Christ being our Passover means that He was sacrificed for us, so believers are now unleavened before God and passed over from judgment under His blood.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 5:7 that 'Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.' Les Feldick shows that the Old Testament Passover blood was shed so Israel was safe under the blood, and when believers come under Christ's blood they are passed over from judgment (Clips 1, 6). That is why believers are told to purge out the old leaven, since leaven pictures sin and evil (Clips 1, 7).
1 Corinthians 5:7 — Paul directly calls Christ 'our Passover' and says He was sacrificed for us.
Exodus 12:13 — The Passover blood caused the Lord to pass over Israel, picturing the protection Christ's blood provides.
In 1 Corinthians 5:7, Paul tells believers to purge out the old leaven so they can be a new lump, because they are already unleavened, and then says, 'For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.' 1 Corinthians 5:8 continues: 'Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.' The Old Testament background is the Passover in Exodus 12. Israel was told to take the blood of the lamb and strike it on the two side posts and the upper door post of their houses. The Lord promised, 'When I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you.'
Les Feldick teaches that when Paul calls Christ 'our Passover' in 1 Corinthians 5:7, he is showing that the Old Testament Passover is a type and picture of Christ's sacrificial work (Clip 4). Les emphasizes that the blood of Christ cannot be separated from His death: Christ died for us and shed His blood, and He is the sacrifice God was satisfied with (Clip 4). Les applies the leaven analogy directly to believers. The old leaven speaks of sin and evil. Since our sin problem has been removed by forgiveness and salvation, believers are now unleavened, a new lump before God. But if leaven is left in a life, it expands and will consume us, so we are to purge it out (Clips 1, 2, 7). Les also connects the Passover blood to protection from judgment. Drawing on the original Passover in Egypt, he points out that when the blood was on the doorposts, the death angel passed over and those inside were secure. He then applies it to the church age: when we come under Christ's blood, we are passed over from any judgment (Clips 5, 6). Finally, Les observes that the blood was placed on the two side posts and the upper door post, forming the outline of a cross, showing what God had in mind in the Passover (Clip 2).
Les explains that leaven is 'a reference to evil, to sin' (Clip 1). He goes back to the feast of unleavened bread that immediately followed Passover, when Israel was to be pictured as a nation whose sins had been atoned for and cleansed. Paul brings that analogy into the church age, telling believers to purge out the old leaven so they can be a new lump, since they are already unleavened (Clip 7). Les warns that if a little leaven is left in a believer's life, it will begin to expand and eventually consume the person, which is why the old leaven must be purged out (Clip 2).
Les draws attention to the original Passover in Egypt. The Israelites were in bondage under the Egyptians while God poured out plagues, and they were safe and secure by faith when the blood was on the door (Clips 5, 6). Les observes that the blood was placed on the two side posts and the upper door post, which forms the outline of a cross, and he believes this is what God had on His mind (Clip 2). Paul then brings that same Passover all the way up to the church age: even as Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us, when we come under His blood we are passed over from judgment (Clip 6).
According to Les, 'unleavened' means forgiven, cleansed, and without sin as far as God is concerned. He points to 1 Corinthians 5:7, where believers are reminded that their sin problem has been removed by virtue of forgiveness and salvation, and therefore they are already unleavened (Clips 1, 7). This is the basis for the command to purge out the old leaven, because a little leaven left in a life will soon expand and consume it (Clips 2, 7).
Why the Blood? The Bible's Answer to Forgiveness & Faith
Hello, and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick.
Christ Our Passover in 1 Corinthians 5:7
Les reads 1 Corinthians 5:7 and explains that leaven means sin and evil, and that because of salvation believers are now unleavened. He then shows that Paul calls Christ 'our Passover.'
The Cross Hidden in the Doorposts
Les points out that the blood on the two side posts and the upper door post forms the outline of a cross. He also warns that leaven left in a life expands and consumes it.
Passover Feast at the Crucifixion
Les notes that Israel was celebrating Passover at the time of the crucifixion, and that Paul shows Christ became our Passover lamb.
Christ's Blood and Sacrificial Death
Les teaches that Paul constantly refers to Christ as our Passover, and that Christ died for us and shed His blood as the only sacrifice God was satisfied with.
Israel's Safety Under the Blood
Les uses the Israelites' faith in the blood on the door to show they were safe and secure from the death angel, and then emphasizes that Romans gives the real doctrinal ground.
Under the Blood, Passed Over From Judgment
Les brings the Passover up to the church age: when Christ died, His blood was shed, and when we come under that blood we are passed over from any judgment.
Unleavened Bread and Cleansed Believers
Les connects the feast of unleavened bread to forgiven and cleansed Israel, applying it to believers who are already unleavened and must purge out the leaven of sin.
1 Corinthians 5:7: Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
Paul directly names Christ as our Passover and connects His sacrifice to the removal of leaven.
1 Corinthians 5:8: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
The proper keeping of the feast is without old leaven, showing the believer's life after being cleansed.
Exodus 12:7: And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
The blood was to be applied to the doorposts of the house, which Les points out pictures the cross.
Exodus 12:13: And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
The blood was the token that caused the Lord to pass over the houses, which Les applies to believers under Christ's blood.
Christ our Passover means that Jesus Christ died as the sacrificial lamb for believers. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 5:7 that Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us, and Les Feldick explains that this sacrifice removes our sin and brings us under the protection of His blood (Clips 1, 6).
Because of forgiveness and salvation, believers are unleavened in God's sight, meaning their sin problem has been removed. Les says this means we have been forgiven and cleansed, and are without sin as far as God is concerned (Clips 1, 7). This is why the old leaven must be purged out.
In Exodus, the blood on the doorposts kept the death angel from striking Israel. Les says that when we come under Christ's blood, we are passed over from any judgment, just as Israel was (Clips 5, 6). The blood on the two side posts and upper door post even pictures the cross (Clip 2).
Watch the Teaching: Why the Blood? The Bible's Answer to Forgiveness & Faith