Passover was the day Jesus was crucified.

God established the Feast of Passover to avert the plague of death for His people Israel around 1446 BC

He was about to inflict that plague on Egypt to get Pharaoh to release His people from captivity.

The plague

“Moses said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘About midnight I will go out into the middle of Egypt, and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the mill, and all the firstborn of livestock.” Exodus 11:4-5 (Exodus 11:1-10)

The Feast of Passover

“Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month is the beginning of months for you; it shall be the first month of your year. Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man must select a lamb for his family, one per household.”” Exodus 12:1-3.

The LORD gave detailed statutes and ordinances concerning the when and how Israel was to select and eat the lamb and what to do with the lambs blood.

“They are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the door-frames of the houses where they eat the lambs.” Exodus 12:7.

On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn male, both man and beast, and I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood on the houses where you are staying will distinguish them; when I see the blood, I will pass over you.
And this day will be a memorial for you, and you are to celebrate it as a feast to the LORD, as a permanent statute for the generations to come. For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. the first day you are to remove the leaven from your houses. Whoever eats anything leavened from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel.” Exodus 12:12-15.

Thus the LORD freed Israel from their captivity around 1446 BC.

Around 30 AD, on the day of Passover, Jesus ate the Passover with his disciples and turned that Old Covenant feast into the spiritual sign of the New Covenant, the Lord’s Supper.

A Hebrew day begins at sunset. The Last Supper began at sunset at the start of the day of Passover. Messiah Jesus died about 3 in the afternoon of that day.

During the Last Supper, Jesus used the natural elements of bread and wine to show how he would fulfill Passover with his crucifixion death on the afternoon of Passover.

He turned the Old Covenant feast into the spiritual sign of the New Covenant in the kingdom of God.

“He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14 (Matthew 6:33; Luke 12:32; Acts 1:3)

The Lord’s Supper

“Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb was to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare for us to eat the Passover”.” Luke 22:7-8.

“When the hour had come, Jesus reclined at the table with His apostles. And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before My suffering. For I tell you that I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”
After taking the cup, He gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.”
And He took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.” Luke 22:14-20 (Matthew 26:20–30; Mark 14:17–26; 1 Corinthians 11:17–34)

When he died that afternoon, Jesus said: “It is finished.”And bowing His head, He yielded up His spirit.” John 19:30.

Jesus had fulfilled all God the Father had sent him to do.

He was crucified as the Passover lamb.

“Get rid of the old leaven, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the old bread, leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and of truth.” 1 Corinthians 5:7-8.

He had proclaimed “liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind to release the oppressed.” Luke 4:8.

He had fulfilled the signs he gave during the Last Supper and brought forth the new covenant.

“But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made by hands and is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.” Hebrews 9:11-12.

The Devil thought he had won. But, Jesus had stomped the serpents head, just as God said he would in Genesis 3.

• So the LORD God said to the serpent:
• “Because you have done this,
  • cursed are you above all livestock
  • and every beast of the field!
• On your belly will you go,
  • and dust you will eat,
  • all the days of your life.
• And I will put enmity between you and the woman,
  • and between your seed and her seed.
• He will crush your head,
  • and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:14-15.

“Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Hebrews 2:14-15.

The religious leaders of the Jews thought they had won. But, God proved then wrong.

“From that time on Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” Matthew 16:21.

“After he was raised to life, Jesus preached the kingdom to the apostles he had chosen for 40 days and told them…..” (Acts 1:1-9)

 

~ Bill Bremer

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Bill Bremer is Founder and Managing Director at Kingdom Relationships Colorado.

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