passover

When should the Passover be observed??
How should it be observed?
Am I required to observe it at all?
What's the big deal here?
This page answers those questions. There are no religious affiliations weighted in this writing.
I welcome your comments, criticisms, rebuttals, proof of error, etc. email me

Is Easter the same as Passover? Is Passover just for the Jews, who are still waiting for Christ to come the first time and don't believe the Jesus who came 2000 years ago was really the Messiah? Do they keep the Passover today the same way God commanded back at the Exodus? Is Easter a Christian Holiday or a pagan celebration of the Roman pagan Goddess Eostre? Is timing important as Easter is normally celebrated after Passover every year? What do chicks, and egg hunts, and giving bunny rabbits to children have to do with it? Go to www.detailshere.com/easter.htm if you want to know the truth about Easter. Also see www.detailshere.com/trueorigins.htm This page will deal with the truth about Passover.

Why do we need to know this?
We are in the endtimes folks; the last days on earth. Easter is NOT one of Yahweh's Feastdays; but neither is Christmas, or Halloween, or Valentine's Day either. These all belong to the mimicer, the guy who wants us to burn with him in the lake of burning suphur at the end of the millenium. The birthpangs spoken of in Revelation are getting closer and closer together and the intensity is increasing, much more so in this last decade than all the previous years put together. The second coming is getting very very close, and apostacy in the church, drifting away from the truth to the lies of Satan, keeps spreading to drive Christians further and further from the truth and what Yahweh wants of them. What ARE Yahweh's words regarding Passover and His Holy Annual Feast Days?

Let us summarize what the Passover means to us. Keeping Passover each year is not a Mosaic Law or a Jewish thing. It is God’s command in Exodus 12:14 that ALL of us shall observe this day throughout all generations, FOREVER. That’s pretty simple language to tell us Passover is for ALL of us to observe, EVERY year, once a year, FOREVER.
The requirement to observe Passover did not go out with the cross.

Easter is NOT Passover. Easter is man’s concoction. Easter is a pagan celebration, mixing pagan traditions of the celebration of the Goddess Oestre with a Christian icing of the resurrection to make it palatable to the deceived and uninformed. Easter was created when pagans were being brought over to Christianity, bringing their pagan baggage with them. Easter is not God's holiday. Neither are Christmas , Saint Valentines Day or Halloween. These are not God’s
Holy FeastDays ; they ALL have pagan roots.

Passover is not one of God's holy feastdays in itself but ushers in the Feast of Unleavened Bread wherein the first and last days of the Feast of Unleavened bread are Sabbaths – meaning rest, worship and no work on those days. Passover is a commemoration of the "Passing Over" and occurs on April 8^th this year. The beginning of that day is Tuesday evening, April 7th, at sundown and it extends to sundown Wednesday, April 8th. The Feast of unleavened bread goes from April 9^th through April 15^th. Remember God’s days are sundown to sundown, not midnight to midnight. And the dark half of the day comes before the light half of the day. So 7pm to 7am might be considered the dark half and 7am to 7pm after that would be considered the light second half of that day.

Passover means “passing over”. Jews today claim that the Passover commemorates the exodus from Egypt, but that is not what the Bible says. It was a completely different specific event preceding the exodus by a whole day.

Passover is named for the event, occurring at midnight on Nisan 14, approximately 1548BC, which was executed by God. It received it’s name for the sparing of Israel’s firstborn, during the night in which the destroyer, Satan’s angel of death, passed over all the houses in Egypt, sparing only the children of Israel their firstborn from the plague of death, while they were still in their houses, in the land of Egypt, BEFORE the Exodus took place. God didn’t kill the firstborn of the Egyptians that night but He allowed Satan, the destroyer, to do so. Exodus 12:23 states “….and will not suffer (or allow) the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.” Satan is the destroyer.

To prevent Satan’s angel of death from also killing the firstborn of the Israelites, God’s instructions to the Israelites were to sacrifice a lamb at the beginning of Nisan14 as soon as the sun went down on the end of Nisan 13, and spread it’s blood over the lintel and doorposts of each house if they wanted their firstborn to be spared. They had to kill and roast the lamb and eat it completely that night , stay inside their houses until dawn, and burn any remains of the lamb not eaten by the following morning. Exodus12:7-13 covers this.

The Passover derives it’s name from this event, passing over of the Israelite houses marked in lamb’s blood, in which God allowed Satan, the destroyer, as the tenth plague on Egypt, to kill all of Egypt’s firstborn as the final step in redeeming the entire nation of Israel from the bondage of slavery. The redemption of God was their only salvation from that bondage of slavery. Their slavery was a bondage to sin, and the ultimate penalty for sin is death.

The Passover has great significance for us Christians today in relationship to God’s passing over our sins through the sacrifice and blood of Jesus Christ, and sparing us from the penalty of sin, which is eternal death. Keeping Yahweh's Holy Feast Days today also has significance as it points forward to God knowing who belong to Him so He can protect them from the coming 7 plagues of tribulation just as He protected the Israelites from 7 of the 10 plagues He cast on the Egyptians. The Israelites went through the first three along with the Egyptians.

But we are getting ahead of the story.
Let’s first set the stage with how the Israelites got to Egypt in the first place and needed removal from the bondage of slavery.

Let’s go back to Abraham who had two sons first; Ishmael from his wife’s servant Hagar because his wife was so old they didn’t feel she could have a child. This was man’s attempt to fix the problem of creating descendants. The descendants of Ishmael constitute the Muslim nation today.
And Abraham and Sarah finally had Isaac, the child God had promised to Abraham from his wife Sarah. Sarah was about 90 years old when she had Isaac, a true miracle. This was God’s real solution to the problem of creating descendants and an ancestry for Abraham. Abraham had many more sons after Sarah died also but we are interested in where Isaac came from.

Isaac had two sons, Jacob and Esau. Jacob , with the help of his mother, tricked Isaac who was nearly blind in old age into giving him the family blessings instead of Esau, who was the rightful heir. This caused a falling out between Jacob and Esau and Jacob left to seek work and habitation elsewhere. Jacob fell in love with a gal named Rachel and made a deal to work for her father for 7 years for her hand, but on their wedding night her father switched daughters on him in the bedroom and because Jacob was drunk he ended up consummating the marriage with Leah instead of Rachel but still had to work off his 7 year deal promised to her father. At the end of the 7 years he made another 7 year deal to then marry Rachel. To make a long story short, between Leah, Leah’s maid, Rachel and Rachel’s maid , Jacob ended up with 12 sons and a daughter. But he favored Joseph and Benjamin because they came from Rachel whom he loved so much. Because he favored Joseph, the rest of the brothers were very jealous of Joseph, and on a trip sold him into Egyptian slavery. Benjamin did not go along on that trip because he was too young.

But Joseph was a smart boy and made many suggestions to his Egyptian captors to increase their productivity and wealth. So much so that he soon was put in charge of much of Pharoh’s holdings and even became the governor of all of Egypt. Then there was a great famine. Joseph was warned by God and knew about this ahead of time and had stored up 7 years worth of grain and goods to carry Egypt through this time period. Jacob, Joseph’s father, who had been told Joseph was dead long ago, in desperation as they had run out of food, sent his sons to Egypt to try and get food. Joseph recognized his brothers and sent food and word to his father Jacob to come to Egypt where there was food aplenty to share with them. They were given a 300 square mile territory, approximately 20 miles long by 15 miles wide, called the land of Goshen in which to live. This is where the children of Israel lived and multiplied for over 250 years. The Bible says 400 years, but the few ancestral lines don't seem to support that length of time.

Now this all worked out until Joseph passed away, as well as the Pharoh he served. Then troubles began. In Exodus 1 starting with Verse 7 we find the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them. Then there arose up a new king over Egypt, which didn’t know Joseph. And he said unto his people, behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it came to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.

Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Ramses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with intense labor. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. Pharoh even tried to kill all the newborns that were males, which leads us in to the Moses story.

Moses enters the picture
Along comes Moses, a male Israelite, supposed to be killed along with all other male newborns, hidden for three months after birth, but was set adrift on the river in a basket of reeds where an Egyptian lady, Pharoh’s daughter, found him and adopted him, hired Moses’ real mom unknowingly to nurse him, and raised him up as an Egyptian.
But Moses knew he was an Israelite and after watching the cruelty of the Egyptians over the Israelite slaves one day stopped one of these beatings and accidently killed the Egyptian. This sent him into the wilderness away from Egypt for 40 years tending flocks as a common shepherd until one day a burning bush ignited in front of him, was not consumed, and it was God from it speaking to him.

God, remembering his covenant with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, told Moses to go free his people from Egyptian slavery. Moses said, whoooah Lord, I ain’t up to that, they won’t listen to me, who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? God said, I will be with you, take your brother Aaron and go. I will take care of everything.

Well, Pharoh had a hard heart and wasn’t about to let his slaves go. Moses even threw down his staff and it turned into a snake to show God’s power; but Pharoh wasn’t impressed. His magicians could do the same thing. God then cast plagues over all Egypt. The first was turning all the waters blood red to where the fish died and stank and nobody could drink the water. That didn’t work so God then made frogs be abundant. There were frogs everywhere, covering the land of Egypt. But Pharoh gave in only for a short while and as soon as the frogs were gone he again refused to let the Israelites go. The God turned the dust into lice that plagued man as well as beast. Again Pharoh relented only until the lice were gone, then again went into the refusal mode.

It is interesting to note that the Israelites went through three of these plagues also but were spared from seven of them.. Seven of the plagues affected Egyptian land but did not extend into the Land of Goshen where the Israelites lived. This points forward to God protecting us from the tribulation and the 7 bowls of wrath that will be poured out just before Jesus comes at the second coming.

Well, to make a long story short, besides the water turning to blood and the frogs, and the lice, God plagued the Egyptians with flies which covered the land, cast disease upon the Egyptian cattle, put boils upon the skin of the Egyptians, brought thunder and hail to destroy the crops of the Egyptians, brought swarms of locusts over all Egypt to consume and eat their crops, and brought darkness for three days all over the land.
Each time Pharoh agreed to let the slaves go only to change his mind as soon as the plague was lifted.

The tenth plague, the death of all firstborn, was the clincher though. From Exodus 11:5 And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of all the beasts. Even with this severe of a warning and in light of the other nine plagues which had come true and were testimony to God’s power; Pharoh would still not let the Israelites go; although the rest of the Egyptians were by now wanting to get rid of them.

God protected His people, the Israelites, by giving them instructions on how to protect themselves from this intense plague by painting their doorposts and lintels of their houses with the blood of the lamb and to stay inside their houses and not come out until sunrise the next day. At midnight, that night, a few hours after the beginning of nisan14, God allowed the destroyer, Satan, to kill all the firstborn of any house in Egypt not containing the blood of the lamb on the door posts and lintels. The destroyer had to PASSOVER and not kill the firstborn in any house that contained the blood painted doorposts and lintels. That event, at midnight, in 1548BC, the passing over of the Israelite houses containing the blood of the Passover lambs on their doorposts was the first Passover.

God commands us to remember Passover
each year on the correct day, at the beginning of Nisan 14, in the evening, forever and ever as it pointed forward to the sacrifice of Yahshua on the cross who became our Passover lamb some 1575 years later to rescue us from the bondage of sin.

Many have tried to tell us this was all a fairy tale; that in reality it never happened. However recent archeological finds have discovered accounts of these plagues in Egyptian related writings including the deaths of the Egyptian firstborn on this fateful night.

Many try to tell us the exodus of several million people from the land of Goshen in Egypt never happened either, but recent archeological finds at the Gulf of Aquaba on the Red Sea where a land bridge lies just under the waters there have turned up chariot parts of that era, bones of horses, and other artifacts that tell us the spreading of the waters across the red sea and the entrapment of Pharoh’s army really did happen. See http://www.arkdiscovery.com/red_sea_crossing.htm and http://tempodofim2.tripod.com/Exodo.htm ( in Spanish) for many pics about the Exodus, maps of the route, pic of the underwater landbridge under the sea at the crossing site, newspaper articles and many pics of chariot parts still underwater. Also see http://www.wyattmuseum.com/red-sea-crossing.htm and http://www.detailshere.com/exoduspath.htm for the exodus path our spy satellite above earth found and how it found it.

The first Passover which initiated freeing of the Israelites from the bondage of slavery has much significance and points forward to the death of Yahshua, the lamb of God, on the cross which initiated freeing us from the bondage of sin some 1575 years later.

It is God’s command in Exodus 12:14 that ALL of us shall observe this day throughout all generations, FOREVER. It is NOT a Jewish thing, it is NOT a Mosaic law that went out with the cross. It is simply Yahweh’s command and keeping Passover annually is one of God’s ways to know that you belong to Him so He can seal you from harm during the tribulation period coming soon. Again, Easter is NOT Passover. Easter is Satan’s substitute pagan celebration of eggs, and chicks and pretty bunnies symbolizing pagan fertility rites created so you will not honor God’s Passover. Yahweh has seven special times each year that are HIS. We will discuss each as they come along.

Passover is not a feastday in itself
but a commemoration of the "passing over" and ushers in the Feast of Unleavened Bread wherein the first and last days are Sabbaths – meaning rest, worship and no work on those days, April 9^th and April 15^th. Passover occurs on Wednesday day April 8^th this year (beginning Tuesday April 7th at sundown) The Feast of unleavened bread goes from April 9^th through April 15^th. Remember God’s days are sundown to sundown, not midnight to midnight.

Why unleavened bread? One of the things we are required to do during the week of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is to have NO leaven or yeast in our homes and to use no yeast in cooking during that week. As the exodus from Egypt was abrupt, bread did not have time to rise. They threw the unrisen bread over their shoulders, stuffed dough into their clothes and began the Exodus; hence the FeastDay week called the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Scripture commands that Passover be observed separately from the 7 days of the Feast of Unleavened bread. God did not establish Passover day as a memorial of the Exodus. Passover was established as a memorial to commemorate Yahweh’s passing over of the houses of the Israelites to protect their firstborn from the destroyer who was allowed to kill all the firstborn Egyptians. The Feast of Unleavened Bread, which begins on the following day, when the sun sets at the end of the 14^th day and the beginning the fifteenth day of Nisan, is the feast that Yahweh established to commemorate the Exodus from Egypt. These are different events, occurring on different days, and are not to be celebrated on the same day.

Jews have combined these two feasts erroneously instead of keeping them separate and now call the both of them the celebration of passover.

Think of the logistics
of moving 2 to 3 million people with all their flocks and herds. Exodus 12 clearly records that the children of Israel departed as an organized group from Rameses. Leaving the morning following the Passover would not allow time for 2 million people to gather their belongings and travel to Rameses from their houses and assemble in their marching order before beginning the Exodus. Numbers 33 also states that the Egyptians were burying their dead. How many? Doesn’t say, but if you consider 10 Egyptians for every Israelite (remember the Egyptians killed all male Israelites to keep the population down) and there were 600,000 Israelite men, and 1 in 5 Egyptians could be a first born; that still leaves several million firstborn killed that night. That’s a lot of burials.

It took all of the rest of the daylight part of the 14^th of Nisan to spread the word that Pharoh wanted them oughta there, to get ready to move out, to receive the spoils of gold and silver and clothing given them by the Egyptians, to pack up, organize, and then head for Rameses to start the Exodus that evening after sundown, the beginning of Nisan 15 . The commands of Yahweh recorded in Leviticus 23 confirm the separate identity of these two events.

It is also interesting to note that the Egyptians “spoiled”, or heaped upon the Israelites all the clothing and jewelry they desired. They gave to the Israelites many gifts of silver and gold and clothing for their departure AFTER the completion of all the plagues because Yahweh gave them favor in the eyes of the Egyptians. The Egyptians who were NOT killed in the final plague of death must have been in absolute terror that God would strike them down, as He had their firstborn. Fearful of being struck dead they gave the children of Israel everything they asked for.

The Book of Numbers (Numbers 33:1-5) gives us an account of their departure from Rameses. Numbers 33:3 specifically states the children of Israel departed Rameses on the 15^th day of the first month. Deuteronomy 16 shows their departure began at sunset, the beginning of Nisan 15, and continued late into the night on the 16^th.

The Exodus began from Rameses, not from the houses located in the land of Goshen. The Exodus began as an organized march, not as a scattered movement of people and flocks. It took them the daylight part of Nisan 14 to receive their spoils from the Egyptians and move from their houses in Goshen and organize at the start point of the Exodus in Rameses where God’s pillar of light would guide them by night, and a pillar of cloud would protect them from the hot sun during the day. They marched out of Rameses in the evening just after the sun went down on Nisan 14^th at the beginning of the 15^th day. Deuteronomy 16:1 clearly states that Yahweh brought His children out of Egypt by NIGHT, the beginning of Nisan 15. That is why God designated the NIGHT of the 15^th as a memorial for all generations to come. Exodus 12:42.

This is where it gets sticky as the Jews no longer differentiate between the two events.

Exodus 12:37-39 describes their journey from Rameses to Succoth, about 600,000 men on foot. If every man had a wife and at least one or two kids, that’s a lot of people. It is hard to comprehend the magnitude of the Exodus. The day of the Exodus, leaving from Rameses, is the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread to commemorate the act of Yahweh bringing them out from the land of Egypt and releasing them from the bondage of slavery. What’s interesting is that this whole scenario was prophesied in Genesis 15:13-14 where Abraham was told his seed would be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, his seed shall serve them, and afterwards they will come out with great substance.

We know what happened next when they got to the Red Sea and Pharoh again changed his mind and went after them with his army to kill them all. God separated the waters of the Red Sea and dried the sea bed floor so the children of Israel could cross over to the other side. After they had crossed he then protected them even further by disabling the chariots; wheels came off, axles broke, etc. Ex 14:24-25. But they still pursued and when God loosed the wind holding the waters back, they were all drowned. Today, you can dive in this area of the landbridge, a 600 foot wide shallow shelf underwater with deep water on both sides of this shelf, at the Gulf of Aquaba, and find chariot parts encrusted with coral. See http://www.arkdiscovery.com/red_sea_crossing.htm for many pics.

The passover was instituted as a one day service, a memorial of God’s passing over of the Israelite houses, to be observed on the 14^th day of the first month. The Feast of Unleavened Bread was instituted as a seven day observance, beginning on the 15^th day of the first month with the first day commemorating the first day of the Exodus, leaving at Rameses, and the 7^th day commemorating the completion of the Exodus across the Red Sea with the total destruction of the enemy at the Red Sea.

Second Passover and the next 40 years
The account of Israel’s second Passover ( a year after leaving Egypt) is found in Numbers chapter 9:1-5. This Passover was only 2 days after the dedication of the new tabernacle and altar. And they kept the Passover in the first month, on the 14^th day of the month at dusk (between sunset and dark), at the beginning of the 14^th; not at the end. The scriptural record of Israel’s second Passover shows NO CHANGE in the time or manner of the observance. It was just like recorded in Exodus 12. The scriptural account makes it clear that all the requirements of Exodus 12 were still to be kept. It also included NOT breaking any of the lamb’s bones (Ex 12:46 ). Can you see that one pointing forward to when the Romans broke the leg bones of the two thieves but not of Jesus. This Passover as well as the next forty, before they occupied the land of Caanan and built houses, was still performed in each individual tent; not in the tabernacle, which handled the daily sacrifices. After they occupied the promised land, the Passover was still observed in their houses. There is no record, scriptural or historical, of a tabernacle-centered Passover during this time period. God did not require that the Passover lambs be sacrificed at the tabernacle. Philo, a Jewish historian, confirms that the Passover lambs were slain at the houses of the Jews during the first century AD before the destruction of the temple in AD 70. On this day the whole nation performs the sacred rites and acts as a priest.

However, from the time of the second Passover to Jesus’ day, and forward, the Pharisees did make changes from God’s commands and they did also institute a temple Passover. These were man’s changes, not God’s changes. God doesn’t change. Let’s look at some of these changes.

Original 14^th day of Nisan Passover
(all the rules can be found in Exodus 12:3-46)
1. Lamb is killed at the beginning of the 14^th day
2. Lamb is killed at home
3. Blood sprinkled on the doorposts of houses
4. Meal eaten in the evening of the 14^th, within 5 hours of the beginning of the 14^th
5. Commemorates the passing over of the Israelite houses in Egypt during the time the destroyer was allowed to kill all the first born of any unmarked houses
6. Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread totaled 8 days.

Second Passover and beyond; rules are the same as in Exodus 12 as verified in Numbers 9
1. Lamb is killed at the beginning of the 14^th day
2. Lamb is killed at home
3. Blood sprinkled on the doorposts of houses (tent entrances when in the wilderness)
4. Meal eaten on the night of the 14^th, within 5 hours of the beginning of the 14^th
5. Commemorates the passing over of the Israelite houses in Egypt during the time the destroyer was allowed to kill all the first born of any unmarked houses
6. Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread totaled 8 days.
7. The story of the first Passover is described in detail by the heads of each household, relating the story of that perilous night in Egypt when Yahweh spared their firstborn

Traditional Jewish Temple Passover
1. Lamb was killed at the end of the 14^th day, not at the beginning.
2. Lamb was killed in the temple
3. Blood sprinkled on the altar and fat burned on the altar.
4. Meal eaten on the night of the 15^th instead of the 14^th
5. Commemorates the Exodus instead of just Passover
6. The seven days of unleavened bread are incorrectly called Passover.
The Bible tells us Passover and the Exodus are two separate distinct events.

Here’s the clincher
When studying the New Testament accounts of Passover observance, we see that Jesus Himself, who obeyed God the Father perfectly and never sinned or followed the traditions of the Jews, kept the domestic Passover meal at the beginning of the 14^th of Nisan, Thursday evening, with His disciples. The 14^th of Nisan extended from sundown Thursday to Friday sundown at dusk. By that time it was Jewish practice to not only have a domestic Passover followed by a temple Passover sacrifice also in which lambs were slain late in the afternoon but still on Nisan 14 and were eaten then on Nisan 15. This is where the celebrating of both Passover and commemorating the exodus by the Jews was erroneously combined into one event and they called it the Passover. Despite the fact that there is no command from God anywhere to support a temple Passover sacrifice, this practice became a national tradition among the Jews. This deviation from the commands of God completely overlooks the separate meanings of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened bread which commemorates the Exodus.

And although the destruction of the temple in 70AD ended the temple sacrifice of the lambs, the tradition of a Nisan 15 passover did not die. Today most Jews believe that the 15^th day of the first month is the day God set aside for the Passover. How can they believe that when scripture clearly says otherwise? They also ignore over 300 prophecies in the Old Testament that foretold the coming of the Messiah and still don’t believe Jesus came the first time. God commanded that the Passover be observed at the beginning of the 14^th day; not at the end of the 14^th day or the beginning of the 15^th day.

It is interesting to note that in the Passover week when Jesus was crucified that Friday, which most churches now call Good Friday; it was Nisan 14 - the preparation day when the lambs were sacrificed late in the afternoon by the Jews of that time period - the same time that Jesus, Yahshua the Messiah was hung on the cross to die.

And, if Jesus and His disciples were the only ones who held the Passover meal (called the last supper) at the time specified in the Old testament by Yahweh (see Exodus 12 and Numbers 9) , at the beginning of Nisan 14, how do we justify that He was the Passover lamb which was supposed to have been slain at the BEGINNING of Nisan 14 instead of at the end which had become the erroneous Jewish practice?

The answer - Jesus did not take issue with the teaching of the Pharisees concerning the Torah, or Law, or the proper times for the holy days and festivals of God to be observed even though they were now teaching some errors. Rather, He Himself, with all the authority of Heaven, declared: "The scribes and the PHARISEES SIT IN MOSES' SEAT: ALL THEREFORE WHATSOEVER THEY BID YOU OBSERVE, THAT OBSERVE AND DO . . ." (Matt.23:2-3).

How plain! Since the Pharisees sat in MOSES' SEAT, their authority in teaching the laws and statutes and holy days of God was BINDING UPON ALL THE CHURCH; erroneous or not! They taught that Passover should be observed at the closing or ending of the 14th of Nisan, not at the beginning of the day! The Passover lambs were killed in the LATE AFTERNOON, AT THE VERY TIME JESUS CHRIST, OUR PASSOVER LAMB, WAS SLAIN AND SHED HIS BLOOD FOR OUR SINS! Therefore, Jesus, per the current authorities was a PERFECT substitute of the original Passover lamb!

As Nisan 15, was a sabbath holy day - the first day of unleavened bread, Saturday , which started Friday at sundown, the Roman soldiers made sure everyone on the cross that day was dead before sunset, hence the breaking of the legs routine to hasten death for the other two people on the cross next to Jesus. Jesus was already dead by then so they didn't have to break his legs; which was prophesied. Remember Exodus 12:26 which said not to break the bones of the Passover lambs. But Jesus was dead before sunset and the start of the Nisan15th sabbath holy day.

When Jesus expired, as he was the sacrificial lamb of that Passover, the curtain in the temple was torn in two which signified an end to the system of animal sacrifices for the remission of sin. Yahshua's death paid the price for all men's sins, IF, people just believed in that and accepted that gift of God called grace.

How was Jesus in the ground for three days and three nights
It was just after that last supper, actually during, because Judas left the table before all was completed, that Judas betrayed Jesus just before he went to the Garden of Gesthemane to pray, knowing His time had come.
He was tried by the Jewish Sanhedrin that night of blasphemy, claiming to be God and forgiving sins, then taken to Pontius Pilate who found no fault with Him, then sent to King Herrod who wanted nothing to do with the matter, then back to Pontius Pilate who feared an uprising if he didn’t do what the Jewish priests demanded, then He was beaten severely by Roman soldiers and then sent to be crucified on a wooden cross.

This all took place from Thursday night after midnight to Friday morning to finally Friday afternoon when he was actually crucified around 3pm our time, all on Nisan 14. Jesus WAS the Passover Lamb and as such needed to be killed on the preparation day, between Thursday evening sundown and Friday evening sundown. . He was put in the tomb Friday about 6pm BEFORE sundown, thus was in the grave for part of Friday. Luke 22:54 tells us this was still the preparation day. He rested all of Saturday which was a Sabbath, the First Day of Unleavened Bread, as well as the weekly Saturday Sabbath; second day in the grave. Remember Saturday ends at Saturday evening sundown and Sunday starts at Saturday evening sundown. He continued to rest in the ground during the first part of Sunday which we consider as Saturday evening after sundown and early Sunday morning. He was resurrected on what we consider Sunday morning but really it was already probably ten hours or so into Sunday, the first day of the week, third day in the grave. When Mary and Mary came to anoint Jesus, they couldn’t do it on the Sabbath which was Saturday, up until Saturday sundown, but came on the first day of the week; Luke 24:1-7 and Mark 16:1 tell us this.

Most people don’t have a hard time understanding the three days in the grave; but they have a hard time with how do we get three nights out of it, because Matthew 12:40 says, "as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly ; so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth".
Inclusive reckoning will be able to give three days, as was shown above, but it will not be able to explain three nights. There is a need for a further examination of the traditional interpretation to cover the three nights.

There is little evidence anywhere to show that the "heart of the earth" means just death or in the grave. In 1Peter 3:18-19 we learn that when Jesus, “being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit…. went and preached unto the spirits in prison”; probably means the fallen angels chained in the abyss. Jude 1:6 talks about , “And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” 2Peter 2:4 says, “For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.” Perhaps these fallen angels were the subjects of Jesus’ preaching to the spirits during His three days and three nights.

Jesus said that He would be in the heart of the earth as Jonah was in the belly of the whale. When Jonah was in the whale's belly he was not dead, instead he was in captivity. Jonah remained in captivity until he came out of the whale. Similarly Jesus being in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights refers to the period He allowed Himself to be in captivity. Jesus was in captivity first when He was arrested in Gethsemane by the band of men and officers from the chief priests shotky after midnight Thursday of Nisan 14, then He was in captivity by the Roman Army, and finally He was in captivity by death. This period of captivity was from Thursday night (considered Friday by Yahweh’s calendar) to Sunday morning, three days and three nights!!

In Matthew 26:45 it can be seen that just before Jesus permitted Himself to be arrested in Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives on Thursday evening, He said to His disciples, "behold the hour is at hand", also translated "the time has come". This meant that that moment was the start of a special predicted time. This was the start of the three days and three nights period.

There is no doubt that Jesus was crucified on Friday the Preparation Day, and resurrected on Sunday morning, if people understand that the period in the "heart of the earth" was the period of captivity, not just the physical time spent in the tomb.

The Significance of Jesus’ sacrifice.
Jesus' sacrifice, the central message of Passover, was a supreme act of love for humanity. This important event laid the foundation for the remaining annual Holy Days and festivals. It is the most momentous step in God's plan.

Just before the Passover feast, Jesus said that "for this purpose I came to this hour ... And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself" (John 12:27, 32).

The day on which this profound event, the crucifixion, transpired was the 14th day of the first month of God's calendar, the same day on which the Passover lambs were killed (Leviticus 23:5). Paul later wrote the congregation at Corinth that "Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us" (1 Corinthians 5:7).

Jesus Christ bought us with His blood, pouring out His life as our Passover lamb so God could forgive our sins.

Why did Jesus Christ have to die? Our Savior had to die because that was the only way God could forgive our sins. The Bible tells us that sin is the violation of God's law of love (1 John 3:4). We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We have each earned the death penalty for our disobedience (Romans 5:12; 6:23).

Paul illustrated the profound love of Jesus Christ in giving up His life on our behalf (Romans 5:6-8). All would be doomed eternally had not somehow the penalty for our sins been paid. Christ, who lived a perfect life as the unblemished Lamb of God, substituted His death for ours. In fact, His death was the only possible substitution for ours. His sacrifice became the payment for our sins. He died in our place so we could share life with Him forever. We can no longer live according to our own desires. We become God's redeemed, or bought and paid-for, possession (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Both Jesus and the apostle Paul made it clear that the Passover is to continue as a Christian observance. Jesus Himself instituted new Passover symbols and practices to teach Christians important truths about Himself and God's continuing plan of salvation.

The Passover in the Old Testament foreshadowed Christ's crucifixion. The New Testament Passover is a memorial of that crucifixion. By observing it, we "proclaim the Lord's death till He comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26). Now let's examine and the lessons we should learn from it.

What were Christ's specific instructions concerning the Passover ceremony that we as modern
day Christians should follow?

When?
God’s instructions haven’t changed. Numbers 9:11 still tells us to eat the Passover meal at the beginning of Nisan 14. In 2008 that is April 19^th but that day in God’s time STARTS Friday evening at sundown (April 18^th per our calendar). The passover meal and accompanying foot washing ceremony and communion should occur on Friday evening. Jewish tradition celebrates the Passover meal a day later, Nisan 15, in error.

Feet Washing
During the Passover meal (the last supper – at the beginning of Nisan 14 when Exodus 12 says it is supposed to be held) Jesus "rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded" (John 13:1-5).

Washing guests' feet was normally the job of the lowliest household servant. In the first century it was an act of hospitality. Rather than ask a servant to perform this function for His guests, Jesus humbly chose to carry it out Himself to teach an important spiritual lesson. The account continues: "So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, 'Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet'"
(John 13: 12-14).

Jesus left His disciples with a lasting reminder of the importance of humble service to others. The simple act of washing the feet of others teaches us a vital lesson intimately associated with the Passover. He concluded: "I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you" (John 13:15). How many Christians today obey this simple instruction to wash each other's feet, and exemplify that attitude in their lives? As the redeemed possession of God through Christ's sacrifice, our lives should be devoted to the service of God and our fellowman.

The bread: symbol of Christ's body
(Matthew 26:26). "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, 'Take, eat; this is My body.'
The bread and the wine. The unleavened bread represents his body being broken for our healing at the whipping post. Broken also means lacerated. The price for your healing of any sickness or disease was paid for in full at the whipping post. Isaiah 53:5. Your sins were bought and paid for at the cross, and when you drink the wine symbolizing His blood, you are confirming your understanding that He paid for all your sins with that shed blood. Isaiah 53:12. You don't eat the bread without drinking the wine. And if you consume either without the knowledge that the bread represents your healing of sickness and disease (griefs and sorrows Isaiah 53:4) and the wine symbolizes your redemption from sin, you commit sin. Now you know.

Christ's body was to become a sacrificial offering for sin, for indeed "we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Jesus offered one sacrifice for sins forever ... For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified" (Hebrews 10:10-14). God forgives us through Jesus Christ's sacrifice, and He "sanctifies" us—sets us apart—for the holy purpose of obedience to Him.

Our decision to eat the Passover bread, unleavened bread, bread made without yeast (leaven representing sin) means we understand that Jesus Christ has "put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself" (Hebrews 9:26). He willingly consented to suffer an excruciating death for us. Christ bore in His body the mental and physical suffering brought on by sin.

Christ possessed the power to forgive sin (Matthew 9:2-6). Through the forgiveness of our sins, Christ made possible our receiving of eternal life. "I am the bread of life," He said. "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world" (John 6:48-51).

The meaning of the Passover wine representing Christ’s blood.
Why did Jesus command His disciples to drink wine as a symbol of His blood during the Passover service? What does this symbolize?

Notice Matthew's account: "Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom'" (Matthew 26:27-29).

Christ knew that drinking wine as a symbol of His shed blood would impress deeply on our minds that His death was for the forgiveness of our sins. "This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me" (1 Corinthians 11:25). Jesus "loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood" (Revelation 1:5). God forgives our sins through Jesus' shed blood (1 John 1:7).

Paul explains in Hebrews 9:22 that "according to the Law ... all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness [of sin]" .

The Old Testament records God instructing the priesthood to perform certain duties that included a system of cleansing and purification using the blood of sacrificed animals, thus foreshadowing the shedding of Christ's blood, the ultimate sacrifice for sin. He commanded the nation of Israel to follow this temporary system of the ritualistic cleansing of sin (Hebrews 9:9-10). Animal sacrifices served as a type of the one and only real and future sacrifice, Jesus Christ, who would pay the penalty for everyone's sins once and for all.

The Bible teaches that one's life is in his blood (Genesis 9:4). When a person loses sufficient blood, he or she dies. Therefore blood, when poured out, makes the atonement for sin, which produces death (Leviticus 17:11). Jesus lost His blood when He was crucified (Luke 22:20; Isaiah 53:12). He poured out His blood, dying for the sins of humanity.

In partaking of the wine at the Passover service, we should carefully consider its meaning. That small portion of wine represents symbolically the very life blood that flowed from Jesus Christ's dying body for the remission of our sins (Ephesians 1:7). With this forgiveness comes freedom from eternal death.

Taking communion, eating of the unleavened bread and drinking the wine leads to a new way of life

The Passover bread reminds us of the close relationship Christians have with Jesus Christ. Eating the bread demonstrates our commitment to allow Christ to live in us.

The apostle Paul describes this uniting with Christ in Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Pursuing your own ways is no longer your life's focus. Your relationship with Jesus Christ should become extremely important to you.

The apostle John tells us what Christ expects of us in our relationship with Him: "Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments ... He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked" (1 John 2:3-6).

If you talk the talk, you need to walk the walk. Head knowledge won’t save you.

The Passover bread reinforces our understanding that Jesus Christ, the true "bread of life," must live within us, enabling us to live an entirely new life. God forgives our sins to sanctify us—to continue to set us apart for a holy purpose, to redeem us (that is, purchase us for a price). We now belong to God so He can fulfill His purpose in us.

God’s new Testament Covenant with us
We must understand that repentance (not only being sorry for our sins but turning from those sins as well), forgiving others if we want God to forgive us, baptism and the acceptance of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ - along with belief in His promise to forgive our sins - constitutes a covenant with God. Through this covenant, which we gratefully accept and can completely rely on (Hebrews 6:17-20), God grants us eternal life. By accepting the sacrifice of Christ for the remission of sin, we enter into a covenant relationship with the God of the universe. The terms of this covenant are absolute, because it was sealed with the shed blood of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:11-12, 15). This covenant is renewed every year when we partake of the Passover.

What are the terms of this covenant relationship? "'This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,' then He adds, 'Their sins and lawless deeds I will remember no more'" (Hebrews 10:16-17).

Ancient Israel did not have the heart to faithfully keep God's commandments (Deuteronomy 5:29). Under the New Covenant, however, God writes His law in our hearts and minds. His laws are not those of physical purification contained in the system of sacrifices, washings and service in the tabernacle. Instead, they are the holy and righteous laws that define right behavior toward God and neighbor (Romans 7:12) and lead to eternal life (Matthew 19:17). The Passover wine is symbolic of this covenant relationship that is ratified by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Annual observance in the early Church
The New Testament pictures Christians continuing to observe the annual festivals at the times commanded by God. As a youth, Christ kept the Passover annually on the specified day Nisan 14, at the beginning of that day in the evening. (Luke 2:41), and He continued the practice with His disciples. The early Church as well continued to observe the other Holy Days at their specified times.

Scripture gives no hint of the early Church adding to or changing the dates God ordained for His festivals. By observing the Passover each year on the appropriate day, members of the Church were proclaiming "the Lord's death till He comes."

The Bible specifies the yearly observance of the Passover, and history records its annual celebration as the practice of the early Church. Passover, as a memorial of Jesus' death, is to be observed annually rather than whenever or however often one chooses, just as all of the other annual festivals are to be kept once a year at their appointed times. Neither Jesus Christ nor the apostles indicated that we should change when or how often we observe any of God's festivals.

Celebrating Passover properly.
This includes having the Passover meal at the right time, at the beginning of the evening of Nisan 14, between sunset and midnight to be more specific. Passover and Feast Day dates for each year can be found at www.cbcg.org and at www.ucg.org This year that's Tuesday evening April 7th, 2008 our time or April 8th, sundown to sundown, God's time.

This no longer includes killing a lamb or even having lamb as part of the meal, or painting blood on your doorposts. That part DID go out with the cross. It does include eating bread that contains no yeast, unleavened bread. Unleavened bread, although flat and somewhat hard, can still taste good. We are to have no yeast inside our homes or eat any bread that has risen with yeast for the next week. Leaven or yeast is symbolic of sin.

It includes an explanation of the original Passover, how it came about, how Jesus became our Passover lamb, and what it’s meaning is concerning our salvation related by the head of household to the rest of those present. The reading of this document would satisfy that requirement. It can also include the reading of selected passages from the Bible, praise worship music songs, and prayers.

It includes a foot washing ceremony where you use a small basin of water and a towel and wash each others bare feet, symbolizing your humility and willingness to serve others. In John 13:12-14 Jesus tells us we ought to wash each others feet.

It includes a communion using both unleavened bread and wine, representing the partaking symbolically of the body and blood of Jesus. There is non alcohol wine on the market shelves for those abstaining totally from any alcohol. I personally don’t believe that Jesus made grade juice at the wedding of Caanan or drank grape juice at the last supper. Grapes weren’t ripe in the spring. An excellent discussion on the alcohol topic can be found in the booklet "Drugs and Drinking; What do the Scriptures Really Teach" found at http://www.yahweh.com/booklets/onlinebooklets.htm You will be surprised at the answer , especially coming from one of the strictest affiliations out there.

Why Passover? Why should a gentile celebrate passover?

by Chuck D. Pierce and Robert Heidler

So many have asked the simple question: Why Passover? In Exodus 12:13-14 we read, The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you when I strike the land of Egypt. This day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord. Throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance.

As we approach the celebration of PASSOVER we must remember that Passover is a celebration designed by God! This Feast and event was given to increase our faith and prepare us to enter into the fullness of His blessing! Passover was commanded by God for the Jews in the Old Testament to teach them the importance of redemption by the blood. But it was also observed by Christians in the New Testament to remember and understand God's redeeming work. The Bible tells us it is to be a permanent ordinance…a celebration for all time.

Many Christians don't realize that Passover is just as much a New Testament Feast as an Old Testament Feast. It's all through the New Testament. Jesus and the apostles all celebrated Passover. The original Lord's Supper was a Passover meal. The apostles taught the Gentile churches to celebrate Passover. In 1 Corinthians, Paul wrote to a predominantly Gentile church and said: "Christ OUR Passover Lamb has been slain, therefore let us celebrate the feast!" For hundreds of years, Passover was the most important yearly celebration in the early Church.

What Makes Passover So Important?

Derek Prince once said that the most powerful faith declaration for deliverance is this: "I am redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb out of the hand of the enemy!" He said that if you can make that declaration in faith, and keep on making it, something will happen. You will be delivered from the power of the enemy. That's really the message of Passover. The Feast of Passover is a faith declaration that we are redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb. It does something in us when we celebrate Passover. When we come together to remember God's great works of redemption, and declare the power of redemption in our lives today, it ALWAYS does something!

Passover is very important to God. But satan HATES Passover. The enemy has worked diligently to steal Passover away. The good news is: God is restoring Passover. But it is a battle! The battle for Passover is the battle for the Blood. Satan wants to give us a bloodless religion, because a bloodless religion has no power. The power is in the Blood!

There's always a battle for PASSOVER. We see it in Church history. In the 4th century, when the emperor Constantine tried to merge Christianity and paganism, it sounded like a good deal to many. He legalized Christianity. You could go to church without having to fear being thrown to the lions. And Constantine didn't mind Christians having a celebration of Jesus' resurrection…but he did have an issue with PASSOVER. He demanded that Christians not celebrate Jesus' resurrection at the time of Passover. At the Council of Nicea (A.D. 325), he declared, "This irregularity [observing Passover] MUST be corrected!"

At the council of Nicea, Constantine outlawed Passover and directed that Christ's death and resurrection be celebrated on "the Sunday following the first full moon after the vernal equinox," which is a time associated with the spring festival of the pagan fertility goddess Ishtar also known as Eastre or Oestre. (That's why in the Church today we celebrate the resurrection at Easter instead of Passover.) Constantine's goal was to remove Jesus from the context of Passover.

The Battle Continues! Many in the Church resisted Constantine's edicts, so for many centuries after Constantine, the battle for Passover continued. In the sixth century, for example, Emperor Justinian sent the Roman armies throughout the empire to enforce the prohibition on Passover. In his attempt to wipe out the "heresy" of Passover, thousands of men, women and children were brutally murdered. Entire cities were massacred for refusing to stop celebrating Passover. (The battle for Passover has had many casualties.) Pressured by the government, the Roman Church joined in the attempts to stamp out Passover. Notice some of the decrees passed against Passover by various church councils.

A Curse Pronounced!

THE COUNCIL OF ANTIOCH (A.D. 345) – "If any bishop, presbyter or deacon will dare, after this decree, to celebrate Passover, the council judges them to be anathema from the Church. This council not only deposes them from ministry, but also any others who dare to communicate with them." (The word anathema means "cursed." The Church actually pronounced a curse on Christians who would celebrate Passover!)

THE COUNCIL OF LAODICEA (A.D. 365) – "It is not permitted to receive festivals which are by Jews."

THE COUNCIL OF AGDE, FRANCE (506) – "Christians MUST NOT take part in Jewish festivals."

THE COUNCIL OF TOLEDO X (7th century) – Easter must be celebrated at the time set by the decree of Nicea.

The battle for Passover is seen clearly in Church history! That battle against Passover is nothing new. We see the same thing in the Bible: satan always tries to steal away Passover, because he knows the celebration of the Blood releases power. Look what happened in Hezekiah's day:

Hezekiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. He repaired and cleansed the temple, tore down the false altars, restored the sacrifices, and Davidic praise. Then Hezekiah sent word to all Israel and Judah, inviting them to come to celebrate Passover. Couriers went throughout Israel and Judah: "People of Israel, return to the Lord." The hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king had ordered. A very large crowd of people assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast. They slaughtered the Passover lamb and celebrated the Feast for seven days with great rejoicing, while the Levites sang to the Lord every day, accompanied by instruments of praise. The whole assembly then agreed to celebrate the festival seven more days; so for another seven days they celebrated joyfully. There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon son of David, king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached Heaven, His holy dwelling place (see 2 Chronicles 29-30 for more).

The same thing was happening in Josiah's Day: Josiah did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. In the 18th year of his reign, while repairing the temple, they found the TORAH scroll in the temple. When the king heard the words of the Torah scroll, he tore his robes. He went up to the temple with all the people. He read in their hearing all the words of the Covenant. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant. The king ordered them to remove from the temple all the idols made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts. He tore down the quarters of the male prostitutes, which were in the temple…The king gave this order to all the people: "Celebrate Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this scroll of the Covenant." In the 18th year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to the Lord in Jerusalem. Not since the days of the judges who led Israel, nor throughout the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah, had such a Passover been observed" (see 2 Kings 22-23 for more).

We see a Biblical pattern! In both of these passages, God's people had drifted far from the Lord and turned to idolatry, and the blessing of God was lost. They turned back to God and sought Him, and the first thing God did was restore Passover! As they turned from pagan idols and celebrated Passover, they were restored to God and experienced great joy and blessing. That's an interesting pattern. Over and over again in the Bible, we discover that Passover had been LOST. Even during the Old Testament era, and even among the Jews, generations lived and died without celebrating Passover.

Why had Passover been lost? Satan had STOLEN it away! Satan always wants to steal Passover. Then, as a new generation turned back to the Lord, and began to read the Bible, they read about Passover for the first time. It seemed strange to them. They said, "We've never done this!" (That's exactly what we see in much of the Church today.) But as the Holy Spirit moved on their hearts, they celebrated God's feast of redemption, and God's power and joy were restored!

Why Does Satan Hate Passover?

Satan hates Passover because Passover is the celebration of JESUS. When the Church gave up Passover, it invented other celebrations of Jesus. That is how we shifted the timing of our celebration to Christmas and Easter. It's not bad to celebrate Jesus on those other days. (It's always good to celebrate Jesus.) But the celebration of Jesus that God gave us is called Passover!

The New Testament tells us that Jesus IS the Passover Lamb. When John introduced Jesus He said, "Behold the LAMB!" Paul said: Christ, our PASSOVER LAMB has been slain! Celebrating Passover IS celebrating Jesus! As the Passover Lamb, He shed His Blood to redeem us from the enemy. When His Blood is "on the doorpost" of your life, God delivers you from the destroyer. So if you understand Passover, you automatically understand what Jesus did.

On the original Passover night, everything pointed to Jesus. Every father in Israel was told to stand at the door of his house with a basin containing the blood of the lamb. He was to dip a branch of hissop into the blood and smear the blood on the two doorposts of the house. Then he was to repeat the action and put the blood on the lintel over the door. If you can picture the motion he made with that blood-soaked branch of hissop, you'll see he was making the sign of the Cross!

On Passover night, every father in Israel made the sign of the cross in the blood of the lamb. And as result, the family experienced redemption from the power of the enemy! God's deliverance always comes by His Cross and by His Blood. That's what Passover celebrates. You see, it was not by accident that Jesus died on Passover. God could have had Jesus die any time of year. But it was God's will for Him to die at Passover, so we would recognize that He is the Passover Lamb!

Passover is so important to God that He chose to have the most important event in history (the death and resurrection of Jesus) take place at Passover. God went to great lengths to CONNECT the sacrifice of Jesus to Passover. (This is interesting: Constantine's goal was to separate the work of Jesus from Passover, while God's goal was to connect Jesus' work to Passover.) God wants us to think of Jesus in the context of the Passover celebration!

The Timetable of Passover

It's interesting to compare the timetable of Jesus' crucifixion with the Passover celebration. According to the Torah, at the time of Passover a number of events had to take place in a specific order, and at very specific times.

1. The Passover Lamb had to be selected on a specific day. Exodus 12 instructs that the Passover lamb be chosen on the 10th day of 1st month. By the time of Jesus, only lambs from Bethlehem were considered eligible to serve as Passover lambs. So the lamb born in Bethlehem was chosen and brought into Jerusalem from the east (down the Mount of Olives) and entered the city through the sheep gate. On the 10th day of 1st month Jesus, the Lamb born in Bethlehem, came down the Mount of Olives and entered Jerusalem through the sheep gate. (This is called His "triumphal entry.") As He entered, the people waved palm branches and shouted "Blessed is he that comes in the name of the LORD! Save us, Son of David!" By mass acclamation Jesus is designated as Israel's Messiah! The crowds had chosen their Passover Lamb!

2. The Lamb then had to be examined. The Torah instructed that once the lamb was chosen, it had to be carefully examined for blemishes. Only a perfect, spotless and unblemished lamb would suffice for the Passover. After arriving in Jerusalem, Jesus went to the Temple to teach. While there, He was approached by the Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians and the teachers of the Law. Each group posed difficult questions, trying to trap him. Essentially, they were looking for any blemish which might disqualify Him as Messiah. But no one could find fault with Him. He was without blemish.

3. The Leaven (impurity) must be cast out. Torah instructs that before the feast, all leaven (impurity) must be cast out of every Israelite home. Each mother took a candle and searched out impurity, removing it from her house. This regulation is still observed today. Passover is a time to cleanse every house. Every observant Jewish family carefully cleans their house before Passover. Every trace of impurity is removed. After Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, He entered the Temple and cast out the moneychangers. He was following the Biblical instruction to prepare for Passover by cleansing His Father's house.

4. The Lamb is taken to the altar for public display. On the morning of the 14th day of the 1st month, when all has been set in order, the lamb was led out to the altar. At 9 a.m. that morning, the lamb was bound to the altar and put on public display for all to see. On the morning of the 14th day of the 1st month, when all had been fulfilled, Jesus was led out to Calvary. At 9 a.m. that morning, just as the lamb was being bound to the altar, Jesus was nailed to the Cross and put on public display at Calvary.

5. The Lamb was slain at a specific time. At exactly 3 p.m. the high priest ascended the altar. As another priest blew a shofar on the temple wall, the high priest cuts the throat of the sacrificial Lamb, and declared, "IT IS FINISHED!" At 3 p.m. on that high holy day, at the moment the Passover lamb was killed, Jesus cried with a loud voice, "IT IS FINISHED," and gave up His spirit. In Greek, "It is finished" is tetelistai! It means, "The debt has been paid in full!"

The Celebration of Jesus!

Do you see how God chose to connect Jesus with Passover? It's no wonder John introduces Jesus by saying, "Behold the Lamb!" It's no wonder Paul writes "Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been slain!" Passover is all about Jesus! Do you see that Passover is all About JESUS?

- He came as the LAMB of God!
- His Blood redeems US!
- By His Blood…judgment turned away!
- By His Blood…the power of the enemy is broken!
- By His Blood…we are released from bondage and oppression.
- By His Blood…we are set free to enter into God's Promise!

Passover is the "JESUS" Celebration! The more you understand Passover, the more you appreciate Jesus! If you don't understand Passover, you have a hard time fully understanding what Jesus did. As you celebrate Passover, you are declaring your faith in the power of His Blood and His redemption. That's why one of strangest things in the world is that Christians all over the world have accepted satan's lie that Passover is not a "Christian" thing! Satan tries to steal away Passover, because he knows the celebration of the Blood releases power! When the celebration of Passover was stolen away, the power left! But when Passover is restored, the power RETURNS!

The Good News is—God is RESTORING Passover! All over the world churches are again celebrating Passover! And the POWER is returning! We invite you to celebrate the power of Jesus' Blood. We invite you to join with Christians all over the world in the restoration of Passover. Join with us in proclaiming: We are REDEEMED by the BLOOD OF THE LAMB, out of the hand of the enemy!

If you would like to know more about Passover and see suggestions for celebrating it, we recommend the book The Messianic Church Arising! by Dr. Robert Heidler.

Blessings,

Chuck D. Pierce and Robert Heidler
Glory of Zion International Ministries
Email: chuckp@glory-of-zion.org

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