The Passover is a foundational event in the history of Israel and a significant typological prophecy pointing to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The Passover, as instituted in the Old Testament, is both a historical event and a prophetic symbol that finds its ultimate fulfillment in the New Testament.

Old Testament Background

The Passover originates in the book of Exodus, where God delivers the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. The event is described in Exodus 12, where God commands Moses to instruct the Israelites to sacrifice a lamb without blemish and apply its blood to the doorposts and lintels of their homes. This act would cause the Lord to "pass over" their houses during the final plague—the death of the firstborn in Egypt. Exodus 12:13 states, "The blood on the houses where you are staying will distinguish them; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt."

The Passover lamb serves as a substitutionary sacrifice, sparing the Israelites from judgment. This event is commemorated annually in the Jewish festival of Passover, as commanded in Exodus 12:14 : "This day is to be a memorial for you, and you are to celebrate it as a feast to the LORD. You are to celebrate it as a perpetual statute for the generations to come."

Typological Prophecy

The Passover is rich in typological prophecy, foreshadowing the coming of Jesus Christ as the ultimate Passover Lamb. The Apostle Paul explicitly connects Jesus to the Passover in 1 Corinthians 5:7 : "Get rid of the old leaven, so that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed."

Several elements of the Passover event serve as prophetic symbols of Christ's sacrifice:

1. The Lamb Without Blemish: The requirement for a lamb without blemish (Exodus 12:5) prefigures Christ's sinlessness. 1 Peter 1:19 describes Jesus as "a lamb without blemish or spot."

2. The Blood as Protection: Just as the blood of the lamb protected the Israelites from death, the blood of Christ protects believers from eternal judgment. Revelation 1:5 speaks of Jesus, "who has freed us from our sins by His blood."

3. The Timing of the Sacrifice: The Passover lamb was to be sacrificed at twilight (Exodus 12:6), which corresponds with the time of Jesus' crucifixion, as the Gospels record that Jesus died around the ninth hour (approximately 3 PM).

4. No Bones Broken: The instruction not to break any bones of the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:46) is fulfilled in Christ, as John 19:36 notes, "These things happened so that the Scripture would be fulfilled: 'Not one of His bones will be broken.'"

New Testament Fulfillment

The New Testament presents Jesus as the fulfillment of the Passover prophecy. The Gospel of John emphasizes this connection, particularly in the timing of Jesus' death during the Passover festival. John 1:29 records John the Baptist's declaration, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

The Last Supper, which Jesus shares with His disciples, is a Passover meal, during which He institutes the Lord's Supper. In this act, Jesus reinterprets the elements of the Passover meal, identifying the bread as His body and the cup as His blood, establishing a new covenant (Luke 22:19-20).

Conclusion

The Passover serves as a profound prophetic symbol within the biblical narrative, pointing to the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. Through the lens of the Passover, believers understand the depth of God's redemptive plan, as the deliverance from Egypt foreshadows the greater deliverance from sin and death through Christ, the true Passover Lamb.