Jesus and Passover
A moment ago I was lying face up, gazing at the beautiful sky trying to imagine what lies beyond and appreciating the wondrous creation of God.
“How lucky am I to be one of His children?, I thought. Then a few questions flashed across my mind. What if Christ did not come to earth? What if He came and did not die for mankind? What If! What if!”. Then a smile flushed away my thoughts. No “what if's!” I do not need to be bothered by what could have been when I am currently living in the splendour of the life in Christ which I have freely received.
Somewhat coincidentally, it is resurrection season and also the week of Passover, how amazing is that?
Passover is a major Jewish feast that commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and the sparing of the firstborn’s of the Israelites. Celebrated in the Hebrew month of Nisan it is also called Pesach and in scripture is referenced in Exodus 12.
‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. ‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. - Exodus 12: 12-14
The Traditional Passover
Passover is usually observed for seven days in Israel and eight days in the diaspora. The Seder is the main event in which a festive meal is cooked and the book of Exodus and other related books are recited in a set order. The seder plate usually contains 5-7 foods, each symbolic of an aspect of Passover and over this period, leavened food products (which are those containing yeast and other raising agents) are not allowed to be eaten. This is because Jewish tradition states that in their haste to escape from Egypt the Jews did not have enough time to wait for bread to rise. Instead, they ate unleavened bread.
Passover and the Last Supper
Though Passover is typically viewed as a Jewish celebration, there is a meaning which we see from Jesus' last supper with His disciples. This feast was celebrated by Jesus and His disciples before His death.
The story of the last supper on the night before Jesus' crucifixion is referenced in Matthew 26: 17–29, Mark 14: 12–25, Luke 22: 7–38, and 1 Corinthians 11: 23–25. It is no coincidence that Jesus’ last supper with His disciples was during the Passover feast as it was meant to convey a message.
In the scriptures, it is recorded that Jesus celebrated a last Passover meal with His disciples just before He was arrested. During the meal, He took His time to explain to them the great deliverance that was about to take place. The passing of the Israelites from bondage was being celebrated but a greater deliverance which required Jesus dying to save mankind was around the corner.
On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to prepare the Passover meal for you?” “As you go into the city,” he told them, “you will see a certain man. Tell him, “The Teacher says: My time has come, and I will eat the Passover meal with my disciples at your house”. So the disciples did as Jesus told them and prepared the Passover meal there. - Mathew 26:17-18
We see in Luke 22 that Jesus interpreted the elements of the meal in a uniquely different way.
He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” After supper he took another cup of wine and said, “This cup is the new covenant between God and His people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you - Luke 22: 19-20
The Unleavened Bread
Usually, the unleavened bread symbolised the urgency of Israel's escape from Egypt but for Jesus, it was the urgency of His fast approaching death.
The Cups of Wine
The cups of wine were usually used to symbolise the blessing of the covenant of life to the Israelites but Jesus linked it to the blessings of forgiveness of sins and the new covenant His death would bring. Jesus' death was an act of deliverance and complete love because God had provided Him as the new passover lamb to deliver mankind from bondage and reconcile them back to Him.
The Sacrificial Lamb
During Israel’s escape from slavery in Egypt, it was the blood of the lamb that caused the angel of death to pass over the homes of the Israelites while slaying the firstborn children of the Egyptians. The lamb had to be a male, without blemish and could not be sick or diseased in any way (Exodus 12:5). This was the case of Jesus because He was the lamb of God to be slain in order to bring mankind to redemption. In the journey of the Israelites from Egypt, they were saved and brought out of slavery through the sacrifice of a spotless lamb. We in turn have been brought out of the slavery of sin through the perfect body and blood of Jesus because of which we are passed over by death and eternal damnation and are brought into eternal life.
As believers, whether or not one chooses to celebrate Passover, we are encouraged to reflect on this season in relation to Christ’s death and resurrection. It is our prayer here at Adiah Talks that as you do so, the Lord will give you an even deeper and tangible meaning of what this season symbolises in your life.
