The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Corinthians — Section 177

Vers. 7, 8.-"0ur Passover." What the Jews had, we have-only with fuller and: richer significance. They had the foretastes, the shadows ; we have the substance. The events in their history point forward to the greater events in ours. They had a Passover, and so have we; and theirs was a prefigurement of ours. I. CHRIST IS OUR PASSOVER. I. He was typified by the Paschal lamb. Often called the" Lamb" (for example, John i. 29; Rev. v. 12). (1) .Appointed by God. Israel'S- Passover was " the Lord's Passover" (Exod. xii. 27); "My sacrifice" (Exod. xxiii. 18). Jesus is the" Christ," the .Anointed of God. "It pleased the Lord to bruise him."· Here is our co1Jfidence, that our Passover is the Lord's Passover, appointed and approved by the Eternal: "My beloved Son, in whom lam well pleased." Salvation by the- cross is God's plan of salvation; it must, therefore, fully commend itself to God. (2) Innocent. Here is the pathos of the cross. He died not for his sins, but for ours.. He had not transgressed, but we had, and therefore he died. (3) Without blemish. "With the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish" (1 Pet. i. 19). Keen unfriendly eyes were upon Christ, but the reluctant verdict was "no fault.',. "Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners" (Heb. vii. 26). (4) Slain. Christ crucified. The converging point-" Without shedding of blood there is no remission."· The Paschal lamb was slain by those for whose welfare and safety it was appointed; so Christ was crucified by men whom he came to redeem. No bone broken ( comp. Exod. xii. 46 with John xix. 36). (5) The blood sprinlcled, The blood shed is not enough, it must be applied. The blood of the Paschal lamb was applied with a bunch of hyssop, a type of " faith" which, though apparently small and insignificant,. brings the blood of Christ into saving contact with the heart. (6) The flesh eaten. \Ve have to feed upon Chtist. '' My flesh is meat indeed." The Passover was. a feast; the idea of enjoyment is involved. So those who feast upon Christ obtain truest happiness. The Paschal lamb was eaten by the Israelites with loins girded, shoes on feet, staff in hand ; so the followers of Christ, when they become such, confess- themselves to be strangers and pilgrims upon the earth. The lamb was eaten in Egypt. So we are saved as sinners; we have not to come up out of the Egypt of corruption. \Ve have not to ,qet ourselves ready for Christ; we are ready when we are- lost and desire to be found of him. Many are hindered by their" unworthiness;" they want to be holy before they seek salvation, which means that the patient desires to be cured before he sends for the doctor. And he comes to us; we do not come to him,-we· are in .Egypt wheu we first behold the Lamb of God. (7) The whole eaten. We have noi to take a purt of Ghrist. We have to accept thc/ull terms of salvation, not those- <iH, v. 1-13.) THE FIRST EPISTLE TO THE CORINTHIANS. 181