This post may contain affiliate links. If you decide to make a purchase through these links, I earn a small commission at no cost to you. I do not promote anything I do not believe in or stand behind.
Passover is about Jesus Christ (or Yeshua HaMashiach— to call Him by His Jewish name). However, one of the questions one needs to answer is what or who do we celebrate during Passover? What is Passover all about? [I like to use the word ‘Passover’ and not ‘Easter,’ but along my post, I will use both words interchangeably]
In Romania, Christians have all kinds of traditions during Easter. And some of them I believe are good, or at least are not bad or against the Scriptures. One of them is to start a fasting period 40 days before Easter. And this is a good tradition, I believe. However, there are many other traditions among Christians that are not good— they are pagan. One of them is about the ‘Easter Rabbit’ or ‘Easter Hare.’
Here one can read more things about this tradition. Nevertheless, Easter rabbits and eggs have nothing to do with Jesus and Passover! Unfortunately, many nominal Christians today believe Easter is about that. And I believe this is an offense for the sacrifice of Jesus. My purpose is not to show the pagan roots of this tradition, even though I might do so one time. However, my point is that rabbits stole the place of Jesus, for many Christians. And that is ridiculous and sad.
Passover is about Yeshua and His sacrifice. And everything in the celebration of Passover points us to Jesus because He is the center of Passover. Moreover, He is the fulfillment of the Passover festival in every detail.
Let us look closer and see what we can learn from Passover. We can learn that:
1. Passover is about death
The story begins in Genesis 3 where one can see how humankind falls into sin, through Adam and Eve. And I am sure we are all accustomed to the story of how the serpent succeeded to tempt Eve and then Adam to eat from the forbidden tree. Moreover, through their sin, death came into the world. As we can read in Romans 5:12 (TLV)
So then, just as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, in the same way death spread to all men because all sinned.
And in Romans 6:23 (NKJV)
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Death came into the world through their sin. And ever since all of us experience death. Adam and Eve experienced death– a physical death and a spiritual death, as we can see in Isaiah 59:2 (TLV)
Rather, your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God. Your sins have hidden His face from you
What was God’s solution? The sacrifice of an innocent animal! God took an animal, and He slew it. And an innocent animal gave his life that Adam and Eve’s nakedness may be covered. However, even if the Bible does not say, I believe it was a lamb.
And that is precisely what Jesus did on our behalf. He died for us and on our behalf, as we can read in Isaiah 53.
2. Passover is about faith and obedience
In Exodus, we see God’s desire to save His people— Israel, from the slavery of Egypt. For this purpose, He sent Moses and Aaron to deliver them. However, Pharaoh was not happy with the news, and he hardened his heart and did not want to let the Jews go.
The Lord then sent ten plagues to judge Pharaoh and the idols of Egypt. The tenth was the most terrible— the death of the firstborn from every household in Egypt.
For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night and strike down every firstborn, both men and animals, and I will execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt. I am Adonai.
As one can see from this verse, the penalty of death was upon all the land Egypt, not upon all the Egyptians. It was upon everybody! In Egypt were not only Egyptians, but also Jews, and other nations. And the penalty of death was upon all of them. We read in Romans 3:23 (TLV)
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
What was God’s solution? The sacrifice of an innocent animal! God commanded that the Jews will take a one-year-old unblemished male lamb, and sacrifice it. And then apply his blood on the two doorposts and the crossbeam (Exodus 12:7).
What if someone would have disobeyed God’s Word?
What if a Jew would have thought that he was part of God’s chosen people with whose forefathers God did cut a covenant and therefore he needed not to obey God’s Word spoken through Moses? Or what if a Jewish person would not have obeyed God’s Word totally?
What if a Jewish person would have taken a lamb that was not without blemish? Or he would have taken an unblemished lamb, but would not apply his blood on the crossbeam only on the two doorposts? Would you think the angel of death would have passed over their home? I do not think that. Partial obedience is disobedience!
In Exodus 9:20 we read about some Egyptians who when they did hear about the hailstorm plague, obeyed the Word of the Lord spoken through Moses, and protected themselves. And I believe that if the Egyptians would have heard about the last plague and would have— again— obeyed God’s Word, they too would have been saved!
3. Passover is about the Gospel
Yeshua is the true Lamb of God. His blood is the blood of the New Covenant the prophet Jeremiah speaks of.
In Exodus 12:13 (TLV) we read
The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. So there will be no plague among you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
Yeshua is the Passover Lamb who has shed His blood so that when we apply it to the doorposts of our heart, the Angel of Death passes over.
John the Baptist said in John 1:29 (TLV)
Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Salvation would have been available for anyone who believed and who by faith would have obeyed God’s Word totally. Salvation was for anyone who would have applied, by faith, the blood of the lamb and kept God’s command.
Similarly, salvation is available for anyone who puts his faith in the sacrifice of Jesus, and not in his righteousness. 1 Peter 1:18-19 (TLV)
You know that you were redeemed from the futile way of life handed down from your ancestors—not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with precious blood like that of a lamb without defect or spot, the blood of Messiah.
Now what?
The story of Passover is the story of the angel of death who passed over the Jews who by faith applied the blood of the lamb. Moreover, the story of Passover was fulfilled by Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah. Furthermore, the story of Passover is a story of grace in which we see the perfect sacrifice of Yeshua. Yeshua died for us to be set free from the power of sin and death. He died in my place and yours. And Yeshua and His sacrifice and life is God’s solution for my sin and yours, and for abundant life!
And Yeshua said in John 14:6 (TLV)
I am the way, the truth, and the life! No one comes to the Father except through Me.
In the context, He was speaking primarily to the Jewish people. However, He speaks for all humankind here. Nobody- Jew, American, Romanian, Chinese, etc. comes to God but through Yeshua/Jesus. Do you know Him? Would you like to know Him? If you want, write me a comment or a message and let us talk. I would like to know you and pray for you! Salvation is available to anyone! Do not wait!
Do you agree?
Let me know if there is anything special going on in your life or if you want prayer! Moreover, share this post with your friends and don’t forget to leave a comment.
If you plan on writing a book or if you are aware of someone who wants to write a book-check this link!
Most importantly, please do subscribe to my blog.
Donate—Thank you for partnering with me through investing in this ministry.
P.S. Whenever you use the links and the banners on my blog to buy something on Amazon USA, or you use other affiliate links on my blog, I receive a small commission. It is a great way to support my ministry. Moreover, over 10% of what I make goes back to supporting other ministries! Thank you!
I am a blogger, writer, pastor, Director of Zion Romania Bible School, husband to Olguta, a father and, most importantly, a child of God. I also completed my studies at the King’s University where I earned a B.A. in Theology with a concentration in Messianic Jewish Studies. I love Israel and I love the ‘Jewishness’ of the Bible.
Leave a Reply