Passover

Passover, known as Pesach in Hebrew, is one of the most significant feasts in the Jewish calendar, commemorating the Israelites' deliverance from slavery in Egypt. The origins of Passover are found in the Book of Exodus, where God commands Moses to institute the feast as a perpetual memorial of the Israelites' liberation. The event is marked by the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn in Egypt, from which the Israelites were spared by the blood of a lamb applied to their doorposts. This act of divine deliverance is recorded in Exodus 12:13 : "The blood on the houses where you are staying will distinguish them; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will fall on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt."

The Passover lamb is a central symbol of the feast, representing both sacrifice and salvation. The lamb was to be without blemish, a year-old male, and its blood was to be a sign of protection. This foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ, referred to as the "Lamb of God" in the New Testament, who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

The Passover meal, or Seder, includes the eating of unleavened bread and bitter herbs, as instructed in Exodus 12:8 : "They are to eat the meat that night, roasted over the fire, along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs." The unleavened bread, or matzah, symbolizes the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt, not having time to let their bread rise.

Feast of Unleavened Bread

The Feast of Unleavened Bread immediately follows Passover and lasts for seven days. It is a time of purification and remembrance, during which no leavened bread is to be consumed or even found in the homes of the Israelites. This is commanded in Exodus 12:15 : "For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day, you are to remove the leaven from your houses, for whoever eats anything leavened from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel."

Leaven, or yeast, is often symbolic of sin and corruption in the Bible. The removal of leaven from the home represents the call to holiness and the separation from sin. The Apostle Paul draws on this symbolism in 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 , urging believers to "Get rid of the old leaven, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."

The Feast of Unleavened Bread serves as a reminder of God's deliverance and the call to live a life set apart for Him. It is a time of reflection on the past and a commitment to spiritual renewal and purity.

New Testament Significance

In the New Testament, Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread take on additional significance through the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. The Last Supper, which Jesus shared with His disciples, was a Passover meal. During this meal, Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, or Communion, as recorded in Luke 22:19-20 : "And He took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is My body, given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.'"

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus fulfills the symbolism of Passover, offering Himself as the ultimate sacrifice for sin. The Apostle Paul emphasizes this connection in 1 Corinthians 5:7 , identifying Christ as "our Passover lamb." The observance of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread thus becomes a profound reflection on the redemptive work of Christ and the call to live in the newness of life He provides.