In Exodus 12 we read that God told the Israelites how they had to
celebrate the Passover, not only at that time but perpetually.
What’s most amazing is that thousands of years later, Jesus fulfilled
every one of the details of this first Passover. The Passover was the shadow,
and Christ is the essence.
Now we will see each one of the steps during the Passover feast and how the
Messiah fulfills them.
a. Passover establishes
a new beginning.
(Exodus 12:1-2) The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt
What happened during the month of Nissan was so important that it
changed how the calendar was structured. It was a new beginning. Therefore, the
Lord established this month as the first month of the year.
Fulfillment>>
When we come to realize that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, our life
changes. We are released from slavery to sin and become free to serve God. It
is a new beginning. This is what we known as “being born again”.
(John 3:5-7) Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless
one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God
(2 Corinthians 5:17) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
b. The lamb had to
be separated for four days.
(Exodus 12:3) Tell all the congregation of Israel
(Exodus 12:5-6) Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old.
You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, (6) and you shall keep
it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the
congregation of Israel
The Israelites were to take a lamb on the 10th day of the
month of Nissan and keep it until the 14th day, when it would be
sacrificed. During those days, they had to examine it and make sure that the lamb had no blemish or
defect.
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Jesus is the Lamb of God, without blemish or spot.
(John 1:29) The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said,
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
(1 Peter 1:18-19) knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways
inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or
gold, (19) but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb
without blemish or spot.
Before Jesus died as the Passover Lamb, He was examined by everybody. He
went into Jerusalem
on the 10th day of Nissan. He was in front of everyone during the
four days before Passover. They all examined him and found him to be righteous.
(Matthew 27:11-14) Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor
asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.”
(12) But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no
answer. (13) Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things
they testify against you?” (14) But he gave him no answer, not even to a single
charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.
(Matthew 27:3-4) Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he
changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief
priests and the elders, (4) saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent
blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.”
(Matthew 27:17-19) So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do
you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” (18) For
he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. (19) Besides,
while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have
nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him
today in a dream.”
(Luke 23:7-8) And when he learned that he belonged to
Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem
(Luke 23:13-15) Pilate then called together the chief priests and the
rulers and the people, (14) and said to them, “You brought me this man as one
who was misleading the people. And after examining him before you, behold, I
did not find this man guilty of any of your charges against him. (15) Neither
did Herod, for he sent him back to us. Look, nothing deserving death has been
done by him.
(Luke 23:39-41) One of the criminals who were hanged railed at
him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” (40) But
the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the
same sentence of condemnation? (41) And we indeed justly, for we are
receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”
c. All the
congregation would slay him
Everyone had to participate.
(Exodus 12:6) and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this
month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel
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The people who killed Jesus were not only “the Jews”, but it was
everyone. During the time of his death, both Jews and Romans participated.
(Matthew 27:20-31) Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd
to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. (21) The governor again said to
them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said,
“Barabbas.” (22) Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who
is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” (23) And he
said, “Why, what evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be
crucified!” (24) So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather
that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd,
saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to it yourselves.” (25)
And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” (26)
Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered
him to be crucified. (27) Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the
governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before
him. (28) And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, (29) and
twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in
his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King
of the Jews!” (30) And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him
on the head. (31) And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the
robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
(Acts 4:26-28) The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were
gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed’— (27) for truly
in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom
you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the
peoples of Israel, (28) to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined
to take place.
It is important to realize that Jesus did not die by anybody’s hand, but
He gave up His life, and he did it for the sake of all sinners (John 10:17-18).
Since there is no one who may be considered righteous, then we all were the motive
for His death.
d. Between the two
evenings
(Exodus 12:6) and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this
month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel
[In the original Hebrew and in the
literal translation of the Bible, instead of “twilight”, it says “between the
two evenings”.] The lamb had to be killed “between the two evenings”, that
is at three in the afternoon.
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Jesus died on the cross exactly “between the two evenings”. While the
High Priest was sacrificing the Passover Lamb in the temple, Jesus was giving
up His spirit on the cross.
(Matthew 27:45-46, 50) Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all
the land until the ninth hour. (46) And about the ninth hour Jesus
cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema
sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” …
(50) And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
The Roman way to count time during the time Jesus lived was determined
by the sun. The Romans started to count the hours when the sun would rise. Therefore
their “ninth hour” is equivalent to what we would know as 3:00 in the afternoon.
e. They were not
to break his bones
(Exodus 12:46) It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of
the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones.
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The Romans did not break any of Jesus’ bones when he was at the cross. This
was something they would usually do to those being crucified when they were about
to die.
(John 19:31-37) Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the
bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a
high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they
might be taken away. (32) So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first,
and of the other who had been crucified with him. (33) But when they came
to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. (34)
But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came
out blood and water. (35) He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is
true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may
believe. (36) For these things took place that the Scripture might be
fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” (37) And again another
Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.”
f. The lamb is
eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
(Exodus 12:8) They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire;
with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.
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* Bitter herbs
Jesus had to participate of a bitter cup while he was on the cross,
which is a symbol of his suffering.
(Matthew 27:33-34) And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which
means Place of a Skull), (34) they offered
him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink
it.
(John 19:28-30) After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished,
said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” (29) A jar full of sour
wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch
and held it to his mouth. (30) When Jesus had received the sour wine, he
said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.
* Unleavened bread
Leaven is a symbol of sin. The unleavened bread represents Jesus, who is
the bread of life, without sin.
(John 6:32-35) Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to
you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives
you the true bread from heaven. (33) For the bread of God is he who comes
down from heaven and gives life to the world.” (34) They said to him,
“Sir, give us this bread always.” (35) Jesus said to them, “I am the bread
of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall
never thirst.
(1 Corinthians 5:6-8) Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little
leaven leavens the whole lump? (7) Cleanse out the old leaven that you may
be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has
been sacrificed. (8) Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the
old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of
sincerity and truth.
g. The blood over
the door
The blood of the lamb was to be placed over the doors of those homes where
Passover was being celebrated.
(Exodus 12:7) “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the
two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.
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Jesus is the door though which we can return to the Father. The blood
over the door is the one that cleanse us from all sin.
(John 10:7-9) So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to
you, I am the door of the sheep. (8) All who came before me are thieves
and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. (9) I am the door. If
anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
(Hebrews 10:19-22) Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to
enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, (20) by the new and living
way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his
flesh, (21) and since we have a great priest over the house of God, (22)
let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts
sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
The Passover lamb is the shadow of the Lamb of God that died on the
cross to save us from death. This is what we celebrate during the feast of
Passover.
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