Passover for the Believer

The following is a repost of a Facebook note I wrote two years ago.

I'm not sure who knows about Passover, so I'm going to explain why it means so much to me.

Passover is a Jewish holiday that celebrates when Elohim (God) brought the Israelites (then the Hebrews) out of Egypt after 430 years in slavery. It is a feast that commemorates it, including reading the whole story aloud.

Elohim brought ten plagues upon the Egyptians: water to blood, frogs, gnats (I've heard lice), flies, livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and lastly the FIRSTBORN. This was the firstborn of every living creature "from the firstborn of the Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; all the firstborn of the cattle as well." (Ex 11:5)

Elohim gave specific instructions to the Hebrews about what they were to do for His Passover. On the tenth day of that month, they were to take a year-old male lamb, without blemish, and keep it until the fourteenth day, when the Hebrews were to slaughter the lamb at twilight. They were to take some of the blood and put it on the two door frames and the lintel of the houses. They were to eat the flesh that same night, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. They were to eat with their loins girded, sandals on their feet, and their staffs in their hands. The bread had to be unleavened because they didn't have time for the bread to rise. As soon as Elohim struck Egypt, the Hebrews were to leave.

"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 to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt." (Ex 12:13)

After Elohim gave the commands for the first Passover, he gave instructions for later celebrating the "Feast of Unleavened Bread" when the Israelites were to remove the leaven--the chametz--from their homes. Unleavened bread is called matzah.

Now why am I, a Christian, celebrating Passover, which is traditionally a Jewish holiday?
There is so much in Passover that relates to how God's wrath passed over our hearts.

Matthew 16:6: "And Yeshua (Jesus) said to them, "Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

1 Corinthians 5:6-8 Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover [lamb] also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

As found in 1 Corinthians (I'm using NASB, but the reference to the Passover lamb comes from NIV), Yeshua (Jesus) is our Passover lamb. He came among us, long enough for us to make ties with, and then he was slaughtered. His blood was put on the doorposts of our hearts so that the Lord might pass over us and grant us mercy.

Now, another parallel. Three years ago, I had my first opportunity to go to a Messianic Seder. (This year marks my fourth year of participating). It was fantastic. In 2010, the Seder was in perfect timing with Resurrection Day. Tomorrow I go to celebrate this year's Seder. Getting off topic however. There was one thing done with the matzah (specifically the Afikomen) my first year that I will never forget, and now pass on (haha) to you.

On a plate are three pieces of matzah (see picture above. :)). The Papa takes the middle piece of matzah, called the afikomen (dessert), breaks it in half, and wraps one in a napkin. The Seder I went to had the Papa hide one of the broken parts of the afikomen for the children to find later. Other Seders may have the children hiding it. In any case, I will use the example of the Papa hiding the afikomen away for the children to find later.

Look closely at the matzah in the picture. If you can't see it clearly enough, leave a comment, and I'll take a better picture for you. It is unleavened. It has holes in it. It has dark blotches. It has stripes.

Yeshua was pierced. He was striped. He was bruised. The FATHER broke him and hid him in a linen shroud (in the tomb). Later, those with childlike faith found him. But best of all, Yeshua had no leaven--sin--in him.

Aren't these parallels beautiful? This is why I celebrate Passover--because the similarities between the Passover lamb slaughtered in Egypt and our Passover Lamb slaughtered on the cross are too true to ignore.

Be blessed during this time of both mourning and celebration.