What does "Christ our Passover lamb" signify in 1 Corinthians 5:7? The Context of Corinth and Paul’s Warning 1 Corinthians 5:7: “Get rid of the old yeast, that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” • Paul addresses open sexual sin in the church (vv. 1-2) and commands the believers to “clean out” the immoral influence just as Israel removed yeast before Passover. • Yeast (leaven) represents sin’s spreading power. Removing it illustrated a call to holiness. • The motivation: Christ’s completed sacrifice, which Paul identifies with the Passover lamb. The Old Testament Picture: Israel’s Passover • A spotless male lamb, “without blemish” (v. 5), selected on the tenth day, slain on the fourteenth. • Blood applied to doorposts spared Israel from the death of the firstborn (v. 13). • The meal eaten with unleavened bread symbolized haste and separation from Egypt’s influence (vv. 8, 15). • God’s judgment “passed over” any home covered by the blood. How Christ Fulfills the Passover Pattern • John 1:29—John calls Jesus “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” • 1 Peter 1:18-19—redeemed “with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.” • Isaiah 53:7—Messiah led like a lamb to the slaughter, silent before His shearers. • John 19:36—none of His bones broken, echoing Exodus 12:46. • Hebrews 9:14—His blood cleanses our consciences from dead works to serve the living God. What “Christ Our Passover Lamb” Signifies • Substitution: He died in our place, bearing judgment so God’s wrath “passes over” us. • Redemption: Just as Israel was freed from Egyptian slavery, believers are freed from sin’s bondage (Romans 6:6-7). • Perfection: Like the flawless Passover lamb, Jesus is sinless, fully satisfying God’s standard (2 Corinthians 5:21). • Finality: “Has been sacrificed” (perfect tense) underscores a completed, once-for-all act (Hebrews 10:10). • Corporate Identity: Paul says “our” Passover, uniting all believers under one saving sacrifice (Ephesians 2:13-16). Living Out the Reality: New Dough, No Old Yeast • Personal purity—putting off habitual sin (Colossians 3:5-10). • Congregational discipline—protecting the body from corrupting influences (1 Corinthians 5:11-13). • Continuous celebration—“Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven… but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8). • Witness to the world—showing that the Lamb’s blood truly delivers and transforms (Matthew 5:16). Key Takeaways • Christ’s sacrifice fulfills and surpasses the original Passover, guaranteeing deliverance from judgment. • Because His work is complete, believers are called to live as “unleavened”—separated from sin and devoted to truth. • The church’s purity and unity flow directly from the shed blood of “Christ our Passover lamb.” |
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