Passover פסח-Pesach

“If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.”-John 5:46

I think one of the greatest tragedies that have occurred within the Christian church is the deliberate neglect of the Old Testament. By claiming that Jesus has done away with the Law of Moses, they assert that the Hebrew Scriptures are no longer relevant for Christians today. However, as is very apparent from the above Scripture, Jesus affirmed that Moses wrote about Him. The Old Testament has an abundance of material that foreshadows the coming of the Messiah. Hence, if we don’t properly study our Old Testaments, there are so many spiritual treasures we will miss out on.

So with that in mind, let’s take a look at the first Passover or Pesach in Hebrew and see how it foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross for the sins of mankind. The setting for this story begins in Egypt where G-d’s chosen people, the Israelites, have been made into slaves. After 400 years of brutal Egyptian subjugation, G-d decides that the time is now ripe to rescue His people. So He anoints a man named Moses to be His spokesperson to the King of Egypt. Moses is sent to Pharaoh and says, “Thus saith the L-rd G-d of Israel, Let my People Go.” However, as to be expected, the Pharaoh doesn’t give in quite so easily. So G-d unleashes a series of plagues that devastate the land of Egypt. The Pharaoh still refuses to budge. So finally, G-d summons Moses and informs him that He is going to deliver one final blow that He guarantees will change the Pharaoh’s mind. Let’s take a look at what the L-rd informed Moses.

“This month is to be the first month of the year for you. Tell the people of Israel that on the tenth day of this month the head of each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for his family to eat. If any family is too small to eat the whole animal, they must share it with their next-door neighbors. Choose either a sheep or a goat, but it must be a one-year-old male that has nothing wrong with it. And it must be large enough for everyone to have some of the meat.
ONE) Each family must take care of its animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of the month, when the animals are to be killed. TWO) Some of the blood must be put on the two doorposts and above the door of each house where the animals are to be eaten. That night the animals are to be roasted and eaten, together with bitter herbs and thin bread made without yeast. Don't eat the meat raw or boiled. The entire animal, including its head, legs, and insides, must be roasted. Eat what you want that night, and the next morning burn whatever is left. When you eat the meal, be dressed and ready to travel. Have your sandals on, carry your walking stick in your hand, and eat quickly. This is the Passover Festival in honor of me, your LORD.

That same night I will pass through Egypt and kill the first-born son in every family and the first-born male of all animals. I am the LORD, and I will punish the gods of Egypt. The blood on the houses will show me where you live, and THREE) when I see the blood, I will pass over you. Then you won't be bothered by the terrible disasters I will bring on Egypt.” –Exodus 12:2-13

Let’s take a look at the portions of Scripture in bold type and see how they apply to Jesus. First, the Scripture tells us exactly when the sacrificial animal was to be killed. It was to be killed on the 14 day of the first month called Nisan of the Jewish New Year, which is around March-April of our Julian calendar. Now when was Jesus crucified? On exactly the same day! It is no coincidence that He was killed on the Passover holiday for He is our Pesach lamb.

Second, the necessity of applying blood to the left, right and top sides of the door frame of the dwelling entrance is stated. Hence, metaphorically, when we accept Jesus as the proper sacrifice for our sins, that is exactly what we are doing, we are applying the Pesach lamb blood to the doorframe of our lives.

And third, the best news of all! In the Scriptures, G-d states that when He sees the blood, He will pass over us. Hence, when G-d sees in our hearts (and believe me, he knows what is in our hearts) that we have spiritually applied the Blood of Jesus to our bodies, He will pass over us in the time of judgment.

Dear L-rd, thank you for sending your one and only begotten son to be our Pesach lamb so that we may be saved from our sins.

Amen.