Passover, Pesach in Hebrew, is the first of the seven yearly feasts of Yahweh. Pesach carries the meaning of being “passed over [as an exemption].” During the Israelites final days in Egypt, God sent an angel of death to destroy the firstborn of every living creature. Yahweh provided a means by which His people would be exempt, a lamb of exceptional quality. Celebrating Passover occurs each year on the evening of the 14th day of Nisan, the beginning of months as prescribed by God.
Exodus 12:1-3,6
1 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. 3 Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household… 6 and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.
The night of the Passover, each family ate a meal exactly as Yahweh commanded them. Each aspect of the meal teaches us about the Messiah. As we look at different requirements, remember that everything in Scripture testifies about the Son of God, Yeshua.
The Lamb of God
Each lamb killed needed to possess specific qualities given by Yahweh. These qualities, found in Exodus chapter 12, testified of a future Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world.
Spotless and Without Blemish
The lamb must be a male, spotless and without blemish.
Exodus 12:5
Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old.
Furthermore, Peter testifies that Yeshua’s unblemished blood as the Lamb of God provides our ransom from death.
1 Peter 1:18-19
18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
Do Not Break Any of its Bones
Additionally, we see that Yahweh commanded the people to not break any of the bones of the Pesach lamb.
Exodus 12:46
46 It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones.
John stirs us to remembrance that Yeshua’s death fulfilled this scripture requirement. Although they sought to break His legs, Yeshua’s legs were not broken.
John 19:33-37
33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. 35 He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. 36 For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”
Applying the Blood of the Lamb
Furthermore, the blood of the lamb applied to their doorposts caused the destroyer to pass over their house.
Exodus 12:13
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 no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.
Our salvation from eternal death comes from the sacrifice of Yahweh’s Passover Lamb; His Son, Yeshua the Messiah!
1 Corinthians 5:7b
For Messiah, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
1 Peter 1:18-19
18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
The Passover Meal
This meal included lamb, bitter herbs, unleavened bread (matzah in Hebrew), and wine. Other ingredients are often found at traditional Passover meals, but I want to focus on the biblical ingredients. Each ingredient points to Yeshua.
Exodus 12:8-11
8 They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. 10 And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 11 In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’S Passover.
Bitter Herbs, Bitter Sin
The bitter herbs traditionally represent the bitterness of the bondage of Egypt. Egypt symbolically reminds us of our slavery to the world prior to deliverance. Eating the bitter herbs helps us never forget that serving sin produces bitter fruit. We also remember the bitter death Yeshua died.
Romans 8:12-13
12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
Unleavened Bread, Unleavened Life
Leaven in Scripture often speaks of sin. Thus, matzah, the Hebrew word for unleavened bread, draws attention to the sinless life that the Messiah lived. Yeshua is the Bread of Life, unleavened by the sin of the world. When we partake of unleavened bread, we spur ourselves on to put off our sinful ways. Paul exhorts us in the letter to the Corinthians to partake of the feast in sincerity and truth.
1 Corinthians 5:6-8
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Are You Able to Drink This Cup?
Yeshua ate the Passover with His disciples. During the meal, He taught them the significance of the unleavened bread being His body and the wine being His blood. Only when we participate in Him as our Passover do we enjoy true covenant with our Father. Just as Yeshua drank the cup of suffering from His Father, we drink this cup knowing that one day the cup of suffering will be passed to us. We must soberly meditate on what will be required of us.
Matthew 26:26-29
26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it, broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
Matthew 20:22-23
22 Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23 He said to them, “You will drink my cup…
Celebrate the Feast Worthily
The invitation to celebrate the feast of Pesach extends to everyone who follows Yahweh. God initiated this feast as an everlasting covenant. When we participate we teach our children the significance of Yahweh’s deliverance. Additionally, we proclaim Yeshua’s death until He returns. In fact, the traditional communion that churches conduct can only find its significance inside of the feast of Passover. Yeshua fills full the prophetic significance and importance of participating in His Father’s Passover! Let us worship our great God during this beautiful feast He invites us to!
Exodus 12:14
This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.
Exodus 12:26-27
26 And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 you shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD’S Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.
Paul admonishes us two times concerning the Passover meal. First, he tells us to put off the old leaven of wickedness and partake of the Passover feast in sincerity and truth. Secondly, he instructs us to examine ourselves prior to partaking so they we do not come under Yahweh’s judgment. We must eat and drink in a worthy manner.
1 Corinthians 5:6-8
6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
1 Corinthians 11:27-32
27 Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. 28 Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 30 That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. 31 But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.
A Perpetual Statute
My prayer for each reader is that we will walk in every path that our loving Father gives us. Abba established Passover as a perpetual feast. May we be spurred on to participate. Eat the bread and drink the cup of our Messiah. Teach your children these things. Talk about them. Join with the great cloud of witnesses who went before us and proclaim Yeshua’s death until He returns!
John 1:29
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
