The Passover of Christ demonstrates the priesthood of Jesus Christ. The priests of the Old Covenant offered sacrifices of animals. But Christ Jesus offered himself. He becomes the victim and the priest at the same time. The priests of the Old Covenant could not remove sins with their power. They could only beseech God for his mercy. On the other hand, Christ forgives sins because he is both God and the perfect victim of sacrifice. This duality of Christ’s priesthood is fundamentally distinctive to the mediatorship of the priesthood of the Old Testament. In other words, the priests of the Old Covenant only asked for forgiveness through animal sacrifices to God. In contrast, Christ’s priesthood forgives sins and offers his flesh and blood to his people through self-sacrifice. The power of forgiving and feeding is at the centre of Christ’s priesthood.

At the Last Supper in John’s gospel, Jesus washes the apostles’ feet. Some might see it only as an example of service and humility. Then, it is hard to understand why Jesus said, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” There must have been something more than an example of service and humility. What is the ‘share’ that comes from the washing? When Jesus washed the feet of the apostles, he implemented certain conformity to his priesthood. And he symbolized this conformity by the act of washing. That is, Jesus ordained the apostles as his priests granting the power of washing away sins.

But the power of forgiving sins in Christ’s priesthood is not simple and easy. The priest must accept extreme humiliations. Jesus demonstrated it by the self-humiliation of washing the apostles’ feet. And he accomplished the priesthood at the sacrifice on the cross. Thus, the priests of Christ must live the life of humility and self-sacrifice. Only then, he can truly exercise the power of forgiving sins.

Also, the priest’s self-sacrifice is declared when he celebrates the Eucharist. As the priest consecrates the Eucharistic species in person of Christ, he, being united with Christ, gives his life to his flock to feed them. Christ’s priests are not merely functionaries or instruments but the re-presentation of Christ. They feed Christ’s flock by self-immolation.

The Passover of Christ instituted the priesthood of the New Covenant. As Christ forgave sins by shedding his blood, the priests of the New Covenant are now called to forgive sins by their life of humility and self-sacrifice.