Passover

Every time the celebration of the Passover occurs it always reminds me of the words that John the Baptist chose to use to introduce the Messiah to Israel: ". . .behold the Lamb of God" (John 1:36). There are some fascinating comparisons that exist between the type and manner of lamb used to provide redemption for the Israelites from the land of Egypt and the lamb of God used to provide redemption for sin for all mankind.

 

The type of lamb slain by the Israelites in Egypt was a male in its prime (1st yr.) (Ex 12:5) - the Son of Man likewise died in the prime of his manhood (Mt 16:13, Lk 3:23). The Passover lamb was brought in on the 10th day of the month Nisan (Ex 12:3) and Messiah was presented to Israel as He rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday on the 10th of Nisan. From the 10th to the 14th the lamb was to be inspected for any blemishes or spots (Ex 12:5) and Messiah's credentials were examined during that interval and He was declared to be without fault (John 18:38, 19:4, 19:6) or as Peter writes that He was brought as it were a lamb without blemish or spot (1Pet 1:18-19). The Passover lamb was to be killed on the 14th of Nisan literally "between evenings" (Ex 12:6) and according to the Jewish historian Josephus, that time was somewhere between approximately 12 noon and 2pm ("The Wars of the Jews," Book 6, Chap 9, Sec 3). The hours of 12pm to 3pm were the darkest hours of Messiah's agony (Mt 27:45). Without any explanation "why?" the Jewish people in Egypt were instructed not to break any of the lamb's bones (Ex 12:46). John's gospel indicates that the reason the Passover lamb's bones were not broken was to prefigure Messiah's sacrifice which was offered without a bone of his body being broken (John 19:36).

A shankbone of a lamb called "Z'ruah" is placed on Passover Seder plates every year to remind the Jewish people that there was death at every doorstep on the night of the 10th plague. It was either their own firstborn son or a substitute lamb. The Jewish people were required by God to trust in the blood of the Passover lamb to protect them from harm. About 1400 years later God sent his firstborn son as ". . .the lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world" (John1:29). However, since God's son is an everlasting being the value of the sacrifice provides an everlasting benefit; such that whosoever puts their faith in the application of his blood has everlasting life.

 

In closing let me share one final point. Isn't it interesting that the same Hebrew word for shankbone ("Z'ruah") can also be translated "arm"? Isa 53:1 reads: "Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm ("Z'ruah") of the LORD revealed?" The shankbone on the Seder plate reminds me that we should believe the report and have faith in the blood provided by the "Z'ruah" of the LORD who, a little further down in Isa 53 it states of him that "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken" (Isa 53:7-8).

 

 

Passover provides perhaps the most compelling example of the marvelous wealth and richness our faith has in its Jewish roots, and we encourage you to consider doing a simple Seder in your own home.  There is no greater way to learn than by doing it yourself.   If you have Jewish friends who do not have plans for Passover, consider inviting them to come and help you to "get it right."  Jewish people, like anyone else, enjoy sharing their culture with others if it is done with a genuine spirit of interest and curiosity to learn.  If it is your intent to conduct a strictly "Messianic" seder, and intend to use the event to share your faith, it is always best to make this clear in advance to any non-Messianic Jewish friends you plan to invite.  God can work, of course, through either method, and only the prayerful leading of God's Spirit can tell you what is best for you, and your special guests.  

 

If doing a Seder in your home seems too daunting, consider attending a Messianic Seder at a local congregation. Grace and Shalom! 

 

There are many resources for Passover.  Below are several links that we hope you will find useful.  Some are Messianic and some are "Judaica" (the term we use on Hananeel's site to refer to sites with a perspective from Judaism or secular Jewish sites). 

 

Buy a Judaica Seder plate: http://www.traditionsjewishgifts.com/passover-gift-ideas.html

 

Download a Messianic Haggadah: http://www.shaddai.com/feasts/passover.php

 

Purchase a Messianic Haggadah (Barnes & Noble): Messianic Passover Haggadah - Steffi & Barry Rubin

 

Judaism Passover Website: http://www.aish.com/h/pes/

 

Interactive Seder Plate (Judaica): http://www.reformjudaism.org/interactive-seder-plate

 

This page is intended to provide a starting point for learning more about this great Biblical feast.