PASSOVER ( PESACH )
INTRODUCTION:
What Is Passover?
Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) is a foundational Jewish festival that commemorates God’s miraculous deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. It is a celebration of freedom, faith, and God’s mighty power to redeem His people.
Passover, along with the Feast of Unleavened Bread, is the first of the biblical festivals given by God to the nation of Israel. It’s celebrated annually in the spring during the month of Nisan (March–April), and it remains one of the most widely observed Jewish holidays today.
ETYMOLOGY:
Hebrew
פֶּסַח ( Pesach) derives from the root verb פֶּסַח pasach), meaning “to passover” or “to leap.” This refers to God passing over the houses of the Israelites during the final plague in Egypt.
Greek
In Greek, πάσχα (pascha) is the term used in the New Testament, directly borrowed from the Hebrew Pesach.
The Greek term is used in the New Testament to refer to the Passover festival, as well as to Jesus’ last supper and his crucifixion, which occurred during the Passover season.
1. Biblical Foundation of Passover:
The roots of Passover are found in the book of Exodus, when God raised up Moses to deliver the Israelites from Pharaoh’s oppressive rule. “Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the Lord. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment.’”
“Therefore, say to the people of Israel: ‘I am the LORD. I will free you from your oppression and will rescue you from your slavery in Egypt. I will redeem you with a powerful arm and great acts of judgment. 7I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt. 8 I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your very own possession. I am the LORD!’” ( Exodus 6: 6 )
God sent ten plagues upon Egypt to demonstrate His power and to persuade Pharaoh to release the Israelites. The tenth and final plague was the most devastating: the death of every firstborn in Egypt.
a .The First Passover: Protection Through the Blood
Before the final plague, God gave the Israelites a specific command to ensure their safety:
The animal you select must be a one-year-old male, either a sheep or a goat, with no defects. 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. 7 They 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. ( Exodus 12: 5 –7 )
This was the first Passover lamb, a foreshadowing of how blood would be the means of salvation.
On 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! 13 But 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. ( Exodus 12: 12 –13 )
This is where the term “Passover” comes from—God passed over the homes marked by the blood.
b. The Passover Meal: A Symbolic Feast
God commanded the Israelites to eat a specific meal that night, filled with symbolic elements:
That same night they must roast the meat over a fire and eat it along with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast. ( Exodus 12: 8 )
“That same night they must roast the meat over a fire and eat it along with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast.”
*Roasted lamb: Symbolized the sacrifice.
*Bitter herbs: Reminded them of the bitterness of slavery.
*Unleavened bread (matzah): Represented the haste of their escape—no time for bread to rise.
This became the foundation of the Seder meal celebrated by Jews around the world to this day.
c .A Perpetual Reminder
God didn’t want this event to fade from memory. He commanded that it be celebrated every year as a lasting ordinance.
“Remember, these instructions are a permanent law that you and your descendants must observe forever. 25 When you enter the land the LORD has promised to give you, you will continue to observe this ceremony. 26 Then your children will ask, ‘What does this ceremony mean?’ 27 And you will reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. And though he struck the Egyptians, he spared our families.’” When Moses had finished speaking, all the people bowed down to the ground and worshiped. ( Exodus 12: 24 –27 )
This passing down of the story from generation to generation is a central theme of Jewish identity and faith.
II. Pilgrimage Festival
Passover is one of the three pilgrimage festivals (along with Shavuot and Sukkot) when Israelites were commanded to go to Jerusalem to celebrate.
“Each year every man in Israel must celebrate these three festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters. On each of these occasions, all men must appear before the LORD your God at the place he chooses, but they must not appear before the LORD without a gift for him. ( Deuteronomy 16: 16 )
In the time of the Temple in Jerusalem, Jews would bring offerings and celebrate the Passover together in a national, sacred gathering.
III. Passover and the New Testament:
For Christians, Passover has an even deeper meaning as it points forward to Jesus (Yeshua), whom they believe is the ultimate Passover Lamb:
Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us. ( 1 Corinthians 5: 7 )
“Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.”
Just as the blood of the lamb saved the Israelites from death, the blood of Jesus is seen as the means of spiritual salvation from sin and eternal death.
Iv. Jesus Christ: Our Passover Lamb
Each year, Jewish families around the world celebrate Passover, commemorating the miraculous Exodus from Egypt. But for Christians, Passover carries an even deeper meaning—it points to Jesus Christ, the ultimate fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan.
- The First Passover: A Sign of Deliverance
Passover began in Exodus 12, when God instructed the Israelites to sacrifice a spotless lamb and apply its blood to the doorposts of their homes. That night, the Lord passed through Egypt, striking down the firstborn of every household—except those covered by the blood.
“But 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.” ( Exodus 12: 13 )
It was not ancestry, good deeds, or personal character that saved the Israelites from death. It was only faith in God’s provision—the blood of the lamb.
- Jesus: The Fulfillment of the Passover
Centuries later, Jesus Christ came as the Lamb of God. His mission was to fulfill the Law and the prophets—not abolish them.
“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. ( Matthew 5: 17 )
As the New Testament reveals, Jesus became the ultimate Passover sacrifice. “Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.” ( 1 Corinthians 5: 7 )
Just as the blood of the lamb protected Israel from death, the blood of Jesus—shed on the cross—delivers believers from eternal separation from God.
- The Last Supper: A Passover Meal
The Last Supper that Jesus shared with His disciples was, in fact, a Passover meal.
Now the Festival of Unleavened Bread arrived, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed. 8 Jesus sent Peter and John ahead and said, “Go and prepare the Passover meal, so we can eat it together.” ( Luke 22: 7 –8 )
During this meal, Jesus redefined its meaning, revealing that the bread and wine represented His body and blood, soon to be broken and poured out. “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you.” (Luke 22:19–20) This was no longer just a remembrance of Egypt—it became a new covenant, established in Christ’s sacrifice.
- Salvation Through Faith in the Blood
Just like the Israelites had to act in faith to apply the lamb’s blood, believers today must place their faith in the blood of Jesus. His death is sufficient to save, and His blood is the only true protection from eternal death.
“For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.”( Revelation 5: 9 )
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered—to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.”( Revelation 5: 12 )
Finality and Fulfillment:
The Old Testament Passover lamb was a foreshadowing of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice.
God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake. 21 Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. ( 1 Peter 1: 20 -21 )
This profound truth reminds us that through Christ, believers are not only freed from the bondage of sin but are also offered the assurance of eternal life. The Passover marks a pivotal moment in salvation history, pointing to the greater deliverance found in Jesus, who is the true Passover Lamb. As we remember this powerful connection, may we continually celebrate and honor His sacrifice, living in the freedom and hope He provides until He returns