Saint Patrick - The Shamrock, The Snakes, The Sacrifice

Saint Patrick
The Shamrock, The Snakes, The Sacrifice

Introduction
I remember visiting my grandparents’ house quite a lot when I was young. One of the pictures which hung on their wall was of St Patrick. He was pointing in the direction of the sea, into which a number of snakes were casting themselves. According to one of the many legends associated with Patrick, he was responsible for driving the snakes out of Ireland. But it has been proven beyond any shadow of a doubt that there were no snakes in this country when he arrived on our shores. So the picture, painted several hundred years after Patrick’s death, may have been symbolic. The snakes that were being cast into the sea may have symbolised sin. Remember how the Devil appeared in the form of a snake (serpent) in the Garden of Eden and deceived Adam and Eve into disobeying God? This was when sin first entered the human race. All of Adam’s descendants were affected, and inherited his sinful nature.

Patrick’s Early Life
In his writings St Patrick did not introduce himself as a priest or a preacher. Neither did he introduce himself as a Saint. In both of his letters (‘The Letter of Coroticus’ and ‘The Confession of Patrick’) he describes himself as ‘Patrick, a sinner’. Here we see him identifying himself with the rest of mankind. According to the Scriptures ‘there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not’ (Ecclesiastes Ch.7 v 20).
Patrick was born in Britain around 390 A.D. As he grew up he became rebellious and turned his back upon God. This must have grieved his father, Calpurnius, who was a deacon in the Christian Church. When Patrick was sixteen years old a party of raiders attacked his father’s estate and killed some of the servants. Others, with Patrick, were taken to Ireland, where a life of slavery awaited them. He was sold to a sheep farmer, who did not treat him very well.

Patrick’s Conversion
Out on the hillside tending the sheep Patrick had plenty of time to recall the Gospel message he had heard back at home and had so foolishly rejected. But now the Holy Spirit was awakening him to the sinfulness of his condition. He confessed, ‘I did not know the true God…but lay in death and unbelief… and took no thought for my salvation’. Even though he had heard about God he did not have a personal relationship with Him. He did not know him as Saviour.
He said, ‘I lay in death and unbelief’. What did he mean? He meant that, according to the Scriptures, he was spiritually dead. He was ‘dead in trespasses and sins’ (Ephesians Ch.2 v 1). He meant that, because of his unbelief, he was condemned already. The Word of God makes is very clear that ‘he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God’ (John Ch.3 v 18). Patrick had not believed that the Lord Jesus Christ died as a substitute and sin-bearer for all who will repent of their sins and put their faith in Him.
He goes on to say, ‘I took no thought for my salvation’. Knowledge about God was not enough. He needed to repent of his sins, believe the Gospel and be converted. Throughout His ministry Jesus’ message was very clear. He said, ‘Repent ye, and believe the gospel’ (Mark Ch.1 v 15). As he preached the Gospel St Peter said to the people, ‘Repent ye, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out’ (Acts Ch.3 v 19).
Patrick continues, ‘And there (in Ireland) the Lord opened the sense of my unbelief that I might at last remember my sins and be converted with all my heart to the Lord my God’. His conversion was a work of God. The Holy Spirit enabled him to believe that Jesus had become his substitute and paid the penalty for his sins as He suffered and died upon the cross at Calvary. God took the initiative. Patrick was saved by Grace (God’s unmerited favour to the sinner). He did not work for, or try to earn, his salvation by doing good works or religious exercises. He was not depending upon prayers, penance or Purgatory to cleanse him from his sins. He realised that salvation was a free gift. According to verse twenty three in chapter six of the book of Romans, ‘the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord’.

Back Home
Six years after his capture Patrick escaped. He travelled 200 miles across the country and found a ship ready to sail. Eventually he arrived home to his family and friends. During his captivity he had the opportunity to learn the Irish language and to gain some knowledge of the Irish culture. Unknown to Patrick God was preparing him for a great work. Now back at home he thought all association with Ireland was ended. But God had other plans for him.

Patrick’s Call to Ireland
In a vision Patrick saw a man named Victoricus bringing him some letters. One of them was entitled ‘The cry of the Irish’. At the same time he seemed to hear the voice of the Irish people saying, ‘Holy youth we are asking you to come and walk among us again.’ This left him in no doubt that God wanted him to return to the land of his captivity. After some years of preparation Patrick travelled to Ireland, arriving in approximately 435 A.D. He brought with him his most treasured possession, his Bible.

Patrick’s use of the Shamrock
Remember the picture of St Patrick which hung on the wall in my grandparents’ home? One of the most noticeable objects in the picture was a large shamrock. It is said that Patrick used the shamrock to teach the doctrine of the Trinity. In the Word of God we read of how the plan of man’s salvation was drawn up and put into effect by THE TRINITY.

GOD the FATHER loved us so much that He sent His Own Son into the world to save sinners. In John’s Gospel we read of how ‘God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life’ (John Ch.3 v 16).
GOD the SON came into the world to rescue lost sinners by dying as their Substitute. St Paul tells us that ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’ (1Timothy Ch.1 v 15). Jesus said, ‘I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep…For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost’ (John Ch.10 v 11 ; Luke Ch.19 v 10).
GOD the HOLY SPIRIT came to awaken sinners to their need of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Speaking of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said, ‘And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement’ (John Ch.16 v 8). Sinners cannot be saved without ‘the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost’ (Titus Ch.3 v 5).
So we see how the symbols of the shamrock and the snakes may have been used. The shamrock symbolised the Trinity and the role God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit play in man’s salvation. The snakes symbolised the fact that the sins of those who believe the Gospel are cast into the sea of God’s forgetfulness. The Lord says, ‘I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more’ (Jeremiah Ch.31 v 34). The prophet Micah wrote, ‘Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea’ (Micah Ch.7 v 19).

Patrick’s Greatest Challenge
Patrick, in his writings, refers to the Irish as Barbarians. Pagan Tribal Chieftains, who bitterly opposed Patrick’s efforts to evangelise the natives, ruled the people with an iron fist. He speaks of persecutions and insults. He was robbed and even spent some time in slavery. In fact he says there were times when his life was in danger.
But the greatest threat came from the Druid priests. They held the Celtic people in the grip of magic, superstition, fear and the worship of false gods. Patrick discovered that the Druid priests believed their gods would not be favourably disposed towards them unless they were appeased. They believed the only way they could be appeased was by the shedding of blood. Before Patrick arrived in Ireland the Druids had established an Ongoing Sacrificial System. It was a system of Continuous Blood-Sacrifices. Patrick could present from the Scriptures details of a Blood-Sacrifice that was far superior to theirs.

The following are some of the weaknesses in the Druids’ system that Patrick could highlight:

(a) Their sacrifices had to be offered continually.
This meant they were ineffective. If they were effective they would only have to be offered once.
Patrick could point them to a far greater sacrifice, that needed to be offered just ONCE. ‘By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God…For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified…So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many’ (Hebrews Ch.10 vs 10 – 14 ; Ch.9 v 28).

(b) They had no way of knowing when enough sacrifices had been offered.
Patrick could show them from the Scriptures that Jesus Christ’s ONE sacrifice was sufficient, for ‘by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us’ (Hebrews Ch.9 v 12). Through Christ’s sacrifice our sins have been forgiven and, ‘where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin’ (Hebrews Ch.10 v 18).

(c) When their sacrificial victims died they had to be replaced by others.
Patrick could tell them of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who was offered once in sacrifice. This Lamb, an innocent victim, died as a substitute for sinners. But He came back to life again. He is still alive, and is on the throne in heaven as King of kings and Lord of lords. St John writes, ‘Worthy is the Lamb that was slain… for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood…I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore’ (Revelation Ch.5 vs 12, 9 ; Ch.1 v 18).

(d) The shedding of the blood of their victims accomplished nothing.
Patrick could point out to them from the Scriptures all that had been accomplished through the shedding of the blood of Jesus Christ. We are ‘redeemed…with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot…In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins’ (1Peter Ch.1 vs 18, 19 ; Ephesians Ch.1 v 7). When writing about Jesus St Paul makes it clear that, ‘Being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him’ (Romans Ch.5 v 9). St John reminds us that ‘The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin,’ and that Jesus ‘loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood’ (1 John Ch.1 v 7 ; Revelation Ch.1 v 5).

(e) There was no evidence to suggest that the death of their sacrificial victims had been accepted as being substitutionary.
Patrick could tell them of how Jesus Christ took our sins upon Himself and offered Himself in sacrifice on our behalf. He could point them to Jesus, ‘Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree’ (1Peter Ch.2 v 24). As our substitute ‘Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many’ (Hebrews Ch.9 v 28).
Jesus became our sin-bearer. By doing this He made Himself liable to the penalty for our sins. St Peter tells us that ‘Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit’ (1Peter Ch.3 v18). When the prophet Isaiah wrote about Jesus he said that ‘he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed…And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all’ ( Isaiah Ch.53 vs 5, 6).

(f) Because their sacrifices were imperfect they could never take away sins.
‘For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins’ (Hebrews Ch.10 v 4).
Patrick could point them to Jesus Christ, the Perfect Sacrifice, who is described in the Scriptures as ‘a lamb without blemish and without spot…And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him’ (1Peter Ch.1 v 19 ; Hebrews Ch.5 v 9).
Because He was sinless the Son of God was the Perfect Sacrifice for sin. As our Substitute ‘Christ our passover is sacrificed for us…And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world’ (1Corinthians Ch.5 v 7; 1John Ch.2 v 2). His Own sinless Son is the One ‘whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (Sacrifice of Atonement) through faith in his blood’ (Romans Ch.3 v 25). And ‘herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins’ (1John Ch.4 v 10).

God’s holiness demands punishment for man’s sin. God the Father, out of love, sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to make substitutionary atonement for the believer’s sin. Christ’s atoning sacrifice for our sins propitiated (appeased, satisfied) the righteous wrath of God. The Father’s wrath against the believer’s sin has been turned away and directed toward Christ, who willingly bore the punishment for the guilt of our sin.

Patrick could expose the weaknesses of their Druid priests

(a) Each one of their priests was a sinner.
They were ‘dead in trespasses and sins…by nature the children of wrath…guilty before God…ungodly…enemies of God’ (Ephesians Ch.2 vs I, 3 ; Romans Ch.3 v 19 ; Ch.5 vs 6, 10). As sinners, these priests were in no position to offer sacrifices on behalf of other sinners. How could such a priest, who was a sinner himself, represent other sinners? An imperfect priest could not offer an acceptable sacrifice.
Patrick could point them to a Priest who was sinless. He could challenge them to ‘consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus… Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth…For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners…For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin’ (Hebrews Ch.3 v 1 ; 1Peter Ch.2 v 22 ; Hebrews Ch.7 v 26 ; Ch.4 v 15).

(b) The fact that the Druid priests were imperfect disqualified them from being effective representatives of the people.
Their imperfection rendered them ineffective as Mediators, Intercessors and Advocates. Patrick could remind them that, because He was sinless, Jesus, the Perfect Priest, could represent sinners.
He could be their Mediator. The Scriptures make it clear that ‘there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus’ (1Timothy Ch.2 v 5).
He could be their Intercessor. As the Perfect Priest ‘he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them’ (Hebrews Ch.7 v 25).
He could be their Advocate (One who speaks in our defence). In the Word of God we are told that ‘if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous’ (1John Ch.2 v 1).
This Perfect Priest offered the Perfect Sacrifice for sin. He was the one who offered the Sacrifice and He was the Sacrifice itself. ‘How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God…But now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself…For this he did once, when he offered up himself…As Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God’ (Hebrews Ch.9 vs 14, 26 ; Ch.7 v 27 ; Ephesians Ch.5 v 2).

(c) The Druid priests and their followers had no evidence to prove that their sacrifices had been accepted and that their god (s) had been appeased.
Patrick could point to the resurrection of Jesus Christ as evidence of the fact that this Perfect Sacrifice, offered by the Perfect Priest, had been effective. God the Father demonstrated His acceptance of the substitutionary atoning sacrifice of His Son when He raised Jesus from the dead. ‘Him God raised up the third day…Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification…Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places’ (Acts Ch.10 v 40 ; Romans Ch. 4 v 25 ; Ephesians Ch.1 v 20). The resurrection proved beyond any shadow of a doubt that God had been appeased.
Patrick’s preaching was based entirely on the Word of God. The Bible was his sole authority. The message he preached was very profound. He left people in no doubt concerning the fact that the Scriptures teach that all men are sinners. He could inform them that the righteous wrath of a Holy God could only be appeased by the offering of a Perfect Blood-Sacrifice by a Perfect Priest. He could tell them of how God, in His mercy, sent His Own Son to be the atoning sacrifice. Patrick could point them to Jesus, the sinless and Perfect Priest, who offered Himself as a sinless, Perfect Sacrifice for sin.

The evangelist could show them from the Scriptures that the merits of Christ’s substitutionary atoning sacrifice will be put to the account of all who:

(a) Acknowledge their sinful condition
‘Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord…For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned…Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me’ (Luke Ch.5 v 8 ; Psalm 51 vs 3 – 5).

(b) Confess their sin to God
‘I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin…If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness’ (Psalm 32 v 5 ; 1John Ch.1 v 9).

(c) Repent of their sins
‘Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish… Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out…But (God) now commandeth all men everywhere to repent’ (Luke Ch.13 v 3 ; Acts Ch.3 v 19 ; Ch.17 v 30).

(d) Acknowledge the fact that they cannot be saved as a result of their own merits, religious exercises or good works
‘Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost…For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast’ (Titus Ch.3 v 5 ; Ephesians Ch.2 vs 8, 9).

(e) Believe that Salvation is found in Christ alone
‘Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved…God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son’ (Acts Ch.4 v 12 ; 1John Ch.5 v 11).

(f) Put their faith in Christ, believing He died as their Substitute, having paid the penalty for the guilt of
their sins
‘For by grace are ye saved through faith…Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…The holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus’ (Ephesians Ch.2 v 8 ; Romans Ch.5 v 1 ; 2 Timothy Ch.3 v 15).

Patrick’s Message to the Irish people
As he expounded the Word of God he could assure them that the repentant sinner will be forgiven, justified, reconciled to God and saved, when by faith he accepts what was accomplished by Christ through His sinless life and substitutionary atoning sacrifice. In the New Testament St Paul tells us that ‘God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement’ (Romans Ch.5 vs 8 –11).
Patrick could point out to the Irish people the fact that the only sacrifice acceptable for the forgiveness of sins is the Perfect Sacrifice, offered by the Perfect Priest. Jesus Christ, the Perfect Priest, offered Himself as the Perfect Blood – Sacrifice. His sacrifice of atonement was substitutionary. Christ paid the penalty for the guilt of the sins of all who will repent and put their faith in Him. Through His Perfect Sacrifice He obtained for them eternal redemption. It was a ‘Once for All’ sacrifice and did not need to be repeated. This completely undermined the Druids’ system of Continuous Blood – Sacrifices and exposed its ineffectiveness and weaknesses. According to Patrick himself thousands of Irish men and women believed the message of the Scriptures and were converted from Paganism. Multitudes who once were held captive by superstition, fear, idolatry and spiritual darkness were liberated and set free. As the Gospel was proclaimed they repented of their sins and put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
In his writings Patrick speaks of ‘the flock of the Lord increasing in Ireland as a result of hard work’. He says that many who never had a knowledge of God, and at one time worshipped only idols and filthy things, were now a people of the Lord and called the sons of God. The ‘Apostle of Ireland’ continued to faithfully preach the Gospel until the Lord called him home to his reward.

Invitation

Dear Friend,
The message St Patrick proclaimed is as relevant today as it was when it was preached during the fifth century. The people of Ireland still need Christ. Many of them are very sincere and devout. They may be depending upon a particular Church or Church Sacraments for their salvation. It may be that they are hoping they will accumulate sufficient merits or graces through their involvement in religious exercises and good works.
Some are depending upon what they describe as ‘Unbloody Sacrifices.’ But, according to the Scriptures, Unbloody Sacrifices are totally ineffective, for ‘without shedding of blood is no remission’ (Hebrews Ch. 9 v 22). Others are still involved in a system of Continuous Blood – Sacrifices. The Word of God makes it clear that no sacrifice other than the Perfect Sacrifice, offered by the Perfect Priest, can take away sin. In the book of Hebrews we are told that ‘every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, (Jesus) after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God…For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified’ (Hebrews Ch.10 vs 11, 12, 14).
Jesus abolished the system of Continuous Blood-Sacrifices when He offered Himself as a ‘Once for All’ Sacrifice for sin. This Sacrifice was Perfect and would not need to be offered again. The Priest who offered this Sacrifice was Perfect. No other priest can offer this Sacrifice.

And what about you, dear Friend? Who or what are you depending upon for your salvation? Would you like to have the assurance of sins forgiven and to know for certain that you will go directly to Heaven when you die? According to the Word of God it is possible to know that you have eternal life. In his first Epistle St John says, ‘These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God’ (1John Ch.5 v 13).
Why not come to God today in sincere repentance for your sins? Ask Him to forgive you and to save you, not because of anything you can do to merit His forgiveness, but because of what the Lord Jesus Christ did on your behalf when He suffered and died upon the cross as your substitute. Put your faith in Jesus, the Perfect Priest, who offered the Perfect Blood-Sacrifice to make atonement for your sins. ‘The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin’ (1John Ch.1 v 7).