Chapter 2

THE FEAST OF PASSOVER

The purpose of this study is to see that in addition to being the means by which God protected the people of Israel from the wrath He inflicted upon Egypt, God also provided the Passover as a foreshadowing of the work of salvation He was going to perform through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now before we begin our study, let us pray:

Dear Heavenly Father,

We come before You in Jesus' Name and ask for Your blessing upon our study. We ask that You would please give us the eyes, ears and heart so we can come to know You better and the wonderful salvation that You have extended to us through Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen

For our study of the Feast of Passover, we will:

  1. Quickly review the historical events that led to the circumstances under which God instituted the Feast of Passover.
  2. Examine some key elements of the instructions and purpose of the Passover to see how they were foreshadowings that point to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the work of salvation He performed for you and I.
  3. Find that it was no coincidence that Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper on the eve of Passover.
  4. Review the new covenant we now have with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

HISTORICAL EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FEAST OF PASSOVER

In approximately 1707 BC a severe famine settled upon the land of Canaan and Egypt. This famine was so severe that it ultimately forced Jacob (latter renamed by God to be Israel) to send his sons to Egypt for food. Many years prior to this, through a whole set of unpleasant circumstances, God had moved Joseph, Jacob's favorite son, to Egypt (Genesis 37:1-36). Again through a whole set of circumstances God had also raised Joseph to be second in command, next to the Pharaoh, over all of Egypt (Genesis 38:1-41:57). In this position Joseph was in charge of the grain or food supply for Egypt. Thus, Jacob's sons had to go to Joseph to purchase the needed grain for their family in Canaan. It was because of the life threatening famine and Joseph's position that God had Jacob move his whole family, with Pharaoh's good graces, to the land of Egypt.

Ultimately Jacob and his sons, including Joseph, died. However, throughout their stay in Egypt God blessed Israel, that is Jacob, and his family so that they greatly multiplied in number. Unfortunately, a new king came to power in Egypt. This king did not know about Joseph. In fact the new king was threatened by the multitude of the people of Israel. He was so afraid that Israel would turn on him that he decided to enslave the people of Israel. In their slavery they were forced to perform the task of building Pharaoh's supply cities of Pithom and Raamses (Exodus 1:1-10).

The oppression of their slavery became so severe that the people of Israel cried out to God for deliverance from their taskmasters. God heard their cry and sent Moses to Egypt to be His instrument for delivering the nation of Israel from their bondage to the Egyptians (Exodus 2:23-3:12).

After his arrival in Egypt, Moses went to the Pharaoh to demand freedom for the people of Israel. As you would suspect, Pharaoh did not warm up to this request. In fact, as a punishment for asking for freedom, Pharaoh increased the workload for the Hebrews, that is the people of Israel. Discouraged, Moses prays to God for an explanation of what had happened. God's response to Moses is recorded for us in,

Exodus 6:1-8

"[1] Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country." [2] God also said to Moses, "I am the LORD. [3] I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name the LORD I did not make myself known to them. [4] I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they lived as aliens. [5] Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant. [6] "Therefore, say to the Israelites: 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. [7] I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. [8] And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.'"

Let us notice the following verses,

1…God told Moses that he will see what He (God) will do to Pharaoh to convince Pharaoh to drive out the Israelites from the land of Egypt.

7 … God said He will take Israel to be His people and He will be their God. In other words they will no longer be enslaved to the Egyptians and no longer under the authority of the Pharaoh. Specifically, they will know that God Almighty is their God.

We find that these works or judgements that God was going to bring through the hand of Moses were also designed to clearly demonstrate to the Egyptians that He, God alone, is Lord.

Exodus 7:5

"[5] And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it."

As we read further in the book of Exodus we find that Moses and his brother Aaron obeyed God and continually went before the Pharaoh to demand the release of the Israelites. After each time that Pharaoh refused to release Israel from their bondage to go and freely worship and serve God, God inflicted upon the nation of Egypt mighty works of judgement. These judgements increased in severity and culminated in the tenth and final judgement, the death of the first born of all living things in Egypt. To protect the people of Israel from this judgement of death to the first born, God instituted the Passover.

With this background, let us now go begin our study about,

THE FEAST OF PASSOVER

By way of introduction to this portion of our study it is noted that as the nation of Israel was physically in bondage to the Egyptians and Pharaoh, those who are not yet born again believers are, in like manner, in spiritual bondage to sin and Satan.

To see this let us first read the following excerpt of what Jesus said to some Jews who believed in Him,

John 8:31-34

"[31] To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. [32] Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." [33] They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?" [34] Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin."

Let us notice the following verses,

31 … Jesus told the Jews who believed Him that to be His disciples they must abide, that is follow or obey, His Word.

32 … Jesus proceeds to tell the Jews then and now us that the truth will set us free. This statement leaves us with the question of: "What is this truth that will set us free?" Later in this chapter will find that the truth Jesus is talking about is the fact that He, God the Son, came to this earth to die and shed His blood for the forgiveness of our sins and to set us free from our spiritual bondage to sin and Satan.

34 … Please prayerfully reflect upon what Jesus said here, that is:

"Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin."

Secondly, the Holy Spirit through the Apostle John teaches us that those who are not of God are under the power of the evil one. Consider,

1 John 5:19

"[19] We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one."

The Study

With the above introduction in mind, let us now explore the purpose and meaning of the Passover and how they point to or foretell the arrival of Jesus Christ and the work of salvation He performed for us. To do this let us review God's instructions to Moses and Aaron for the establishment of the Passover. We find a good summary of these instructions recorded for us in,

Exodus 12:1-14

"[1] The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, [2] "This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. [3] Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. [4] If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. [5] The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. [6] Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight. [7] Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. [8] That same night they are to eat the meat roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast. [9] Do not eat the meat raw or cooked in water, but roast it over the fire--head, legs and inner parts. [10] Do not leave any of it till morning; if some is left till morning, you must burn it. [11] This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the Lord's Passover. [12] "On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn--both men and animals--and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. [13] The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. [14] "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD--a lasting ordinance."

Let us now examine in a bit more depth the following verses,

2 … The month of Passover will be the first month of the year. Namely, this month will signify the start of their new life of freedom, that is they will now be delivered from their bondage to the Egyptians and free to worship and follow God. The same is true with the true Christian. The day and month of the new birth of the born again believer marks the beginning of their new spiritual life in Jesus Christ. It is at this time the born again believer has been set free from their spiritual bondage to Satan and sin and are now free to follow and worship God as He desires for them to do. Consider the following,

2 Corinthians 5:17

"[17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

5 …"The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect..."

Notice that the lamb to be used for the Passover had to be a male without defect or blemish, that is spotless. This was a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ Who being without sin or spot would sacrifice Himself to save and deliver you and I from our spiritual bondage to sin and Satan. To expand upon this, let us read what the Holy Spirit is saying to us in,

1 Peter 1:17-21

"[17] Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. [18] For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, [19] but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. [20] He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. [21] Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God."

With this background let us now read how the Holy Spirit speaking through the Apostle Paul referred to Jesus Christ as He was correcting the church in Corinth in the way they were celebrating the Lord's Supper,

1 Corinthians 5:7(b)

"[7]... For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed."

Thus we find that the Old Testament Passover lamb pointed to the time when Jesus Christ, the true Passover Lamb, would come.

With this in mind, let us now return to the book of Exodus and continue our study by examining verse

6(a) … "Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month..."

So that the sacrifice would be personal and intimate, prior to its slaughter, the people were to separate the lamb from the flock and care for it for four days. The same with us. To really understand the loving sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, we must become personal and come to know Him and the great love He has for us. To help you and I come to this understanding, our Lord separated Himself from His Heavenly home, became man and dwelt among us. To see this let us begin by reading from,

John 1:1-4

"[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was with God in the beginning. [3] Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. [4] In him was life, and that life was the light of men."

And,

John 1:14

"[14] The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."

As we consider all the things Jesus did and said while He was here upon this earth, we can not help but come to realize that in addition to being the Lord and King of the entire Universe, He is also our very close and intimate friend. Consider what Jesus once said as recorded in,

John 15:12-13

"[12] My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. [13] Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. [14] You are my friends if you do what I command. [15] I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you."

This is precisely what Jesus did. He laid down His human life to save you and me.

Let us now return to Exodus 12 verse 6(b),

6(b) …"…all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight."

Notice, the whole congregation was to kill the lamb. It is interesting to note that this too was a foreshadowing of what was to come. As we read the New Testament we find that at His trial with Pilate the congregation or gathering of the people of Israel cried out for Jesus' crucifixion. In other words these Israelites also took part in the killing of Jesus, the true Passover Lamb. To see this, let us read from,

Luke 23:12-24

"[12] That day Herod and Pilate became friends--before this they had been enemies. [13] Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, [14] and said to them, "You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. [15] Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. [16] Therefore, I will punish him and then release him." [17] [18] With one voice they cried out, "Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!" [19] (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.) [20] Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. [21] But they kept shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" [22] For the third time he spoke to them: "Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him." [23] But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. [24] So Pilate decided to grant their demand."

As we read further in the Bible we also find that the Holy Spirit tells us that we too, yes you and I, also had a hand in Jesus' crucifixion. True we were not physically in Jerusalem at the time of His death but it was because of our sins that He went to the cross to save us. To see this let us prayerfully read from,

1 Peter 1:17-19

"[17] Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. [18] For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, [19] but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect."

Perhaps another way for us to see the implication of what we just read would be for us to realize that if we could save ourselves or become righteous in God's eyes by being "good", then Jesus Christ would not had to die to save you and I. Consider that the Apostle Paul wrote in,

Galatians 2:21

"[21] I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!""

Returning to our study of Chapter 12 in the book of Exodus, let us now look into verse,

7 … "… they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs."

As the Scripture says, the people were to put some of the lamb's blood around the doorframe of their homes, that is around the entrance to their household. We too, the born again believer, in a spiritual sense, have been sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ. We find this by reading the introduction of the first letter written by the Apostle Peter,

1 Peter 1:1-2

"[1] Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, [2] who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance."

Let us now return to the book of Exodus and explore the following verses ,

8(a) and 14 … "[8a] That same night they are to eat the meat ..."

""[14] This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD--a lasting ordinance."

To serve as a reminder that the lamb was slaughtered for their benefit, the people of the household were to eat it. As a matter of fact to insure that the people of Israel would not forget the great deliverance that God did for them, we find in verse 14 they were to commanded to periodically keep this feast throughout their generations. The same with us. We too are commanded to periodically partake of our Passover Lamb Jesus Christ. To see this let us read an excerpt of Paul's instructions to the church in Corinth concerning the Lord's Supper.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26

"[23] For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, [24] and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." [25] In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." [26] For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."

Let us return to the book of Exodus and now examine verses,

11(b) - 13 … "… it is the Lord's Passover. [12] "On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn--both men and animals--and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt."

This was the Lord's Passover. Notice that the blood was a sign or covering over the house. When the blood was seen that household would be passed over. In other words, God's wrath or judgement would pass over all the people who were under the covering of the blood of the lamb. In like manner those who are born again are under the covering of the blood of Jesus Christ that He shed for the forgiveness of our sins. Hence, God's wrath or judgement passes over them. In other words, through Jesus Christ those who have placed their faith in Him have or are at peace with God the Father. This is beautifully revealed to us in,

Colossians 1:19-23

"[19] For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, [20] and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. [21] Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. [22] But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation-- [23] if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant."

As one reflects upon the above observations one might question as to whether or not we are reading too much of the New Testament into the purposes and instructions of the Old Testament Passover. To alleviate these concerns let us review the circumstances and season when Jesus Christ established,

THE LORD'S SUPPER

It is noted that while Jesus walked upon this earth He could at any time enter into Jerusalem to be put to death. For example, let us read about the situation in Jerusalem after the chief priests and Pharisees heard about Jesus raising Lazarus from death to life.

John 11:45-54

"[45] Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. [46] But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. [47] Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. "What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. [48] If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation." [49] Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, "You know nothing at all! [50] You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish." [51] He did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, [52] and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one. [53] So from that day on they plotted to take his life. [54] Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the Jews. Instead he withdrew to a region near the desert, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples."

We find in the above Scripture that the Sanhedrin, that is the ruling religious body of the Jews, were determined to have Jesus put to death. In verse 54 we find that because of this Jesus purposely stayed away from Jerusalem. Why? Why did Jesus stay away? As we will find in the following Scriptures, the reason Jesus stayed away was because He was waiting for the Passover. To see this let us read what Jesus did just six days before the Passover. It is recorded for us in,

John 12:1

"[1] Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead."

It is noted that Bethany was on the outskirts of Jerusalem. He stayed there overnight and then on the next day, five days before the Passover, Jesus entered Jerusalem. What happened when Jesus entered the city is recorded for us in,

John 12:12-16

"[12] The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. [13] They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! " "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Blessed is the King of Israel!" [14] Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written, [15] "Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." [16] At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him."

Let us notice the following verse,

16 … At this time Jesus' disciples did not realize all that had happened during Jesus' entry into Jerusalem was foretold in the Old Testament. For example the people shouting "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" was prophesied in Psalm 118:26. In addition, Jesus riding on a donkey was prophesied in the Old Testament by the prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 9:9).

Why? Why did Jesus wait for the time of Passover to enter Jerusalem and why was His entry foretold by the prophets of old?

The answer to these questions lie at the heart of this study. Namely, in addition to fulfilling many other prophecies and foreshadowings, Jesus also came as our Passover Lamb. He was to be slain for the forgiveness of all our sins so that God the Father's wrath would pass over us. In other words, Jesus was entering Jerusalem to fulfill the promise or covenant that God made through the prophet Jeremiah. This new promise or covenant is recorded for us in,

Jeremiah 31:33-34

""[33] This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. [34] No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.""

Did Jesus know that He was to fulfill this prophecy? Did He know that He was to be the fulfillment of the Passover foreshadowings? To find out, let us read what Jesus said to His disciples just two days prior to the Passover.

Matthew 26:2

""[2]As you know, the Passover is two days away--and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.""

In other words Jesus' entry into Jerusalem at the time of the Passover was no coincidence. As we saw above Jesus knew He was about to fulfill all the foreshadowings of the Passover and become our Passover Lamb once and for all of the new covenant.

To expand upon this a bit more, let us begin by reading some excerpts of what happened on the day when the Passover lamb was to be killed. It is recorded for us in,

Luke 22:7-13

"[7] Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. [8] Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover." [9] "Where do you want us to prepare for it?" they asked. [10] He replied, "As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him to the house that he enters, [11] and say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher asks: Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?' [12] He will show you a large upper room, all furnished. Make preparations there." [13] They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover."

Let us now read what Jesus said to His disciples while they ate the Passover supper,

Luke 22:14-18

"[14] When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. [15] And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. [16] For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God." [17] After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. [18] For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.""

Let us notice the following verses,

15 … Again Jesus tells His disciples that He is about to suffer. As we know the suffering that Jesus is talking about was not only the humiliation that He was about to endure but also His excruciating crucifixion.

16 … Jesus tells us that all this was to find fulfillment in the Kingdom of God. In other words, He knew that all what happened and what was going to happen was in fulfillment of the Holy Scriptures.

After the Passover meal Jesus established the Lord's Supper to celebrate and remember the new covenant that He was about to make for you and me. To see this let us read from,

Luke 22:19-20

"[19] And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." [20] In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you."

Let us just pause for a minute or so and prayerfully think about what Jesus had just said.

CONCLUSION

Every time the born again believer celebrates the Lord's Supper they are to remember our Lord Jesus Christ and how He came to be our Passover Lamb. He came to be slain for the forgiveness of our sins so God's wrath would pass over us and we can enter into a new and eternal life with Him.

Thus, when we look or reflect upon Jesus we, as John the Baptist once did, can proclaim His glory by saying:

"Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

With all this in mind let us close our study by reading the following,

Hebrews 13:20-21

"[20] May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, [21] equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

AMEN and AMEN

(For additional study of the Lord's Supper please see Chapter23 of Volume I)

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