Jesus, Our Passover Lamb

The Biblical holiday of Passover has been this week. For Jewish people, Passover includes the week long feast of unleavened bread. For them, the Passover begins with a Seder meal when they remember their great exodus from Egypt by the mighty hand of God over 3,000 years ago. Deliverance and freedom are common themes spoken of throughout the Passover Seder.      

God told his people Israel that they were to observe this holiday (feast) throughout their generations. The Bible says it this way:

"And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever." Exodus 12:14 

In the last part of that verse, God told His people, Israel, that they were to keep this feast forever. How long is forever? Exactly that. Forever. 

A few verses later, God says this again: 

"And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever." Exodus 12:17 

Well over 3,000 years later, the Jewish people continue to do this; God told them to do so. 

While the Jewish people are observing the Biblical holiday of Passover this week, Christians are remembering the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ this week. Quite often, Passover coincides with the week of Jesus death, burial, and resurrection.  

Rightly so. This was God's plan and design.

The Bible tells us that God told His people, Israel, to kill the first Passover lambs on the 14th day of the 1st Biblical month and place the blood on the sides and upper doorpost of their home. That night, God passed through the land of Egypt, passing over the homes that had the blood on the doorposts. (you can read this story in detail in Exodus 12.) 

The original Passover in the land of Egypt foreshadowed what was to come well over 1,000 years later when Jesus came to earth and died as God's perfect Lamb. Jesus, God's only Son, died on Passover at 3 o' clock in the afternoon, the exact time of the evening sacrifice on Passover. 

Only God could orchestrate such details! 

The apostle John, one of Jesus' twelve disciples, surely understood the depth and meaning of this when he wrote: 

"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." John 1:29

John was Jewish and would have been very familiar with the holiday of Passover, likely celebrating it every year since he was a little boy.  

John was the only disciple who stood close by as Jesus died on the cross. The Bible says that all of the other disciples forsook Him and fled. (Mark 14:50) John saw the blood of Christ flow from His pierced side and wrote: 

"But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe." John 19:34-35 

John understood the connection to Jesus being our Passover Lamb. 

Later on in his life, John was given a revelation of heaven and wrote about many things he saw and heard there. John was given a glimpse of the heavenly worship that surrounds God's throne. 

One of the reoccurring themes of heaven is the same thing John wrote about when Jesus was on earth. What is that theme? 

John wrote in Revelation 5:12-13: 

"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain..." 

"...Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." 

Even in heaven, Jesus is referred to as the Lamb, the Lamb that was slain. 

Because most Christians are not Jewish (myself included) we don't usually make certain connections, like Jesus being our Passover Lamb, but indeed, He is! 

Last Saturday, I was invited to celebrate Passover with some dear, local, Christian friends. (we celebrated a night early just like Jesus did with His disciples since Jesus died on the day of Passover.) 

I was delighted to have been invited! There were 12 of us there, and they set up our Passover Seder meal on the floor, just like Jesus would have done with His disciples. 

Below are some pictures of our Passover Seder. 

Our Passover Seder on the floor

My place setting

Drinking from the third cup

There are four cups throughout a Passover Seder. The third cup, the cup of redemption, is the cup Jesus lifted up when He said to His disciples: "This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you." Luke 22:20 

Jesus celebrated Passover with His disciples the night before He died. The Bible says: 

"And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer." Luke 22:14-15 

When Jesus said, "This do in remembrance of Me" (Luke 22:19), He was referring to Passover. Jesus basically told His disciples, when you celebrate Passover every year, remember Me! 

Sadly, the Jewish people, as a whole, do not know or recognize Jesus being their Messiah, but someday, the Bible says, they will! When they recognize Him, I know their Passover celebration will be even more special and meaningful to them! What a glorious and incredible day that will be! I believe they will see Jesus clearly throughout the Passover Seder. 

This week, especially on Good Friday, Christians remembered Christ's sacrifice for us when He died on the cross and shed His blood. Although Jesus did not die on a Friday, I'm so glad there is a day set aside for Christians to remember Jesus death. (the Bible says that Jesus was in the tomb for three days and three nights. See Matthew 12:40. It is impossible to get three nights from Friday afternoon/evening to Sunday morning.) 

I wish that every Christian could celebrate the holiday of Passover because, truly, the entire thing points to Christ, and His sacrifice for us. 

Passover was God's plan and idea. Passover is one of God's holidays. I think the reason God told His people, Israel, to celebrate this holiday (feast) forever is because God wanted His people to never forget the freedom and deliverance God brought which ultimately came through the death of His Son, Jesus. 

Today, around God's throne in heaven, they are singing about "The Lamb that was slain" - Jesus, our Passover Lamb.