PASSOVER
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"The Lord's Passover [Pesach] begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month [Nisan, of the Hebrew calendar]. On the fifteenth day of that month the Lord's Feast of Unleavened Bread [Hag HaMatzah] begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. " Leviticus 23:5-6 |
This holy day, Pesach (Passover), announces the arrival of spring on the Jewish calendar. This day is an historical reference to the deliverance of Israel from the bondage of Egypt at the mighty hand of the Lord. Passover clearly typifies redemption in a dramatic way. It also shows how the Lord protected the first born of His people from the destroyer by "passing over" them on that fateful night.
The celebration of Pesach by the Jewish people is done in a most elaborate way and is surrounded by meaningful traditions that teach many valuable lessons as well as tell the story of deliverance. Most of these traditions were fully developed before the first century so there are references to them in the Apostolic Writings (New Testament). Among the traditional items that are mentioned are: the lamb (Luke 22:8, bitter herbs (Matthew 26:23), the washings (John 13:1-15), the four cups of wine (Matthew 26 and Luke 22) and matzah (Matthew 26:26). See also: Luke 2:41; John 6:4 &13:1-15; Act 12:3-4.
The Torah (Bible) instructs the Jewish people to "observe the feast of unleavened bread [including Passover].....throughout your generations as an ordinance for you and your children forever." (Exodus 12:17,24) Wisely, the rabbis of old, in order to teach and remind the people, developed the art of story telling into a Seder which means "order". The Haggadah (from the Hebrew words "to tell") is the book that is used to guide a family and their guests through the Passover seder.
The story of Passover is not merely about what happened to the Isrealites in the past, but also an account of what G-d is doing with His people now. "In every generation one must look upon himself as if he personally had come out from Egypt...it was not our forefathers alone whome the Holy One blessed be He, redeemed; He redeemed us too with them....."
Slaying the lamb at Passover foreshadowed the greater redemption found in the Lord's appointed lamb, the Messiah (John 1:29). What a special joy for those who have truly experienced redemption in Yeshua HaMashiach to celebrate this feast and to be reminded of the spiritual beauty of this season.
Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are back-to-back, one following the other. The day after Passover is also when the fifty-day countdown to Shavuot begins. It is referred to as: Counting the Omer.
Check your local area to see if a Messianic Passover Seder is scheduled and plan to attend.
Want to learn more about Passover? Try these sites.
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