I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God. - Luke 22:16
Even though Easter has passed, Passover (Pesach) is now upon us. Today, it’s not only Jews who commemorate this significant time; Christians are increasingly embracing the Passover feast to connect more deeply to their historical, Biblical roots. Many even host or take part in a Seder, the traditional Passover meal, to bridge the historical and spiritual connections between Judaism and Christianity. It’s good to be reminded from time to time that our roots are not Rome. Our roots are in Israel.
I’ve had many Christians ask, Why should I care about a Jewish feast when all is fulfilled in Christ? That’s true. Christ fulfills all in all. You don’t have to celebrate Passover if you don’t want to…but you feel blessed when you do. Christians should care about Passover because it is an integral part of the Biblical narrative that laid the foundation for Christianity. It not only commemorates the Israelites’ liberation from slavery in Egypt, a pivotal event that illustrates God’s faithfulness in delivering and redeeming His people but foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice and redemption for all people, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which would take place over a thousand years later.
Before understanding Jesus’ fulfillment of Passover, let’s refresh ourselves of the events that took place on that first Passover night:
Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: “On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails. You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.
For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel” (Exodus 12:3-15).
Jesus fulfilled the role of the Passover lamb from Exodus in several significant ways:
Unblemished Sacrifice: Just as the Passover lamb had to be without blemish, Jesus lived a sinless life, making Him the perfect, unblemished sacrifice for humanity’s sins.
Sacrificial Death: The blood of the Passover lamb was spread on the doorposts to protect the Israelites from the angel of death. Jesus is the door (John 10) where we move from death to life. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)
The Blood as Atonement: The blood of the Passover lamb symbolized atonement and redemption. Jesus’ shed blood on the cross serves as the atonement for the sins of humanity, providing salvation and reconciliation with God. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
Deliverance from Slavery: The Israelites were delivered from slavery from Egypt. Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection deliver believers from the slavery of sin and spiritual bondage, offering freedom in Christ.
Shared Meal and Covenant: The Israelites shared their last meal together before their exodus. Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with His disciples, linking the Old Testament account to Himself and what He was about to suffer. He associated the bread and wine with His body and blood, establishing a renewed covenant in Him.
There are numerous fulfillments of Exodus 12, and Passover in general, particularly as it relates to the 10th and 14th days and the final future fulfillment of all things, which I encourage you to explore further, making Passover a beautiful celebration for both Christians and Jews.
Today, believers around the world feel compelled to not only observe Passover, but all the Feasts of the Lord (Leviticus 23), seeking a deeper understanding of how these celebrations are deeply interconnected with God’s Son and His prophetic clock for the end times. They serve as reminders of God’s faithfulness, His redemptive plan, and hope for His imminent return, encouraging all believers to live faithfully and expectantly for all to be fulfilled.
God Bless You Today,
Carole