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᛭ INI ᛭

The Spirit says through Paul: “Whatever was written before was written for our learning, so that through the encouragement of the Scriptures we would have hope.” (Rom 15) In another place he says that the experiences of the Israelites “have become types for us.” (1 Cor 10) A “type” is a person, place, thing or, events in the Old Testament that foreshadows and proclaims what Christ would do. They were are no morality tail, but tell of Christ, our Savior.

So, the Passover also foreshadows Christ, or, to put it another way, the Passover preaches Christ before hand. The LORD isn’t just preaching His death ahead of time, however. The LORD preaches “everything” that He would do and institute. This means that Passover doesn’t just preach Lord’s death. It also preaches the Sacrament.

Jesus’ death and Supper can’t really be separated from another, “for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” (1 Cor 11) Paul gets such an idea not only from the fact that the bread and wine are Jesus’ body and blood, but because Passover itself also foreshadows, preaches, and teaches both Calvary and Communion, “so that through the encouragement of the Scriptures, we would have hope,” that is, faith, hope, and trust in Christ.

All of this is preached through the Lamb…

## (2. There’s one Lamb given to die.)

There is “one Lamb” in Egypt. Yes, each household sacrifices a lamb, from the sheep or goats. But “the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall slaughter it at twilight.” Whenever the LORD talks about the Lamb, it’s always singular—“lamb,” never “lambs.” (“Lambs” is a mistranslation and misunderstanding.) In the LORD’s mind there’s only one Passover Lamb for whole Congregation, one Lamb for each household, and so the many lambs are merely an echo or shadow of the one Lamb slaughtered for the people.

So also, there is only one “Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world.” (Jn 1) That Lamb is Christ. “It’s expedient,” as High Priest Caiaphas says, “for one Man,” one Lamb, “to die for the people.” (Jn 12) Christ, the true “Passover Lamb was sacrificed,” (1 Cor 6) at Calvary. There “Christ bore all your sins in His own body on the tree, by His wounds you’ve been healed,” (1 Pet 2) forgiven. There “He is the propitiation for your sins and the sins of the whole world.” (1 Jn 2)

Why was the Lamb given to die? The Lamb was given to die for the sake of the LORD’s people. His people were living in the land of slavery and death, living under the power of the gods of Egypt and under the thumb of the “god” of that land, Pharaoh. We live in the land of sin and death, living in the realm of the god of this world, the devil. We’re surrounded by our own sins and the sins of others. Sin affects down to our core so that we’re confronted with sickness, pain, and even death.

The only solution to sin and death and the power of the devil is the Lamb. As the LORD goes out to execute His judgment on the slavery, death, and deities of Egypt He protects His people from the judgment by the death and blood of the Lamb. You, too, are kept safe and secure from the wrath of the LORD over sin and death and the judgment of the devil only by the death of the true and final Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ.

## (Transition.)

One Lamb for His people, living in the land of sin and death. The sinless, spotless lamb slaughtered, his blood as a sign to Passover, that no plague would strike His people. So, also Christ, sinless, spotless, lamb died for your eternal blessing. His blood a sign that you are the LORD’s and no plague shall come near your tent. But the one Lamb wasn’t just given to die for His people. The one Lamb was given for His people to eat!

## (1. There’s one Lamb given to eat.)

The other main thing they did with the Lamb is they ate it! (Yes, they also put the blood on their doorframes.) They also had a ritual with what they should wear and even what else they should eat. But the focus was on the eating of the Lamb, eating of the flesh of that Lamb. “None of it should be left over.” Each household ate the flesh of the Lamb, and “the whole assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel” had communion together in the one passover Lamb slain for them.

So, there is one Lamb at communion. Communion is the flesh of the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. (The reason we always sing the “Angus Dei” at Communion.) It is also His blood shed for you. The eating of the lamb and having His blood mark “the door of your lips,” to use the language of Psalm 141, doesn’t just agree with what Jesus’ Words say, “This is My body given for you. This cup is My blood shed for you.” It also is just what Exodus 12 is getting the LORD’s people ready for. So we too will eat and drink. “None left over.” Yeah, it’s good to follow that, too. But that’s just more of Jesus’ Words. He doesn’t say “take and keep” but “take and eat,” “take and drink,” so that’s what we do…

Why’s the one Lamb eaten? Well, the blood was a sign to the LORD to pass over that house. The lamb, the eating of the lamb, was the sign to the Israelites that the LORD would pass over them, that no plague would come near their dwelling, that they were under the blessing and protection of the LORD. It’s the same with Communion. Christ’s death is FOR YOU, His forgiveness is FOR YOU. His death and forgiveness are YOURS—the Supper tells you so.

The “sign” isn’t just an idea, something for the eyes to see. It’s something for the mouth to eat! The Israelites ate the Passover Lamb; we eat the true Passover Lamb! One Lamb in many households, one Lamb for the whole assembly. One Lamb in many congregations, on many altar; One Lamb for the whole Christian Church on earth! As Israel had Communion in the one Lamb together. So, do we. “We who are many are one, for we all partake of the One bread, which is a Communion of the body of Christ.” We need such a Communion with the Lamb, such a sign that the LORD has and is rescuing us from sin and death.

## (Conclusion.)

The Lord rescues His people from the land of sin and death, whether that’s the Israelites or you and me. He uses the One Lamb to do it, as He goes about giving judgments on His peoples enemies.

FOR HIS PEOPLE LIVING IN THE LAND OF SIN AND DEATH, THE LORD’S LAMB IS GIVEN TO DIE AND TO EAT.

That’s Passover and that’s Communion, for the Passover, like the Lord’s Supper, is a meal of forgiveness and life as we’re living in a land of sin and death. For the Passover, the sinless, spotless Lamb was slaughtered and eaten on the 14th day of the month. Could only ever be eaten then. One gracious allowance was given on the 14th day of the month. Christ, “our Passover Lamb has been Sacrificed.” Now the eating is not limited or restricted, it is “as often as.” Because while His people only needed to be rescued from Egypt once, we need rescue from sin and death as much as possible!

The Lord’s death and communion can’t be separated. This is the night we’ve set aside, ritualized, to remember the night Jesus was betrayed. But according to God’s way of telling time in Genesis a day runs evening to evening. So the Supper of his death occurs the same day as His death. His Suffering and Supper, His Communion and Cross can’t be divided. Preaching Christ crucified and Communion also can’t really be separated. (Logically inconsistent to do so.) Because, as the Lord says through Paul, “As often as you eat this bread and drink the cup you are proclaiming the Lord’s death until he comes.” What is preached with words coming out of my mouth, is also proclaimed with your mouths, by eating the bread and drinking the cup that cause Christ’s body and blood to enter your mouth!

FOR HIS PEOPLE LIVING IN THE LAND OF SIN AND DEATH, THE LORD’S LAMB IS GIVEN TO DIE AND TO EAT.

There’s one Lamb, one assembly, one blood, one flesh distributed in many houses. It’s Christ! Slaughtered 2,000 years ago, given to eat “as often as,” even tonight!

᛭ INI ᛭