Passover, known as Pesach in Hebrew, is one of the most significant feasts in the Jewish calendar, commemorating the Israelites' deliverance from slavery in Egypt as described in the Book of Exodus. For Christians, Passover holds additional significance as it is intricately connected to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, who observed this feast and infused it with new meaning.

Biblical Background

The Passover celebration is rooted in the events of Exodus 12, where God instructed the Israelites to sacrifice a lamb and mark their doorposts with its blood. This act of faith spared them from the plague of the firstborn, leading to their liberation from Egyptian bondage. The Passover lamb, without blemish, became a symbol of deliverance and redemption.

Jesus and the Passover

Jesus' observance of Passover is recorded in the Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John. His participation in the feast is pivotal, as it sets the stage for the events leading to His crucifixion and resurrection.

1. Preparation for the Passover: In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus instructs His disciples to prepare for the Passover meal. "On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?'" (Matthew 26:17). This preparation underscores Jesus' adherence to Jewish customs and His role as the fulfillment of the Passover lamb.

2. The Last Supper: The Last Supper, which took place during Passover, is a cornerstone event in Christian theology. During this meal, Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, or Communion, by breaking bread and sharing wine with His disciples. "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, 'Take and eat; this is My body.' Then He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins'" (Matthew 26:26-28). Here, Jesus reinterprets the elements of the Passover meal, identifying Himself as the sacrificial lamb whose blood brings about a new covenant.

3. Jesus as the Passover Lamb: The Apostle Paul explicitly connects Jesus to the Passover lamb in his epistle to the Corinthians: "For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed" (1 Corinthians 5:7). This identification emphasizes the belief that Jesus' sacrificial death fulfills the typology of the Passover lamb, offering redemption and deliverance from sin.

4. The Timing of the Crucifixion: The Gospel of John highlights the timing of Jesus' crucifixion in relation to Passover. John notes that Jesus was crucified on the day of Preparation for the Passover, aligning His death with the slaughtering of the Passover lambs (John 19:14). This timing reinforces the theological connection between Jesus' sacrifice and the Passover.

Significance for Believers

For Christians, Jesus' observance of Passover and His role as the Passover lamb hold profound theological implications. The Passover not only commemorates the historical deliverance of the Israelites but also symbolizes the ultimate deliverance from sin through Jesus Christ. His death and resurrection are seen as the fulfillment of the Passover promise, offering eternal life to all who believe.

In observing the Lord's Supper, Christians remember Jesus' sacrifice and celebrate the new covenant established through His blood. The Passover, as observed by Jesus, thus becomes a central element of Christian faith, embodying themes of redemption, sacrifice, and divine deliverance.Matthew 26:17-20
Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying to him, Where will you that we prepare for you to eat the passover?
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Luke 22:15
And he said to them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
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John 2:13,23
And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
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John 13:1
Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them to the end.
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Jesus' Farewell to his Friends.
... Toward the evening Jesus and the other apostles came, and found their way to the
upper room. First there was the Passover feast, observed after the manner of ...
/.../miller/personal friendships of jesus/chapter xiii jesus farewell to.htm

Christ Our Passover
... The Passover was a purely memorial rite. ... Jesus Christ said that the Lord's Supper
was to be observed 'in remembrance of Me.' That was His explanation of ...
/.../expositions of holy scripture st john chaps xv to xxi/christ our passover.htm

Jesus Comes to Capernaum. Statements of the Four Evangelists
... when He was at Jerusalem at the passover at the ... But Jesus Himself did not trust Himself
to them, for ... in many passages of Scripture I have observed the number ...
/.../origen/origens commentary on the gospel of john/1 jesus comes to capernaum.htm

Jesus Living at Nazareth and visiting Jerusalem in his Twelfth ...
... at the feast of the passover [The Passover, one of ... It was observed as a thanksgiving
for the blessings ... between the return from Egypt and Jesus' thirtieth year. ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xvi jesus living at nazareth.htm

The New Passover
... At its close Jesus sought retirement in Bethany, not only ... we may account for the
peculiar secrecy observed as to ... His earnest wish to eat the Passover with the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture b/the new passover.htm

Fragment v. --That up to the Time of the Destruction of Jerusalem ...
... day of which, being accurately observed, after the ... people, celebrated a typical and
shadowy Passover, the Creator ... nature, our Lord and God, Jesus Christ, being ...
/.../peter/the writings of peter of alexandria/fragment v that up to the.htm

The Disagreement in Asia.
... observed the fourteenth day of the passover according to ... And my relatives always
observed the day when the ... but had always governed my life by the Lord Jesus.". ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter xxiv the disagreement in asia.htm

The Analysis of John.
... (25) The Visit of the Greeks to Jesus. ... It will be observed that, thus far, most of
the matter is peculiar to John. ... The time is during the last Passover week. ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/the analysis of john.htm

The Fifth Day in Passion-Week - Make Ready the Passover!'
... Day of Unleavened Bread came, on which the Passover must be ... the evening of the day
on which Jesus was crucified ... Supper a day in advance of that observed by the ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter ix the fifth day.htm

Judas Exposed.
... his head drop back on the bosom of Jesus and asked ... After the passover meal the Supper
was ordained; then followed ... It will be observed that this is the order of ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/judas exposed.htm

What is the meaning and importance of the Last Supper? | GotQuestions.org

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What are the different Jewish festivals in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Passover: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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