Christians worldwide celebrate “Easter” as when Christ was crucified, dead, buried and resurrected, providing the path for eternal salvation to all who would receive this gift. Christians see the “last supper,” as Christ taking communion with his disciples. Jesus in keeping the feasts, however, was actually celebrating an early Jewish Passover seder. God instituted the Passover (Pesach) lamb while Israel was still enslaved in Egypt, just before He would “passover” the homes of the Israelites who had spread its blood on their doorposts. Demonstrating judgement over the false gods of Egypt, the LORD slew the firstborn of every Egyptian that had rejected His commands, causing Pharaoh to finally release the Israelites from slavery.
There are two different Hebrew words used in the translation of “passing over.” In the first, God said in Exodus 12:12, “For that night, I will pass through (avar) the land of Egypt and kill the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both men and animals; I will execute judgement against all the gods of Egypt; I am ADONAI.” In the next verse, Exodus 12:13, the LORD promised to pass over the homes of those who trusted Him to protect them from the plague of death. “The blood will serve you as a sign marking the houses where you are; when I see the blood, I will pass over (Hebrew root, pasach) you (lit. upon you)—when I strike the land of Egypt, the death blow will not strike you.” It was the blood of the Passover lamb that “covered” those from the plague of death by atoning for their sin through a substitutionary sacrifice.
Scripture in Leviticus 17:11 tells us, “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for yourselves; for it is the blood that makes atonement because of the life.” The life blood of the sacrificial lamb was offered in exchange for the death of another. This is the essential message of the gospel, through the sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, the true Lamb of God. As He said of Himself in John 5:24. “Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever hears what I am saying and trusts in the One who sent me, has eternal life—that he will not come up for judgement but has already passed over (lit. crossed over) from death to life.” Paul exhorted the believers in 1 Corinthians 5:7, to get rid of the old leaven, which is symbolic of sin, “For our Pesach lamb, the Messiah, has been sacrificed.”
The Corinthian church was primarily Gentile, yet they were keeping Passover. They understood the prophetic connection between the Messiah and the Passover lamb. Jesus was crucified during the time of Passover, (Mark 14:12). He is the Lamb without defect or spot (1 Peter 1:19), His life was completely free from sin (Hebrews 4:15). Just as Passover marked the Israelites release from slavery to the Egyptians, so the death of Jesus marks our release of sin (Romans 8:2). Pesach/Passover holds a deeper, greater picture of God’s plan of redemption for humanity. Celebrating Passover, while not mandatory for Christians, brings an understanding and appreciation for Messiah’s death, resurrection, and future return—which is an added blessing and joy for us who have experienced redemption in Jesus our Savior!
