Christ Our Passover Is Sacrificed for Us

Exodus 12:1-51, 1 Corinthians 5:7-8

In our study of Sacraments in the Heidelberg, we’ve seen several things. We’ve seen they’re symbols meant to teach the gospel. We don’t just preach and hear the gospel; we also see, feel, smell, and taste it through outward symbols. In baptism, the washing of water symbolizes washing sins away inwardly. But these symbols also evoke faith. When we see or feel the waters being poured, we remember what Christ has done and are assured he forgives. This is how sacraments are a seal - like a seal on a certificate. When we reflect and understand, we’re assured that we’re truly cleansed by Christ. We’ve also seen how the symbol is so closely associated with what it symbolizes that the thing it symbolizes becomes its name. Like baptism. Both water baptism and washing of the Spirit are called baptism even though the Spirit’s baptism is the real one. Both symbol and the symbolized are called the same name. Christ also said about the bread - this is my body, and the cup - this is my blood. But we know they aren’t. They’re just spoken that way, so that the elements of the sacrament, these symbols would be so meaningful to us. They’d affect our faith in a positive way when we reflect and understand. We see this in more detail in Lord’s Day 29.

Now, why isn’t the hearing of the gospel enough? Why did God give signs to assure us? Many reasons. God has always taught through symbols. Man has always needed symbols. But the most important reason? God has ordained it to promise salvation and forgiveness upon faith. A sacramentum was a promise Roman soldiers would take. So a sacrament is a symbol, not of our promise to God, but his promise to save, nourish, and strengthen us. They’re God’s emblems of love to us. And what’s the meaning God intends for us to find in the Lord’s Supper? It’s found in 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 - “Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast.” And we’ll see this in 3 sections.

Firstly, Christ our passover. To understand the Lord’s Supper, we also need to understand the passover. Why? Well, the Lord’s Supper was instituted at the Last Supper. The Last Supper was a passover meal. It had unleavened bread, wine by the time of Jesus, bitter herbs, and a roasted lamb. These elements had symbolism. But Christ took the elements of the bread and cup to point to himself. He broke the bread to symbolize his crucified body. He used the cup to point to his poured out blood. And Paul understood the meaning and said, “Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.” Christ was the fulfillment of the passover. So to understand the Lord’s Supper, we must understand the passover. This meal was instituted by God to be eaten on the night he freed Israel from Egypt. In Deuteronomy 26:8 God was described as having “brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm.” But how did God do it? By the blood of the lamb. Power came from sacrifice. Now, this phrase of mighty hand and outstretched arm was also used in Egyptian royal literature to describe Pharaoh. So if God delivered by a sacrificed lamb, then the lamb was more mighty and powerful than Pharaoh!

And this prototype lamb pointed to Christ. Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world. So Exodus sets forth Jesus as the ultimate sacrifice. The passover sacrifice was a lamb. Verse 3 - “Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house.” It was a substitute. Every man took one for his household. A lamb for a house. And this pictures Christ in his humiliation. He left his Father’s house to be a sacrifice for sinners - not just for the house of Israel, but for sinners from every tribe, tongue, and nation. John the Baptizer noted this when he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world!” And this symbol of the sacrificial lamb has been used all over the Old Testament to point to Christ’s sacrifice. Abraham said to Isaac that God will provide a lamb.

And we learn this lamb had to be a perfect male. Verse 5 - “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats.” It couldn’t be female. Why? Because by man came sin. Yes, Eve was first to sin. But Adam represented all mankind, so man had to represent mankind in salvation. Man brought death, so man must bring life. It was a lamb in its first year - the prime of life. Jesus couldn’t be offered up immediately after birth. He had to live, resist sin, and obey God. This was his active obedience. So at about 30 years old, he started his ministry that culminated in death - his passive obedience. This lamb was without blemish too. Yes, Psalm 24:8 says the savior is the king of glory - strong and mighty. But might alone can’t redeem the soul - it must be the sacrifice of a truly holy and undefiled substitute. When Christ was tried, there were false witnesses because he innocent. Even Pilate said so.

The lamb had to be taken out from the flock as verse 5 says, but it also had to be separated from the rest of the flock. Verse 6 - “And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.” A lamb without blemish, was singled out and chosen to be the sacrifice. Revelation 13:8 says Christ was the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world - he had been separated, chosen, reserved for this work by God. Psalm 89:19 says he’s chosen from the people. The lamb was also killed in the evening. And when Christ gave up the spirit at the 9th hour, it coincided with the evening sacrifice. That was the fullness of time when Christ died for the ungodly. In fact, Christ was so determined to die - he told his disciples this was his hour - and he set his face toward Jerusalem to die. And his suffering was intense. Verse 8 says the lamb had to be roasted with fire. Christ himself faced God’s hot wrath from the 6th to 9th hour. The skies were darkened as God forsook Christ. Verse 46 says that not a bone of the lamb should be broken. John 19 reported that not a bone of the Lamb of God was broken either. And this reminds us that Jesus died of a broken heart, not broken bones.

But why did Jesus die in this way? So that his blood would be applied to those who’d believe. Secondly, Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. The Passover lamb was a substitute. It’s for us. Verse 7 tells us the blood of the passover lamb was sprinkled on the doorposts and the lintels of the house. Verse 3 says it was the fathers that did this - so that judgment would passover them. You see, the blood was not just shed, it had to be applied. Shed blood alone does nothing. It must be applied. An unapplied ransom is not a ransom. A Savior that is not called on, is no Savior. So the blood was applied on the doorpost and beams. Why? Verses 12-13 say, God will pass through Egypt and will kill all the firstborn - as a judgment against the sins of the Egyptians.“And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.” In the same way, Christ died for sinners, shedding his blood. But Hebrews 9:14 tells us that the living God applies the blood of Christ on us; it purifies our consciences from dead works so that we can worship him. And that’s why we can draw near to God with sincere hearts, fully trusting him because our hearts have been sprinkled by Christ’s blood. Our guilty consciences are washed, Hebrews 10:22. Only the Holy Spirit can do that - he sprinkles the conscience with Christ’s blood to remove guilt. He’s the one that makes us realize our need for cleansing. He continues to make intercession for us. Christ is not just was our passover.

At the first Passover, every soul behind the blood sprinkled door was saved from judgment. Someone died in every house in Egypt that night, “for there was not a house where there was not one dead,” verse 30. While God didn’t enter a single house where the blood was sprinkled, he entered every house of Egypt to take away the life of the firstborn. Now, why was it the firstborn? What’s the significance? You see, the firstborn represented the whole family or lineage. The firstborn was heir. Kill the heir, kill the line. Judge the heir, no more people. This was especially true in Egyptian thinking - the firstborn male represented the vitality of the family. So when you judge the firstborn, that judgment is comprehensive. All Egypt deserved to die. In fact, all Israel deserved death as well. That’s why Romans 3:23 says - for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Through one man, sin entered the world and death through sin; and death came to all because all have sinned. All must die! But those who had the lamb as a substitute had the lamb as its firstborn. That’s why the people behind that door were spared - their firstborn was killed. And the wonderful thing is this - Christ is the firstborn, God’s only begotten, sent to be our firstborn substitute. Those who believe in him, have his blood sprinkled on them. He died on their behalf. And God passes over those who are covered in his blood. The blood of Christ, in a sense, cries to God - “Passover this person! He’s no longer the firstborn of your enemy to destroy, he’s now your child because of your Firstborn!”

And we also see clearly, Christ our passover is sacrificed for us. The passover was not a sacrifice for the Egyptians but Israel. Only Israel received the blood. But if any Egyptian wanted that blood, he had to identify as Israel. Blood was shed for those who came out of Egypt that night. Yes, we know some Egyptians also came out together with the Jews. Maybe some trusted in the blood. Christ’s blood is for his people - not by ethnicity - but by faith. All who’d trust in his substitutionary death and apply the blood are saved. He shall be named Jesus because he’ll save his people from their sins. His people are sinful people who see their sins - like the thief on the cross. One thief saw Christ’s innocence and called his savior - Lord, remember me when thou art come into they kingdom. Truly, today, thou shalt be with me in paradise. The centurion, at Christ’s death, cried out - Truly, this was the Son of God! Why? Because Jesus had prayed for him whose soldiers crucified him - forgive them for they know not what they do. They saw; they heard; they understood. Just like the Israelites saw, experienced, and understood. And to help his people to continue to see and understand the gospel, God instituted the Passover as a feast - that yearly they’d be reminded of what God had done, but that they’d also see a spiritual deliverance.

Thirdly, therefore let us keep the feast. This is what 1 Corinthians 5:8 says. Verse 14 of Exodus 12 says, “And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.” The feast was to be kept after the actual night of the Passover. Why? To be a memorial - to remember. It was to be a perpetual ordinance. To be clear, the Lord’s Supper is a passover meal - but we do it differently now. But we are keeping it forever until Christ comes. And in heaven, we will be having that perpetual feast of the marriage supper of the lamb. It is to remember what God has done - to deliver his people.

When Israel ate of it the first time, and every subsequent time, they were to eat it with bitter herbs. Why did God give such instruction? Because it was meant to point and to instruct. Israel had a bitter existence under Pharaoh’s rule. Exodus 1:13-14 says - “And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.” So to remember their deliverance, these instructions were again repeated in the wilderness wandering, so that when Israel entered the Promised Land, they’d keep the feast. Numbers 9:11 says, “The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.” They were also to eat it with unleavened bread. When Israel kept the memorial, we learn in Exodus 12:14 onwards that on the Passover, they should eat bread that was unleavened for 7 days. Verse 19 says that no leaven should be found in their houses. It was to show that was no time to leaven bread. When they put it to their mouths, it was crispy instead of springy. It was to remind them of their urgent deliverance. So the Jews took this so seriously, that Rabbis would go through the house before Passover with a torch to burn the surfaces to make sure that no yeast or wild yeast was in the house. Likewise they were to stand eating, with their garments belted around their waist and shoes on their feet with staff in hand, as verse 11 says. They were to eat in haste, all to symbolize that they were to leave at anytime for the Promised Land.

Now, we are also to keep the Passover - but now, Christ has changed the elements and the Passover we keep points to him. While we don’t have a roast lamb, we have a Passover Lamb slain for us who faced the fiery wrath of God. While we don’t put the blood on the doors of our house, his blood has been shed for us at the wooden cross and applied to us when we believe on him. And his cup represents his shed blood. And his body was put to death, not a bone broken. But the broken represented how he died for us, how his heart was broken for us. Christ who was unblemished, broken for us, so too, we are without sin in God’s sight because of him. And therefore, as 1 Corinthians 5 tells us, we must come rightly before the Lord’s Table - to be purged of the old leaven - to be a new lump. He who faced God’s fiery wrath, is not only our our Passover Lamb, but must be the fire that burns away our sins. Let’s come worthily, confessing our sins. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. Remember the church of Sardis in Revelation 3. God calls those who have not defiled their garments as worthy. We've been covered by his white garment. So ought we then to live holy. So as we eat of that unleavened bread, as it crumbles in our mouths, we know that we are without leaven. As we taste its savoriness we are reminded that Christ is the salt of the earth and so are we - to be holy in our witness. And while we have no bitter herbs, we’re reminded Christ drank the bitter cup of God’s suffering. Lamentations 3:15 - “He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood.” And indeed, Christ drank from the sponge of bitterness at the cross. He took the bitterness of our slavery of sin away. Let’s therefore think bitterly on our sins - how they caused his suffering.

But he’s also given us the cup to remind us that we are headed to heaven. That’s where he’ll drink the cup anew with us. So as we drink of it, tasting its sweetness, we think of the sweetness of heaven. Just as our lives must be free from the leaven of sin - of malice and wickedness, our lives must be filled with the leaven of Christ. The Lord himself said the kingdom of God is like unto yeast. It’s growing and coming. And we’re headed to the better land - that eternal kingdom. Let’s be filled with holiness, sincerity, and truth today. That we be not drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit. Even when we drink, we drink unto the Lord. And we know we’re not here long - 70, 80 years? Maybe shorter? That’s why when we partake, we expect Christ to deliver us to heaven one day. So now, we girt our loins with the belt of truth, shod our feet with the gospel of peace, hold in our hands the staff of faith. We must live for heaven - not your job, or your marriage, your children’s education, your next party. That’s why Q&A 75 tell us that when we see with our eyes and receive and taste with our mouths, we think upon the significance. Just as Israel did at the first Passover and every subsequent Passover. And we realize that we need Jesus - the Savior - to nourish and refresh our souls, as we think about his broken body and shed blood.

That’s why the feast is so sacred to us. It instructs us. Christ our passover is sacrificed for us, therefore, let us keep the feast. And that’s why we have an elder supervised supper in our church. Not everyone who just professes faith can take it. We examine. God commanded that only those circumcised can take it - of the house of Israel or even foreigners. The Gospel is for Jews and Gentiles alike. And to be clear the Passover was a way to instruct children of the covenant. Aside from the first Passover, it’s likely that the children of Israel didn’t participate in the annual feast. Verses 24-27 tell them to observe this ordinance when they entered the Promised Land. Why? “And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean you (not we) by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord's passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses.” Today, the Karaite Jews do not extend the Passover to their children, even though their children are circumcised. And we have biblical evidence. All adult males went to Jerusalem 3 times a year to celebrate the Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. They went to present God with the fruit of their labor. Children are mentioned in Pentecost and Tabernacles, but not Passover. It’s thus significant when Jesus went to the Passover feast at 12 because he was of age. Which is why he had many questions from what he saw. He talked to the teachers at the temple. It was meant to teach.

That’s why Q&A76 says that when we take it, we must accept with a believing heart - not a heart having sure knowledge, but a heart having firm confidence in the suffering and death of Christ. A heart forgiven; having life eternal, a life that’s united to Christ’s sacred body by the Holy Spirit and to his body here on earth - his church. That’s why we must point our covenant children, who belong to the church, to must look to Christ for salvation alone. Belonging to the church on earth doesn’t mean they belong to the church in heaven. But for us who keep the feast, we’re assured that we belong to the church in heaven. Let’s be taught by it, and use it to teach. Teach what? It teaches us to “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

1. Christ Our Passover

2. Is Sacrificed for Us

3. Therefore Let Us Keep the Feast