Jesus-and-the-Passover

Mathew 5:8

God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.

"These are the Lord's appointed feasts, the sacred assemblies you are to proclaim at their appointed times: The Lord's Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first mouth. On the fifteenth day of that month the Lord's Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread without yeast. On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work .. For seven days present an offering made to the Lord by fire. And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work." Leviticus 23:4-8

THE PASSOVER AND UNLEAVENED BREAD

Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are currently celebrated as an 8-day feast.

However, initially, in Exodus 12, and during Jesus' life, there were actually two different feasts. The feast of Passover was to commemorate and celebrate death passing over the House of Israel when the first born of Egypt was smote by God. In Exodus Chapter 12, God sets the religious calendar starting with the first month being Abib, or Nisan. All other feasts and holidays are to follow Passover. To have a full understanding of Jesus as our "Passover Lamb" we must understand the Scriptural significance of the first Passover and how it still applies today. And to understand the following Scripture, we must keep in mind the Jewishness of the writer, speaker and the text in Matthew 5: 17-19:

"17 Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfill. 18 For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one title shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

Jesus clearly teaches He did not come to destroy the Law, but to fulfill the Law. That Scripture is all too often interpreted in the Christian church as meaning Christians are free from the need to follow the Law. However, on deeper investigation into the Hebrew meaning of "fulfill" we find it is a Hebrew idiom meaning, "to interpret correctly." The second part of the Scripture, "destroy the Law" is also considered a Hebrew idiom meaning, "to incorrectly interpret the Law."

David Bivins, in his book Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus writes: "Destroy and "fulfill" are technical terms used in rabbinic argumentation. When a sage felt that a colleague had misinterpreted a passage of Scripture, he would say, "You are destroying the Law!" Needless to say, in most cases his colleague strongly disagreed. What was "destroying the Law" for one sage was "fulfilling the Law" (correctly interpreting Scripture) for another.

“What we see in Matthew 5: 17ff. is a rabbinic discussion. Someone has accused Jesus of "destroying the Law." Of course, neither Jesus nor His accuser would ever think of literally destroying the Law. Furthermore, it would never enter the accuser's mind to charge Jesus with intent to abolish part or all of the Mosaic Law. What is being called into question is Jesus' system of interpretation, the way he interprets Scripture. Jesus strongly denies that His method of interpreting Scripture "destroys" or weakens its meaning. He claims, on the contrary, to be more orthodox than his accuser."5

The Rubins in their book The Sabbath, Entering God's Rest try to clarify the confusion in the Hebrew idioms. "I was confused as to what Messiah's statement, "I have come to fulfill the Law," meant as it related to Shabbat. Back then, I believed that His "fulfilling the Law" meant I was free from the need to follow the Law. Discovering that the expression "fulfill" was a Hebrew idiom meaning "to interpret correctly" helped me to understand what Yeshua meant. "I have come to interpret the Torah correctly, not incorrectly (i.e., 'To abolish the Law')."2

In the rush to separate themselves from their Jewish roots, the early Christian leaders ultimately separated not only themselves, but all future Christians from their roots as well. There has been a move during the last half century, and more particularly the most recent quarter century, for Christians to begin to reach back to their Biblical Jewish roots.

The writer William W, Francis says, "Christians too often ignore their own history. We have failed to recognize that the Old Testament was the Scripture of our Lord and the earliest Christians, and that the land of Israel was not only the place of birth of Jesus but the place of His life and ministry, His death and resurrection. The Hebraic culture was the one in which our Lord was immersed, and the earliest Christians were Jewish. With his thorough knowledge of the Scriptures, the land of the Bible and Judaism, Lt. Colonel William Francis moves the reader through the intricate pathways of Old Testament passages with great skill. Because of his appreciation of Judaism, he brings our Hebraic heritage to light, and in doing so helps us to know ourselves. "4

God's chosen is Israel and His reasons are clearly stated in the book; Christ in the Passover,

"Jehovah chose Israel to teach all nations of Himself, to witness to the existence of the one true and living God: Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen .... , even I, am the Lord .ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God (Isaiah 43: 10-12)

"Jehovah chose Israel to show forth His love and faithfulness:

The Lord did not set His love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number, for ye were the fewest of all people: but because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers (Deuteronomy 7:7-8)

"Jehovah chose Israel to be a blessing to all people through all the seed of Abraham:

Now the Lord had said unto Abram ...I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee ..... and thou shalt be a blessing .... and in thee shall all families of all the earth be blessed (Genesis12:1-3)

"Jehovah chose Israel to be a praise to Him:

This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise (Isaiah 43:21)

"Jehovah chose Israel to bring forth salvation to all mankind:

Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews (John 4:22)

"Through Israel came the holy writings, the promises of God, and the Redeemer. Through the history of His people, Israel, we see the hand of the Almighty guiding, directing, showing what He expects of His people. Israel's customs and traditions are more than just quaint folkways to be studied by historians and anthropologists. Her history is a memorial of the past and a guidepost to the future. In a saga of His special people, Israel, God shows all mankind:

1. The unsatisfactory condition of all the natural human heart.

2. His willingness to forgive and restore.

3. The way He has provided that all people might come to Him,

4. The faithfulness and constancy of His love ....

"He called Abraham out of paganism and idolatry and established his seed as a great nation to be an example to the heathen, He gave His special people a Law and a land. He commanded them to keep the Sabbath as a reminder of creation and their Creator, and He ordained seven religious feasts to be observed every year (Leviticus 23:5-44) .... "Events and teachings in the Scripture often have more than one meaning. There is the obvious contemporary event to which there can be one or more prophetic counterparts, and there can also be a spiritual application. The ancient feasts of Jehovah, which He gave to Israel, cast the shadow of a greater future reality. There was a threefold aspect to those annual festivals: first, the seasonal celebration based on the agrarian culture of that time; second the historical remembrance of God's dealings with the nation; and third, a future fulfillment.

"Even as God orders the universe and commands the seasons of nature, so He has ordained times and seasons to bring about His order and plan of salvation for the human race. Israel's feasts of Jehovah portray the stages of God's dealings with man, which will culminate in the completion of that plan."3

To further support this move among Christian~ to return to their Jewish roots, Barney Kasdan, in his book, God's Appointed Times writes:

A Search for Jewish Roots

"Throughout Church history there has been a chasm of misunderstanding between the Church (the body of Messiah) and the Jewish people. Both Christians and Jews have falsely concluded that there is little real or particular connection between Christianity and Jewish life. However, these views are based on either ignorance or false presuppositions. As one objectively studies the New Testament, one finds there is no escaping the inherent Jewishness of faith in Yeshna, the Messiah. Jesus himself was a traditional Jew living in the land of Israel. He called other Jews to follow Him as Mashiach (Messiah), the anointed one from God. His early followers considered themselves to be Jews who had found the promised Messiah; hence, they naturally continued the Jewish expressions of their faith.

"It is, I believe, a tragedy that the Christian community has not understood, for the most part, the rich heritage on which faith is built. Many believers, however, rediscovering these connections, are wondering just how they can understand the Jewishness of their faith in a particular way The biblical holy days are a pragmatic way. These feasts were revealed by God for his own particular reasons, and through them all believers can be blessed, Jews and Gentiles.

The Purpose of the Biblical Holidays

"The Feasts of the Lord, or the biblical holy days, is to teach us about the nature of God and his plan for mankind. A classic passage in regard to the holy days is found in the New Testament.

"So don't anyone pass judgment on you in connection with eating and drinking; or in regard to a Jewish festival or Rosh Chodesh or Shabbat. These are a shadow of things that are coming, but the body is of the Messiah ( Colossians 2: 16-17).

"While this passage is often taken to mean "avoid legalism," there is another truth stated. It is true that the "festivals" are not the ultimate goals of faith, yet they do hold tremendous lessons for God's children. The festivals are not antiquated tangents to faith but, on the positive side, they are, in fact, legitimate shadows or models of God's truth .. This is something that should be explored in a positive way, not shunned as legalism. For example, the Sabbath has much to teach about our weekly lives. Passover is rich in symbolism of the Messiah's death, burial, and resurrection. Rosh Hashanah and Yom

Kippur are not obsolete, but continue to declare the reality of Yeshua's return to this earth.

"In short, all of the Feasts of the Lord were given to Israel and to "grafted-in" believers to teach, in a practical way, more about God and his plan for the world. When analyzed with the right spirit, there are some exciting new truths waiting to be rediscovered through participation in the Jewish Biblical holy days!" I

Even though most Christians believe these Jewish feast are no longer relevant, because Jesus fulfilled them, it cannot be ignored that Jesus was a religious Jew. Kasdan continues to explain:

The Continuity of the Biblical Holy Days

"Yeshua Himself observed the various feasts during his earthly life The Gospel writers tell us that His custom was to worship on the Sabbath (Luke 4: 16). It was during the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) that Yeshua offered "living water" to the Jewish multitude (John 7:3739). One of the most powerful sermons, in which he proclaimed the Messiahship, took place in the Temple at Hanukkah (John 10:22-30). The earthly life and ministry of Messiah shows the continuity of the biblical holy days."

This continuity did not suddenly cease with the apostolic generation that followed. Although there are several statements in the New Testament that cause us to think carefully about a proper balance concerning the holy days, there is clear indication that the early followers of Yeshua continued the practices.

"It was at Shavuot/Pentecost that the first believers gathered for worship to proclaim the risen Messiah (Acts 2). In his discussion about the spiritual significance of Passover, Paul exhorts the Corinthian believers (a mixed group of Jews and Gentiles) to "celebrate the Seder" (I Corinthians 5:8) with right understanding There is abundant evidence that the disciples understood and continued to celebrate the wonderful truth of God through the holy days delineated in the Scriptures. This is an example for believers today. Much can be gained by continuing to observe the holy days in the present generation." I

The Historical Background

"The Lord's Passover begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month. On the fifteenth day of that month the Lord's Feast of Unleavened Bread begins; for seven days you must eat bread made without yeast. On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. For seven days present an offering made to the Lord by fire. And on the seventh day, hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work (Leviticus 23:5-8)" 7

The following is a continuation of God's object lesson: Exodus 12: 1-39

"The Lord's redemption of Israel needed to be stamped indelibly on the minds and hearts of future generations. He intended that the ancient experience should have a lasting effect on His people; its importance must be reinforced with regularity for all time.

"Yet how can a people best remember its history? Books and scrolls capture only the interest of the scholarly; in time, words loose their meaning. God, the master Teacher, devised the perfect method. He commanded the annual re-enactment of the first Passover night, a ceremony that would appeal through the senses to each person of every generation. Even as we teach little children today through object lessons, Jehovah took everyday acts of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching and made them His allies in teaching holy truths to His peoplc."3

THE LAMB

The lamb was perfect, without spot or blemish. They were to select a perfect animal and keep close watch over it for four days to be sure it was healthy and perfect in every way. This innocent Passover lamb foreshadowed the one who was to come centuries later as God's final atonement for redemption.

Isaiah 53:7 Messiah will be led as a lamb to the slaughter. I Peter 1:19-20 Jesus was preordained to die before the foundation of the world. John I:29 John proclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world."

The lamb selected was watched over closely to ensure its perfection. According to Deuteronomy 15:21, only that which is perfect can be sacrificed. Jesus, the Messiah, presented Himself in public ministry for three years showing Himself perfect. Even Pilate found no fault. Hebrews 4:15 teaches He was tempted and tested in all ways and was found to be without sin. I Peter I: 19 describes Him as the Lamb without spot or blemish.

The Passover Lamb must be roasted. In Scripture fire speaks of judgment. Isaiah tells that the Messiah would bear the sins of the many, wounded for sins not his own; He was stricken with God's judgment and numbered with transgressors. Jesus, our Messiah, suffered the fire of God' judgment on the cross for the sins of others. 2 Corinthians 5:21 teaches that God made Him sin for us that we be made righteous.

Scripture foretold not a bone would be broken, Psalms 34: I9-20, it is also confirmed in

John 19:33-34.

THE BITTER HERBS

With bitter herbs they shall eat it (Exodus 12:8). God commands they eat bitter herbs with the lamb. The deeper meaning of the bitter herbs, aside from the bondage, would be death, since bitterness in Scripture often speaks of death. The bitter herbs were to be a reminder that the first born of Israel lived because the Passover Lamb died.

THE UNLEAVENED BREAD

They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted with fire, and unleavened bread (Exodus 12:8). Next God's object lesson is the unleavened bread. The lesson goes deeper than departing Egypt in haste (Deuteronomy 16:1-8). In the Bible, leaven is almost always a symbol of sin. The putting away of all sin is a picture of the sanctification of a child of God. Cleansed and redeemed by God's Lamb, the true believer must put away the sinful leaven of the old life before redemption. The Hebrew word "matzo" (unleavened) means sweetness and wholesomeness of life without sin. This foreshadows the sinless perfect life of the Messiah. Matzo is also striped and pierced, representing the stripes Jesus received on our behalf (lsa. 53:4-5, IPet.2:24) as well as being pierced (Jn. 19:34) for our transgressions.

THE BLOOD ON THE DOOR

Exodus 12:22 clearly pictures how redemption for Israel was from the blood of the Passover sacrifice. There is no question that the directive to place the blood of the Sacrificed lamb on the doorposts and lintel was from God. God not only directed they place the blood on the door frame but He directed in a specific order. The basin spoken of in Scripture was a depression at the threshold of the door. The Israelites were to kill the Passover Lamb at the door causing the blood to drain into the basin at the threshold of the door. When they applied the blood to the doorframe they were to first touch the lintel (the top or horizontal part), then they were to touch each side of the door flame. In doing this, they were making a sign of a cross, sealing the doorway with the blood on all four sides. The Messiah Himself shed blood from all four ends, His head, His nail-pierced feet, and each nail-pierced hand.

Jesus pictures this for us today by His words in John 10:9, "I am the door if anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. "

The Israelites entered in through the blood-sealed door to find safety and redemption under the blood of the Passover Lamb; and they went out the next morning to begin their journey to the pasture of the promised land.

For those who accept the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb, Yeshua, as pictured in Exodus

12:1-39; Deuteronomy 16:1-8; Leviticus 23:4-8; Matthew 2617-29; Mark 14:12-25 and

Luke 22:7-20 they have been redeemed and are safe and are not under God's judgment.

NEW TESTAMENT OBSERVANCE

The New Testament Observance of the Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread was fully developed before the first century. Jesus celebrating Passover is mentioned in the Gospels, Luke 2:41, John 6:4 and the book of Acts 12:3-4. The last Passover celebrated by Jesus is taught in Matthew 26: 17-19, Mark 14:12-16, l.Luke 22:7-13 and John 13:I.

Among traditional items mentioned are the lamb, Luke 22:8; bitter herbs, Matthew 26:32; the washing, John 13:1-15; four cups of wine, Matthew 26, Luke 22; and Ma17.ah, Matthew 26:26. The meaning of each element is very significant: The lamb, redemption, blood sacrifice; bitter herbs is a reminder of oppression, bondage and death; hand and foot washing typifies the need for cleansing before approaching God. According to ancient rabbis the four cups of wine are important because they represent the four promises given to the children of Israel in Exodus 6:6-7,

"Therefore, say to the Israelites, "I am the Lord and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptian.I will free you from being slaves to them and will redeem you with an out-stretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God ... "1

The cup of sanctification first, the cup of praise (or plagues) second, the cup of redemption is third, which was designated by Messiah Yeshua as a special memorial throughout all generations. Once a memorial cup for the Jews in Egypt for physical redemption, it is now a symbolic spiritual redemption found in Messiah's sacrifice. The fourth and final cup is the cup of acceptance or praise, and a fitting close to the Seder celebration.

The prophetic fulfillment for believers today is very significant. For instance, slaying the Passover lamb foreshadowed redemption found in God's appointed Lamb, the Messiah, who shed His blood for our redemption.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

I. Kusdan, Barney "God's Appointed Times" Messianic Jewish Publishers, 1983 pgs. vvi, 25, 27.

2. Rubin, Barry and Stem; "The Sabbath Entering God's Rest" Messianic Jewish Publishers, 1993, pg. 2

3. Rosen, Ceil and Moishe, "Christ In the Passover" Moody Press, 1978, pgs. 7-10,25.4. Francis. William W., "Celebrate the Fcasts of the Lord" Crest Books, 1998, og, xi.?JL 122 ARJ

5. Bivins, David; BIizzard, Jr., Roy, "Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus" Destiny Image Publishers, 1983; revised 1994, pg. 114.

Pesach / Passover

God declares Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread a permanent observance and celebration with complete instructions on how it is to be observed. (Ex. 12:1-27)

Commandments, Spiritual Application and Messianic Fulfillment

Passover celebrates God's deliverance of the Hebrews. (Ex. 223-25, 6:5-8, 13:3.14)

Application: Belief in Jesus frees one from bondage. (In. 8:31-36)

2. Blood of the Passover lamb is to be applied to the door post so that death would pass over. (Ex. 12:7)

Messianic fulfillment: Jesus the Passover Lamb. (ICor.5:7, In. 1:29) Blood of Jesus redeems the believer. (Eph.1:7,IPet 1:17-20)

3. Passover marks the beginning of months. (Ex. 12:2)

Application: Receiving Jesus as Savior is the beginning of a new covenant relationship with God, (In. 3:5-7) and new life, (Rm. 6:1-4, 2eor. 5:17)

4. The lamb was to be without spot or blemish. (Ex. 125)

Messianic fulfillment: (In. 1:29, I Pet. 1:18-20)

5. The lamb was of the first year. (Ex. 12:5)

Application: God distinguishes between believers and the world (Ex. 12:29-30), first born of Egypt smote by God. First born set apart and sacrificed to God. (Ex 12:2, 11:15)

Messianic fulfillment: Jesus first born over all creation, (Col. 1:15); first born son,

(Matt. 1:25); first born from the dead, (Col. 1:18); among the brethren, (Rm. 8:29)

6. One lamb for a household. (Ex. 12:3-4)

Application: Through one man sin came into the world (Rm. 5: 12) Redemption comes through one (Rm. 5:17-19). Salvation was for all households, (Gal. 6:10, Lk. 19:5-10 Jews; Acts 1730-31, Gentiles)

Messianic fulfillment: The Lamb of God for a house, Ex. 123-4; a nation, In. 11:49-52; the world, Jn 1:29).

7. The Passover lamb was killed at twilight. (Ex. 12:6)

Messianic fulfillment: Jesus died at the 9th hour of the day, (3:00 p.m.) Matt. 27:45-50

8. The Passover lamb was not to have any broken bones. (Ex. 12:5)

Messianic fulfillment: Jesus legs were not broken. Jn. 19:31-36

9. The whole assembly shall kill the lamb. (Ex.12:6)

Messianic fulfillment: Jesus died for all sinners. (Rm.3:1O,23)

Many peoples were involved in Jesus death. (Matt. 27:17,20, 22, 25.)

10. Blood must be applied to the door post for the household. (Ex.12:7,13,22)

Application: Believers are the household of God (Eph. 2: 19). The only way into the household of God is through the shed blood of Messiah, the door. (In.lO:7-9)

11. The lamb was selected and kept by the family for four days,. (Ex. 123,6)

Messianic fulfillment: Fulfilled by Jesus during Passover week. (Mk. II: 1-10), triumphal public entry. In verses 11-27 Jesus travels to and from Jerusalem for days with His disciples; 14:1,3,13& 17, Jesus returns to Jerusalem two days before Passover.