The Crucifixion versus the Passover Sacrifice

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Today I read someone challenging the legitimacy of Christ because, despite being called the Lamb of God and not having His bones broken on the cross, He couldn’t really fulfill any sort of sacrifice because His flesh wasn’t roasted (among other things) like the flesh of the Passover lamb was. This is my first time hearing such a criticism. Does anyone have any ideas on this?
 
I can’t respond more right now, but I’ll echo what someone said recently. Some people take typology way too far. Jesus was the Lamb…but he didn’t need to be roasted.
He was the perfect, sinless sacrifice. Hanging on the tree (cross) was a fulfillment of prophecy. I’d recommend Scott Hahn’s books: The Fourth Cup and The Lamb’s Supper.
 
An abundance of ways to xplain away Jesus are available.
He was a homeless madman
" " " street magician & a good one
" " " Simon of Parea
The JW’s story is Jesus was only a “handle” of the
Archangel Michael operating a human body
 
There are elements of Jesus’ death in various Jewish rites. The most noticeable, IMO, is The Day of Atonement ceremony–he is our atonement. He is also our Passover Lamb, the Whole Burnt Offering, our Peace Offering, etc. Not every single aspect of all of these can be seen in Jesus’ death: e.g., Jesus’ blood was not taken and spread over doorposts as was done at Passover. It doesn’t mean that he isn’t the fulfillment of the Passover. His flesh was not roasted and no one ate him either. These things are spiritually understood: we partake of his flesh in the Eucharist, and his blood is spread over the doorpost of our heart.
 
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The sacrifice of the lambs at Passover isn’t the cooking of their flesh, but the spilling of their blood at the time they’re slaughtered.

Jesus death is believed to happen on Friday at 3PM. This would be the eve before the Passover when traditionally the lambs were slaughtered for the official Passover meal the next day.

Jim
 
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Thom18 said:
Today I read someone challenging the legitimacy of Christ because, despite being called the Lamb of God and not having His bones broken on the cross, He couldn’t really fulfill any sort of sacrifice because His flesh wasn’t roasted (among other things) like the flesh of the Passover lamb was. This is my first time hearing such a criticism. Does anyone have any ideas on this?
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God continued to say, and so did Jesus ,

I desire mercy, not sacrifice.

Read Matthew
 
Only someone who denies the Eucharist could say something so ridiculous.
 
Although there are many parallels between old testament sacrifices and Christ’s sacrifice, it’s not meant to be a duplication. All old testament sacrifices are meant to point to something greater not the same.

God bless
 
JimR-OCDS said:
Jesus death is believed to happen on Friday at 3PM. This would be the eve before the Passover when traditionally the lambs were slaughtered for the official Passover meal the next day.
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Actually the lamb was to be eaten that very same night hastily.

“That same night they shall eat its roasted flesh” - Exodus 12:8
 
Not according to Pope Benedict XVI in his book, Jesus of Nazareth.

He states that traditionally, the lambs were slaughtered on the eve before the Passover Meal was to be eaten

Exodus is stating as the Passover actually took place.

The Passover Meal was celebrated in observance of that event and the lambs were slaughtered in Jerusalem at temple, not in individual homes as in Exodus.

Jim
 
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JimR-OCDS said:
Not according to Pope Benedict XVI in his book, Jesus of Nazareth.

He states that traditionally, the lambs were slaughtered on the eve before the Passover Meal was to be eaten

Exodus is stating as the Passover actually took place.

The Passover Meal was celebrated in observance of that event and the lambs were slaughtered in Jerusalem at temple, not in individual homes as in Exodus.

Jim
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But didn’t the Pharisees and Sadducees celebrate the Passover on different nights?
 
I think you may be referring to the Essenes. They followed a somewhat different calendar.
 
Yeah, Pope Benedict XVI address that.

Take it up with him of you disagree.

Meanwhile, I go with what he wrote.

Jim
 
No, the Temple Jews celebrated the meal at the prescribed time.

Jesus on the other hand, knowing he would not be alive to celebrate the official Passover Meal, celebrated it earlier in the week. The day is not known exactly, but they believe Wednesday.

BTW, the Gospel of John seems to be the more accurate as far as the time.

Jim
 
But wouldn’t the Essenes have been sacrificing their lambs at the time of the crucifixion?
 
That would’ve been on a Friday, but according to John’s Gospel and what Pope Benedict XVI wrote, that would also be the eve before the Passover meal when the lambs at the temple would’ve been slaughtered at 3PM, the time Jesus died.

Of course none of this is absolute. Pope Benedict XVI merely shows how the Gospels are in conflict with each other concerning the time frame of the last supper, arrest, and crucifixion.

Jim
 
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There are many fore shadowings in the OT. These hints of the divine reality are not exact comparison. The Eucharist, Mary, The Church, etc are fore shadowed in the OT but are not EXACT but are unmistakably clear.
 
I recently spoke to a Messianic Rabbi about this very subject. He is a Doctor of Theology also. He said that it’s in the Talmud that there were too many lambs to be sacrificed, so by the time of Jesus, the sacrificial offerings were divided into 2 days. On the 14th of Nissan was the day commanded by scripture for the Sacrifice, but since there were too many lambs which had to be offered, the sacrifices were also offered on the day before. My Rabbi friend said that Galilean Jews offered their sacrifices the day before. Since Jesus was a Galilean, he would have been of those who sacrificed and ate the Passover the day before. Thus the seemingly Gospel inconsistencies. This is what my friend said anyhow.

This is very interesting and gives a better understanding of the sacrificial ceremony.

http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/11934-passover-sacrifice
 
Well at the time of Jesus in Jerusalem, the Jews celebrated strictly according to Jewish Law. Outside, there was some adjustments made.

As far as being too many lambs to be slaughtered on the eve before they had to divided it into two days ? Pope Benedict XVi doesn’t write this in his book, but logic tells me that slaughtering a large number of lambs for the Temple Passover Meal in those days was doable and I think it’s speculation for the Rabbi to suggest it would’ve taken two days.

As it is, Pope Benedict XVI seems to agree with scholars that Jesus did not celebrate the official Passover Meal, because he knew he would be dead on that day, so chose to celebrate before.

John’s Gospel says:
Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the praetorium.* It was morning. And they themselves did not enter the praetorium, in order not to be defiled so that they could eat the Passover. John 18:28
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According to scholars who traced back the Jewish Calendar to that time frame, the official Passover Meal spoken of here had to be on the Saturday, the day after Jesus death on Friday.

Jim
 
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