32).
The New Passover
Yet all of the Passover events were a foreshadowing of the work of Jesus. Of all the days when Jesus determines to prepare his disciples for his death, Jesus chooses the Passover. Listen to how the Gospel of Luke frames the final day of Jesus’ life.
Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.” (Luke 22:7-8 ESV)
Then, once the Passover preparations had been made, Jesus says that he had desired to eat this Passover with his disciples (cf. Luke 22:15). But what Jesus does next would be startling at the moment. Jesus takes elements from the Passover and says, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). Then Jesus took the cup and said, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood” (Luke 22:20). Jesus directly takes all of the meaning of the Passover event and places it on himself. The Passover lamb, the final true Passover lamb, was about to be sacrificed, setting the people free from their enslavement to sin. The blood of the Lamb was needed so that God would pass over his people, so that judgment could not come upon them. It is clear that this is how the apostles looked at the life and death of Jesus. When Peter describes the blood of Christ, listen to what he says:
…but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. (1 Peter 1:19 ESV)
Peter places the emphasis of the Passover lamb on Jesus. The blood of Jesus is like a lamb without spot or blemish, just like the Passover lamb needed to be. In fact, the apostle John emphasizes this point at the crucifixion of Jesus. It was a common practice to break the legs of the crucified criminals to speed up their death (cf. John 19:31). But listen to what John says:
So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” (John 19:32-36 ESV)
Remember that the Passover lamb was not be broken (cf. Exodus 12:46). The apostle John highlights that not a single bone of Jesus was broken because he is our Passover lamb. This is why the blood of Jesus is so important in the scriptures (cf. Revelation 12:10-11; 5:6-10). But I want to draw our minds to a very early image that shows that this all was in the mind and plan of God. When God told Abraham in Genesis 22 to go and offer his only son, Abraham takes his son Isaac to Mount Moriah. Along the journey Isaac notes that they have everything necessary for the sacrifice except a lamb. Listen to how Abraham answers Isaac’s concern:
Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together. (Genesis 22:8 ESV)
God will provide a lamb for himself. These are deeply prophetic words as God was showing through many pictures that there would be a lamb that God would provide, a perfect lamb without spot or blemish whose blood would be shed so that his people could be spared the coming judgment.
Passover Applications
Now I want to come back to the words of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 because he gives us some important instructions now that we recognize our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. First, cleanse out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump. Since Christ is our Passover, then the requirement of the Passover remains. Paul reminds us that part of the Passover event was getting all the leaven out of the house. Paul uses that idea in a symbol and says how we get the leaven out of us and out of the house is by removing the filth in our lives. Paul says in verse 8 to remove the malice and evil. For the blood of the Lamb to have its effect, then we need to follow the Passover instructions which includes removing the filth in our lives. We need to hear the words that the apostle Paul will proclaim in just a few paragraphs.
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV)
We must purge out the sins in our lives because Jesus is our Passover. I hope seeing Jesus as our Passover presses to get serious about fighting the sins and the temptations that are in our lives. Go to war against sin and stop making excuses for the sins you are holding on to. The context of this chapter is to live holy lives. We do not rejoice in sin and we do not associate with sin.
Second, celebrate the Passover with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:8). Jesus’ blood has been given for you. Be sincere and be truthful. Do not be hypocritical. Be real. Be authentic. The way we celebrate what Jesus has done for us, Paul says, is to stop being fake and to be real and transparent and sincere with God and with one another. Christians are to be the most real and truthful people in this world. We are going to end this lesson with my plea to you to be real with your spiritual condition. What is the point about being fake about all this? Celebrate what Jesus has done for you by choosing to live in sincerity and truth. Be truthful about where you are with God and get right with him today. What can you change today? What needs to be purged from your life?