1 Corinthians 5:7 - The New Passover

The New Passover

1 Corinthians 5:7 Purge out the old yeast, that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed in our place.

The Lord's Table is the new Passover.

The old Passover was observed each year to remind God's people that God had delivered them from the power and slavery of their enemy. (It is interesting to note that Jesus did not die on the Day of Atonement, but during Passover.)

In Numbers 14, Israel refused to enter the promised land, and made plans to return to Egypt. They were returning to slavery. God was angry with that generation of people, and swore than none (save Joshua and Caleb) would inherit the promised land. All that generation died in the wilderness because they would not enter and decided to return to Egypt.

Jesus established a new Passover. As often as we celebrate the Lord's table, we should be reminded that Christ delivered us from the power of sin to live holy lives. When we are unwilling to walk in his ways, and instead want to return to slavery in sin (return to Egypt), God will not be pleased with us.

The writer of Hebrews said that if we go on sinning willfully, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment. The apostle Paul wrote that God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that will he also reap. If we sow to the flesh, we will reap destruction.

God does his part of the covenant so that we can do our part, that is, that we can serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life. As we partake of the bread and wine in this new “Passover,” let us remember that God set us free from slavery to sin (Egypt), and let us commit to walking in the freedom of the children of God (walking in God's ways), asking for and expecting to receive grace to walk in this way as we partake of the bread and wine.

Luke 1:72-75 [72] to show mercy towards our fathers, to remember his holy covenant, [73] the oath which he spoke to Abraham, our father, [74] to grant to us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, should serve him without fear, [75] In holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.