22As they were eating, Jesus took some bread and blessed it. Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take it, for this is my body.”23And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24And he said to them, “This is my blood, which confirms the covenant14:24 Some manuscripts read the new covenant. between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice for many. 25I tell you the truth, I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new in the Kingdom of God.” Mark 14:22-25 NLT 6“Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb or young goat at twilight. 7They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the animal. 11“These are your instructions for eating this meal: Be fully dressed,11 Hebrew Bind up your loins. wear your sandals, and carry your walking stick in your hand. Eat the meal with urgency, for this is the Lord’s Passover. 12On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the Lord! 13But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt. 14“This is a day to remember. Each year, from generation to generation, you must celebrate it as a special festival to the Lord. This is a law for all time. Exodus 12:6-7,11-14 NLT
The Passover and the Resurrection, which is commonly or secularly known as Easter are very important religious observances that are practiced by those who follow Judaism (Passover) and Christians (The Resurrection). 2022 happens to be a unique year because the observances overlap with Passover beginning April 15th at sundown, and Resurrection Sunday occurring on April 17th. It is understood that many Jews are still awaiting the Messiah, which makes Passover most likely the most important observance for them given that it commemorates when God executed vengeance against Egypt to free his people (Israel) from bondage (for the complete story, ready Exodus chapter 12 in its entirety). The Resurrection in my humble opinion is the greatest miracle in the history of time, and it is the foundation for Christianity, because it is the act where Jesus is resurrected, or brought back to life by God, after defeating sin and satan, and ensures that we are able to live again or be resurrected at a later date during his 2nd coming. That’s another discussion. In this post I want to show how Passover symbolized what God and Jesus would do centuries later when Jesus redeemed ALL mankind, not just Jews.
For the 1st Passover, God instructed Moses to tell the people to choose an unblemished male lamb, or small goat in proportion to the size of the family, and sacrifice it on the 14th day of Nissan (April). Each family was to eat this sacrificed lamb or goat in its entirety that night, but most importantly they were to take some of the blood from this animal and smear it on the top and sides of the doorposts of the house where they ate it. This step is important because since the Fall of Man (Genesis chapter 3), man was required to offer sacrifice, the blood of unblemished, clean, animals, in order to be forgiven for sins. This blood on the doorposts served as a sign that night that the people inside the home were “set aside” unto God and therefore spared from the wrath that was being executed on Egypt that night. What’s important to take away from this is that it wasn’t the meal that saved them, it wasn’t their “ethnicity” that saved them, it wasn’t that they were fully dressed with their walking sticks that saved them; they were saved because the BLOOD showed that they belonged to God which protected them from death…..THAT night. Hence the name Passover, which illustrates that that night, death, or vengeance, in essence “passed over” the children of Israel, or more specifically, those who had covered their doorposts in the blood of the unblemished male lamb or goat.
The Resurrection
It’s interesting that I’m talking about the Resurrection, yet the verses I used above and will be speaking about are actually related to the Lord’s Supper, which is commonly referred to as Communion in today’s Church. In those verses in Mark, Jesus uses bread and wine to symbolize his flesh and blood which would be broken and spilled on the cross to cover the sins of ALL of mankind…..before and after his death and Resurrection. Let’s begin to make the connection between Passover, the Lord’s Supper, and the Resurrection. During Passover, God gave instructions through Moses for the people to divide and eat the meat of a small male lamb or goat at sundown; during the Lord’s Supper, on the 1st evening of Passover, Jesus breaks bread and divides it amongst the apostles as a symbol for his flesh/body; on the cross, Christ’s limbs are divided amongst the beams as he is stretched wide, and his flesh had been broken by the whips of the Roman soldiers the evening and morning before. During Passover, God instructs the people to smear some of the blood on the doorposts so that they would be spared that night; during the Lord’s Supper, Jesus instructs the apostles to drink of the wine that symbolizes his blood; on the cross, Jesus’ blood flows separate from the water as his side was pierced by the spear of a Roman soldier to check if he was still alive. During the 1st Passover, God informs the Jews that they would be spared from physical death that night because of the blood on the doorposts; during the Lord’s Supper, Jesus informs his apostles that the wine, his blood, which represented a new covenant would cover the sins of many; as a result of the Resurrection, we all have access to a new covenant, where we are washed in his blood, our sins are removed, and we can live again with him in his new kingdom.
Reflection Time
I want to close by saying that each command and directive from God has value, and has aided in reconciling man and woman back to him. However, nothing that we do can put us in right standing with God or save us…..except accepting Jesus as our Lord and savior, being baptized, receiving the Holy Spirit, and believing that we are forgiven of our sins which helps us to no longer walk and live in sin. Passover should have a special place in the hearts of all believers, because it is representative of God’s faithfulness to his children. He promised Abraham in Genesis 15:12-16 that he would execute vengeance on the people that oppressed his descendants, he then tells Moses in Exodus 3 that he has heard the cries of his people, and finally in Exodus 12 he delivers his people. Christians should remember this as a testament that God does what he says he is going to do. Moses foretold in Deuteronomy chapter 18 that God would send a Prophet to his people that they must listen to, which shows that God already had a plan to send Jesus because nobody, no sacrifice, no laws, and no special observance could save them, other than the Son of God who is also the lamb of God. We must understand that everything in the Old Testament, and each of the prophets in the Old Testament prepare the way for Jesus, and the salvation that he would provide. As a Christian our faith begins and ends with Jesus, it is firmly rooted in and fully relies on the fact that he not only was born, but that he healed, spoke the words of God, established God’s Kingdom on Earth, gave his life, and rose with all power, and the victory over sin and death. Passover and everything else was the prequel to the Resurrection which established the new covenant, and not only new life, but life more abundantly.
I encourage you to take the time to reread the following passages so that you may have your faith and understanding increased, and so that the Holy Spirit may lead you into his truth.
- The Passover – Exodus 12
- The Lord’s Supper/Communion – Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, and John 13
- The Cross and Resurrection – Matthew 27-28, Mark 15-16, Luke 23-24, John 19-21
