Christ Our Passover

“Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven … Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed … celebrate the feast, not with old leaven … but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”—1 Corinthians 5:6–8 NASB

The feasts were central to the New Testament church. Knowing their importance, Paul wrote from a position of credibility, as a “Hebrew of Hebrews.” He had studied the Law and knew the history of his people (Philippians 3:5).

As he interacted with churches, he assumed they would celebrate the feasts. This was never clearer than with the church in Corinth. He did not write them to explain the feasts but how they were to be celebrated.

For Paul, Jesus made the difference in approaching the feasts, for Jesus was the Passover Lamb who had been sacrificed. Paul also referred to “leaven.” This was central to Passover, with its emphasis on “unleavened bread” (Exodus 12:8). Therefore, Paul said that Christians needed to celebrate the feast “with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” They needed to be clean in God’s sight, freed from any “leaven.”

Today is a day many Christians celebrate as Good Friday, commemorating the death of Jesus. We must never forget that His death took place in the middle of the Passover celebration, He died as a fulfillment of prophecy, and He was the Lamb of God.

Remember all that Jesus has done for you. He died and rose again that your sins might be forgiven, that you might be cleansed and healed, that you might be right with God. Yes, celebrate the feast, for “Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed”!

Reflection Question: Compose a prayer thanking Jesus for dying for your sins.