The Jewish Feasts: Passover – A Shadow of Good Things to Come

The Old Testament is replete with types and shadows, divinely appointed pictures that foreshadow the Person and work of Jesus Christ. Among the most significant of these are the Jewish feasts, which the Lord commanded Israel to observe perpetually. These annual convocations, detailed primarily in Leviticus 23, are not mere historical commemorations but prophetic blueprints, each pointing to a specific aspect of God's redemptive plan through His Son. As Colossians 2:17 declares, these are "a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." At the forefront of these foundational feasts stands Passover, a pivotal celebration that marks the genesis of Israel as a nation and profoundly illuminates the saving work of the Lamb of God.

The Institution of Passover: Deliverance from Bondage

The Feast of Passover, or Pesach, finds its origin in one of the most dramatic acts of divine intervention recorded in Scripture: the liberation of Israel from centuries of Egyptian bondage. After nine devastating plagues, Pharaoh remained obdurate, refusing to let God's people go. The tenth and final plague would be the most severe, striking down the firstborn of every house in Egypt. However, God, in His infinite mercy and justice, provided a way of salvation for His people, a covenant sealed in blood. The instructions given to Moses and Aaron for this momentous night are found in Exodus 12:3, where every family was commanded to take a lamb, "without blemish, a male of the first year."

The specifications for this lamb were precise and symbolic. It had to be without blemish, signifying purity and perfection, a direct foreshadowing of Christ, "who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth" (1 Peter 2:22). The lamb was to be slain "in the evening" (Exodus 12:6), a time that would later correspond to the hour of Christ's crucifixion. The blood of this innocent lamb was not to be consumed but applied with hyssop to the two side posts and the upper door post of their houses (Exodus 12:7). This act of obedience was critical, for it was the visible sign by which the angel of death would pass over their homes.

And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

Exodus 12:13

The eating of the lamb, roasted with fire, along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, completed the Passover meal. The unleavened bread symbolized the haste of their departure and the putting away of sin (leaven often represents sin in Scripture). The bitter herbs recalled the bitterness of their slavery. This meal was to be eaten in readiness, "with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover" (Exodus 12:11). This institution marked the beginning of Israel's freedom and served as an eternal reminder of God's mighty deliverance.

The Observance of Passover: A Perpetual Memorial

From that first night in Egypt, the Passover became an annual observance, a perpetual statute for Israel throughout their generations (Exodus 12:14). It was celebrated on the fourteenth day of the first month, Abib (later Nisan), and was immediately followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which lasted seven days. During this week, no leaven was to be found in their homes, emphasizing purity and separation from sin. The observance of Passover involved several key elements:

  • The Passover Lamb: A spotless lamb was chosen, sacrificed, and its blood applied. This act of substitutionary atonement is central.
  • The Unleavened Bread (Matzah): Eaten for seven days, symbolizing a swift departure from sin and a life lived in purity.
  • Bitter Herbs (Maror): A reminder of the harshness of their bondage in Egypt.
  • The Telling (Haggadah): A crucial element was the instruction of the children concerning the meaning of the feast, ensuring that future generations understood God's mighty acts of salvation. "And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD'S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses" (Exodus 12:26-27).

Throughout Israel's history, the Passover remained a cornerstone of their national and religious identity. It was a time of pilgrimage to Jerusalem, a solemn and joyful occasion for remembering God's faithfulness and power. Even in times of spiritual decline, righteous kings like Hezekiah and Josiah sought to restore its proper observance, recognizing its profound significance in their covenant relationship with God (see 2 Chronicles 30:1 and 2 Kings 23:21).

Christ Our Passover: The Ultimate Fulfillment

While the historical deliverance from Egypt was a monumental event, the ultimate and eternal significance of Passover is found in Jesus Christ. The New Testament unequivocally declares Him to be the true Passover Lamb, whose blood atones for the sins of the world. Just as the Passover lamb had to be spotless, Jesus was "without sin" (Hebrews 4:15). Just as the lamb was slain, Jesus was crucified. Just as the blood on the doorposts saved Israel from death, so the blood of Christ, shed on the cross, saves believers from spiritual death and the wrath of God.

The Apostle Paul makes this connection explicit in 1 Corinthians 5:7: "For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us." This verse encapsulates the profound theological truth that Jesus fulfills the type of the Passover lamb. His sacrifice was not merely a historical event but the culmination of God's redemptive plan, providing the ultimate and final atonement for sin. The timing of Christ's crucifixion, coinciding with the Jewish Passover, was not coincidental but divinely appointed, fulfilling prophecy to the minutest detail.

When Jesus instituted the New Covenant at the Last Supper, which was a Passover meal, He transformed the elements of the feast. The bread became His body, broken for us, and the cup became His blood of the new testament, "which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28). This act established the Lord's Supper, or Communion, as the Christian equivalent of the Passover, a perpetual memorial of Christ's sacrifice until He comes again (1 Corinthians 11:26). Just as Israel was delivered from physical bondage through the blood of the lamb, believers are delivered from the spiritual bondage of sin and death through the blood of Christ.

The Enduring Message of Passover

The Feast of Passover, both in its Old Testament institution and New Testament fulfillment, carries enduring spiritual lessons for believers today:

  • Salvation by Grace Through Faith: The Israelites were saved by God's grace, through their obedient faith in applying the blood. Their works did not save them, but their faith in God's provision. Similarly, salvation is "by grace through faith" (Ephesians 2:8) in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
  • The Necessity of Blood Atonement: The Passover powerfully illustrates the biblical principle that "without shedding of blood is no remission" (Hebrews 9:22). It points directly to the perfect, once-for-all sacrifice of Christ.
  • Separation and Purity: The unleavened bread reminds us of the call to live a life separated from sin. As believers, we are to "purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump" (1 Corinthians 5:7).
  • Remembrance and Proclamation: Just as Israel was commanded to remember and declare the Passover story, Christians are called to remember Christ's sacrifice through communion and to proclaim His death until He returns.

    • The Passover is more than a historical event; it is a profound theological truth, a testament to God's unwavering faithfulness, His sovereign power, and His perfect plan of redemption. It beautifully bridges the Old and New Testaments, revealing Jesus Christ as the true Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. As we reflect on Passover, we are reminded of the incredible depth of God's love and the completed work of salvation achieved through His beloved Son.