THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
He is also the bread that gives life, “coming down from heaven” (John 6:33) and descending from above; additionally, He releases us from our sins and liberates those on earth from the ignorance of sin, presenting Himself before God and the Father as a pleasing aroma. This becomes clearer when you reflect with your mind's eye on Him being sacrificed, akin to a young bull offered as a burnt offering and a goat used for the people's sins of ignorance. For “who can understand the sins of sin?” as written (Psalm 18:13). Observe how distinctly the lawgiver refers to the purification achieved through Christ, elevating it above the works of the law.
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He asserts that if one breaks the commandments of Moses or neglects the laws, then, through the shedding of blood—specifically when the bull is sacrificed and the goat offered—remission of sins will be granted. This foreshadows Christ. The law prescribes punishment for transgressors, yet it is the Holy Blood of Christ that rescues from punishment and absolves the guilt of ignorance. He laid down His life to vanquish the sin of the world. Thus, we can perceive Christ as life-giving through the bread; the calf symbolizes His offering as a burnt sacrifice, presenting Himself before God with a sweet fragrance; and represented as a goat, He became the sin offering for us, dying for our sins. While He is spiritually signified by bread, He also embodies the young bull, offered as a burnt sacrifice with a pleasing aroma, and the goat, presented for transgressions of ignorance. On the contrary, although He is spiritually depicted by a sheaf, He is also the flawless one-year-old lamb (cf. Lev. 23:12), perfect in nature. Christ is entirely perfect and devoid of flaws. He was without blame, for He knew “no sin,” and “neither was there any deceit in His mouth” (1 Pet. 2:22). He is also likened to wheat flour, light and rich in oil, representing life in abundance and joy. We thrive in Him, rejoicing “in the hope of things prepared” (Col. 1:5); nourished by the grace of the Holy Spirit, we embrace the psalmist’s words: “I have anointed my head with oil” (Ps. 22:5), for we have received forgiveness through faith in Christ.