JESUS ​​AND THE CELEBRATION OF THE BIBLICAL PASSOVER

The most important day in the history of Christianity is, of course, Easter, the day Jesus was resurrected. Without the work of the cross of Christ, God's plan for the salvation of humanity would not have been realized. This plan has been unfolding from centuries ago until today, and in it God chose Israel to bring us the Messiah, the Saviour, the Lamb of God, the King of the Jews, as it was written on the cross.

For us, this was and is the beginning of salvation, but for the Israelites, the story of Passover began 1500 years before the birth of Jesus and is still ongoing.

But, for example, if it weren't for Passover we wouldn't have Easter. It's worth pointing out that the two are related and have a lot in common.

For the sake of comparison, I would like to highlight some aspects of Easter:

• Jesus went to the cross without sin, fulfilled the Law, and abolished sin.

• He conquered death with the power of the resurrection.

• By His wounds we are healed.

• He provided the deliverance and redemption of an entire people for Himself, a new man, which includes both Jews and Gentiles.

• He opened the way for us to draw closer to God when the curtain of the Most Holy Place in the Temple, the Holy of Holies, was torn in half.

Of course, there is more to be said about the meaning of the cross...

But what about Passover? Is Jesus present in the celebration of the Jewish Passover? And how? Passover, Pesach in Hebrew means Passover. It is one of the three major Biblical holidays, along with Pentecost and the Festival of Tabernacles.

The Passover holiday itself essentially revives the memory of the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. The night when the Angel of Death passed over the firstborn of Israel, he passed over the houses that had the blood of the lamb on their doorposts, as Moses commanded.

The exodus from Egypt, the crossing of the sea on dry land, and the entry into the Promised Land, certainly signifies deliverance from the Kingdom of Darkness and entry into the Kingdom of Light. When they stopped at Mount Sinai on their way to the Promised Land, God commanded the children of Israel through Moses to celebrate the Passover:

"On the fourteenth day of the same month at evening is the Lord’s Passover, and on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread…" (Leviticus 23:5,6)

As we see, Passover is associated with Unleavened Bread, and the very next day this feast is celebrated. And immediately after that, the Feast of First Fruits.  So, the Passover meal, 7 days of Unleavened Bread, and on the eighth day is the Feast of First Fruits.

But let's look at the Passover celebration, or Pesach Seder. Pesach Seder means Order for Passover. The order of things, or how the celebration goes. Here we'll explain it in 15 steps, in order.

1. In the first step, the house is cleansed of leaven, thoroughly, down to the last crumb, everywhere. Any kind of leaven should be thrown out of the house. This can begin as early as two weeks before Passover. (This thorough cleansing also has a spiritual dimension, as do all those that follow. For example, to cleanse the soul of pride).

2. Preparation of wine and the servings. Each participant at the table should have four glasses of wine, for the children a little grape juice, three pieces of Matzah (unleavened bread), and a Seder plate: karpas-parsley, bitter herbs, charoset (apples, dates, seeds - walnuts, almonds, etc. and wine) a lamb bone, salt water or vinegar, and horseradish. (1 Corinthians 5:7,8).

   The Paschal procession has a leader who usually gives the signal to begin the new part of the procession with a shout.

3. Candles are lit and a blessing is said.

4. All participants, domestic or guest, wash their hands.

5. Throughout the evening, the Haggadah is read, which contains the Passover ritual.

6. All participants sit down i.e. lie down at the table and take the first glass of wine 

   “ Consecration “ Kadosh

7. The Passover leader shouts: 'Karpas!' A blessing is said, the parsley is dipped in the salt water or vinegar and eaten in remembrance of the tears of the Israelites' slavery in Egypt (the parsley symbolizes the hyssop that was used to smear the doorposts with the blood of the lamb).

8. Three matzahs ​​of bread wrapped in a white cloth are taken out and shown to everyone. The middle matzah of the three is broken, wrapped in a white cloth, and one half is hidden somewhere in the house. This is the 'Afikomen' which will be found later in the evening by the children.

9. The second glass of wine "Liberation" is poured.

   The youngest child will ask: “‘How is this night different from all the others?’ ‘Why do we eat unleavened bread tonight?’ ‘Why do we eat bitter herbs tonight? Here the story of the Exodus, the Exodus from Egypt, is told. How the Lord defeated the Egyptians and drove out the nations, giving the Promised Land to Israel. A finger is dipped in the wine and ten drops are dropped into each bowl, at the moment when the ten plagues (evils) upon Egypt are recounted...

10. Matzah is eaten with horseradish, enough horseradish to make you cry, as a way to remember the hardships of slavery. Matzah is eaten with karoset to remember the bricks they made in slavery, when they were building in Egypt. Matzah is eaten with karoset and horseradish to remember the mixed feelings of bitterness and sweetness they had while they were in Egypt.

11. The Passover dinner is eaten.

12. The children are looking for the hidden Afikomen (John 6:51).

13. God is blessed and the third cup of wine "Redemption" is drunk and songs of praise, psalms are sung (Matthew 26:27-37) "I will drink the last cup with you in the Kingdom".

14. The last cup of wine, "The Cup of Praise to God," is drunk in anticipation of the return of the Messiah.

15. Next year in Jerusalem.

We mentioned God's plan for the salvation of mankind at the beginning. Let's now look at the role of the Passover Lamb in it. From the beginning of time, God has said that there is no other way to approach Him except through a blood sacrifice. When Adam and Eve sinned, God replaced the covering of leaves with animal skins. This required the sacrifice of an animal, say a lamb, since it is not stated whose skin it was. The lamb, however, is a picture of innocence and meekness.

In the case of Abel and Cain, it has the same dimension, Abel offering an animal as a sacrifice, and Cain offering fruits. But in the case of Abraham, he is already ready to offer the son he loves as a sacrifice, and God considers this an act of faith in God. (Gen. 22:7,8). In this incredible prophetic moment, God provides a ram, so that Abraham's prophecy would be fulfilled, in its own time - on the cross of Jesus.

Then, in the instructions for celebrating Passover, God commanded that everyone choose a lamb, and the family was to guard the lamb for 5 days in the courtyard, to check that it had no blemish. This took place on the 10th day of the month. Then after they had slaughtered the lamb on the 14th day, they smeared its blood on the doorposts. Later, when the Temple of the Lord was built, the lambs were brought into the Temple to the priest at the ninth hour in the morning of the 14th, and at the third hour in the afternoon they were sacrificed. (Mark 15:25, and 34 – 37)

Here we will also testify that the Lord Jesus fulfilled these 5 days in which the Lamb was examined for blemishes and spots. And the elders and the Jews did this for 5 days. And they could not find a single spot on him, even Pilate found him not guilty.

Then, just as the Israelites were commanded not to leave anything of the lamb, so the Lord was taken down from the cross wrapped in a white cloth and laid in a tomb. This certainly recalls the eighth step of Passover, where the unleavened bread, which was pierced before baking, is wrapped in a white cloth.

The third day after the crucifixion was the Resurrection of Christ.

“But behold, Christ is risen from the dead, the firstfruits of them that slept. For since death

came through a man, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive: but every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward at his coming, those who are Christ’s.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).

And finally, one thing truly reveals the Lord's heart for the establishment of the New Covenant:

And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 22:15,16).

Jesus established the New Covenant with his blood at the Passover with his disciples.  And this is what applies to us: They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives even to the death. (Rev. 12:11)

Maranatha!

The ICEJ MK team