How does Leviticus 23:5 connect to the New Testament understanding of Jesus? The Passover Command in Leviticus 23:5 “On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the LORD’s Passover.” Immediate Old Testament Setting • Instituted first in Exodus 12:1-14 as God’s means to spare Israel’s firstborn and deliver the nation from Egyptian slavery. • Required an unblemished male lamb (Exodus 12:5). • Blood placed on the doorposts brought literal, physical protection from judgment (Exodus 12:13). • Memorialized annually to remember redemption by God’s strong hand (Deuteronomy 16:1). Prophetic Foreshadowing Embedded in the Feast • Unblemished Lamb → points to the sinlessness of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19). • Slain at twilight → mirrors the timing of Jesus’ death as daylight faded (Matthew 27:45-50). • Blood applied → prefigures personal faith in Christ’s atoning blood for salvation (Romans 5:9). • Household eating the lamb → anticipates communion with Christ, the true bread from heaven (John 6:51-54). • Deliverance from Egypt → pictures freedom from slavery to sin (John 8:34-36). Jesus and the Passover in the Gospels • John 1:29: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” • Synoptic writers date the Last Supper and crucifixion within Passover week (Matthew 26:17-19; Mark 14:12; Luke 22:7-15). • Jesus deliberately identifies the bread and cup with His body and blood, sealing the new covenant at the Passover table (Luke 22:19-20). • John places the crucifixion at the very hour Passover lambs were being slain (John 19:14, 31-36), underscoring that “not one of His bones will be broken” (John 19:36; cf. Exodus 12:46). The Apostolic Interpretation • “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). • Hebrews 9:22-28 explains that His once-for-all sacrifice accomplishes what animal blood never could. • 1 Peter 1:19 affirms the Lamb’s precious blood as the believer’s ransom. • Revelation 5:6-10 presents the Lamb freshly slain yet eternally alive, worthy to open the scroll and receive worship. Practical Gospel Implications • Assurance: The applied blood guarantees shelter from God’s wrath (Romans 8:1). • Identity: Just as Israel’s calendar began with Passover, new life in Christ starts at the cross (Galatians 2:20). • Purity: Paul links the feast with removing leaven—symbolic of ongoing sanctification (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). • Worship: Remembering Christ’s sacrifice fuels heartfelt obedience and gratitude (Hebrews 13:15). Celebrating the Fulfillment Today • The Lord’s Supper carries forward the Passover’s meaning, keeping the church centered on the cross (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). • Annual reflections during Easter/Passover season invite deeper appreciation of redemption’s cost. • Sharing the story—just as Jewish parents retell the Exodus—equips believers to pass on the gospel’s liberating power to the next generation (Psalm 78:4). |
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