Passover, one of the commanded feasts of G-d, is the central element of the resurrection, which is what we celebrate on Resurrection Day (Easter). It is an unfortunate twist of history that few Protestants celebrate this most important day. The reality is that, without Passover, there is no resurrection. In order to understand the importance of the Passover to the resurrection, let’s look at how we got to where we are, what Passover means to you, and the spiritual and mental benefits of Passover; then, we will be able to talk about the heavenly realities for Passover and the resurrection.
Let’s look at each of these.
Passover and the Church: A Brief History
G-d’s plan is perfect, but sometimes we, human beings, get in the way. The first believers in Messiah all celebrated Passover in light of the Messiah, and Messiah Himself celebrated Passover every year as seen prior to his crucifixion:
“And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;” (Luke 22:15).
So how did we get so far away as to not celebrate it at all?
After Messiah’s death and resurrection, He commanded that we make Talmidim (disciples) from every nation. We are to be like our Messiah! We are to talk like Him, walk like Him, act like Him, and do the works that He did.
As time passed, the church and the Messianic Jews began to split. Several church rulings began forbidding all Jewish practices. By the time of Constantine, this anti-Jewish leaning became officially recognized. Constantine is esteemed highly by Catholics and some Protestants, but this is not the case with most Messianic Jews, as he is seen as an anti-Semite who pressured the church to make these changes. These attitudes were later solidified in early Church councils.
The net result was that Messianic Jews were either forced out of the church as heretics and kept the Passover secretly (see the inquisition in Spain which persecuted Jews who still kept feasts) or gave up their Jewishness. It is hard to believe, but many Jewish believers (tens of thousands or more) were killed by fellow believers for the crime of remaining Jewish and believing in Messiah.
While we likely think that this attitude is ancient history, I personally can relate to incidents in my life where we were told not to keep Jewish practices because, as they say, “Don’t you know that Christ did away with all that?” It is a more common attitude than we might believe.
Some groups have maintained a closer connection with Passover and the death of Messiah than others, such as our Catholic friends, who remember Good Friday, and the Eastern Orthodox tradition likewise. However, most Protestants do not. It is a tragic loss.
Passover’s spiritual and mental benefits and its meaning
For G-d’s mercy to flow, it required the perfect, sinless, spotless sacrifice — just like at Passover, when the lamb was slain to redeem the firstborn. Personally, the keeping of Passover led my family to a much more real and tangible trust in G-d. This change was so profound that it impacted our physical, mental and spiritual health, and well-being.
Today our belief in G-d is openly mocked, our children are brainwashed into being mere animals here by random chance, our spirits are left to whither with no meaning and our bodies are poisoned by unhealthy living. We need a cure: that cure is to understand the truth of G-d, of His Messiah, of our position in Him, and how we are to allow Him to live through us.
The sad truth is many of our children will be lost, never to return. Churches are shrinking, ungodly doctrine is taught by many, and sin prevails. The only cure is to know the truth of G-d, to build our trust, and to live out that trust in tangible ways. Understanding G-d’s plan in Messiah through the Passover and the other feasts will strengthen this ever-so-crucial trust in Him today.
The Heavenly Realities for Passover and the Resurrection
We believe that Messiah celebrated Passover on Nisan 14 just after sundown. He was arrested later that night, tried, and executed in the morning. Contrary to popular belief, it was the Sadducees, not the Pharisees, who condemned Him to death. After a flagrantly illegal trial by Jewish law, they delivered Him to the Romans (again flagrant violation of Jewish Law) and demanded His execution. By our belief, this was Thursday (Nisan 14), with Messiah being on the execution stake from about 9 am to 3 pm. It is spiritually significant to remember that Messiah was on the execution stake both while the Passover lambs were being killed (as Passover dinner was celebrated by most Jews at the beginning of the 15th of Nisan) and also while the afternoon sacrifice was taking place. The importance is the sacrifice for Passover was to reclaim or redeem the firstborn from death, and the afternoon sacrifice was not only for Israel but all the nations.
Messiah was taken down after 3 pm and was placed in the tomb before sundown. This is important as well, as it precisely fulfills the three days and nights referred to when Messiah is compared to Jonah in the fish (Jonah 1). He then arose sometime after sundown on Saturday and before dawn on Sunday (remember Jewish days are sundown to sundown), thus, three days and three nights.
Now, let’s look at the Passover. It has many important symbols pointing directly to Messiah:
1. The lamb must be selected on Nisan 10 (the church calls it Palm Sunday)
2. He must be inspected from the 10th to Passover, when He is slain.
3. The sacrifice must be male and be perfect, no blemishes (sin) or broken bones (remember how none of His bones being broken was stressed, according to John 19:33).
4. He is to be killed on Nisan 14. In the Passover, the death of the lamb is key, for it is by its death and the act of trust in painting the door frame with His blood that the wrath of G-d was turned away. It is the exact same with Messiah, it is His death, that turns the wrath of G-d against sin and away from us. The painting of the door frame with blood can be seen as analogous to our faith in the Messiah as spoken of by Sha’ul or Paul (Hebrews 11:29).
So how can we know that Messiah turned away G-d’s wrath? It is seen in the final act – the resurrection (Easter). Easter also happens to be the Jewish Holy Day of First Fruits, for scripture says that Messiah is the First Fruits of the Resurrection from the Dead!
Conclusion
Unfortunately, I cannot fully express the symbology of all the elements of Passover: from the unleavened bread that symbolizes no sin (yeast = sin), to our desire to remove yeast from our lives for these seven days to show our desire to remove sin from our lives. This also includes the symbology of the wine as the blood, and the matzah (unleavened bread) as His body (meaning not only identification with Messiah but taking Him into your innermost being and living His life through us).
This Passover (beginning sundown on April 22nd- April 30th), why not hold communion in honor of Messiah’s death? Or, better yet, search out a Messianic Jewish congregation in your area (for a listing by state go to MAN-NA.com) and ask to attend a Passover Seder! It will be a tremendous blessing to you and may change your life.
Our relationship to G-d and the Messiah was never meant to be an intellectual belief only but rather a real living force in us that molds our minds, our spirits, and our bodies into comprehensive vessels for G-d to live in and work through. If you let Him, He will transform you and bring forth an amazing harvest in your life. For that is what it is all about: L’Chaim to Live Abundantly in G-d and His Messiah!
Updated April 24, 2016
