“ cleanse out, therefore, the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, according as ye are unleavened, for also our passover for us was sacrificed — Christ,”  (1 Cor. 5:7, YLT)

Many people are missing the sweet and precious significance of Jesus Christ being the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8).  As all of the NT is from the OT, and as Jesus fulfilled or completed all of the law and the prophesies of the OT (Matt. 11:13), we need to review the OT Passover feast established for the exodus from Egypt beginning in Exodus chap. 12.

“³ speak ye unto all the company of Israel, saying, In the tenth of this month — they take to them each man a lamb for the house of the fathers, a lamb for a house.:…

⁵ a lamb, a perfect one, a male, a son of a year, let be to you; from the sheep or from the goats ye do take [it]. ⁶ `And it hath become a charge to you, until the fourteenth day of this month, and the whole assembly of the company of Israel have slaughtered it between the evenings;

⁷ and they have taken of the blood, and have put on the two side-posts, and on the lintel over the houses in which they eat it. ⁸ `And they have eaten the flesh in this night, roast with fire; with unleavened things and bitters they do eat it;

⁹ ye do not eat of it raw, or boiled at all in water, but roast with fire, its head with its legs, and with its inwards; ¹⁰ and ye do not leave of it till morning, and that which is remaining of it till morning with fire ye do burn.

¹¹ `And thus ye do eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand, and ye have eaten it in haste; it is Jehovah’s passover, ¹² and I have passed over through the land of Egypt during this night, and have smitten every first-born in the land of Egypt, from man even unto beast, and on all the gods of Egypt I do judgments; I [am] Jehovah.

¹³ `And the blood hath become a sign for you on the houses where ye [are], and I have seen the blood, and have passed over you, and a plague is not on you for destruction in My smiting in the land of Egypt.”  (Ex. 12:3, 5-13, YLT)

All those who are in Christ, who have been immersed (baptized) into Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection (Mark 16:16; Rom. 6:3; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27) are covered by the blood of the Lamb.  Our mortal tabernacle is the “house” in which we exist in this earth realm.  It is the “house” that is covered by Jesus’ blood over our head (lintels) and shoulders (door posts) which symbolizes the physical blood painted over those old houses back in Egypt.

“⁴ And Moses saith, `Thus said Jehovah, About midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt,

⁵ and every first-born in the land of Egypt hath died, from the first-born of Pharaoh who is sitting on his throne, unto the first-born of the maid-servant who [is] behind the millstones, and all the first-born of beasts;“  (Ex. 11;4-5, YLT)

“23`And Jehovah hath passed on to smite the Egyptians, and hath seen the blood on the lintel, and on the two side-posts, and Jehovah hath passed over the opening, and doth not permit the destruction to come into your houses to smite. …”

“²⁹ And it cometh to pass, at midnight, that Jehovah hath smitten every first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh who is sitting on his throne, unto the first-born of the captive who [is] in the prison-house, and every first-born of beasts.” (Ex. 12:23, 29, YLT)

Most of the English translations of Ex. 12:23 translate it as “the destroyer to come in”.  The NLV has “the one who destroys.” The CJB has “the Slaughterer” while the OJB uses “the emissary of judgment”.  We are not told who this emissary of death and judgment was, but it was carried out by God’s authority and command.  YHWH passed judgment upon Egypt, upon the households of all who did not have the blood of the lamb over their doors.

Up to this point, the symbolism and type / anti-type seems fairly well understood by most who claim to be Christians.  Christ’s sacrifice, taking all of the sin of the world upon his head and shoulders allows us the opportunity to be forgiven of our sins by His blood if we will accept the offer and answer the call (Acts 9:16-17; 22:16).

And this is why John said of Jesus,

“… Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”  (John 1:29, KJV)

But then we read 2 Cor 5:10 and become confused by the traditional teachings of church institutions which are outlined by the creeds of men.

“for all of us it behoveth to be manifested before the tribunal of the Christ, that each one may receive the things [done] through the body, in reference to the things that he did, whether good or evil;“  (YLT)

The traditional understanding of this verse ultimately leads to a type of belief in a system of works.  Most people read the words “good or evil” and begin to think about our definition of “good”.  We don’t steal, we don’t lie, we don’t commit murder, we don’t extort others, etc, etc., so therefore we are good.  Right?  Wrong.

We are not considering God’s definition of “good.”  The word translated as “good” in 2 Cor. 5:10 is Strong’s Gr. 18, “agathos” and it means” inherently (intrinsically) good; as to the believer, describes what originates from God and is empowered by Him in their life, through faith.”  Source: https://biblehub.com/greek/18.htm

The meaning at 2 Cor. 5:10 is listed under the neuter (sexless) usage at #2 – “what is upright, honorable, and acceptable to God:”

How are we to become acceptable to God?  What originates from God, and is empowered by Him?  What do we do that makes us “good” in God’s eyes?

There is only one thing that God sees as “good” and that is Jesus Christ, our savior and passover Lamb.  If we have obeyed the command to be baptized / immersed in water for the forgiveness of our sins, calling upon the name of Jesus as the Son of God, then we have done the “good” things in the flesh.

Who in this life has done everything we ought to do?  Paul discussed this lack in Rom. 7:15:

“For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.”  (KJV)

The good works that we do for Him are our duty and obligation, not credit points. We owe Him. Because all of our “good works” or righteousness are as filthy rags to Him (Isa. 64:6).

So, the “good” things in the flesh of 2 Cor. 5:10 cannot be talking about our obligations and duties, but are instead talking about putting on Christ through baptism.  For if we have put on Christ and are clothed in His righteousness (Rev. 3:5, 18) and are covered by the blood of the Lamb, then we have forgiveness of sins when we are faithful to confess to God and repent of them.  God is then faithful to forgive us (1 John 1:9).

Therefor, when we pass over from this mortal body and the angel(s) see the blood of the Lamb over us, then judgment passes over us just as it did in those faithful houses back in Egypt.  This is Christ’s passover, that if we stay faithful unto death judgment has already passed over us.  We have nothing to fear.

“ Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” (John 5:24, KJV)

We are not going to stand before God as some suppose and list out all the bad things we repented of, asked forgiveness of and that He has already forgiven and forgotten.

“²¹ But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

²² All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.”  (Ezek. 18:21-22, KJV)

The righteousness that we do now, that we will give an account for is whether or not we have accepted the offer God has made through His grace of His Son as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world for the forgiveness of our sins.  And, we will not have to say one word.  The King will look at us and know whether we are clothed in the wedding garments of the bride and the bridegroom (Ex. 12:23; Matt. 22: 11-13).

If we have rejected that precious gift then we have scorned His offer, have spit in His face, have done evil things in the flesh, and there is nothing else He can do for us.  Those who have spurned Christ and turned their backs on Him will be cast out (2 Pet. 2:17).

That is why Jesus told those of Matt. 7:23 that He never knew them.  Even though they claimed to have done good works, they had not done the one thing that would have covered them in His kingdom.  They did not put Him on in baptism, so He did not know them.  They were strangers making up their own rules and their own religion.

Jesus is our Passover. If you have been immersed in water for the forgiveness of your sins, acknowledging that Jesus is the Son of God who died for our sins on the cross, then you have done the good things of the flesh of 2 Cor. 5:10.  And, if we stay faithful until our bodily deaths, then the judgment will pass over us, and we will  be changed in the twinkling of an eye, and be gathered home to be with all the saints who have gone before (1 Thess. 4:17).

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” (Psa. 115:16, KJV)