1 Corinthians 5:7-8 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened… Observe — 1. God's greatest mercies to His Church are attended with the greatest plagues upon their enemies. The passover was the salvation of Israel and ruin of Egypt. 2. God provides for the security of His people, before He lays His wrathful hand upon their adversaries. I. CHRIST IS OUR PASSOVER. Christ is only designated in the New Testament as a Lamb, as being significant of the innocence of His person, the meekness of His nature, His sufficiency for His people. 1. The design of the passover was to set forth Christ. All the sacrifices which were appointed by God as parts of worship, were designed to keep up the acknowledgment of the fail of man, and to support his faith in the promised Redeemer. Christ is the real accomplishment of all; He is our mystical, spiritual, heavenly, perfect Passover. And, indeed, if we consider all the circumstances in the institution, they seem not worthy of the wisdom of God if they be not referred to some other mystery: and what can that be but the Redeemer of the world represented thereby? Why should so much care be in the choice and separation of a lamb? How can we think God should appoint so many ceremonies in it, lay such a charge for the strict observation of them, if He designed it not as a prop to their faith, a ground to expect a higher and spiritual deliverance by the blood of the Messiah, as well as a trial of their obedience, a memorial of their temporal deliverance, and a sign for the direction of the angel in the execution of his commission? 2. The believers in that time regarded it as a type of the Messiah (Hebrews 11:28). 3. The paschal lamb was the fittest to represent Christ. It was a sacrifice and a feast — a sacrifice in the killing it and sprinkling the blood, a feast in their feeding upon it. It represents Christ as a victim satisfying God, as a feast refreshing us; He was offered to God for the expiation of our sins, He is offered to us for application to our souls. The truth of this proposition will appear — (1) In the resemblance between the paschal lamb and the Redeemer. (a) A lamb is a meek creature. It hurts none; it hangs not back when it is led to the slaughter — no greater emblem of patience to be found among irrational creatures. How strange was our Saviour's humility in entering into such a life! How much more stupendous in submitting to such a death, as shameful as His life was miserable! From this paschal lamb typifying the Redeemer the Jews might have learned, not to expect a Messiah wading through the world in blood and slaughter, and flourishing with temporal victories and prosperity, but one meek, humble, and lowly, suiting the temper of the lamb which represented Him in the passover. (b) It was to be a lamb without blemish (Exodus 12:5). It was to be entire in all its parts, sound, without bruise, scab, or maim; and the reason why it was separated four days before the killing of it was that they might have time to understand whether it had any spot or defect in it. So is the Lamb of God; He was holy in the production of His nature as well as in the actions of His life. From the first moment of His conception He was filled with all supernatural grace according to the capacity of His humanity; His union with the Divine nature secured Him against the sinful infirmities of our nature, and made all supernatural perfections due to Him, whereby He might be fitted for all holy operations. As He was "that holy thing" in His birth (Luke 1:35), so He was righteous to the last moment of His life. The law of God was within His heart, signified by the tables of the law laid up in the ark. (c) The lamb was to be chosen, and set apart three days, and killed the fourth in the evening (Exodus 12:6). Our Saviour was separate from men, manifested Himself in the work of His prophetical office three years and upwards, before He was offered up as a sacrifice in the fourth year, after He had been solemnly inaugurated in the exercise of His office. It was ordered by God to he killed in the evening, to signify the sacrifice of the Messiah in the evening of the world. He was crucified at the end of the second age of the world, the age of the law, and the beginning of the third age, that of the gospel, which is called in Scripture the "last times " (Hebrews 1:2). (d) The lamb was roasted with fire whole (Exodus 12:4, 8, 9), not sodden. To put them in mind of the hardship they endured in the brick-kilns of Egypt, and as a type of the scorching sufferings of the Redeemer. Probably alluding to this roasting of the paschal lamb. He bore the wrath of that God who is a consuming fire, without any water, any mitigation or comfort in His torments. It may note also the gradual rising of the suffering of Christ. As His exaltation was not all at one time, but by degrees, so were His sufferings, by outward wounds, cutting reproaches, and inward agonies. (e) Not a bone of the paschal lamb was to be broken (Exodus 12:46). This was fulfilled in our Saviour (John 19:36). Death had not a full power over Him, He was not broken to pieces by the greatness of His sufferings. (2) There is a resemblance in the effects or consequents of the passover. (a) The diverting the destroying angel by the sprinkling of the blood upon the posts, to be a mark to the angel to spare the firstborn of such houses, was the main end in the institution (Exodus 12:12, 13). It is only under the warrant of this blood that we can be safe. The Redeemer's blood shed for us, and sprinkled on us, preserves our souls to eternal life. As the destroying sword did not touch the Israelites, so condemning wrath shall not strike those that are under the protection of it: death shall have no power over them. (b) Upon this succeeded that liberty God had designed for them (Exodus 12:31). As it secured them from death, so it was the earnest of their deliverance, and broke the chains of their slavery. The death of Christ is the foundation of the full deliverance of His people, and the earnest of the fruition of the purchased and promised inheritance. This was the conquest of Pharaoh, upon which soon after followed his destruction. The Israelites' slavery ended when their sacrifices were finished; the efficacy of this Divine passover delivers men from a spiritual captivity. (c) After this passover they do not enjoy their liberty, but begin their march to Canaan, the promised and delightful land. So by the merit of the sacrifice of Christ the true Israelite turns his face from earth to heaven, from a world that lies in wickedness to an inheritance of the saints in light, and travels towards Canaan. Is Christ called our passover? Then — 1. The study of the Old Testament is advantageous. The Old Testament delivers the types, the New interprets them: the Old presents them like money in a bag, the New spreads them and discovers the value of the coin; the Israelites in the Old felt the weight of the ceremonies, believers in the New enjoy the riches of them. 2. Upon what a slender thread doth the doctrine of transubstantiation hang! Christ is here called the passover — was the paschal lamb therefore substantially the body of Christ? 3. The ancient Jews were under a covenant of grace. Christ was the end, the spirit, the life of their sacrifices. The passover, rock, sacrifices, manna, were the swaddling-bands wherein He was wrapped. They had the sun under a cloud, we the Sun at noon-day in His glory. 4. In the security Christ procures. The destroying angel was not to enter into any sprinkled house, no passage was afforded to him. The wrath of God, or the malice of the devil can have no power over them that are sprinkled with the blood of Christ. In the efficacy. The blood of the lamb was but a sign of that deliverance of the Israelites, but could not purge their defiled consciences; but the blood of our Lamb hath merited our salvation, can cleanse our consciences from dead and condemning works to serve the living God. This comfort is the greater by how much the tyrant we are delivered from is more dreadful that Pharaoh, whose design is not only like his to afflict our bodies but tumble our souls and bodies into the same hell with himself. It is from the wrath of God our passover hath delivered us; and what is the anger of Pharaoh to the fury of an offended Deity? It is true deliverance is yet but begun; it is not yet perfect; miseries and spiritual contests arc to be expected.Pharaoh will pursue, but shall not overtake; death shall not swallow up those who are sprinkled with this holy blood. 1. Thankfully remember this passover. 2. Inquire whether He be our passover. He is a passover, but is He a lamb eaten by us, owned by us? He is ours by the gift of God, but is He ours by the acceptation of our souls? This Lamb is ours in the liberty, life, glory, and rest He hath purchased, when we are like Him, when we learn of Him. 3. Have faith in the blood of Christ. The killing the lamb signified the death of Christ, the sprinkling the blood signified the application of it by faith. It was not the blood contained in the veins of the lamb or shed upon the ground, that was the mark of deliverance, but sprinkled upon the posts: nor is it the blood of Christ circulating in His body or shed upon the Cross, which solely delivers us, but as applied by faith to the heart. That was sprinkled upon every house that desired safety, and this upon every soul that desires happiness. Had an Israelite's family neglected this it had felt the edge of the angel's sword; the lamb had not availed him, not by a defect of the sacrifice, but by their own negligence or contempt of the condition. Or had they used any other mark, they had not diverted the stroke: no work, no blood but the blood and sufferings of the Redeemer, can take away the sin of the world. 4. Let us leave the service of sin. The Israelites after this passover did no more work at the brick-kilns of Egypt. They ceased to be Pharaoh's slaves, and began to be the Lord's freemen. II. CHRIST IS A SACRIFICE. I shall lay down some propositions for the illustrating of this doctrine. 1. Sacrifices were instituted as types of Christ. (1) They were instituted by God. (2) No other reason can be rendered of the institution of them, but as typical of the great sacrifice of the Redeemer. (3) Christ did really answer to these types. 2. The sacrifices thus instituted were of themselves insufficient, and could not expiate sin; they must, therefore, receive their accomplishment in some other. But being shadows by their institution, they could make nothing perfect (Hebrews 10:1, 11). (1) It was not consistent with the honour of God to be contented with the blood of a beast for an expiation of sin. How could there be in it a discovery of the severity of His justice, the purity of His holiness, or the grandeurs of His grace? (2) They have no proportion to the sin of man. The sin of a rational creature is too foul to be expiated by the blood of an irrational creature. (3) The reiteration of them shows their insufficiency. They were rather a commemoration of sin, and confessions of it, than expiations of any — rather accusers than atoners. (4) God had often spoke slightingly of them. He resembles them to the cutting off a dog's neck, when done with an unholy heart (Isaiah 66:3). He professeth He had no delight in them (Psalm 40:6). And what is said of this may be said of all our duties and performances, the staves upon which men naturally lean for acceptation of their persons. 3. Such a sacrifice, therefore, is necessary for a sinful creature. No creature can be such a sacrifice. As the apostle argues, "If righteousness be by the law, then was Christ dead in vain" (Galatians 2:21). (1) What is a sacrifice for sin must be pure and sinless. God will not accept a defiled offering. (2) An infinite sacrifice is necessary for a sin in some respects infinite, for every sin entrencheth upon the honour of an infinite God. (3) Necessary in regard of the justice of God, which is an immutable and infinite perfection of the Divine essence. 4. Christ only was fit to be this sacrifice. 5. It was necessary in regard of His office of priesthood, that He should be a sacrifice. 6. Jesus Christ, then, was a sacrifice in His human nature. 7. That whereby this sacrifice was sanctified, was the Divine nature. Every sacrifice was sanctified by the altar (Matthew 23:19). 8. Upon the sacrifice of Christ all His other sacerdotal acts depend, and from thence they receive their validity for us. (1) This was the ground of His ascension and entrance into heaven as a priest. The high priest was not to enter within the veil without blood. (2) This is the foundation of His intercession. There are two functions of Christ's priesthood — oblation and intercession. (3) This is the foundation of all the grace any have. The conveyance of all the gracious love of God is through this channel. In redemption by His blood the riches of the grace of God abounded, and that with the marks of the highest wisdom (Ephesians 1:7, 8). III. CHRIST WAS SACRIFICED FOR US — ὑπὲρ when joined with suffering for another, always signifies in another's stead and place; it is so used Romans 5:7. This will be cleared if we consider — 1. That Christ could not be a sacrifice for Himself. The Messiah was to be cut off, but not for Himself (Daniel 9:26). He needed no sacrifice for Himself. 2. Sacrifices implied this. They had a relation to the offerer, and were substituted in his place. 3. The whole economy of Christ is expressed in the whole Scripture to have a relation to us. All things preparatory to His sufferings were for us. 4. Our sins were imputed to Him as to a sacrifice. Christ the just is put in the place of the unjust to suffer for them (1 Peter 3:18). Christ is said to bear sin as a sacrifice bears sin (Isaiah 53:10, 12). His soul was made an offering for it. (1) It cannot be understood of the infection of sin. The filth of our nature was not transmitted to Him. (2) But that our sin was the meritorious cause of His punishment. All those phrases that Christ died for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3), and was delivered to death for our offences (Romans 4:23), clearly import sin to be the meritorious cause of the punishment Christ endured: sin cannot be said to be the cause of punishment but by way of merit. If Christ bad not been just He had not been capable of suffering for us. (3) Our sins were charged upon Him in regard of their guilt. Our sins are so imputed to Him as that they are not imputed to us (2 Corinthians 5:19), and not imputed to us, because He was made a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). (a) The apostle distinguishes His second coming from His first by this (Hebrews 9:28), "He shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation."(b) He cannot be well supposed to suffer for our sins, if our sins in regard of their guilt be not supposed to be charged upon Him. How could He die, if He were not a reputed sinner? 5. The sufferings of this sacrifice are imputed unto us. He took our sins upon Himself, as if He had sinned, and gave us the benefit of His sufferings, as if we had actually suffered.The redounding of these sufferings to us, ariseth — 1. From the dignity of the person undertaking to be a sacrifice for us, and the union of our nature with his. 2. From union with this infinite Person by faith. All believers have a communion with Him in His death (2 Corinthians 5:14).If Christ be a sacrifice — 1. We may see the miserable blindness of the Jews in expecting the Messiah as a temporal conqueror. 2. If Christ be a sacrifice, it shows the necessity of a satisfaction to the justice of God, and a higher satisfaction than men could perform. 3. Christ as sacrificed, is the true and immediate object of faith. 4. It is no true opinion that Christ died only for an example. 5. Comfort to every true believer. He was sacrificed for us. God counted Him a sinner for our sakes, that He might count us righteous for His sake. (1) As Christ hath been sacrificed for them, so He has been accepted for them. (2) This sacrifice unites all the attributes of God together for a believer's interest. (3) This sacrifice is of eternal virtue. (4) The effects of this sacrifice, therefore, are perfect, glorious, and eternal. 6. We must then lay hold on this sacrifice. 7. We must be enemies to sin, since Christ was a sacrifice for it. Unless sin die in us, we cannot have an evidence that this sacrifice was slain for us. (Thomas Hacket.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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: |
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