Jesus, the Incarnated Christ, Died to Perfect Both Yom Kippur and Passover – Feria Sexta in Passione Domini

It is feria sexta in Passione Domini (magnus et sanctus Veneris), the sixth day of the Holy Week (Sanctum Sabbati). This is the day when Jesus Christ was put to death by human evil, called “φθόνος”(phnthonos), envy, spite, of the religious leaders (Matthew 27:18). But, his death on this day does not make him a mere victim of injustice. It was, indeed, to fulfill the fourth servant song in the Book of Isaiah (52:13-53:12), which is the First Reading of the Liturgy of the Passion of the Lord (Liturgia Passionis Domini) on magnus et sanctus Veneris, known as “Good Friday”.

In fact, we read all four servant songs from the Book of Isaiah (42:1-9; 49:1-7; 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12) during Holy Week for the First Readings: Isaiah 50:4-7 (Passion/Palm Sunday); 42:1-7 (Monday); 49:1-6 (Tuesday); 50:4-9 (Wednesday); 52:13-53:12 (Good Friday).

The servant songs begin with these words of Yahweh:

Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased. Upon him I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations (Isaiah 42:1).

The above words of Yahweh are echoed by these words of the Father about His Son, spoken from heaven upon his baptism, which marks the initiation of Jesus’ public ministry, consummated with his death and resurrection in Jerusalem:

This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:17).

By reading from the four servant songs during Holy Week, we reflect that Jesus as the suffering obedient servant of the Father. He is, indeed, obedient to the Father to the point of death on the Cross (Philippians 2:8).

So, why did Jesus have to die on the Cross, upon suffering greatly, subjecting himself to human evil?

Paul answers with these words:

For Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, though perhaps for a good person one might even find courage to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. How much more then, since we are now justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath. Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life. Not only that, but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation (Romans 5:6-11).

Namely, Jesus, the Christ, died for us – for us to atone for our sins so that we may reconcile with God.

Atonement requires the blood of a sacrificial animal, according to the Torah, (Leviticus 16:11-19), just as a ratification of covenant requires the blood of a sacrificial animal (Exodus 24: 1-11). By shedding a sacrificial animal’s blood, we did not have to shed our own blood, under the old covenant (during the Old Testament period).

But the Israelites kept failing to keep the covenant repeatedly. So, God the Father sent us His begotten Son out of His love for us (John 3:16) to establish the new covenant, which was prophesized by Jeremiah, just before Jerusalem was sacked and destroyed by the Babylonians:

See, days are coming—oracle of the Lord—when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. They broke my covenant, though I was their master—oracle of the Lord.  But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days—oracle of the Lord. I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. They will no longer teach their friends and relatives, “Know the Lord!” Everyone, from least to greatest, shall know me—oracle of the Lord —for I will forgive their iniquity and no longer remember their sin (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

And this was fulfilled with the blood of Christ, shed when he was on the Cross (John 19:34), as he called his blood in the chalice the new covenant during the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:28//Luke 23:20). Because of his blood of the new covenant, shed from his body on the Cross, we can be cleansed (1 John 1:7) and be saved as saints (Revelation 7:14).

Based on Passion Sunday Gospel Reading (Matt 26:14 -27:66(A)// Mark 14:1 -15:47 (B)//Luke 22:14 - 23:56(C) ), the fact that the veil that separates the Holy of Holies was torn, in association with Jesus’ death on the Cross (Matthew 27:51// Mark 15:38// Luke 23:45), indicates that Jesus died for the perfection of Yom Kippur atonement for us (Leviticus 16:1-19). He was the high priest, allowed to enter the Holy of Holies on the day of Yom Kippur and offer sin sacrifice. But, because Jesus is the great high priest (Hebrews 4:14), eternal high priest of the Melchizedek order (Hebrews 7:17), he was able to perfect the Yom Kippur atonement, by offering himself as the sacrifice, by shedding his blood, instead of animals (Hebrews 7:1-28).

On the other hand, based on the Johannine passion narrative (John 18:1-19:42), which is read on Good Friday, the death of Jesus on the Cross perfected Pesach (Passover), for he died as Korban Pesach (קרבן פסח), because Jesus was put to death on the Passover preparation day (John 19:31, 42). Therefore, by dying on Passover preparation day, Jesus has become the perfect Passover Lamb, which is unblemished, to be slaughtered, so that God’s wrath can safety pass over (Exodus 12:1-14). And because of his death, followed by his resurrection, we can pass from death to new eternal life (1 John 3:14; cf. John 5:24; 6:27, 47; 10:28), as we shall be raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20-58). And his blood can protect us from condemnation, as Passover lamb’s blood kept the Israelites’ firstborns safe (Exodus 12:12-13).

Indeed, the Father gave His begotten Son to save us out of His love (John 3:16, 1 John  4:9, 14), by incarnating the Word (John 1:14), Godself (John 1:1), in Mary's womb, by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35), as the great and eternal high priest to perfect Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16:1-19) and as the Korban Pesach (Passover sacrificial lamb) to perfect Passover (Exodus 12:1-14). On Feria Sexta in Passione Domini, both Yom Kippur and Passover were perfectly and eternally consummated for the new covenant.