Passover - pesach
Why Passover?
Passover is one of the most important holidays on the Jewish calendar. Not only does it serve as a reminder of God’s faithfulness, but it points to the Lamb of God, the Messiah, who served as the once-for-all sacrifice for sin. This is why God commanded the Jewish people to observe the Feast of Passover from generation to generation.
Year after year, Passover reminds the Jewish people of the Lord’s faithfulness to His promises. God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations and that his descendants would inherit the land of Israel as an eternal possession. But years later, the Jewish people found themselves enslaved in the land of Egypt. It would be understandable if they questioned God’s faithfulness, since the promise of a homeland seemed to have been broken.
But God proved faithful and raised up a deliverer, Moses, to lead His people into freedom. When Pharaoh refused to let the Jewish people go, God sent ten plagues—the tenth being the death of all firstborn sons. Although the plague would have impacted everyone, God provided the way for Israel to be saved. All those who put the blood of an unblemished lamb on the doorposts and lintels of their homes were “passed over” by the angel of death, and the lives of their firstborn sons were spared. The death of Pharaoh’s firstborn son drove him to release the Israelites, and God delivered them with a mighty, outstretched arm.
Passover and the Messiah
Passover is also significant because it points to an even greater event than that of the Exodus: the death of the ultimate Passover Lamb, Yeshua the Messiah, who redeems us from sin. Rabbi Sha’ul (the Apostle Paul) wrote to the believers in Corinth, “Messiah our Passover also has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Yeshua laid his life down on Passover, fulfilling the requirements of the sacrificial system. He was the ultimate unblemished Lamb to which all the Passover lambs pointed.
The Passover lamb was unblemished—Yeshua was similarly untainted by sin. In the same way the high priest transferred a Jewish person’s sins onto an innocent lamb as a substitutionary sacrifice, our sins Yeshua took upon Himself—both cases of the innocent dying for the guilty. The prophet Isaiah wrote, “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him” (Isaiah 53:5–6).
Just as the Jewish people were saved from the death of the firstborn by applying the Passover lamb’s blood to their homes, those who place Yeshua’s blood on the “doorposts” and “lintels” of their hearts will be saved from spiritual death. Passover thus reminds us of God’s faithfulness in not only delivering His chosen people from bondage in Egypt but also of His delivering us from our sins by sending the Lamb of God, Yeshua the Messiah.
by: Chosen People USA
Passover is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. Before Passover begins, there is a period of several weeks where the house is thoroughly cleaned, including removing all leavened bread and products from the home. This is called "spring cleaning" and is meant to symbolize the removal of sin from one's life. During the Passover meal, only unleavened bread is eaten, known as matzo, which represents the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt, not having time to wait for their bread to rise. The Passover story is retold through the Haggadah, a book of prayers, songs, and stories. The holiday is also marked by the Seder, a ritual feast held on the first two nights of Passover, where participants drink four cups of wine and eat symbolic foods. The holiday is observed by Jews around the world and is an important time of family gathering and celebration.
1 Corinthians 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
The message of Passover is a reminder that God's ways are not the ways of people. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, the people hailed Him as the Messiah and King. However, they were expecting a different type of liberation from the Romans. They thought that Jesus would raise an army and defeat the Romans to liberate them. But Jesus had a different plan in mind.
He came to liberate not just the Jews, but also the Gentiles, by defeating evil and the devil. Jesus became the Passover Lamb, dying on the cross and rising on the third day from the dead. He carried the keys of liberation to all who believe in Him.
Passover is the meal that Jesus shared with His disciples at the last supper. It is the Meal of Liberation, the meal of freedom. Passover is a reminder that we need to purge ourselves of the leaven of malice and wickedness, and embrace the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
As we reflect on Passover, let us remember that Jesus alone is worthy to be praised. Let us follow His example and embrace the path of liberation that He has set before us. May we all experience the freedom that comes from knowing Him as our Lord and Savior.