Passover or 'Pesach' in Hebrew is one of the most memorable annual events on the Jewish calendar and is directly tied up to the keeping of the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread. This powerful biblical feast commemorates the deliverance and "going out" of Israelites from their slavery in ancient Egypt. This was called the Exodus story—and was memorialized every Springtime (March-April).
In 2024, Passover feast falls on April 23, observed beginning sunset of 22nd.
Passover means "He passed over" in reference to God's death angel "passing over" (or 'skipping') the houses that were sprinkled with blood on the doorposts (Exo. 12).
The story of the first Passover as recorded in the book of Exodus (Exo. 12 to 14) goes like this: One day the Israelites cried out to God for deliverance because of oppression, so God sent Moses to go to the ruler of Egypt (anciently called Pharaoh), and ordered him to let the Israelites go free. Pharaoh refused, so God sent plagues upon the land of Egypt: frogs, locusts, and boils, among others (Exodus 7-10). But even after suffering these plagues, Pharaoh still refused to let the Israelites go.
Since Pharaoh continued to stubbornly resist God's will, God told Moses that He was going to send one last plague upon the land—the death of the firstborn son in every home in Egypt. However, God provided a means of protection for the Israelites. He told Moses that He would not touch the houses that had the blood of a lamb on their doorposts. The killing of the lamb signals the passing over to come. So Moses told the Israelites to spread its blood on the doorposts of their houses, and thus those houses were “passed over” by God and spared from the plague.
After suffering through this terrible plague, Pharaoh finally agreed to let the Israelites go, and all of God’s people quickly followed Moses out of Egypt. However, after a short while, Pharaoh ordered his army to go after them, and they chased the Israelites to the bank of the Red Sea. God split the sea, creating a path for the Israelites to cross. But after they crossed, the Egyptian army continued to chase them. So God caused the sea to crash down on the Egyptians, covering them in the water. Thus, the Israelites were delivered from Egypt and began their journey to the Promised Land. And the Feast of Passover was established to commemorate this miraculous event.
These were all retold in a story during the Passover seder (“order”) meal which is a special part of the Passover ceremony. It incorporates food that represent elements of the story. The eating of unleavened bread represents the "haste" in which they went out of Egypt. Bitter herbs (often lettuce and horseradish, taken with vinegar) stand for the bitterness of slavery. Cups of wine are symbolic of the various stages of action God took in leading the Isralites to their freedom. A roasted shank part of a lamb commemorates the Passover sacrifice that enabled the Israelites to be spared from the avenging Death Angel.
In the New Testament, Passover celebration becomes more fulfilling with Jesus Christ adding more intimate meanings into it. Christ never replaced nor rescinded this celebration, instead He reinforced the understanding that encompases its fulfillment in God's coming kingdom. Jesus (Yeshua) sat with the disciples and made this prophetic pronouncement as He look forward to it:
"...When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God." (Luke 22:15-16)
So go celebrate the LORD's Passover! - RDH #Passover2024
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