Why should Christians care about Passover?

The sacrifice of the Passover lamb and the death and resurrection of Jesus cannot be separated.

The “Last Supper” was the Passover meal.

Jesus sent his disciples to prepare the Passover meal in Mark 14: 12.

In Luke 22:15, Jesus said, “with desire, I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”

After the meal, he and the disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus was arrested and endured all night court trials.

He was taken before Pilate in the early morning.

John 18:28 says the Jewish leaders didn’t want to be defiled by going to Pilates’s headquarters. Their Passover meal was later that night.

Jesus’ crucifixion happened that day, and scriptures say he died at 3 pm.

This time frame is significant.

An article on Jewishencyclopedia.com states the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed at 3 pm.

There were 2 lambs sacrificed that day, one in the temple and Jesus on the cross.

Jesus rose from the grave 3 days later. Hallelujah!

In the Passover Seder, matzo is eaten. It is an unleavened bread that is pierced and stripped, just like Jesus’ body.

There are 4 cups of wine. The 3rd one symbolizes redemption explicitly.

Christ took the matzo and broke it, saying it was His body broken for us.

He took the 3rd cup of wine, saying it was His blood shed for us, initiating Christian communion today and a new covenant for those who believe.

In Exodus 12, when the Egyptian pharaoh refused to free the Jews from slavery, God passes through the land and strikes down the firstborn of every household.

The Jews had been told to mark their doors with the blood of a lamb they’ve sacrificed as the Passover offering and God “passes over” their homes.

At Passover each year Jews give thanks for being “passed over” and protected.

The blood of Jesus now protects Christians and gives eternal life.

On this resurrection day, read Exodus 12 and Numbers 28 and the accounts in the Gospels of His resurrection.

While you celebrate Jesus’ victory, please remember, there would be no Resurrection Sunday without Passover.