Passover

The Passover (Exodus 12:1-28)

During the plagues of the exodus, God instituted the Passover, which included taking a male lamb without blemish, and killing it at twilight. Some of the blood was ‭to be put on the door frame of the house where they were eating. The blood would be a sign to God that the plague was not on them and to pass over the house when He goes out to destroy the firstborn of Egypt. The flesh was to be roasted with fire eaten that night with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. The day was to be a memorial to them, and kept as a feast to the Lord forever, throughout their generations.

They were to remove all the leaven from their homes, and eat unleavened bread for seven days, or else be cut-off from Israel, regardless if he was a native, or a stranger to the land. This was the Feast of Unleavened Bread which they were to observe, and which symbolized the day that God brought them out of the land of Egypt.

Jesus, the Lamb of God

Isaiah the prophet used an illustration of a lamb being led to the slaughter when he prophesied about the Messiah.:

'He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.' Isaiah 53:7

Later, John the Baptist described Jesus as a lamb in the apostle John's gospel:

'The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! ' John 1:29

'Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” John 1:35-36

The apostle John saw the Lamb which symbolized Jesus several times in his vision that is recorded in Revelation: 

[6] And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. [7] Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. [8] Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. [9] And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, [10] And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:6-10

'Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” ' Revelation 6:1

'and said to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! ' Revelation 6:16

'After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” ' Revelation 7:9-10

'And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. ' Revelation 7:14

'for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”' Revelation 7:17

'And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.' Revelation 12:11

'All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.' Revelation 13:8

'These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.' Revelation 14:4

'he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. Revelation 14:10

'They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!' Revelation 15:3

'These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” Revelation 17:14

'Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” Revelation 19:7

'Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” Revelation 19:9

'Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” Revelation 21:9

'Now the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Revelation 21:14

'But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.' Revelation 21:22-23

'But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.' Revelation 21:27

'And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. Revelation 22:1

'And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.' Revelation 22:3

Jesus is the Lamb of God.

Jesus, the Lamb without Blemish or Spot

Jesus met God's requirements of the lamb that was to be killed and eaten at Passover. He was a male, without blemish and without spot: 

'And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.' 1 Peter 1:17-21

'For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. ' Hebrews 4:15

Jesus, Our Passover

The Passover lamb of the old covenant was a shadow of the better, and final Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Passover, and therefore Christians are not required to partake in it: 

[6] Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? [7] Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. [8] Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the *leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 (*Matthew 16:6 - "the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees").

--------------------

At the time of the Passover, God commanded the Israelites to "eat the flesh on that night." (Exodus 12:8). Interestingly, the apostle John provides an account which took place as Passover was approaching, where Jesus said to eat His flesh and drink His blood:

[53] Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. [54] Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. [55] For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. [56] He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. [57] As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. [58] This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.” [59] These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. [60] Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying; who can understand it?” (‭John 6:53-60).

This was very offensive to some within His audience because they were Jews, and were commanded in the law not to drink blood. According to Deuteronomy 12:23, blood is the life, and therefore they were not to eat the life with the meat. Contrary to what the law commanded of them, Jesus was telling them to drink His blood because in it is eternal life. They would have considered this teaching to be heresy and Him a false teacher.

Furthermore, because Passover was approaching, they would have related His remark about eating His flesh, to eating the flesh of the Passover Lamb, and I believe that was Jesus's intention. It is in His flesh and blood that we have eternal life. He expounds on this during the last supper, where He took bread and gave it to His disciples and said, "This is my body, do this in remembrance of me", and then the cup saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you". Jesus instituted the new covenant in which Christians are to partake in communion to commemorate His death and also because it symbolizes His flesh and blood in which eternal life is.

During the last supper Jesus said that He would no longer eat of the Passover "until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God." In this remark, He said that the Passover would be fulfilled, and that it would be fulfilled at a specific place, that place being the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is among us (Luke 17:1). It came when Jesus came to earth. When He came, He began the establishment of His kingdom, He  fulfilled the Law and the Prophets, and He sealed the new covenant with His blood at His death. Because of the new covenant, Passover and other elements of the law that are under the old covenant are obsolete (Hebrews 8:13). 

'Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.' Luke 22:15-20

Unfortunately, after said that His disciples had to eat His flesh and drink His blood,, many of them turned back and no longer followed Him because it was too hard for them to hear. Rather than doing what He said, they preferred to continue in their old covenant practices. The same thing happens today with many Christians. The good news is that Christians no longer have to observe the old covenant Passover because Jesus is our Passover. 

--------------------

'Now it was the Preparation Day of the Passover, and about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” But they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar!” Then he delivered Him to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus and led Him away.' John 19:14-16

Jesus, the Lamb without blemish or spot was handed over and led to be slaughtered as the Passover Lamb, just as Isaiah prophesied. 

Just as the blood from the Passover lamb was applied to the door frames so that the Lord would not destroy them, Jesus's blood protects those who believe in Him from being destroyed by death.

The first Passover represented Israel being set free of slavery in Egypt, whereas, Jesus, our Passover, leads us out of slavery to sin.

Jesus the High Priest

Jesus is both the sacrificial Passover Lamb, and the High Priest who offered Himself up as the sacrifice to God. Because of Jesus's one time sacrifice for all, sacrifices for sin are no longer required.

''For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.' Hebrews 7:26-28

Christians Observing Passover

There are many Christians who keep the Passover and other laws and traditions that God commanded the Israelites to keep. But because Jesus is our Passover, and He fulfilled the Law and the Prophets, Christians do not need to keep the old covenant law. In fact, to do so would be a rejection of Jesus's once for all sacrifice. However, if that doesn't persuade you, keep in mind what James and Paul wrote:

'For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 'James 2:11

'For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. ' Romans 2:12

According to James, if you are a Christian and you keep the Passover, then you must keep the whole law, otherwise you are a transgressor of the law. And according to Paul, all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 

The law, which includes the observance of Passover, is for practitioners of Judaism who do not accept that Jesus is the Messiah or the Passover Lamb. Christians are not under the law as Jews who deny Christ are, and therefore they should not partake in its observance because of what James and Paul wrote. Christians are required to observe Christ's death (the sacrificial Passover Lamb) in communion until He returns:

'and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.'1 Corinthians 11:24-26