PASSOVER
Even in the Old Testament days, they still needed to have faith in God to be saved, they weren’t simply saved by their works and religious rituals. Genesis 15:6, Romans 4:3; Gal 3:6
We are told Jesus celebrated the Passover and did you know the last supper took place during the Passover? Matthew 26:17-19
Passover is a beautiful and highly symbolic celebration that retells the story of our liberation. In fact, more than any other festival, it has been at the heart or core of the universal spiritual identity pointing toward the hope of salvation for all men!
I don’t know about you, but I am so tired of the pagan easter holiday debate. So instead of arguing, I took some time to dig deep into God’s Word regarding these holy holidays.
It’s a bit complicated for sure and for those of you concerned about celebrating as a Christian or honoring the Jewish tradition, I completely understand, but in all honesty, I could never really settle myself and I will share why. If you feel the same, hopefully, I can shine some light! Pun intended!
As I began digging to learn the Passover's meaning, I discovered in both Old and New Testament that Passover is about the foreshadowing of Christ’s redemption.
More to the point, Jesus was Jewish and was crucified during passover. He had come to Jerusalem... not to celebrate it, but to become our Passover lamb.
Paul the apostle says in 1 Corinthians 5:7, “Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.”
Paul did not say this by coincidence? Jesus did not just happen to die over Passover? There are no coincidences with God.
Today is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. We remember and celebrate Palm Sunday as it is the day Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey as a King. “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.” In those days, kings rode through the city streets on donkeys while a knight would ride a horse to indicate war.
As Jesus symbolizes a king by riding a donkey into the town of Jerusalem, a large crowd gathers and waves palm branches across the road. They begin to sing Hosanna giving Jesus the holy treatment of a king.
The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:
“Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel! John 12:13
If we take a closer look at the First Passover in the book of Exodus, chapter 12, we find why the Passover was necessary and what it means to say or hear Christ became our Passover.
Let’s begin with the Jewish celebration. It begins this year on Wednesday, April 5th and ends Thursday, April 13th at sundown. For Christians, our Holy Week begins today, Palm Sunday and ends with the Resurrection of Jesus on Sunday. Both of these holy weeks encompass the meaning of Pass Over by Jesus becoming our Pass Over through His crucification.
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; John 11:25
We read in the book of Exodus, chapter 12, the Jewish people were enslaved in Egypt under Pharaoh when God sent Moses to free the Jews. We all know the story of God working on Pharaoh’s heart to release the enslaved Jews, but he refused causing God to send down plagues.
God’s judgment through the series of plagues caused great chaos in Egypt.These plagues had been devastating to Egypt and during the last plague, God is aiming at everyone except those given an unforeseen provision.
He asks the Jews to offer a lamb or goat and smear its blood on their doorsteps as a way to show that their house was Jewish. Then God went through all the houses and killed the first born son of every Egyptian, purposely passing over the Jewish homes.
In Hebrew, Passover is called Pesach, meaning “to pass over”.
On this first Passover, God devised a way in which He could be both just and merciful as that same time. God was keeping His promise that he would never flood the earth again.
Just as the Jews were spared from death by being under the cover of the blood of the lamb, we are also spared from eternal death by the blood of the lamb stained on the cross.
God’s provision is simple: take a lamb, The Passover lamb without blemish, who was killed so that his blood stained on the two sides of the door posts and on the lintel of the door like the cross, representing Christ, who is the sinless innocent Son of God who was killed and stretched out on the cross.
The lamb was no beast, He was fully God and fully man, like us in every way except totally free of sin!!
The Jews were delivered from the slavery of Egypt, and we are delivered from the slavery of sin.
God commanded the Israelites not to break any bones of the lamb that was slain, Jesus’ bones weren’t broken on the cross. Exodus 12:46; John 19:36
Everything about the Passover is the foreshadow of the coming of Christ to redeem us.
God intended it to be familiar to His people before hand, so that by that practice they would recognize the purpose of Christ’s life and death to redeem the human race.
Knowing that you were not redeemed with [a]corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 1 Peter 1:18-19
In His infinite love, God made a way to be merciful, the passover was to paint a picture in the old testament, but it wasn’t the real thing. This time God provided the real lamb himself, Jesus, the lamb of God takes away the sin of the world! Hallelujah!
So our take-away, we must recall what Exodus 12 says, in order for God to pass over us, we must have the blood of the lamb applied to the door to our house! Spiritually speaking the Door of our heart, mind, will and emotions!
And how do we apply the blood?
We ask Jesus into our hearts! We repent for holding anything above Him and we remain in Christ as he is the door to our salvation and our father in Heaven. If we remain in humble faith, God sees the blood of Jesus applied to your hearts! God will pass over you!
This is our salvation! Hallelujah!
So yes, the world calls Holy Week - - Holy Week, but many Christians call Passover - - Good Friday. These names are not in question. Easter is associated with Christianity and to a pagan Spring festival that dates back long before Christ. The feast day of Easter was first a pagan holiday of renewal and rebirth to honor early spring, it praised the pagan goddess of fertility and spring known as 'Ostara', 'Eastre' or 'Eostre'. This exhausting debate about Easter plus having chocolate bunnies that deliver eggs is idodic but let’s just agree it was created to distract people from Jesus and His Resurrection.
In our home we honor Good Friday, “Passover”, the pre-ordained orchestrated plan of God by taking communion and having a solemn observation at home. Then 3 days later, we celebrate Our Passover Lamb, Jesus who was found completely spotless of sin and redeemed on Resurrection Day.
We announce "He Has Risen” not happy easter.
The response to this statement is "He has Risen indeed"!
Our celebration does not include bunnies, baskets, eggs or chocolate, but we do gather with grateful hearts towards our Lord & Savior. It’s important to embrace the lamb through faith as faith is the instrument in which His blood is applied to each of us.
Let us gather in thankfulness, go to church, share a meal among family and friends & worship our Lord & Savior to observe Resurrection Day.
After all it is because of Jesus we are protected from the wrath of God. May we enjoy the fruits of the resurrection of Jesus, Our Savior and Pass Over lamb over Holy Week.🕊
Quick note:
The enemy wants us to stay separated on holidays and puts out a lot of negativity about pagan Holidays vs Jewish vs true Christian holidays to divide and conquer God’s people from enjoying His Fruit.
We know we have been fed lies of this world, because we are told this in His Word. Let’s just keep our eyes and ears on Jesus and the opportunities to get together with family and friends to share His first commandment of love.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35
And no matter what we call the meal (Easter, Pass Over or Resurrection), we can celebrate the beautiful resurrection of the lamb of God By loving one another and spending time together.
Don’t skip another holiday by believing you are serving God by not participating in a pagan holiday, just focus on the truth of Jesus in God’s word.
If you still have anxiety after reading my post, soak in the River of God and ask Him how to enjoy His Holy Week.
Often times, I am shown scripture to answer my questions and His Truth always brings peace to my soul. If you feel peace, you know this message is full of truth and He is using my voice to speak to your heart.💜
So much time has been lost ... the division in the world and in families is bigger today than ever! Let’s get back to sharing and caring for one another and especially those who are dying to hear about the real Jesus by shining our love over them!
Lots of people participate in holidays that would never find Jesus and they can become unique opportunities to share the real meaning of Holy Week this holiday while not stumbling over the logistics.
The work of God is truly amazing! 🕊
As I am writing this message, I praying you are blessed and encouraged to participate in Holy Week even with those who call this coming week easter for lack of knowledge! Let us walk among them shining God’s true light to break the chains of the enemy who sows lies.
See how exciting this truth is for those believing that they could not participate in the celebration? These counterfeit teachings are from the enemy.
We are not celebrating Easter the pagan holiday, we are embracing Jesus.
Now, join the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus who became our Passover! 🕊 He will show you the way.
Jesus is the hope of all the world!
Shalom
🦋Angela
Only by the Grace of God, are we saved. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 (King James Version)
By ourselves, we are nothing, we can do nothing. Only the Grace of God saves us – usually, from ourselves.
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