George Muller gave this sermon at the Gospel Hall, St. Nicholas Road, St. Paul’s, Bristol, England, on January 8, 1898, a Sunday morning.
Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:6-8, NIV)
We recently read Exodus 12 (NIV) about the institution of the Passover and what it was; in the portion of 1 Corinthians that I have just now read, we find what we are to understand about Passover: It serves as both a symbol and a foreshadowing of our Lord Jesus Christ. We will now go through these verses with the goal of seeing their connection with our Lord. We will now read from Exodus again, verse by verse:
The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year.” (verses 1-2)
Here we begin to see a picture of the Lord Jesus as a symbol. The moment the sinner sees that he is a sinner, and condemns himself before God as one who deserves nothing but punishment, and at the same time puts his trust alone in Jesus Christ for the salvation of his soul, he becomes a new creature in Christ Jesus. Through this faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are regenerated, born again, and receive spiritual life, thus becoming completely different from what we were.
Before that, the sinner lives in sin; he is, as the Scripture calls it, dead in trespasses and sin (see Ephesians 2:1), knowing nothing really and truly of God; but when his eyes are opened by the power of the Holy Spirit, and he sees the wretched, miserable condition in which he has been all his life, then puts his trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, a new life begins—that is, a spiritual life begins. He is altogether an altered man. What is now foreshadowed in the chapter is the month in which the Passover lamb was instituted and was being celebrated. It is the first month. A new year begins. The state of things is completely altered when we are brought to believe in Jesus Christ.
“Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household.” (verse 3)
Here we notice that on the tenth day, this lamb was to be taken from the flock. It had to be a spotless lamb, a perfect lamb—there was to be no blemish on it, or else it was not to be used for the Passover lamb, because all the animals that were used for offering were to be without blemish. Now, although the lamb was taken on the tenth day, it was only to be slain on the fourteenth day; it was not to be slain on the same day that it was chosen from the flock. There is a meaning in this! The Lord Jesus Christ, when He came into the world, was perfectly holy, perfectly spotless, perfectly sinless; but He had to stay here thirty-three years so that this might be proved and seen by everybody. The powers of darkness were to see it. The holy, spotless, elect angels of heaven were to see it. The most godly of humans were to see it—that He was the perfectly holy, spotless One. Therefore, He had to stay here for a good while, that this might be proved.
“If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat.” (verse 4)
This is set forth by the fact that the lamb was to be a spotless lamb, chosen on the tenth day of the month, then watched leading up to the fourteenth day to prove that it was spotless. The head of every household, of every family, was to choose a lamb. Sometimes there were only five or six in a family, maybe only four, and yet they were all to gather around the lamb—the whole lamb, nothing short of the lamb. And as they would gather, the whole lamb was to be roasted as it was, brought to the table, and eaten—with its legs and organs. They were to have the whole lamb.
And what was to be done if the family was small? They were to invite their next-door neighbors—not an uncle, aunt or cousins. The neighboring family next to them was to be invited so that there might be enough people to eat the lamb. This is very remarkable. It shows us that they were to live peaceably together until the time of Passover. It was a terrible thing to quarrel with their neighbors, then invite them to share the meal. This shows that those who gathered were expected to live in peace. And this is just how it should be with God’s family. Those who feed on the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ should be on good terms with their neighbors, not just with the uncle, aunt or cousins. The whole family of God should be on good terms with one another, not merely the rich among themselves or the poor among themselves, but rich and poor alike, no matter their status in life. As surely as we belong to Christ, we should love our family in Christ, and we should be on good terms with our neighbor. The question should not be, “Is that person educated or rich?” but instead, “Does he or she belong to Christ? Does he or she love the Lord Jesus Christ?” That is the point! And then if that is the case, we have another brother or sister to love in the Lord Jesus Christ. How very revealing that the next-door neighbor was to come and join in the eating of the lamb.
“The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.” (Verses 5-6)
A year-old male. This strong imagery lays the foundation of the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was really and truly a man, only without sin; but at the same time, He was really and truly God, as was the Father. “[You must choose] year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats.” This needs to be paid attention to.
“All the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.” This especially needs to be paid attention to. It is not that merely certain persons need the Lord Jesus Christ, and that other persons can do without Him—no one will go to heaven without Christ! No one is a real, true believer, except if he puts his trust alone in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation! This is established by the fact that “all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.” They all have a part in connection with the Passover, and as surely as we are believers in Christ, so surely do we trust in the death, in the atonement, of the Lord Jesus Christ; and whoever does not put his entire trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation does not believe in Christ, and therefore is still in sin.
“Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast.” (verses 7-8)
It was not to be eaten raw, nor was it to be boiled in water, but it was to be roasted. This shows us the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ was exposed to the wrath of God, not merely symbolically, but really and truly—He had to pass through all the agonies, the torments, the sufferings through which we ought to have passed on account of our numberless transgressions in action, in word, in thought, in feeling, in desire, in purpose, and in inclination. All this is foreshadowed by the lamb being roasted in the fire.
Then they were to eat it with unleavened bread. We have been reading in 1 Corinthians what is shown by the unleavened bread. There, leaven signifies malice and wickedness, but the unleavened bread signifies sincerity and truth. And this is what we want in our characters, that we are found in a state of uprightness! Uprightness is symbolized by this unleavened bread. The very opposite is to scheme, to deceive. Uprightness of heart: This is what God desires in His children! God bears with the weakness of His children, the helplessness of His children, but He does not bear with hypocrisy, with deceit, with insincerity. He wants us to be upright, sincere, and without deceit; and therefore we have to ask God continually that, in the riches of His grace, He would give unto us real, true, spiritual sincerity and uprightness and truth–that is, if really and truly we care about the revelation that He has been pleased to make in the Holy Scriptures, and seek to act according to the Word of God. A deeply important point this is: that we do not go our own way; that we do not seek to please ourselves; that we do not think we may do this, that, or the other thing because God does not care. God does care! He cares about the truth, which He has put into our hands in the Holy Scriptures!
And they were to eat it not merely roasted in the fire and with unleavened bread, but “with bitter herbs.” What might these symbolize? I judge the herbs to be the deep consciousness the poor sinner has of his former life and conduct. We have forgiveness when we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ; all our numberless sins are forgiven! But though God has forgiven us, we cannot, so to speak, forgive ourselves; we continually remember all the ungodly ways in which we lived before conversion. It is now seventy-two years that I have been a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and for these seventy-two years I have known that every one of my numberless transgressions is forgiven, and that not one of my numberless transgressions, before Christ, shall be brought against me. But while I know that God has forgiven me perfectly, I cannot forgive myself! Day by day, more or less, my ungodly ways before Christ, and all my numberless failings and shortcomings since then, I remember against myself! These are the “bitter herbs” which I have while I am feeding on Christ! God has forgiven us, but we cannot, so to speak, forgive ourselves. We continually remember all our former ungodliness.
“Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs and internal organs.” That is, the heart, the lungs, the kidneys. All must be roasted, and the whole lamb was to be set on the table. And around the whole lamb they were to gather; not around a roasted leg, or a shoulder, but around the whole lamb. Now, there is a meaning in this, and the meaning of it is that we have the whole Christ, with all His offices, with all the virtues of His blessing, and the benefits to be had from Him. He is our Teacher; He is our Guide; He is our Comforter; He is our Helper; He is our Strength; He is our Redeemer; He is our Brother; He is our Friend; He is our Bridegroom; He is our Husband. The believer has Christ in all roles.
This is shown by the Israelites gathering around the whole lamb, not part of it. But there is more to understand than what I have said. We aren’t to think we have only part of the Savior, or part of HIs blessing. Whatever we need or require for our soul, however poor, worthless or weak we are, it is all to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ. We never despair in the spiritual things because our need is so great. However great our need is, all, all, ALL that we require is to be obtained through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ through feeding on Him, eating spiritually His flesh and drinking spiritually His blood. All this is depicted by the fact that the Israelites were to gather around the whole lamb.
There is another point of great instruction. The believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, and believers in Him alone, are those who should be baptized. Believer’s baptism, therefore, is right doctrine, and the only right doctrine, regarding baptism. It is not a question of how old we are, but the question is whether we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ when baptized. Now, while this is the right doctrine, we have to guard against gathering as “baptized believers” and instead gather as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is not because of a partial truth of God we meet, but it’s about Jesus that we meet. That is the point. That is the set point. All believers must gather around the whole Lamb! It is not this aspect of truth or that aspect of truth. For instance, the truth of God is that the Lord Jesus Christ will return before the Millennium begins—not after it has already started. He will come to bring in the Millennial Kingdom, and there can be no Millennium without His return—so the Lord Jesus is coming again! This is the truth of God, and we must not give it up. But while this is a deeply important truth, we should not meet together on the sole basis of this truth—rather, we should meet based on Christ! We should gather as those who trust in the atoning death of Christ, remembering that the whole of Christ is why we meet! This is what is symbolized by the Israelites gathering around the whole lamb. Again, “Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire.” The head was not to be cut off, nor were the legs, but everything was to be roasted and then brought to the table.
“Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord’s Passover.” (verses 10-11)
This statement shows us plainly the way in which persons are to be dressed and ready when going on a journey. The large loose gown was to be tucked in so that the traveler’s marching or walking might not be slowed. Then he had to have his shoes on because there might be a rough road; all kinds of things might be in the way, thorns, sharp stones, which would hurt the feet; therefore, they were to put on their shoes! Then, the staff was to be in their hand—another thing that is found on a traveler.
Now, this brings before us the deeply important truth that the moment we become believers in Christ—the first time we feed on Christ, our own Passover Lamb—we become strangers and pilgrims in the world. We no longer belong to it, for this world lies under the power of the evil one and is bound up with the forces of darkness. Therefore, we are separated from it the moment we belong to Christ and feed on Christ for the first time. We become strangers on earth; we set out on the journey, and this journey is heavenward—the end of the journey will be heaven! Oh, how precious is this! My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, do you truly realize that heaven is your home? I have, for seventy-two years, viewed it in that way, and it has made me a very happy man. I have had a great many trials, difficulties, sorrows, afflictions, and disappointments—I might say I have had them by hundreds, if not by thousands—but through them all, during these past seventy-two years I have believed in Christ, I have been an exceedingly happy man because I have always looked to the end of the journey. I am as certain that I shall be in heaven as if I were there already; there’s not a shadow of a doubt about it, and I have never had a shadow of a doubt about it during these past seventy-two years.
And this, my beloved brothers and sisters, is what you should seek more and more to have it, if you don't already have it; though I have no doubt that very many, if not most of you, have done so. But if there is anyone here who has not yet grasped that heaven is their home, let them cry out mightily to God that they may be confident that heaven is their home. Now, I walk up and down in my room, reminding myself that I am a sinner, a great sinner, deserving nothing but punishment, but then reminding myself that I won’t be punished, all because my precious Lord Jesus was punished in my place because I put my trust in Him. Therefore, nothing for me remains but heaven, and every day brings me a day closer to it. Realize how precious this is! That is what we should continually feed on, continually think about.
Consider what the Lord Jesus has done for us, in our place. He will complete our salvation—He will see to it that you and I, as we remain in Him, will be in heaven. All this, perceived and pictured in this verse! The believer in Christ sets out on a journey. He may have a long road to travel, but the destination is where he sets his mind: the end. And the end will be glory, the end will be heaven! Poor, miserable sinners that we are deserve nothing but punishment, but if we put our trust in the Lord Jesus, the end of the journey will be glory, it will be heaven! And for eternity, we will be with the Lord Jesus Christ! Oh, what a promise this is. By the grace of God, I have been able to see it this way for these seventy-two years, and for all these years it has made me a very happy man!
“On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.” (verses 12-13)
Let us think about this–the firstborn of the king and the firstborn of the poor alike were struck down. “I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord.” Even the judges, the princes, and the great ones of the earth, who are said to be the representatives of God here on earth (see Romans 13:4), shall be slain. Not only the poor, but the authorities—the kings, the princes, the judges, and the great ones of the land.
Now the last verse, and a remarkable one it is, and we should particularly think about it. “The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.” Here we see what brought salvation, deliverance, and safety to the Israelite! It was the blood of the Passover Lamb, which had been put on the doorposts! Our salvation does not depend on our tithing, our church-going, or on what we have given or intend to give to the poor—our salvation depends on none of these. But it simply, solely, entirely, only depends on the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, which He shed for the forgiveness of our sins—if we trust in it, depend on it, look to it and it alone for salvation. This is the first truth I gather from those verses. But there IS more: “The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.” The eye of man might not be able to see the blood, but God sees the blood. The people inside the house might not have seen it, nor the people outside the house, but God saw it!
This brings to mind that there may be among us dear, true children of God, but they are nervous. Very often, I have clearly pointed out for such and such reasons that they are truly believers in Christ—yet these nervous ones may not be able to see it! Now must they go to hell because they cannot clearly see this for themselves? Not at all! God, your heavenly Father, sees that, after all, they are really, truly, sincerely looking alone to the blood of Jesus—but because of their nervous state, they don’t have the assurance they ought. For their comfort, I say that just as God that night saw the blood, so He sees it now—even though these sincere, honest, upright, dear children of God, on account of their nervousness, do not see it.
Now, in conclusion, let me ask: “Are we all convinced that we are sinners needing a Savior?” Let us ask ourselves, young and old, male and female, “Do I know that I am a sinner?” If not, then ask God to show it to you. No one can get to heaven without recognizing that he is a sinner. All the people who go to hell have only a good opinion about themselves, and see nothing at all of their sinfulness! You must acknowledge your sinfulness—acknowledge it and admit that you deserve punishment; and if you haven’t, you won’t get to heaven without it! Therefore, ask God to show you clearly that you are a sinner, that you are a sinner needing a Savior. And what will you come to when you do? You will seek to live a better life, but you’ll never be able to make up for your past misconduct. Never! Never! But there is One who can make up for our transgressions; that is Jesus, who yielded His perfect obedience to God, His own life, who suffered the punishment which we deserve due to our numberless transgressions. And if we trust in Him and depend on Him for salvation, that is enough. Therefore, the next point is to believe in Christ. That means to trust in Him for salvation, and if you say, “I wish I could do that, but I am not able to do it,” and you are sincerely wishing to put your trust in Him, He will show you, He will help you. But remember, when we have come to it, seeing that we are sinners, we are to put our trust in Christ! Finally, we are to seek the whole remainder of our lives to live to the praise, honor and glory of our Savior, asking Him daily to help us!
May we receive the sacrifice of our great Passover Lamb, trusting His blood and His atoning death to cover our sins, to help us in our weakness, and to give us hope for the age to come. And may He bless us for His name’s sake. Amen.
Essene Press Team
