Happy Passover!

Why celebrate Passover, that's just for the Jews right!?

Jesus (Yeshua) was a Jewish man, raised in a Jewish family. He kept each one of the appointed times called moedim as prescribed in the Torah – God’s Law. We know this for a fact just by reading through the Gospels. There are traditions and holidays that God Himself set in place. About 10 years ago I never knew that these feasts were important, they were in the Bible but I didn't know the rich beauty in keeping them. I also had no idea how much more I would learn about my Messiah by celebrating them. As I started to journey through the Biblical calendar of feasts, I grew so much closer with my Jewish Saviour like I’d never known before.

This Old Testament feast was in fact prophetic of His life.

Passover is a God-given symbol of remembrance of His saving power over death.

Passover begins on the 14th of Nisan, which is the first month on God’s calendar. Although it is a little-known fact, Passover marks the beginning of the biblical calendar year. God instituted the feast while the Israelites were still in captivity in Egypt.

The LORD caused death to pass over each home that had applied the blood of a sacrificed, unblemished lamb to the doorposts (Ex. 12:1-28).  This day was to be kept as a memorial and a feast forever (Ex. 12:14).

And to this day the Jews still celebrate and remember what the God has done for His people.

Jesus Revealed in the Passover

So how does Jesus  factor into the Passover? He does in several beautiful ways that only God could bring creatively together.

Jesus entered Jerusalem triumphantly on a donkey on the 10th day of Nisan. This would have been the very same day that the Israelites selected their unblemished lambs for sacrifice four days later (Ex. 12:3-6).

Similarly, Jesus was presented to Israel as the perfect sacrifice before His crucifixion on the 14th day of Nisan, marking the beginning of Passover (John 19:14). The sacrifice of the Passover lambs symbolically pointed to Jesus as the true and spotless Lamb of God (1 Peter 1:19).

The Passover lambs were slaughtered and offered at twilight (Ex. 12:6; Lev. 23:5), mirroring Jesus' death at about the same time (Matt. 27:45-50).

By virtue of His sinlessness, Jesus became the ultimate Lamb who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). As the Messiah of Israel, He became the Passover Lamb who conquered death once and for all (1 Cor. 5:7).

At His final Passover meal, Jesus lifted the cup and the matzah (unleavened bread) and instructed, “Do this in remembrance of me.” His directive to "do this" referred directly to the Passover tradition.

There is so much more to share about this amazing feast but I can hear little feet running around upstairs! I leave you with this...

Passover reaffirms the enduring goodness of God across generations. It is a continual reminder that God covers, loves and saves His people Israel, that we are grafted into this family and that Yeshua (Jesus) is our Passover lamb. What a cause for celebration!

Happy Passover!